One of the foremost objectives in re-circulating aquaculture is to maintain system stability. This is not wholly unreasonable in light of the fact that 1) our closed systems can be inherently prone to sudden and devastating disturbances (i.e.,…
Kenneth Wingerter
Recent Content
Aquarium Corals: Collection and Aquarium Husbandry of Northeast Pacific Non-Photosynthetic Cnidaria
Nowadays, only the most senior aquarists amongst us can recall the days of old when the marine aquarium hobby was in its primacy–when undergravel filters were sophisticated water treatment devices, condy anemones were hot, novel “imports,” and success was proclaimed whenever a purchase was still alive by the time the check cleared.…
Aquarium Fish: Reconsidering the Lookdown (Selene vomer)
The family Carangidae (jacks and their kin) is a widely distributed, mainly tropical and subtropical, group of rather burly, roving, predatory fishes. On account of its relatively small size and relatively peaceful disposition, the lookdown (Selene vomer (Linnaeus, 1758)) is arguably among the most desirable–and suitable–members of this group for use in the home aquarium.…
Aquarium Fish: Use of MS-222 (Tricaine Methanesulfonate) to Induce Sedation and Anesthesia in Ornamental Fishes
Among the foremost practical (and indeed ethical) concerns of a competent aquarist is the mitigation of stress inflicted upon the animals under his or her care. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that both chronic and acute stress can have a significant impact on animal health.…
Aquarium Fish: Reconsidering the Sand Tilefishes
In the last few decades, aquarists have steadily refined marine fishkeeping. These innovations include improved collection/handling/shipping procedure, more effective aquarium water filtration/treatment technologies, and a better understanding of marine fish nutrition/immunology, as well as a growing preference for systems that are specialized for keeping the flora and fauna of distinct ecological communities (biotope aquaria, if you will).…
Freshwater Aquaria: Considerations for Scaping and Stocking the Paludarium, Part 2
A paludarium is a type of vivarium that is specialized for the display of flora and fauna that live on, or very near, the bank of a body of water. Being modeled on many disparate habitat types, paludaria are capable of housing a great variety of livestock that can present conflicting husbandry requirements.…
Freshwater Aquaria: Considerations for Constructing and Operating the Paludarium, Part 1
The aquarium hobby/industry has been enjoying an ongoing surge of technological and methodological advancements, as well as an ever-growing selection of aquarium livestock. This can be seen as both a cause and an effect of increasingly sophisticated means of aquatic plant and animal husbandry and display.…
Media Review: An Overview of the Aquarium Science Program: Unique Opportunities to Receive Training and Accreditation for a Professional Career in the Aquarium Industry
A surge in the number, size, and diversity of public aquarium, aquaculture, and ornamental fish industries has persisted since the early part of the last decade. This rapid expansion has accelerated the pace of technological and methodological advancements in the care of captive aquatic plants and animals; as such it has promoted a commensurate increase in the value of practical knowledge within each growing and emerging field of aquarium science.…
Short Take: Prospective Livestock for the Temperate Marine Aquarium: A Photo Essay
Despite having enjoyed a long history within public institutions, temperate marine aquarium keeping is yet restricted to a small (though enthusiastic) body of hobbyists. Notwithstanding a considerable marginalization by the momentous demand for tropical reef aquaria since the late-1980’s, temperate aquaria have recently garnered a marked increase in popular and commercial attention.…
How To: Considerations for Building and Maintaining a Temperate Marine Aquarium
In all probability, the majority of seasoned tropical marine aquarium hobbyists that have considered experimenting with temperate marine aquaria were enticed not merely by the prospect of keeping new species, but by the opportunity to accept new challenges.…