Undulate triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) are well-known for their belligerent natureLFS staffer to customer eyeing sohal tang as potential purchase: “Hmm, I don’t think that fish would be a good choice for your tank.…
Saltwater Smarts
Recent Content
The Green Brittle Star: Little Fishy, Beware!
Green brittle star (Ophiarachna incrassata)“Voracious predator” is not a term one commonly associates with brittle stars—that is, of course, unless the brittle star in question happens to be Ophiarachna incrassata, or the green brittle star (aka “the green death”).…
The Harlequin Bass: An Exceptionally Hardy, Beginner-Friendly Marine Fish
Prized for its striking patterning, modest adult size, exceptional hardiness, and overall adaptability, the harlequin bass (Serranus tigrinus), denizen of the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean, makes an excellent choice for the novice marine aquarist and experienced hobbyist alike.…
What Gives with that Marine Fish that Never Eats?
Sometimes you have a fish in your aquarium you never see eating, but it that a problem? It depends.I’ve had this fish in my aquarium for months now and it’s as fat and happy as can be, yet I’ve never actually seen it consume any of the food’s I’ve offered.…
Paul “Paul B” Baldassano Pens Unique Book on Marine Aquarium Keeping
What do supermodels, the Vietnam War, and the right front fender of a 1955 Oldsmobile have to do with marine aquariums? Absolutely nothing—that is, of course, unless you’re hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano and you’ve just published a book on your six decades of aquarium keeping! …
Marine Aquarium Terminology: Activated Carbon vs. Carbon Dosing
Activated carbon and carbon dosing – similar sounding, but different techniques for improving water quality. As if our hobby weren’t perplexing enough to the average beginner given all the oddball jargon we toss around, things can get doubly befuddling for novices when they come across two or more similar-sounding terms that actually apply to very different concepts.…
How to Tell if a Marine Fish Is Dying of Old Age
Large coral colonies and adult surgeonfish in Key LargoWe aquarists try very hard to keep our animals alive as long as possible for a few reasons. The first is that we are caring people and don’t want to see them hurt.…
Beginners: Never Add Livestock to Your Marine Aquarium under These 5 Circumstances
If there has been a mysterious death in your aquarium, determine the cause before seeking a replacement.In a nutshell, the reason people are drawn to this hobby (not counting the genetic mutation unique to marine aquarists that I can only assume researchers are close to isolating) is to enjoy up-close-and-personal encounters with exotic marine life.…
The Hammer Coral: A Sizeable Stinger with Showpiece Potential
Hammer coral (Euphyllia ancora) can be quite variable in colorSeveral of the so-called large-polyp stony (LPS) corals offer the advantages of being very hardy, adaptable, and beautiful and, thus, make excellent reef aquarium candidates, even for relatively new reefkeepers.…
Is the Internet a Viable Resource for Marine Aquarium Research?
Virtually since the advent of the internet, there’s been a tendency in our hobby to rate the reliability and trustworthiness of online content beneath that of print-format materials—books, magazines, and so forth.…