It has always been my goal, from the days of The Marine Aquarist, through Aquarium Frontiers, to The Advanced Aquarist Online to publish cutting edge information for all aquarists, but especially for both amateur and professional experienced aquarists.…

In this editorial I want to return to a topic that both interests me and many reef keepers – trace elements and nutrients. It is a topic of considerable debate for both scientists and amateurs alike.…

For those of you who have been following my editorials know that I have been making changes in my system to help enhance calcification by stony corals. Correcting a too high specific gravity and lowering orthophosphates (PO4) levels by controlling feeding and the use of my refugium to grow great amounts of macroalgae has produced the desired effect – PO4 Levels immeasurable by even a professional Hach test kit (Model PO- 19).…

A couple of days ago I received a phone call from my sister in law concerning the death of her fighting fish ( Betta splendens ). She explained to me that her fish, which she had only for a week, developed cottony stuff on its body, torn fins, and that it turned a pale color before it died.…

I received this email a few days ago from Joe Yaiullo, one of the pioneers of reef keeping in the USA. Joe established and maintained a 200 gallon reef tank in the basement of the New York Aquarium, at a time when most people believed it impossible to keep stony corals alive in captivity.…

I have been writing and answering questions about keeping both large and pigmy angelfish in reef tanks for at least 10 years, and it is a topic that continues to interest reef keepers. During that period I have kept quite a selection in my reef tanks, and furthermore have been in contact with other reef keepers who have shared their experience with me concerning the advisability of keeping angelfish in reef tanks.…

I received this very flattering email several weeks ago:

Terry,

First, I would like to congratulate you on all your work. I’ve read all your articles from Aquarium Frontiers and I just love them all.

To expand on what I said last issue, where I said, Though the early advocates of the Berlin system often ridiculed the algae scrubber system developed by Walter Adey, many now recognize today that the most successful reef systems employ the best techniques from many sources – modern reef keeping techniques utilize the best of Wilkens, Jaubert, and Adey.…

One of the most asked questions centers around the best temperature range to keep a reef tank at. Beginning with a series of articles and statements by Ron Shimek, Ph.D. advocating relatively high temperatures for reef tank maintenance this question has provoked considerable debate.…