Reefs.com - Saltwater Aquarium - Reef Aquarium

A look at Wrasses; The Labridae Family

by | Aug 13, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science

Wrasses are one of the most common fish in the aquarium trade but did you know that there are over 600 species of identified Wrasses within 82 genera; making Wrasses one of the largest fish families.  Typically, wrasses are small in size with most maturing to under 8 inches long.  However, some such as the Humphead wrasse can grow to over 8 feet in length!   While most wrasses are efficient carnivores, typically feed on small invertebrates, the Humphead feeds on mollusks, reef fish and sea urchins. Some have even been known to eat poisonous sea hares, boxfish and crown-of-thorns starfish. Featured Image Credit: www.diving-dave.co.uk/ Wrasses are generally bottom dwellers, found primarily on rocky coral reefs or sandy bottoms and grass bottoms. Many species are

Endangered Staghorn Corals under Blue-Light

by | Aug 13, 2016 | Corals, Reef, Science

Good morning friends, how was your weekend??? I went for a quick night dive on friday with my blue-light set-up and went out only to find and photograph these rare, endangered Staghorn corals that you see above. Aimee went with me but didn’t get in the water, she only helped me get in and out of the water. The camera set-up I use is so big combined with three flashes making it almost impossible to enter and exit by myself, I think it weighs about 20 pounds!! This is the first time I have ever photographed these rare corals because the areas I usually dive with blue-light doesn’t have them

Royal Exclusiv Dreambox Review – A Year Later

by | Aug 12, 2016 | DIY, Equipment, Opinion, Reef, Science

It has been nearly a year since I reviewed my Royal Exclusiv Dreambox and I wanted to provide an updated review to pass along some new insights and observations.  I had been using my Dreambox for about a month and a half when I did the first review so at that point my system was brand new. As a reminder, the sump is 74 US gallons and measures 59″L x 23-1/2″W x 13-3/4″T. Along with the sump I purchased a Bubble King Double Cone 250 skimmer, which included a RD3 Speedy pump, two Red Dragon 3 Speedy return pumps and two Royal Exclusiv Media Reactors, one with a 2L capacity and the other with a 5L capacity. My overall impression of the sump has not changed. You get what you

The Long Island Aquarium: A Pleasant Surprise Near the Tip of the Island

by | Aug 11, 2016 | Fish, Reef, ReefGen, Science, Travel

If you are ever visiting NYC and have time for a day trip out on Long Island, I would highly suggest the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center out in Riverhead as an excellent family destination. The center is about a one-hour drive from Queens on the Long Island Expressway. As an added benefit, there is a hotel right next door to the facility if you decide to spend additional time in the area. I have been to many small public aquariums during my work travels around the world, and due to its initial apparent size, I expected to spend no more than one or two hours going through the entire exhibit with my wife and seven-year-old daughter. I usually grade any attraction by the quality of the exhibits and how well it holds my daughter’s attention. I must say the Long Island Aquarium surprised me as we ended up spending up to four hours there and it was a lot bigger than I expected. My daughter was pleasantly entertained the entire time without any complaints. As you walk towards the entrance, a beautiful fountain greets you and draws you in