by Francis Yupangco | Oct 11, 2015 | Science, Tanks
The International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest (IAPLC) 2015 brought in over 2,545 entries from 69 counties around the world. This is one epic aquascaping competition! Aquascaping is an art form that takes talent, patience and... by xeniaforever | Oct 8, 2015 | Cephalopods, Corals, Tanks
It’s World Octopus Day, and Rich Ross, a husbandry biologist specializing in cephalopods and coral at the California Academy of Sciences’ Steinhart Aquarium, is a guest host today on Reddit’s Science Ask Me Anything!... by Francis Yupangco | Oct 6, 2015 | Fish, Science, Tanks
I have great admiration for the work that the Curacao Sea Aquarium is doing with deep water fish. A fact highlighted on an early episode of Fish Tank Kings where the team uses the Curasub to collect a number of deep water fish for a project at the Florida... by Saltwater Smarts | Sep 30, 2015 | Corals, Fish, Science, Seahorses, Tanks
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. The second is that our specimens cost us a lot of money. Exactly how much money depends a little on the care we provide. For example, if we buy a purple tang for $100 and it lives for 10 days, then that fish cost us $10 a day to enjoy. I would say that is an expensive fish! But if that same fish lives ten years, then it costs us maybe around three cents a day (I didn’t do the math, but you get my point) by Francis Yupangco | Sep 29, 2015 | Fish, Tanks
Jumping in the water to get face to face with sharks is a great way to teach people that these creatures are ones to be admired rather than feared. Now, with Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium’s unique new program, diving with sharks just became a lot more... by Saltwater Smarts | Sep 28, 2015 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Science, Tanks
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. In other words, the whole point of this crazy venture of ours is to acquire specimens for our tanks so we can spend as much of our free time as possible viewing and appreciating them—just as the point of taking up golf is to go golfing as often as possible. But one significant difference between aquarium keeping and many other pursuits is that there are certain times when it’s decidedly not in your best interest to engage in one of the core aspects of the hobby—the livestock-acquisition part, that is.Here are five circumstances in which adding another animal is precisely the wrong thing to do. You’ll notice I’ve targeted this post at beginners, but even experienced hobbyists sometimes forget these points or get impatient and add specimens when they really shouldn’t. 1. Before cycling is complete When cycling a new system, you should observe subsequent spikes and declines in ammonia and nitrite levels and then gradual accumulation of nitrate.
