by xeniaforever | Jul 26, 2016 | Invertebrates
https://www.facebook.com/allaboutreef/videos/1919655584927953/ Check out this fantastic video from Michael Wijaya Ishak of My Reef’s Diary- it features a Zebra crab (Zebrida Adamsii) releasing eggs.… by Saltwater Smarts | Jul 21, 2016 | Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
Using the Rule of Thirds to aquascape your reef can result in a more visually appealing appearanceAficionados of freshwater planted aquariums have long understood that observing certain rules of composition when aquascaping with plants, rocks, driftwood, and other features can have a tremendous impact on an aquarium’s overall aesthetic impression. While we reefkeepers haven’t traditionally placed much emphasis on composition in our aquascaping approach—at least not in a formal sense—we can certainly enhance our enjoyment of the hobby by implementing some of these same rules. Among these is the “Rule of Thirds.” To apply the Rule of Thirds, imagine that a grid pattern consisting of two equidistant vertical lines and two equidistant horizontal lines is superimposed over the front of your tank. This grid creates nine equal-sized, rectangular sections and visually divides the image in front of you into thirds both vertically and horizontally. Picture that famous image at the beginning of The Brady Bunch TV series (sans the Bradys and Alice, of course), and you’ll have the general idea.Place aquascaping elements and sessile inverts along the grid lines with strong focal points positioned where lines intersect Great, so you’ve got a mental grid floating in front of your tank and the theme to The Brady Bunch running in a constant loop through your head. Now what? Well, according to the Rule of Thirds, compositional elements—for our purposes, aquascaping elements and sessile invertebrates—should be placed along the grid lines and strong focal points should be positioned at points where the lines intersect. For our purposes, a strong focal point could be a particularly impressive coral specimen, a prominent rock projection, etc. by Admin | Jul 19, 2016 | Invertebrates, Photography
Every so often, corals arrive in dealer’s tanks with a few hitchhikers. Some of these interlopers aren’t welcome of course and there are numerous methods to prevent unwanted pests and diseases from entering... by Saltwater Smarts | Jul 16, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Harlequin Tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus)QuestionTwo weeks ago, I added a harlequin tuskfish to my 90-gallon reef tank with the understanding that it’s a peaceful fish. Then this morning, the stupid thing ate my skunk cleaner shrimp right in front of me! Was I misinformed about this fish’s temperament? Eating tankmates whole seems like pretty aggressive behavior to me. Also, I was under the impression that predatory fish usually leave cleaner shrimp alone because they recognize that they’re helpful. Is that not the case?” – Submitted by Jen Answer I don’t know that I’d say you’ve been misinformed about this species’ temperament exactly, but it may be that you’ve misinterpreted or misapplied a few terms here. by Admin | Jul 12, 2016 | Invertebrates
It’s a good job that nudibranchs don’t have feelings, I think this one would be quite upset at having possibly the most unappealing name in history. Meet Phyllidia varicosa, aka the Varicose Wart Slug.… by AquaNerd | Jul 12, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Our Featured Coral of the Week is Red, White(ish) and Blue. Independence Day is almost here and I thought it would be appropriate to feature a coral ahead of the holiday that has our flags colors in it. Sometimes referred to by collectors and hobbyists as Firecracker zoanthids or Polish Princes, we really like this Zoa and are curious if any of our readers have this in their zoa collection. Zoanthids are an order of cnidarians called Zoantharia. Commonly seen in shallow coral reefs and at greater depths in several of the worlds oceans and seas. These coralmorps or false corals are sometimes called soft corals which in actuality is a misnomer. They are seen in a variety of different colonizing formations and they are available
