by Saltwater Smarts | May 6, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Sustainability
There are steps you can take as a marine aquarium hobbyist to help ensure the health of your tank’s inhabitantsDistilled down to its essence, success in the marine aquarium hobby is about keeping fish and invertebrates alive and thriving. And while it may sometimes seem as though fate plays a major role in how animals fare under our care, several decades of aquarium-keeping experience (and more than a few missteps) have taught me that it’s largely in hobbyists’ power to avoid livestock losses. I’ve found the following 10 tips to be exceedingly helpful in maximizing the survival rate and longevity of my fish and invertebrates. Obviously, this isn’t a comprehensive list (after all, virtually everything we hobbyists do related to our aquariums influences the survival of our livestock, whether directly or indirectly), but it’s a pretty good start.1. Ban the impulse buy! I can’t tell you how often CC and I get questions from anxious hobbyists who have made an impulse livestock purchase only to discover after the fact that they can’t get it to eat anything they offer, it appears to be wasting away, it’s getting bullied severely by tankmates (or vice versa), etc. Unfortunately, such ill-conceived purchases too often result in the death of the specimen or one or more of its tankmates by Joe Rowlett | Apr 28, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Science
Described just yesterday by Gerry Allen and coauthors, the brand new goby Sueviota bryozophila is a small but significant find for coral reef enthusiasts. This remarkable little fish evaded our attention up until now thanks to its remarkably effective camouflage... by Saltwater Smarts | Apr 23, 2016 | Corals, Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
Don’t forget the leak test – it’s an important part of setting up your new aquarium.Marine aquarium hobbyists can make any number of mistakes when setting up a new system, but some of these errors aren’t as easy as others to rectify after the fact. What follows is a list of five setup errors that are difficult or complicated to correct by the time their consequences become evident: 1. Situating the tank too far from utilitiesIt should come as no surprise that efficient long-term operation of any aquarium system depends on convenient access to water and electricity. Try to choose a location for your tank that is in reasonable proximity to a water tap, waste drain, and GFCI-protected electrical outlets. Otherwise you’ll end up lugging heavy buckets of water over considerable distances and/or up and down flights of stairs as well as running unsightly extension cords all over the place. 2. Failing to level Yes, I know that every book or article ever written about setting up an aquarium states that the tank should be leveled before it’s filled with water by Saltwater Smarts | Apr 17, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Signal goby (Signigobius biocellatus)The signal goby (Signigobius biocellatus), aka the twin-spot, two-spot, or crab-eye goby, is an appealing little sand sifter with fascinating behavior that, unfortunately, often adapts very poorly to aquarium life. Nonetheless, specimens still appear in the aquarium trade, so it’s worth discussing the species here—if only to understand why it’s probably best to pass it by if you should happen to come across one at your LFS. Physical traitsS. biocellatus has a torpedo-like body shape, high-set, bulbous eyes, a comically frowning mouth, and two prominent dorsal fins. In coloration, it’s grayish overall with orange-brown mottling. Each dorsal fin features a large, distinct eyespot, and the pelvic and anal fins are black with blue dots. The maximum size of this goby is around 4 inches. A crabby mimic When you view this fish in profile as it hovers just above the substrate, the twin eyespots create the impression that you’re looking at a crab scuttling sideways along the ocean floor, which might give would-be predators pause. by Barry Brown | Apr 17, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Good morning from way down south!! I have our hands down favorite fish for you today that puts the letter “C” in CUTE! This is a young trunkfish, it’s not a baby and it’s not an adult so lets just say he or she is a teenager. I think this gentle little treasure was only around an inch and a half in length and I believe we photographed him at night out in front of the Sea Aquarium. When Aimee and I find these (which is fairly uncommon) we pretty much drop whatever we are doing and quietly watch as they work their way around a small part of the reef looking for food. by Barry Brown | Apr 15, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Good morning friends, I placed 2nd in Masters and 8th overall yesterday in the annual 45k Montana/Ennia mountain bike race. The race started in Montana (sounds like mon-ton-ya not like the state of Montana) at 3:00 in the afternoon and went to Playa Kanoa and back! For me it wasn’t the distance it was the heat and wind, who starts a race at three on the island of Curacao??? I am sure it was close to 100 degrees when we started and wasn’t much cooler at 4:30 when I finished! I had packed some food to eat at the half-way point like banana’s but apparently they fell out of my pack early on??
