by Saltwater Smarts | Jun 16, 2016 | Corals, Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
One of the Rubbermaid stock tanks with calcium carbonate substrate at Tidal GardensIn 2016, the systems at Tidal Gardens are a mix of custom glass aquariums and Rubbermaid stock tanks. Originally back in 2002, all the tanks were some combination of 300-gallon and 150-gallon stock tanks because they were by far the most cost-effective containers that were truly rugged. After all, anything that was built to be strong enough to get kicked by a horse or cow should hold up to the sort of beating we dish out here. Just starting out, hundreds of gallons worth of custom glass was not in the budget, so it was important to find containers that were both rugged and economical. For that purpose, Rubbermaid stock tanks were wonderful because they were robust and cost less than $1 per gallon. Over time, though, we incorporated more glass aquariums because we found that neglect is the number-one killer of corals, and just being able to see the corals made a huge difference in their health. by xeniaforever | Jun 13, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Technology
http://dp8hsntg6do36.cloudfront.net/575761c3ba4aa1712400002b/c644a60b-9146-4e4b-8705-f4566568d0f1high.webm Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences have some very exciting news: they have just unveiled the first “twilight zone” exhibit at the... by Joe Rowlett | Jun 10, 2016 | Invertebrates
In an evolutionary sense, there are many organisms in our reef tanks that stem from very old lineages of animal life. Sponges and corals have been around for several hundred million years, and, in that time, these groups have undergone a good deal of evolutionary... by Admin | May 17, 2016 | Invertebrates, Science
We all know that Pistol Shrimp are very, very loud, but I never knew they had military significance.… by Admin | May 16, 2016 | Invertebrates, Photography
So I’m finning along a well-lit Indo Pacific Reef. I’m enjoying myself and just ‘takin’ it all in’. The sunlight is streaming down onto the coral wall, the anthias are swimming in and out of the coral heads, and I’ve one eye out... 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
