by Admin | Apr 7, 2016 | Invertebrates, Photography, Reef
Condylactis gigantea is a common anemone from the Caribbean region and is encountered on shallow reefs throughout the West Indies and up into Floridian waters. It is often used in aquaria, but I still find it odd when I see the animal in the... by AquaNerd | Mar 29, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
ProDibio the makers of BioDigest, Bioptim and other aquarium supplements have developed an FDA approved line of freshwater and saltwater fish medications. The medication lineup includes 6 new products; three for freshwater ailments and three for marine. The 6 products include: Spots & Velvets for Freshwater Fish Spots & Velvets for Marine Fish Worms & Parasites for Freshwater Fish Worms & Parasites for Marine Fish Bacteria & Fungi for Freshwater Fish Bacteria & Fungi for Marine Fish <![CDATA[ #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } ]]> Like all of the other Prodibo products, each medication is packaged and dispersed by Saltwater Smarts | Mar 28, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Funny, Invertebrates, Opinion, Reef, Science
The blue-throat triggerfish (X. auromarginatus) in my aquarium exhibited repetitive behavior prior to transitioning the system to a reefFor today’s post, I’d like to elicit your thoughts on an interesting phenomenon I’ve observed in my aquarium, specifically involving an aggravating repetitive behavior exhibited until fairly recently by my pair of blue-throat triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus). Allow me to set the stage: I introduced the blue-throats to my 125-gallon about a year and a half ago when it was still a FOWLR system. Their tankmates at the time included a one-spot foxface (Siganus unimaculatus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), tomato clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus), and sixline wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia).The repetitive behavior I’m referring to—and both the male and female exhibited it—was repeatedly swimming around the base of a powerhead mounted at the far left end of the tank (as I usually face it—you can actually view the tank from either side and one end) about 5 inches below the surface. They would swim in a circle 10, 15, even 20 times or more, briefly break away and swim about half the length of the tank, and then come right back to the powerhead to swim another set of “laps.” Both triggers fed with gusto and would swim up to greet me whenever I approached the tank, no doubt assuming more food was forthcoming, and sometimes they would stop the lap swimming and explore more of the tank for brief periods. But they would always revert to that same maddening behavior. I tried moving the powerhead next to my overflow box and closer to the surface so it would be harder to swim in a loop around it, but the triggers just wiggled their way through the narrowed pathway anyway. Afraid they’d get injured or flip out of the tank, I moved the powerhead back to its original location. by Saltwater Smarts | Mar 12, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
Yasha Shrimp Goby (Stonogobiops yasha)Certain marine fish pack a lot of visual and behavioral interest into a very small package. Such is the case with the yasha shrimp goby (Stonogobiops yasha), also sold under the common names whiteray shrimp goby, orange-striped shrimp goby, clown shrimp goby, and others. This little goby, hailing from the western Pacific, is strikingly colored and patterned, very peaceful, and well-suited to smaller systems. Fairly recently identified, S. yasha is also somewhat uncommon in the hobby and (to my pocketbook anyway) a little on the expensive side, but it’s well worth the price if you can source a specimen. Shrimp symbiontS. yasha is among the various goby species that have a symbiotic relationship with Alpheus spp. by Admin | Mar 10, 2016 | Invertebrates, Photography
Big fleas have little fleas, Upon their backs to bite ’em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so, ad... by Saltwater Smarts | Mar 5, 2016 | Aquaculture, Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates, Photography, Reef, Science, Tanks
There are a number of choices when it comes to the rock you use for aquascaping, my personal favorite is live rockToday’s marine aquarists have more options than ever before when it comes to the types of rock used to aquascape their tanks—from live rocks, whether aquacultured or wild-harvested, to all manner of dry rocks and even natural-looking man-made rocks. Each type has its advantages and drawbacks, and the choice that’s best for any given hobbyist depends on, among other factors, his or her aquascaping goals, budget, risk tolerance, and desired level of control over the system’s biodiversity. Call me old-school (or Lord Admiral Jeff of the Universe—whichever you prefer), but my aquascaping material of choice has always been live rock, whether comprising the rockwork entirely or at least a major portion of it. Here’s why:Fascinating biodiversity Live rocks come loaded with organisms that emerge or hatch out for many weeks and months—even years—after they’re added to a tank. Various “pods,” fan worms, sponges, tunicates, mollusks, worms, coral colonies, macroalgae, and coralline algae are just a sampling of what might appear. And this process/progression is truly amazing to observe. I’ve never tried it, but I think it would be fascinating to set up a live-rock-only (LRO?) tank, with no fish or intentionally introduced invertebrates, and just sit back and watch what pops out of the rocks over time
