by Marcin Smok | Nov 18, 2016 | Equipment, Opinion, Tanks, Technology
One of the most crucial purchases anyone starting a saltwater aquarium faces is a reverse osmosis/deionization (RO/DI) filtration system. Distilled water ranks at the top of the list of “ingredients” for a successful reef tank, and is a necessary factor in... by Admin | Nov 9, 2016 | Conservation, Opinion, Shark Week
Over the years, the aquarium hobby hasn’t always covered itself in glory in terms of its sustainability, and it still gets a fair bit of criticism from some quarters, some of it justified and some... by Saltwater Smarts | Nov 6, 2016 | Fish, Opinion, Tanks
Yellowhead Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons) are on my short list for the impending tank downsizeNext year, our daughter will be heading off to college and our son will already be well on the way through his senior year at OSU. With two kids almost down and none to go, my wife, Melissa, and I will soon (more or less) be empty-nesters. It also means we’ll soon be selling our two-story, four-bedroom home and moving into something better suited to a twosome and a few occasional visitors. Of course, talk of downsizing our house has led to several discussions of downsizing my 125-gallon aquarium to something more manageable and what form of setup that might take. Below are just a few of the ideas I’m mulling over. If you happen to find yourself in a similar situation—or you’d just like to take on a different sort of hobby challenge—you might want to give one of these setups a try as well.1. by AquaNerd | Nov 5, 2016 | Corals, Opinion, Reef
Involving friends and family with your hobby is on the wish list for many. Rewarding as it is, it can be hard for others to understand your passion entirely. Having the support of your significant other goes a long way to make your hobby even more rewarding than it already is. Some of my closest friends just happen to be fish nerds just like me. I met most of them on forums and over the years, we developed a friendship that has it’s roots in a common passion. I think we all have that well meaning friend that thought your fish seemed extra hungry while you were away, and you came home to a jungle of algae. Friends that are not in the hobby are by Marcin Smok | Nov 1, 2016 | Equipment, Industry, Opinion, Photography
A long, long time ago, in the era of metal halide bulbs burning the insides of rusty pendants and row after row of buzzing fluorescent tubes, people used to verify the quality of fish tank lights by comparing... by Saltwater Smarts | Oct 1, 2016 | Fish, Industry, Opinion, Reef, Science
Hobby newcomers are often blissfully unaware of the challenges they may be putting themselves up againstQuestionI recently had a frustrating experience at a major chain pet store in my area. I watched as the aquarium department salesperson sold a type of butterflyfish that has a very specialized diet to a self-identified newbie, and he didn’t bother to tell this customer anything about it. The fish probably isn’t going to live very long for that person, so now I regret that I didn’t speak up at the time. Everyone says we hobbyists need to do prior research on all the animals we buy, but it seems to me the salesperson owed it to the customer to at least explain the fish’s feeding habits. What’s your take on this?” – Submitted by Veronica Answer Thanks for your question, Veronica! I’m afraid there’s no easy solution to this problem—or at least not one I’ve been able to brainstorm. While it is absolutely true that hobbyists should thoroughly research all of their livestock acquisitions, in my opinion, there’s a significant information gap for novices that’s extremely difficult to bridge. Why?
