I started my venture into the aquarium hobby in a sort of run-of-the-mill way, a story I probably share with countless other reefers. I brought home a small freshwater tank, decorated it with some random rocks and a few hardy plants and then added a bunch of inexpensive, schooling fish. With [...]
2018 Aquatic Experience had some really interesting events going on, from aquascaping contests to various fish competitions, but in my opinion, the two that deserve special recognition were the Kid’s Aquarium Contest and the Betta Exhibition. The first one, simply because it’s kids presenting [...]
I mentioned in the first part of the 2018 Aquatic Experience Coverage that the show was dominated by freshwater aquariums and equipment designed to support those systems. That being said, the saltwater side of the hobby was also proudly represented by a handful of coral vendors, as well as a [...]
The entire second part of my Aquatic Experience 2018 Coverage is dedicated to showcasing every single tank entered into the Fourth Aquatic Experience Aquascaping Contest. Organized by Aquatic Gardeners Association and sponsored by Fluval, the contest produced aquascapes created by people with [...]
For me, the highlight of Aquatic Experience 2016 was the 1st International Shrimp Competition, presented by the World Pet Association. This grueling event brought together crustaceans from across the globe, each vying for the title of World's Sexiest Shrimp. The festivities drew a raucous crowd [...]
Gobiodon chillin' in a display from Cobalt Aquatics Aquatic Experience is back again, and I've journeyed deep into the underbelly of suburban Chicago to document the sights and sounds from this year's event. In this first installment, I'll highlight some of the more interesting saltwater [...]
How effective are cleanup crews?When we started it was going to be a short podcast because we both had busy days ahead of us. When we finished, we’d talked for an hour and covered our Aquatic Experience shows, forums and Facebook, mixing salt, and the value of cleanup crews. We hope you find [...]
Aquatic Experience in Chicago was great! There were many awesome show tanks from vendors and in this video I highlight them and some other booths from the show. Enjoy! Brought to you by [...]