by Gary Parr | Feb 29, 2016 | Podcast, Reef, Science, Tanks
Compliments of Matthew Proudfoot’s sister, Reef Threads has now reached all seven continents.
It’s podcastin’ time again and the big news is we’ve reached our seventh continent, compliments of Australian listener Matthew Proudfoot and his sister. Thanks Matt and Matt’s sister. This week we also talk about food protein content, two-part dosing, and Gary’s tank plans. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and ChristineSponsor: Rod’s Food
Rod’s Food website
Beginners Forum
Reefs.com Beginners Forum
If you get lost in Antarctica, Reef Threads will be there to help.
Reef Threads connects with penguins in Antarctica.
NameEmail * by Saltwater Smarts | Feb 18, 2016 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science, Tanks
Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)Some of the marine fish we like to keep are surprisingly recognizable to both hobbyists and non-hobbyists alike—probably because they’re frequently depicted in photographs and artwork. Among these iconic fishes is the raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) of the Indo-Pacific and southeast Atlantic, a very hardy species that’s better than your average butterfly in terms of aquarium suitability and even beginner-friendliness. C. lunula would also be a great choice for natural pest-anemone control in reef tanks if it could be kept in such a system safely (but, alas, it cannot—more on this later). Physical traitsC. lunula has “typical” butterflyfish morphology, with a highly laterally compressed body and a pointed snout. Its color is orangish-yellow overall with a dusky hue on the dorsal half of the body and faint diagonal stripes on the ventral half. Like its terrestrial namesake, its eyes are obscured by a black “mask.” Behind the mask is a white bar, and two dark bands edged in yellow extend upward from the white bar. by Gary Parr | Feb 2, 2016 | Fish, Podcast, Reef, Science
Reef safe?
A new week and a new podcast. This week’s topics include lighting, reef-safe fish, Paul Allen’s yacht, reefer phrases, and cosmetics. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and ChristineSponsor: Rod’s Food
Rod’s Food website
Paul Allen’s yacht
Paul Allen’s yacht destroys coral reef, Business Insider
Reef speak
Phrases only a Reefer Would Say, CastAway, East Tennessee Reef Club, Reef2Reef
NameEmail * by Saltwater Smarts | Jan 23, 2016 | Fish, Reef, Science
While a fish might seem to have an exclusive diet, they’ll often chow down on “off-menu” offerings, as wellCarnivorous fish eat meat, herbivorous fish eat algae/plants, and omnivorous fish eat both. That’s the order of things, and any fish we buy for our aquariums should fit nicely into one of these categories so we know exactly what to feed it, right? Well, if that’s the case, why on earth do my blue-chin triggers (Xanthichthys auromarginatus)—carnivores by nature—always beat my tangs and foxface to the dried algae sheets I offer and actually eat the lion’s share? After all, FishBase describes X. auromarginatus as “[forming] loose aggregations a few meters above the bottom where it feeds on zooplankton, particularly copepods.” Nowhere in this statement do you see, “Oh yeah, and it likes to tear into algae from time to time, too!”On the flipside of the coin, just as my triggers seem to enjoy ordering “off-menu,” my herbivorous yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), Atlantic blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), and one-spot foxface (Siganus unimaculatus) will greedily gobble up any meaty items that they can fit in their mouths as well. What gives? by Saltwater Smarts | Dec 29, 2015 | Corals, Fish, Reef, Science
A group of Ricordea floridaAs an American reefkeeper, it’s all too easy for me to forget that some truly gorgeous invertebrate livestock originates relatively close to home in the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean. I was reminded of this recently when CC entrusted several of his Caribbean specimens to my care in advance of his pending move to the great state of Florida. By the way, if you “felt a great disturbance in the force” some weeks back, it had nothing to do with the destruction of Alderaan. More likely, it was just Chris’s head exploding at the thought of his prized Caribbean species intermingling with my lowly Indo-Pacific corals and fish. Did I ever mention that CC is a terrible “species-ist”?Anyway, among this adopted assortment are several color varieties of Ricordea florida. Now, prior to receiving these specimens, it had been a long time since I’d given much thought to rics, and I’d forgotten how truly stunning these humble corallimorphs can be, so it was really nice to get reacquainted with them. They’re also fairly rugged, so whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced hobbyist, R
