by Saltwater Smarts | Jul 11, 2016 | Fish, Reef, Science, Tanks, Travel
Public aquariums can provide hobbyists with numerous insights that can apply to their home systemsHere in the US, the summer travel season is well underway, and popular attractions all across the nation are swarming with tourists. For those of us enamored with marine life, vacation travel often involves a visit to major public aquariums, where we can spend several quality hours figuratively immersed in the underwater realm. (Turns out most facilities get pretty upset if you try to do this literally!) As a reefkeeper, what I find particularly interesting about visiting public aquariums is not just the enthralling experience they provide while I’m there, but also the information I glean from the exhibits that can be applied to my own systems back home.Here are just a few examples: Aquascaping inspiration The smaller display tanks that are often peripheral to the gazillion-gallon crowd-pleaser tanks in public aquariums can provide excellent insights on how to configure rockwork and other aquascaping features in your home aquarium for optimum aesthetic appeal. Sure, artificial elements (e.g., faux coral inserts, etc.) often stand in for the real thing in these tanks, but it’s easy enough to extrapolate from the design concepts on exhibit. Which fish species might coexist Seeing different fish species or conspecific groups “playing nice” in a public aquarium display tank can be helpful in determining whether they’re likely to get along in a home aquarium. However, you do have to take the size of the exhibit into account because both heterospecific and conspecific aggression tends to become more intensified as tank size diminishes. by AquaNerd | Jul 10, 2016 | Conservation, Corals, Fish, Photography, Reef, Science, Travel
The first time I dived on Raja Ampat’s reefs, I didn’t know where to look first. The profusion of colors and the seeming chaos of the Indonesia reef’s appearance — not a single straight line to be seen — provided a total contrast to the orderly, human-built world we usually inhabit topside.
<![CDATA[ #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } ]]> MORE: Hunting down the world’s oldest art in South Sulawesi, Indonesia Photos and video struggle to ever do Raja Ampat’s reefs justice. They just can’t fully capture the all-encompassing sense of the reef’s by Francis Yupangco | Jun 27, 2016 | Fish, Travel
Summer vacation is here and if you haven’t planned your annual holiday yet, you may be in luck. Perhaps one of these hotels, in honor of Shark Week which aired yesterday on the Discovery Channel, will catch your... by Admin | Jun 23, 2016 | Fish, Photography, Travel
If you’ve ever dreamed about shoals of anthias, flashing vivid orange, pink and red, then here’s some inspiration for you, from one of the best displays of Pseudanthias squammipinnis I think I’ve ever... by Admin | Jun 16, 2016 | Fish, Travel
Every book, website, and fish store employee I’ve ever consulted/spoken to says that Zebrasoma tangs are basically vegetarian that occasionally take meaty foods. In captivity this is fairly straightforward, they will take a range of foodstuffs offered to them,... by Matthew Stansbery | May 17, 2016 | Corals, Reef, Science, Travel
A stunning discovery was made in one of the most unsuspecting areas of our ocean. Scientists from an international team including researchers from the University of Georgia and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, have discovered a reef in an area where the...
