by Francis Yupangco | Dec 4, 2015 | Fish, Travel
Tis the season for giving. And giving and giving. Or so it can seem. But there are lots of people, and animals too, in need and deserving of our help around this time of year. The Tennessee Aquarium is reaching out to the giving side in all of us by putting out its... by Saltwater Smarts | Nov 26, 2015 | Equipment, Opinion, Reef, Science, Tanks, Technology, Travel
While the title of this post puts me in mind of a song performed by Nick Rivers in the 1984 comedy film Top Secret, it’s a question many a novice has posed before setting up his or her first marine aquarium. How basic can it be? Or, put another way, what equipment is absolutely essential and what isn’t?This is a perfectly logical question because ours can be a highly equipment-intensive hobby, and the choices of gear and gadgets designed to make our lives easier can be downright mind-blowing. Add in all the online forum chatter about—and volatile disputes over—the latest-and-greatest hobby technology and methodology, and it’s no surprise that many beginners have a heck of a time distinguishing between the bare essentials and the “bells and whistles.” Complicating matters, of course, is the fact that opinions on what constitutes “essential equipment” can vary widely from one hobbyist to the next. I would humbly submit that the following items are all you really need for a bare-bones saltwater setup: (Note that you’ll also need various and sundry small-ticket items used for regular operation and maintenance, such as aquarium brushes, an algae magnet, etc. Plus, if you plan to keep a reef system, you’ll need to add some means of calcium/alkalinity supplementation to the list.) Some folks might say this list is grossly incomplete while others might contend you could get by without some of the items on it. by Ret Talbot | Nov 18, 2015 | Conservation, Industry, Reef, Travel
This is part 4 in a multi-part series produced by Ret Talbot as a special to Reefs.com. In this segment we look at the export process and export data collection by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) staff at the One Stop Document Exportation Center in... by Matthew Stansbery | Nov 16, 2015 | Corals, Reef, Travel
Researchers from Plymouth, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), and the National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway) have recently confirmed 4 new reefs located in the Atlantic Ocean.… by Lemon T.Y.K | Nov 8, 2015 | Fish, Reef, Science, Travel
Curaçao log: My traveling muse Day 3 – October 13, 2015 Tuesday. The sun has set hours ago, casting the sky into a featureless obsidian. But unlike the hapless humans, creatures of the ocean seek solace and comfort in the stars and spotlight, inching their way towards... by Ret Talbot | Nov 3, 2015 | Fish, Industry, Science, Travel
The trade in saltwater aquarium fishes is one of the last segments of the pet trade where animals are routinely harvested from the wild in relatively large numbers. Not surprisingly, the trade is increasingly coming under scrutiny by those expressing concerns ranging...
