Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

Chalices - Fad or Fiction? 18 Colonies of Eye Candy!

 

'Name brand' chalices with high end prices are everywhere these days, and the formula has stayed simple: bright eyes on a different colored base, preferably with an alternate colored rim.  Chalices can be some of the most colorful corals and we're eating them up hook, line and sinker, but are they really unique and rare gems from the ocean or is it all smoke and mirrors (like the high prices are)?

So without further ado, here are some pictures of a small selection of chalices that I've seen come and go just within the last two months.  All of these colonies went to physical LFS locations across the country where they were sold as full colonies for fair prices, somewhere between $3-10 per eye, so don't forget to support your local LFS if they're a good one!

Symbiosis in the Marine Aquarium: Pistol Shrimp and Gobies

 Last week I discussed common forms of symbiotic relationships in the home marine aquarium. The relationship I will be discussing this week is slightly more complex, but this is the relationship that I am currently enjoying in my aquarium. I don’t go into the science as much as I go into the hands on aspect of the keeping of the pair.

The Palytoxin Afternoon - Watch out for Zoanthids!

Today, as with most other days recently, I was making frags for a new propagation system at work.  Then out of nowhere, while fragging some Radioactive Dragon Eyes one of the polyps exploded right into my eyes, what a great long distance shot!

Now just for some background, I've gotten zoanthid fruit punch in open cuts before, and even in my eyes countless times, but as soon as this particular brand of sea juice hit my eyes there was a weird, itchy tingling that I hadn't felt any other times.  Having work to do however I pressed on.

Symbiotic Relationships in Saltwater Aquariums, Part I

There is nothing more rewarding that recreating nature in every detailed aspect in a home aquarium, or at least to the extent that it can or should be done.  It is an extremely exciting experience, witnessing something twenty years ago was thought to be impossible: the symbiotic relationship of various marine organisms.  While this could be said about captive breeding, certain fish, or any number of marine topics, I am referring to Symbiotic Relationships.  I have had the privilege to be the witness of two completely different symbiotic relationships in my Nano Reef tank.

Is Your Local Fish Store a Hidden Gold Mine?

One of the perks of working as a rep at a good, coral based wholesaler is getting to see the huge variety of crazy corals that end up making their way into the hobby.  On the other hand, one of the most unbelievably frustrating things about working with wholesale corals is seeing them get marked up 10,000% by unscrupulous hobbyist vendors.  A lot of people think these hobbyists have great hidden connections, or that they pay huge amounts for them from online vendors, and for the most part these hobbyists are only too happy to let these myths go on.

Caring for Trachyphillias, Part 2: Species and Collection Location

Part two of Caring for Trachyphillias in the Reef Aquarium

In part two of this series we'll be going over one of the most overlooked factors in how Trachyphillia will fare.  For some reason Trachyphillia from Indonesia and the Solomon Islands tend to do much better than those from Fiji when introduced into the reef aquarium.  In my opinion, this is due to the depth of the collection areas in Fiji, but it could also have to do with any number of other environmental factors.  It's easy to forget that there's still so much about this hobby that we don't know!

Tip: Metal Halide Bulb Replacement

Contrary to popular belief, (quality) metal halide bulbs seldom need replacement.  Spectrometer reports of halide bulbs shows very little spectral shift even after several years of use.  I've tested the spectral and PAR output of bulbs I've ran for almost five years against new bulbs, and there is virtually no difference between the two!

 

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Large Marine Pufferfish Care, Part Two: Selection, Tankmates, and Feeding

If you haven't already, read the first part of the series here: Large Marine Pufferfish Care, Part One: Aquarium Housing and Filtration

Selection

It's easy to spot a healthy puffer - it will have bright eyes with no cloudiness, be actively swimming around and investigating it's surroundings (or begging for food!) and won't have any visible parasites.  An unhealhy puffer, in contrast, may have cloudy or milky eyes, will not be active, and will likely be clamping its fins against its body. 

 

Large Marine Pufferfish Care, Part One: Aquarium Housing and Filtration

Who doesn’t love pufferfish?  They’re my favorite fish family, and I’d like to share some information that has allowed me to be successful with this fascinating, intelligent group of fishes.  In this  two part Puffer Primer I'll be going over the basics that you'll need to be succesful with large saltwater pufferfish!

Marine puffers are cute when small, engaging when large (who can resist those big puffer eyes), interactive, and BIG!  The vast majority of commonly (and not so commonly) available pufferfish attain lengths of 12 inches (30 cm) at the very least.  Add to this their active nature, four sharp teeth, a rambunxious personality, and messy feeding habits and you have yourself a handful.  Of course, these hurdles have never deterred me, and I’d like to share with you a few tidbits that have worked in my ten years of experience caring for marine pufferfish!

 

 

Caring for Trachyphillia in the Reef Aquarium

How to keep your brain (coral) healthy!

Unfortunately, due to the fact that Trachyphillias are generally known as beginner corals, the majority of hobbyists run into problems when attempting to care for this genus long term.  Fortunately, these issues are generally correctable with some time and patience, and the information listed in this series can be applied to any stressed LPS coral. While beautiful, these LPS corals tend to be some of the most problematic "beginner" corals to keep, and this is due to several issues which I will be discuss ing in this multi-part series.