Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

GBR Nano Reef Biotope Macro Video in HD

Here's a nano reef we have set up stocked with species found on the fringes of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.  Coral, tunicates, a peacock mantis and more can be seen!  Being able to use natural seawater makes a huge difference in the survival and growth of all sorts of neat invertebrates covering the rock:

 

PicoAquariums.com New Models Now Available - In Starphire!

  Chris Delicanth of PicOAquariums.com has opened shop again with more pico, and new nanos!  Dubbed the 'Deep Blue' series, two new designs in three different volumes are now available.  Also new is the starphire glass option  and beveled edges on all pico and nano models, and who wouldn't want that?  Check out the pics and specs below, or the review of the original PicO aquarium:

Ecoxotic Announces LED-Lit Pico Aquarium

Dubbed the "EcoPico", Ecoxotic will be offering this clean, LED-lit 5 gallon setup on the 31st for just over $100.  Follow the link for more info, and expect a review soon!  Oh, and please don't stock it with three cardinalfish...

Nano Reef Column Debuts in Tropical Fish Hobbyist

A nano aquarium column, geared towards beginner aquarists and authored by yours truly has debuted in January 2011 issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine.  I'll be writing about all kinds of nanos, from planted to biotopes, to the ever popular nano reef aquariums. 

My new column has a fun twist: every month I feature a reader's nano reef, complete with photographs and an interview with the aquarist.  If you'd like your nano aquarium (freshwater or saltwater) considered, feel free to contact me!

Holiday Vacation? 6 Ways to Prepare Your Aquarium

Getting away for awhile is one of the best things anyone can do for themselves. After enjoying our vacations, we hobbyists want to come home without any troubles from our tanks. They bother us enough when we're around!

You'll find many horror stories of people finding their tanks crashed after a short trip. Take that trip. Simple steps can help save your investment.

Reefing While You're Sick - It's No Fun!

This past week I developed a really horrible cold that left me confined to my room unable to tend to the needs of my tank. As hobbyists, we try our best to keep our parameters stable. Many hobbyists utilize programmable controllers for top offs, heaters, dosing, etc. As a college reefer, my budget cannot handle such extra equipment.

A Brief Look at Minimalist Aquascapes - No more box of rocks!

 
I have been a bad reefer: when I received free liverock I took advantage of it.  I took advantage of it to the point where my tank is literally stuffed to the brim with live rock!  At first, I was happy with it.  But once I realized that cleaning it was a burden, I was instantly regretfull.  This made me do a little research on a term I had heard before "minimalist".

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.

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.

Pictures of the Skimz iBox Nano Aquarium LED Lights

We don't post a whole lot of pre-release product info here on the CA blog (how many products do you really need to keep an aquarium, anyway?), but we will for aquarium LED lighting products.  A few new pics have been posted of the Skimz iBox (yes, that's the actual name...) nano aquarium and LED light and moonlight, so I thought I'd share.