Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

The Care and Breeding of Cherry Shrimp

As many hobbyists have noticed, invertebrates are making a comeback in the hobby.  Many hobbyists are keeping invertebrate tanks only due to their interesting characteristics and funny behavior.  The popular invertebrate on the scene are the cherry shrimps, Neocaridina heteropoda.  These fun little shrimps are creating a storm around the globe along with other color morphs.  This is a simple guide to highlight the care and requirements of these intriguing shrimp and to give key points on how to breed them. (photo from: http://www.smartblue.net/akvateam/card_images)

  

Introduction to Saltwater Puffers

 

Due to the popularity of my An Introduction to Freshwater Puffers I decided to do one for saltwater because everyone should be able to experience the joy of having a puffer.  So, lets quit messing around and bring on the puffers!

 

But, before I start introducing these amazing saltwater puffers I want to make a few points that every hobbyist should keep in mind before purchasing a puffer.

Species Spotlight: Cryptic Six Line Wrasse

The Cryptic Six Line, also known as Pink Streaked Wrasse, is often bypassed and unheard of by many. Both names do not suit Pseudocheilinops ataenia. The wrasse actually has eight lines and the streaks are a bright orange-yellow. The eyes of these fishes are bright. They glow neon orange. They are commonly mislabeled as Pteragogus cryptus, but do not resemble the Pteragogus genus. The confusion continues today as some dealers continue to lable them Pteragogus cryptus.

 

Species Spotlight Video: Warty Frogfish

Tank Raised Pinnatus Batfish Sighted!

  

A surprsing and welcome new addition into the hobby today are tank raised Pinnatus Batfish.  Like mandarins, they are another of the beautiful species known to have low survival rates, and these tank raised fish will allow knowledged hobbyists to add a beautiful new tankmate.  On an important note however, these new captive raised arrivals are only 3" tall, it's important to keep them in a system that can adequately handle their adult height of 18".

A Montipora Eating Nudibranch Primer

 

Some of the most difficult pests to deal with in reef keeping are Montipora eating nudibranch.  Their tiny size beguiles the enormous headaches they'll cause if you end up in the unfortunate position of having them in your tank.  The most unfortunate thing about dealing with these nudibranch is that by the time you spot them it's already too late.  Gauging the extent of the infestation is very important, and these pictures should help to give an accurate idea of where your tank stands once you come across them as well as some telltale signs of their presence.  So how do you prevent and cure montipora eating nudibranch?  Read on.

Starry Puffer in HD Video

A species not often seen in captivity, the starry puffer (Arothron stellatus) simply grows too large for most aquariums.  As Merritt and I are big puffer fans, we have an entire room for large systems for the three largest puffer species (A. stellatus, A. mappa, and T. mbu).  Here is a video of our A. stellatus, dedicated to all you puffer fans!  Want to know more?  Check out our guide to caring for saltwater puffers here.

For more information on puffers, see our care guide to large marine pufferfish!

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.

Species Spotlight Video: Zebra Moray Eel

Zebra Moray, Gymnomuraena zebra
Max size: 60 inches
Fish safe: Yes
Reef safe: Yes, excepting crustaceans
Minimum tank size: 125 gallons

The beautiful zebra moray is a striking eel for the large home aquarium, being docile towards fishes and invertebrates, except crustaceans.  This large eel adapts readily to captivity, and has a very unique pattern of alternating black, brown, and white vertical stripes.

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!