These Sea Urchins Have a Terrifying Self-Defense Strategy

Some urchins are poisonous to humans as well as fish. Be careful when dealing with the various species as getting stuck can cause a lot of pain and in some cases hospitalization. The urchin in this story is part of a larger group called "collector urchins" because they camouflage themselves by sticking things on their back. The Tuxedo Urchin is an example of this group. This new discovery is quite...
Read More

Breeding the Blue Reef Chromis

Sometimes news comes along that really excites me. The news of someone successfully breeding a fish that is rare in the hobby is always on that list. This particular fish is actually one of my favorites. It's the Blue Reef Chromis and it's a stunner. I've owned them before but not often. I found the fish easy to care for and it swam with my other chromis in the shoal. As you may know the green ...
Read More

New Sea dragon Species Found: Ruby Sea Dragon

Ruby Sea Dragon
I always find it amazing when new species are discovered. Not just in the sea but on the land it seems to happen with regularity letting us know just how little we know about our planet. This isn't a fish that any of us are likely to own and normally I don't share news about non-hobby related things. This site is about fish tanks and the things we can keep in them after all. But, sometimes it i...
Read More

Can you use LED bulbs from Home Depot or Lowe’s on your reef tank? Advanced Aquarist Online provides an answer

Advanced Aquarist LED Lamp Test
Articles like this one are what really make Advanced Aquarist Online shine (no pun intended) as a resources for aquarists looking to dig deeper into the hobby and experiment. Though some sites stick "expert" or "advanced" in their title or description AAO really means it. The site really is filled with deeper knowledge that is science based. Though there are occasionally editorials that I disagree...
Read More

Everything Pees and Poos in Your Tank

Photo of a coral reef
"Recent studies suggest that coral reefs, however, are just as dependent on these fish for key nutrients that help coral grow. When fish urinate, they release phosphorus into the water. This phosphorus, along with nitrogen excreted as ammonium through the gills of fish, is crucial to the survival and growth of coral reefs." This study highlights a very important truth in reef keeping. Every...
Read More