Weekly Spotlight

Scientists with the Aquatic & Terrestrial Research Team are showing here their studies with Alpheus spp. shrimp. These shrimp have boomed in popularity over the last few years, due in part to the rise of nano tanks (for which they are well-adapted). Along with the shrimp, the hobby has seen a great surge in interest with their commensal fish friends (namely a few genera of gobies- Amblyeleotris,Cryptocentrus, Ctenogobiops, Istigobius, Stonogobiops, etc). ...

For those of you who love the Atlantic fish as much as I do there is some great news coming out this week from Sustainable Aquatics. Just released this week is their first shipment of Atlantic fish raised from post-larval collections (“tinies”) to the retail market. Your local stores may now order some of the true beauties to come from the Atlantic. Obviously the Queen Angels (Holacanthus ciliaris) ...

Introduction
Banggai Cardinals. Just saying that stirs up the images, thoughts, and debate found regarding these beautiful fish. When these fish first entered the aquarium trade (over a decade ago) they made a huge splash. They have always been a favorite of mine due to their unusual larval development and breeding strategies. These items are of interest to me and have been a large area of study for my body of work. I’ve been dealing with Banggai concepts and thoughts since my days in high school, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
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Toadstool Leather - Sarcophyton sp.



If there is one coral my tank is famous for, it would be the Toadstool Leather. I've been keeping this particular corals since 2003 when I brought it home as a mere frag from the Coral Propagation Workshop at MACNA in Pittsburgh, PA. From that little snippet of meaty tissue, a highly cherished showpiece grew.

Origin: Fiji, Indo-Pacific, Maldives
Size: a single frag can become huge
Depth: Varies by species - 2m or 5m
Diet: Filter feeder of planktonic foods and fish waste
Coloration: Tan with bright white polyps, pinkish with bright green polyps
Difficulty: Easy for most addicts
Temperament: Peaceful
Salinity: 1.023 - 1.026sg
Temperature range: 74° to 81° F
Other parameters: 8-12 dKH; 375-450ppm Ca, 1350ppm Mg, < 20ppm NO3, .03ppm PO4, ...

Mini Carpet Anemone - Stichodactyla tapetum
Whenever someone visits, I’m always sure to point out the Mini Carpet Anemones in my smaller aquarium. Rarely have people responded with a blasé comment that they’ve seen them before; rather they are quickly excited to see something new and usual. From what I’ve seen on the web, they really aren’t prevalent in most reef aquaria, although they really could be. They’ve actually be around for a very long time, as they were given their Latin name in 1834. (Hemprich and Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1834)
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Gudgeon Goby (Ptereleotris heteropterus)

The Gudgeon Goby safely inhabits a reef tank, staying near the substrate and yet not sifting it like other gobies may. They don't burrow in the sand; they prefer to find a tight safe spot in a crevice between rock and substrate. When kept in a group, they venture out one by one, and will retreat in the same order. Smaller food is preferred, such as cyclop-eeze. They are almost painfully shy, but when out are totally worth it because very few people keep them.

Origin: Red Sea and East Africa to the Hawaiian, Line, Marquesan, and Society Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, ...