Articles by melypr1985

Journey of a Regal Tang Meet the newest addition to my reef tank. This Regal Tang has been through the ringer and come out the other side in a miraculous and amazing way. He went through almost 4 months of quarantine and I’ll admit that this was the most frustrating fish I’ve ever dealt with. I...

Feather Dusters – The beauty in the worm Photo by: BlennyKravits Ahhh the feather duster. It’s a spectacular sight to see in the home aquarium. The long tube, the soft and wavy “feathers” moving in the current. It’s always cool to watch as it sucks into the tube when a fish gets too close. It...

Zoas & Palys: A Kaleidoscope of Color Zoanthids and Palythoas are some of the most popular corals in the hobby. There is good reason for this. The rainbow of colors available and the myriad of patterns on all the different zoas and palys out there make them incredibly desirable. Their ability...

The Tidal 55 by Seachem- Review In the saltwater hobby we often say that hang on back (HOB) filters are not meant for saltwater, that they aren’t good enough. I still believe that, but there are times when an HOB filter is just what you need. A quarantine tank for instance, or a small reef tank...

Invert Spotlight: Conch The conch is an excellent addition to your clean up crew. They are touted for their skills at cleaning and sifting through your sand bed keeping it healthy and white. Conchs in general are quite hardy and easy to keep in any size tank, though only one should be kept in...

Fish Spotlight: Anthias Anthias are very popular in the hobby because of their beautiful colors and ability to keep them in groups. Bright pinks, oranges and yellows make them very attractive to hobbyists. The belief that they are “nice” community fish or that they stay small is also attractive...

Beginner Coral: Candy Cane (Trumpet) Candy cane corals are excellent for beginners! They are relatively fast growers and tend to be forgiving of lackluster water quality. They come in several colors and are easily fragged. Candy canes are mostly inexpensive as well so they are very attractive...

A Tour of R2R- Posting Tips pt.1 Whether you are new to forums or not, figuring out how to post to existing threads, creating new threads and learning all the intricacies that can come with each individual forum’s software can take time. The Staff at Reef2Reef would like to make that easier...

Beginner Corals- Leathers All photos by: Melypr1985 Leather corals encompass a wide range of species. While there are many different types with different sizes, shapes, growth patterns and rates and even colors, they all have similarities. They are easy to care for, grow quickly, enjoy lower...

A Tour of Reef2Reef- Part 2 Account Preferences In this part of the series we are going to talk about how to set up your account and preferences. Tricks and tips on how to make your Reef2Reef experience more personalized for your needs and for who you are. The very first thing is your user...

A Tour of Reef2Reef Welcome to R2R! It’s fantastic to have you here with us. If you are new to forums in general, or just new to this forum and its specific software, then you may need a little help with navigating the forum and knowing where and how to post. This is a wonderful community full...

Beginner Corals: Pulsing Xenia Beginners in this hobby are often looking for a great coral to start with. They want something easy to care for, that will grow quickly and be beautiful. You can’t ask for a coral that hits all those notes better than the pulsing xenia. You may wonder why some...

Spouse Doesn’t Get it? I’m sure most of us in this addicting hobby have been there. Hiding the receipt from your most recent trip to the fish store, getting home early so your spouse doesn’t catch you acclimating something new into the tank. The old stand-by “No honey, that’s always been in the...

What to look for when buying fish at your LFS Ideally, when you buy a fish you want it to be perfectly healthy, eating right away and have a guarantee that it won’t die right away. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case at most local fish stores. Our policy at the LFS I work at is “no returns, no...

Coral and Invert Quarantine What?! You want me to quarantine my fish AND my corals and inverts? In a word, Yes. Have you ever quarantined all your fish, were so careful to treat carefully and follow all the rules only to end up with ich or velvet in your display anyway? The reason this happens...

How to perform a freshwater dip Freshwater dips are a very important diagnostic tool when you have a sick fish. Since it can help flush out the excess mucus that can and does build up in the gills with a parasite infestation, it can be lifesaving as well. It will even confirm a flukes...

The Mysterious Chambered Nautilus I recently had the opportunity to see one of these amazing, interesting creatures in person. While I don’t condone keeping this creature in captivity, it does happen and so we ordered one at the store. I was impressed with how well it shipped and acclimated...

Picking Your Clownfish You wouldn’t believe how many times I have been brought a betta bowl and asked “How many Nemos can I put in this?” No kidding, once a week at least! Now, these people are usually steered toward the bettas with no trouble at all especially after I start on the list of...

Sterilizing Quarantine Equipment After running a batch of fish through quarantine (QT), whether it was a successful QT or not, it’s a good practice to then sterilize the equipment before getting your next group of fish. The reason being, especially if your QT was unsuccessful, that there can be...

Pictorial Guide to Marine Fish Diseases Use this guide to find a picture that most closely matches your fish's symptoms. Click the link, if available for more detailed information on the disease and how to treat it. Ich (Cryptocaryon Irritans) One of the most well-known parasites in the...