Aquarium Care Guides
996 articles- Propagating Hygrophila PinnatifidaHygrophila pinnatifida is unusually flexible to multiply because it behaves both as a stem plant and as an epiphyte. It constantly sends out
- Propagating Cabomba caroliniana (Carolina Fanwort) from CuttingsCarolina fanwort is the fussiest of the feathery stem plants, propagated by fragmentation: cut the top 5-10 cm, strip lower leaves, and floa
- Propagating Alternanthera reineckii by CuttingsAlternanthera reineckii is a striking red stem plant grown for the vivid contrast its red and purple leaves bring to a planted layout. It is
- Hornwort Propagation Guide: Fragmentation of a Rootless FloaterHornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) is a free-floating submerged plant with no true roots, though it may loosely attach itself to the substrat
- Monte Carlo Propagation Guide: Splitting and Replanting the CarpetMonte Carlo (Micranthemum tweediei) is a low creeping carpet plant for the foreground. Rather than producing seeds or offsets you collect, i
- Dendronephthya klunzingeri (Carnation Coral): Propagation GuideAn honest propagation overview of the azooxanthellate carnation coral Dendronephthya klunzingeri, why captive propagation almost never succe
- Propagating Pocillopora damicornis (Cauliflower Coral)Propagating the branching SPS Pocillopora damicornis: snapping or cutting branches and gluing to plugs, plus its dual reproduction as a plan
- Elegance Coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei) Propagation GuideHow to approach propagation of Catalaphyllia jardinei (elegance coral): a sensitive coral with fragile flesh and a disease history, handled
- Aussie Scoly (Homophyllia australis) Propagation GuideHow Homophyllia australis (Aussie Scoly) is propagated: why this single-polyp coral resists conventional cutting, the bottom-up skeleton-tri
- Cycloseris cyclolites Propagation GuideThe small free-living disc coral Cycloseris cyclolites is a single solitary polyp; propagation rests on asexual regeneration of detached pie
- Fungia fungites (Mushroom Plate Coral) Propagation GuideHow the solitary plate coral Fungia fungites (Fungiidae) propagates: by anthocauli daughter polyps budding from a damaged skeleton, not by c
- Favites halicora (War Coral) Propagation GuidePropagating Favites halicora (Merulinidae), a brain coral with shared corallite walls, by cutting the massive skeleton, with notes on its ag
- Trachyphyllia radiata Propagation GuideWhy Trachyphyllia radiata (formerly Wellsophyllia), a multi-mouth open brain coral, is not routinely fragged: a free-living fleshy polyp rep
- Briareum violaceum (Star Polyps) Propagation GuidePropagating Briareum violaceum, the green star polyp, by dividing its encrusting purple mat and cutting the rock it spreads across.
- Tripneustes gratilla Breeding GuideHow the collector urchin Tripneustes gratilla reproduces by broadcast spawning into planktonic echinopluteus larvae, why it is not home-bred
- Protoreaster nodosus Breeding Guide: Chocolate Chip StarThe chocolate chip sea star is a large broadcast-spawning asteroid whose planktonic larval cycle is not reproduced in home aquaria.
- Linckia multifora Breeding Guide: Comet RegenerationLinckia multifora reproduces asexually by autotomy, shedding arms that grow into 'comets'. Its sexual broadcast spawning is not completed in
- Discosoma neglecta (Common Mushroom) Propagation & Fragging GuideHow to propagate the mushroom corallimorph Discosoma neglecta: asexual fission and pedal laceration, deliberate fragging by cutting and reat
- Anemonia majano (Majano Anemone) Reproduction & Pest Control GuideHow the pest majano anemone Anemonia majano spreads by asexual fission and pedal laceration plus pelagic spawning, why it overruns reef tank
- Aiptasia pallida (Glass Anemone) Reproduction & Pest Control GuideHow the pest glass anemone Aiptasia pallida spreads explosively by pedal laceration and gonochoric spawning, why it harms reef tanks, and ho
- Stichodactyla haddoni (Haddon's Carpet Anemone) Breeding & Propagation GuideReproduction of Stichodactyla haddoni: pelagic sexual spawning that cannot be done at home and the rare asexual fission of sea anemones. Wha
- Sebae Anemone (Heteractis crispa) Breeding GuideHeteractis crispa reproduces both sexually, by releasing gametes into the water, and asexually by scissiparity. Its leathery column hosts ma
- Solar-Powered Sea Slug (Elysia chlorotica) Breeding GuideElysia chlorotica is a hermaphroditic sacoglossan that lays egg strings and hatches as a veliger larva. Its obligate diet of Vaucheria litor
- Breeding the Maxima Clam (Tridacna maxima)Tridacna maxima is the most widely distributed giant clam, a broadcast-spawning sequential hermaphrodite. It does not reproduce in home reef
- Breeding the Coral Guard Crab (Trapezia cymodoce)Trapezia cymodoce is an obligate symbiont of Pocillopora corals that defends its host against predators. It broods eggs and releases plankto
- Breeding the Spotted Porcelain Anemone Crab (Neopetrolisthes maculatus)Neopetrolisthes maculatus is an Indo-Pacific porcelain crab that lives commensally inside sea anemones and filter-feeds. It broods eggs and
- Breeding the Cerith Snail (Cerithium spp.)Cerithium snails lay gelatinous egg strings, but the eggs hatch into long-lived planktonic veliger larvae. They reproduce readily yet cannot
- Breeding the Brunneus Turbo Snail (Turbo brunneus)Turbo brunneus (bruneus) is a small Indo-Pacific dwarf turban snail with separate sexes that scatter eggs and sperm. Its planktonic larvae c
- Bumblebee Snail (Engina mendicaria): Breeding NotesThe marine bumblebee snail (Engina mendicaria) is a small carnivorous scavenger. As a neogastropod with separate sexes and planktonic velige
- Sexy Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) Breeding GuideThor amboinensis is a tiny pantropical commensal shrimp on anemones and corals. Females brood eggs, but larvae pass through planktonic zoea
- Breeding the Coral Banded Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus)Stenopus hispidus forms monogamous male-female pairs with larger females, but its planktonic larval phase of around 120–253 days makes home
- Breeding the Hercules Snail (Brotia herculea)Brotia herculea is a large gonochoristic, viviparous river snail from Myanmar and Thailand that broods its young. Captive breeding is poorly
- Breeding the Orange Rabbit Snail (Tylomelania zemis)Tylomelania zemis is a Sulawesi rabbit snail that bears a single large live juvenile at a time. This guide covers its dioecious biology, har
- Yellow Rabbit Snail (Tylomelania towutensis) Breeding GuideTylomelania towutensis is an ovoviviparous Sulawesi snail with separate sexes that releases a single very large shelled juvenile at a time,
- Quilted Melania (Tarebia granifera) Breeding GuideTarebia granifera is a parthenogenetic livebearer carrying up to 77 embryos in a brood pouch and releasing one juvenile every 12 hours, maki
- Seminole Ramshorn (Planorbella duryi) Breeding GuidePlanorbella duryi is a hermaphroditic Florida ramshorn that breeds prolifically, laying transparent gelatinous egg masses underwater that ha
- Why the Zebra Nerite Snail Won't Breed in Freshwater (Neritina natalensis)The Zebra Nerite (Neritina natalensis) lays white egg capsules in freshwater, but its veliger larvae need brackish or salt water to develop,
- Yabby Breeding GuideBreeding the Australian Yabby (Cherax destructor): a territorial crayfish whose female carries eggs under the abdomen with development of 33
- Red Claw Crayfish Breeding GuideBreeding the Australian Red Claw Crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus): sexing by the male's red claw patch, 300–800 eggs per brood carried on t
- Least Crayfish Breeding GuideBreeding Cambarellus diminutus, one of the smallest crayfish at roughly 1–2 cm, a year-round breeder that carries eggs and young under the t
- Hong Kong Caridina Breeding Guide (Caridina serrata)Breeding the wild Hong Kong Caridina serrata: a freshwater direct developer of the serrata species group that releases miniature shrimplets
- Pinto Red Shrimp Breeding GuideBreeding the patterned Pinto Red Taiwan Bee derivative of Caridina cantonensis: soft acidic low-TDS water, pattern genetics, sexing, berried
- Orange Eye Blue Tiger (OEBT) Breeding GuideBreeding the demanding OEBT morph of Caridina cantonensis: very soft acidic low-TDS water, sexing, berried females and direct-developing shr
- Breeding Snowball Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)Breeding the translucent-white Snowball morph of Neocaridina davidi, named for its opaque white eggs: sexing, conditioning, colony setup, be
- Green Jade Shrimp Breeding GuideBreeding Green Jade Neocaridina davidi: sexing, conditioning, berried females with 20-30 eggs, and culling to hold the rarer jade-green colo
- Bloody Mary Shrimp Breeding GuideBreeding Bloody Mary Neocaridina davidi: sexing, conditioning, berried females holding 20-30 eggs for about three weeks, and culling to hold
- Sakura Red Shrimp Breeding GuideBreeding the Sakura grade of Neocaridina davidi: sexing the deeper red females, conditioning, berried females holding 20-30 eggs, raising sh
- Red Cherry Shrimp Breeding GuideHow to breed Red Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi): sexing, conditioning, berried females carrying 20-30 eggs for about three weeks, and ra
- Ecsenius nigrovittatus Breeding GuideEcsenius nigrovittatus is a small combtooth blenny that grazes algae and lays demersal eggs in rock crevices under male care. This guide cov
- Breeding Valenciennea strigata (Golden Headed Sleeper Goby)Valenciennea strigata is a monogamous sand-sifting sleeper goby that spawns demersal eggs on a burrow ceiling. The male tends the clutch whi