Monthly Archives: March 2013


Banggai Cardinalfish

The below profile is on another one of the interesting Cardinal fish that I have kept.  This informationon Banggai Cardinalfish is based on what I have learned and observed.

Common Name: Banggai Cardinalfish, Kaudern’s Cardinal Banggai Cardinalfish or Longfin Cardinalfish

Scientific Name: Pterapogon kauderni
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Peaceful
Care Level: Moderate
Max Size: 3 inches

Appearance:

They are a smaller fish, silver in color with black strips containing some white spots.  They have very long and striking fins in comparison to their bodies.  There appreance have made them very popular to keep in a home aquarium, The below are a few pictures of some of my Banggai Cardinals

Environment and Temperament

I would suggest a tank size in the range of a 36 inch long 35 gallon aquarium.  Others would suggest a standard 29 gallon tank for Banggai Cardinals, but I just feel due to the long fins  they would need a little more room.

You can keep multiple Banggia Cardinals in one tank.  However, if you end up with a mated pair they will most likely become territorial and act aggressively towards any other Banggai Cardinal that get close.

 

Recommended water conditions / parameters:

I would refer you to the below article for the typical water conditions that Cardinal fish will do best in:

https://www.reefaquarium.com/2013/the-basics-of-marine-aquarium-water-parameters/

 

Diet

Being carnivores, they will do best when offered a wide range of different meaty foods

 

Breeding

The Banggai Cardinals are easy to breed once a mated pair forms. They have often been referred to as the guppies of the marine aquarium. They are also mouth breeders as the male carries the eggs in his mouth to protect them.  The ease of breeding this fish has led to tank bred and raised stock becoming more and more dominant in the hobby helping to protect wild populations

Common Beginner Mistakes with Marine Aquariums

After being asked about, and reading about, many situations were hobbyist experience problems with their first marine aquariums, (as well as thinking back to my first marine aquarium) you could attribute almost all of these difficulties to the below list of the most common mistakes people can make with their first marine aquarium.
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Hippo Tangs

The below profile is on another one of the interesting tangs that I have kept.  This  information Hippo Tangs is based on what I have learned and observed.

Common Name: Hippo Tang, Regal Tang, Blue Tang, Palette Surgeonfish
Scientific Name: Paracanthurus hepatus
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Peaceful for the most part
Care Level: Moderate
Max Size: 12 inches (9 to 10 inches is more common)
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Old Tank Syndrome, Fact or Myth ?

Based on many people taking the time to document this and seeing the evidence they present, it sure dose present a compelling case for old tank syndrome.  So why does this not happen to all aquariums?
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Ocellaris ClownFish

The below Ocellaris ClownFish profile is based on what I have learned and observed.  They certainly are great little fish to keep and will add a lot of viewing pleasure to any aquarium.
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Interesting Articles

I found a few more articles that I felt are worth sharing
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Common Approaches to Filtration in Marine Aquariums

You have a few different options when it comes to providing proper filtration for your marine aquarium.  The below are the common approaches to filtration in marine aquariums that I have used as well as some pros and cons.

There are three categories of filtration that you need to look at, biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration.  Each has a slightly different purpose in your aquarium.

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Interesting Blog Articles

I though I would share a few articles I got something out of this past week

 

Some Refugium information

http://blog.aquanerd.com/2009/09/can-refugiums-be-bad-thing.html

 

 

Hang on back skimmers

http://blog.aquanerd.com/2009/09/atb-hang-on-tank-skimmer-in-action.html

 

Bristle Worms

http://www.thereeftank.com/blog/what-to-do-with-bristle-worms/

 

Some Algae Scrubber Basics

Sometimes there just is no substitute for Mother Nature.  You could make an argument that this is one of those times.   While the use of algae scrubbers as a form of filtration certainly is not a new concept in the hobby, it remains a very effective and easy approach to reducing nitrates and phosphates from your marine aquarium.   I thought I would share my approach to building and using an algae scrubber and what I have learned about some algae scrubber basics

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