Featured - Tropical Lagoon Aquarium

April 19, 2011 by Andrew

Anthias

Male Anthia in the Tropical Lagoon Tanks

The Lagoon stocks several species of beautiful and healthy Anthias (pseudoanthia sp.) which are often considered the prize of the saltwater aquarist’s tank. Our Bartlett’s Anthias (not pictured) are one of the hardiest species of Anthias available in the aquarium trade. They adapt well to aquarium life and are aggressive feeders unlike other anthias species that might take coaxing or special foods to get them to adapt to their new environment and feed correctly. They must be fed at least twice a day, and require a diet rich in meaty foods that contain zooplankton.

April 15, 2011 by Steve

Fire Fish

Another excellent reef fish is a fire goby, or fire fish and they come in three varieties, red, purple, and the rare deepwater Helfrichi. All three types are hardy reef inhabitants and should be kept in groups of two or more, you can mix species if you add them to the tank at the same time. Maximum size is 3.5” so they work well in a nano tank. They are carnivorous and should be fed brine shrimp or other finely chopped seafood. The red variety is commonly stocked at our store for ten dollars or less.

April 13, 2011 by Andrew

Clownfish

Clownfish, also known as Anemonefish, come in all shapes and sizes, and are a very entertaining and popular addition to any marine / saltwater tank. Clownfish are most notable for the symbiotic relationship they share with various species of anemone invertibrates. The Clownfish provide protection, food, and shelter for their anemone friends, and are naturally immune to the often poisonous antigens that anemone use to protect themselves.

Pictured above is a mature Ocellaris Clownfish. The Ocellaris Clownfish, Clownfish or False Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is a popular aquarium fish. It is very closely related to A. percula, the Orange Clownfish or “True Percula Clownfish”, and often lives in association with the sea anemone Heteractis magnifica, using them for shelter and protection. Generally, Ocellaris clownfish are hardier, and slightly less aggressive than its Percula counterpart. Both species are found in coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the Fiji and Tonga regions (wiki entry).

The bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), also known as the bubble tip anemone, bubble anemone or bulb anemone, is a species of sea anemone of Indo-Pacific origin. In the wild, this anemone is a natural host of several species of anemonefishes, including theCinnamon (Amphiprion melanopus), Tomato (A. frenatus), Orange-fin (A. chrysopterus), Amphiprion clarkii, Amphiprion ocellaris, Amphiprion percula and Maroon (Premnas biaculeatus).

Pictured above is a Maroon Clownfish with a bubble tipped anemone and an anemone crab. Maroon Clownfish readily attach to the Bubble Tipped Anemone popular in the aquarium hobby. Be warned that Maroon Clownfish are the most aggressive and territorial of the clownfish common to hobbyist aquariums. Take precautions as necessary to address any potential issues.

Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) with Bubble Tipped Anemone and Anemone (Entacmaea Quadricolor) Crab (Neopetrolisthes ohshimai)

The maroon clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus, is a species of clownfish that is found in the Indo-Pacific from western Indonesia to Taiwan and the Great Barrier Reef.^[1] They can grow up to be about 17 cm (6. 7 in), and as they grow, they become more aggressive towards other clownfish. It is also known as the spine-cheeked clownfish, or the maroon anemonefish. It is the only member of the genus Premnas, although it has been suggested that the taxonepigrammatafrom Sumatra should be recognized as a distinct species, Premnas epigrammata (Fowler, 1904).^{[2] (more from wikipedia)}

March 27, 2011 by Andrew

Green Elegant Coral

Imported from Australia, this coral has a very rich green color and can grow very large with proper water conditions and lighting. This photo was taken recently in the Tropical Lagoon store.

March 15, 2011 by Andrew

Invertebrates

The lagoon has lots of invertebrates to help keep your tank clean and looking great.

Harlequin Shrimp

The harlequin shrimp shown below is an excellent way to use natural remedies to combat common problems in a typical marine aquarium. [Be forewarned: Harlequin shrimp love to eat starfish, and will devour starfish of any size in your tank.] Don’t let their tiny size fool you, these shrimp have quite an appetite, and once any nuisance starfish have been removed from the tank, the harlequin shrimp will need to be fed with starfish. Some hobbyists will purchase a large chocolate chip starfish and remove a single leg every week, keeping the starfish alive while it can regenerate the lost legs. If done properly, the legs should regenerate by the time the other legs have been removed.

Some may consider this a harsh treatment, and may choose not to use harlequin shrimp. The harlequin shrimp only eats starfish and consideration must be granted for this fact.

Asterina Starfish

Although many hobbyists consider the existence of Asterina Starfish to be a sign of a healthy, stable, tank, an overpopulation of these tiny starfish organisms can be problematic – especially to reef aqy

Harlequin shrimp are excellent to rid your invaluable habitat of nuisance starfish that may overwhelm your tank and possibly even eat or damage certain kinds of corals if left