Issue #689 August 2013
Tweet
Feature Articles
Three select articles will be offered in their entirety each month, available to all visitors.
![]() |
A Layout that Emphasizes the Beauty of Composition Materials In order to create an excellent-looking ... Author: Takashi Amano |
![]() |
Automating Your Aquarium Do you love fishkeeping but are terrified ... Author: Jeremy Gosnell |
![]() |
Book Excerpt: Freshwater Aquarium Problem Solver (Full Article) Tweet (function(d, s, id) { var js, ... Author: David E. Boruchowitz |
![]() |
Mad For Morays Among the most distinctive fish in the world, ... Author: Maddy Hargrove |
![]() |
Marine Aquarium Basics, Part 1: Water and Salt (Full Article) Tweet In this series of articles, ... Author: Philip Hunt |
![]() |
The Ricefish: An Odd and Interesting Group (Full Article) Tweet I’m always amazed when I ... Author: Mike Hellweg |
Columns
Available exclusively to TFH Magazine subscribers (print and digital)
![]() |
Cichlid World To really know a cichlid, it is not only ... Author: Eric Hanneman |
![]() |
Import Report An importer profiles a variety of species, ... Author: Mike Tuccinardi |
![]() |
Life with Livebearers Blue isnât a prominent color in mollies. ... Author: Charles Clapsaddle |
![]() |
The Salt Mix Anyway, while there are many, many types of ... Author: James Fatherree |

About the Cover
With their snake-like form, scale-less skin, and lack of pelvic fins, moray eels—such as the star of this month’s cover, the yellow-mouth or starry moray (Gymnothorax nudivomer)—are quintessential cavity dwellers, occupying caves and rock openings in their natural reef environment. In the aquarium, they should be provided similar live-rock hiding places as well as the low lighting these shy, nocturnal creatures prefer. They often make a meal of sleeping fishes in their natural habitat, so make sure to keep them only with tankmates that won’t fit in their mouth. For more on moray eels in the wild and in the aquarium, check out this month’s “Mad For Morays” (p. 68). Photograph by Richard Whitcombe/Shutterstock
Species Profiles
Tip of the Month:
Unless you have very soft water, you will eventually have to deal with "lime" buildup. When water evaporates, dissolved minerals are left behind as a white film or crust. A razor blade can remove much of the deposit, but this will scratch plastic badly. An easier and dust-free method for glass, plastic, or any other surface is to use a scrubbing pad dampened with household vinegar. The dilute acid quickly dissolves the minerals, and a thorough rinse removes any remaining vinegar.