Issue #721 Nov/Dec 2016
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Feature Articles
Three select articles will be offered in their entirety each month, available to all visitors.
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Algae Eaters in the Marine Aquarium The perpetual growth of the unwanted ... Author: James W. Fatherree |
Archives
Check out past articles here.
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10 Fab Fish for a Planted Tank A beautiful planted tank is an achievement ... Author: Alan de Velasco |
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Attack of the Green Munchers! 10 Plant-Shredding Fish (FULL) A well-planted tank is a beautiful thing: a ... Author: Amanda Wenger |
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Colorful Corals for a Dazzling Tank Out of the thousands of coral species in the ... Author: Jeremy Gosnell |
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Reef-Friendly Invertebrates (Part II) In the second part of his two-part series on ... Author: Scott W. Michael |
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Rockwork in the Reef Aquarium: A How-To Guide (FULL) When it comes to reef aquariums, the building ... Author: James W. Fatherree |
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Setting Up and Maintaining a Planted Tank While many freshwater hobbyists aspire to ... Author: Kate Barrington |
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Tips and Tricks for Keeping Tangs (FULL) Tangs are a mainstay of the saltwater ... Author: Richard Aspinall |
About the Cover

The beautiful, regal discus (Symphysodon spp.) have long been considered the kings of freshwater fish, but in days past meeting their water chemistry and other needs was difficult enough to label them “for experts only.” With their widespread captive propagation, however, has come increased resilience and tolerance for typical aquarium conditions, meaning that modern-day discus now available are much more easily keepable by intermediate and even conscientious novice aquarists. Learn more about these colorful Amazonians in Alesia Benedict’s “Beginning with Discus” (p. 62).
Photo credit: Andrey Armyagov/Shutterstock.com
Species Profiles
Tip of the Month:
That while most fish are either freshwater or marine, with a small number of species regularly inhabiting brackish estuarine habitats, a few fishes are at home in water of any salinity, including hypersaline - saltier than seawater! Some of these species, like the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas, are not potential aquarium specimens, but the group includes the popular sailfin molly Poecilla spp. and the much underappreciated native American sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus. These can be kept under fresh, brackish, or marine conditions.