Aussie Mados are a beautiful and lively addition to any aquarium, and ordering them online with Salty Pets can be a convenient way to ensure that you have access to healthy and high-quality specimens.
Aussie Mados, also known as the Australian Mado, are a species of energetic schooling fish endemic to the eastern coast of Australia. These fish are highly sought after by aquarium enthusiasts due to their vibrant colours and active behaviour. They are typically found in large schools in the wild, and in aquariums, they thrive in groups of 5 or more.
Aussie Mados have a unique appearance with a bright yellow body and blue stripes running horizontally along their sides. They are relatively hardy and easy to care for, making them a great choice for beginner and experienced aquarists alike.
If you're interested in adding Aussie Mados to your aquarium, there are a few things to consider. They require a tank of at least 50 gallons with plenty of swimming space and a well-established filtration system. They also prefer a diet consisting of both live and frozen foods, such as brine shrimp and krill.
While Aussie Mados can be found in some local fish stores, they may not always be readily available so be sure to order soon so you dont miss out - When ordering Aussie Mados online, be sure to choose a reputable dealer like Salty Pets that specializes in live marine animals and have a good track record of customer satisfaction. Look for a dealer that offers a guarantee on their fish and has good shipping practices to ensure that your fish arrive healthy and stress-free.
Order your own lively school of Aussie Mados from Salty Pets today and add a burst of energy to your aquarium! With their commitment to quality and excellent customer service, you can trust Salty Pets to deliver healthy and happy fish right to your doorstep. Don't wait, order now and experience the joy of owning these unique and captivating fish.
Aussie Mados are a beautiful and lively addition to any aquarium, and ordering them online can be a convenient way to ensure that you have access to healthy and high-quality specimens.
Every week on Facebook we see numerous ID posts about crabs…. Acro crabs, ‘Gorilla’ crabs, ‘Hairy’ crabs and others. Generally, crabs make their way into our systems as hitchhikers on liverock and/or corals.
What we know as Acro crabs are generally all quite safe commensal critters which live in and on branching SPS corals. There are several species across a few different genus’ But most acro crabs are from two main genus…Tetralia and Trapezia spp. They are quite easy to identify once you know what to look for. Each species has its preferred SPS coral and often has a pattern or colouring that matches it’s host. The crab literally guards its host against predators and picks it clean of detritus and debris.
Emerald crabs often get a mention as great for cleaning up nuisance algae, in particular…bubble algae (Valonia ventricosa). The bad news is that you will never see one here in Oz. The Emerald crab (Mithraculus sculptus) is an Atlantic Ocean species (Carribean and Gulf of Mexico) and Australian law prohibits the importation of inverts.
The infamous “Gorilla” crab….. This is a common name and is given loosely to a number of species because they appear to be hairy! The ‘hairs’ are actually sensory organs called Setae and all crabs (all crustaceans actually) have them. The setae are used for various purposes including…feeding filters, sensory organs, defensive tools etc. Decorator crabs use modified ones shaped like hooks to hold on to their decorations.
Most crabs in the aquarium (apart from the commensal SPS crabs) are no more than a nuisance or at the most, a bit destructive but among the pain-in-the-butt types you will occasionally find yourself with a member of a deadly crab family (yes, deadly).
Xanthid crabs often look just like your common, every day reef crab however, they contain lethal amounts of toxin very similar to Tetradotoxin. This is otherwise known as pufferfish toxin. It’s produced by a bacteria known as Vibrio which is very dangerous in its own right.
There are other families of crustaceans that we commonly see in the hobby such as squat lobsters, hermit crabs and so on but there are literally thousands of individual species which makes them well worth covering separately.
This literally means ‘Spiny Skin’ and the name belongs to a massive phylum (group) of animals with more than 7,000 species spread across many classes of critters such as the sea stars, urchins and sea cucumbers.
Echinoderms live in every ocean, at all depths, from very hot shallow tidal pools in Equatorial waters to the icy cold, deepest depths of the ocean, thousands of meters down.
Sea stars (Asteroidea) is, by far, the largest group with nearly 4000 species. They can be large, voracious predators (think-Crown of Thorns), sturdy and attractive Linckia stars, beautiful basket stars or microscopic hitch hiking brittle stars. We have come to recognise a number of seastars that are both beneficial and attracyive to keep in our tanks and in many cases, small ones hitch-hike in on liverock or coral. Most reefkeepers wil be familiar with the tiny waving legs of brittlestars poking out from holes in their liverock.
Urchins (Echinoidea)….tasty delicacies in Japan, tireless cleaners of liverock in our tanks. There are toxic varieties, amazing colours, cryptic sand-dollars and comical collectors. Urchins can and do have their place in reef tanks and aprt from a propensity to bulldoze unseccured corals, they will graze away at encrusting algaes to leave your rock clean.
Cucumbers (Holthuroidea)…. Not exactly a salad item but many are edible, some are stunning to look at while others are shocking to behold. Beautiful sea-apples, burnt sausages, curryfish and lollyfish all suggest something tasty but I don’t know so much…. There are a few well-known species of ‘cukes’ and their relatives that are kept nowadays such as Sea Apples, Tigertails, Burnt Sausage etc. Most Sea Cucumbers feed off the detritus and waste produced in our tanks either off the substrate or by filtering it from the water column. They can be a valuable and attractive (facinating) part of your clean-up crew but do some research and know what you need to keep them happy and healthy.
This massive group of marine Gastropods consists of almost 2,500 individual species that inhabit all oceans and seas from tropical to temperate to Arctic and Antarctic waters.
The name Nudibranch refers to ‘naked gills’ as Nudibranchs have their gills exposed on their backs. Each species of these amazing little guys is a highly evolved specialist in his native environment. They have developed intricate camouflage systems of not only colour adaptations but also cerata (appendages) that closely match various host corals.
The astounding colouration is vital in not only hiding the Nudibranch from predators but also as a warning sign indicating that they are unpleasant (at the very least) to eat. Some Nudibranchs deliberately consume the nematocysts of their prey corals and in turn, become toxic to predators. There are others that digest zooxanthellae and utilize it in the very same way that corals do….providing an alternate food source to the Nudi.
Be aware though, that not all (not many) Nudibranchs prey on corals…there are many that eat bryozoans and ascidians, sponge, algae, tunicates, hydroids and other micro-marine life. They life fast and die young with most of their kind only living for a very short time. Apart from the pitfalls, many Nudibranchs make for excellent aquarium inhabitants if you are sure of and have access to its preferred food.
The bubble algae we see regularly in our tanks is Valonia ventricosa… All Valonia sp. (only 3 in the genus) are single-celled, multinucleate (each cell contains multiple nuclei) organisms and contrary to what is often said, none of them produces or contain spores.
As they are single cells (one of the largest on earth), any piece of the bubble or even the liquid in the tissue can and will produce a clone of the original. Any fish or invert eating a bubble will break the cell wall and release a cloud of trouble. The safest option is to remove the host rock from the tank and chip away the rock where the bubble is attached via its Rhizoid (root structure).
Bubble algae, also known as Valonia ventricosa, is a common issue faced by aquarium owners. These single-celled, multinucleate organisms can quickly spread and cause problems in your tank. In this article, we will explore what causes bubble algae and some solutions for removing it from your tank.
Bubble algae are single-celled, multinucleate organisms that often appear as green or blue-green spheres in the tank. They can be found in a variety of places, including the substrate, rocks, and even on the glass. Bubble algae can be difficult to remove and can quickly spread if not dealt with.
Bubble algae are often introduced to the tank through live rock or other aquarium decor. They can also be introduced by fish or invertebrates that have been in contact with them. Once in the tank, they can quickly spread and become a problem.
The best way to prevent bubble algae is to thoroughly inspect all live rock and other decor before adding it to your tank. Additionally, quarantine any new fish or invertebrates before adding them to your tank.
If you have bubble algae in your tank, there are a few methods you can use to remove it. One option is to manually remove the affected areas of the rock. You can also use a scraper to remove the algae from the glass. However, this can be difficult and time-consuming, especially if the bubble algae has spread throughout the tank.
Another option is to use chemical treatments such as algae removers. These treatments can be effective, but they should be used with caution as they can harm other organisms in the tank. Always follow the instructions on the product label and be sure to remove any dead algae promptly.
Preventing bubble algae from entering your tank is the best course of action. As mentioned earlier, inspecting all new decor before adding it to your tank can help prevent the introduction of bubble algae. Quarantining new fish and invertebrates can also help prevent the spread of the algae.
Keeping the tank clean and maintaining proper water chemistry can also help prevent the growth of bubble algae. Regular water changes and maintaining proper nutrient levels can help keep the tank healthy and prevent algae growth.
Bubble algae can be a frustrating problem for aquarium owners. However, with proper prevention methods and diligent maintenance, it can be managed effectively. By inspecting new decor, quarantining new fish and invertebrates, and maintaining proper water chemistry, you can prevent the introduction and spread of bubble algae in your tank.
Parker's Reef, the go-to YouTube channel for all things saltwater aquariums, recently took their viewers on a journey to Salty Pets in Queensland, Australia. The video showcased the beauty and rarity of Salty Pets' corals, leaving Parker in awe.
Parker and Zack from Parkers Reef arrived at Salty Pets, where they were greeted by the busy packing team, Heath and Heather. Despite being busy, they let the crew in, and the tour got underway.
The team took a tour of the "vault," where Salty Pets keeps some of their favourite pieces. Parker's attention was immediately drawn to the range of fungi, crocodile Scully, and Chellis. The Australian corals were vibrant and colourful, and the footage showed the range of colours that Salty Pets' extreme blue lights bring out.
Salty Pets had some beautiful and rare specimens, including trekkie philias, logos, and the black elegance coral, which has bright gold tips. The utter chaos and sunny days zoas were glowing under Salty Pets' blue lights, and the blue Fluffies were a sight to behold. Parker admired the bright pink and rainbow-colored corals and then moved on to the euphyllia garden, where he saw gold torches that were off the charts in terms of beauty and demand.
The Parkers Reef tour provided a glimpse into the beautiful and colourful world of Salty Pets' corals and Salty Pets were really happy to have Parker and his team visit. .
The range of colours and patterns showcased in the video was breath-taking, leaving viewers wanting to see more. As Parker admired the corals, he couldn't help but think about the cost of a handful of them. Salty Pets had super rare specimens that are hard to come by in Australia, making them even more valuable. It's no wonder that Heath from Salty Pets said that they couldn't get enough of some of these beautiful corals, they truly are a sight to behold.
Last year, Salty Pets made waves, and this year they have doubled their display tank size. Parker is excited to see what an Australian collector has to offer. He said Salty Pets could easily grab their premium corals and export them overseas to the international market, which is more willing to pay for them. But even though Salty Pets are Australian coral exporters, they have a level of respect for the domestic market, and they want to show what kind of corals they have and share it with the Reef building community.
Reef stock in Sydney is going to be an opportunity for us to see and get our hands on some of these corals that would normally be sent overseas to some high rollers.
Reef Stock is an annual event hosted by Reef Builders in different cities around the world, including Australia. It is a premier conference and expo that brings together industry experts, coral vendors, aquarium professionals, and hobbyists to showcase the latest products, technologies, and trends in the reef and marine aquarium hobby. Salty Pets will be attending as a premium Australian Coral wholesalers.
Parker wants to save up for reef sock and bring at least ten of these pieces home. You can be sure Salty Pets is going to bring their A-game to restock in Sydney and show off their best of the best.
After seeing Salty Pets' phyto setup, Parker is inspired to get onto it as well. He has six tanks at home, and adding some life to them with phyto wouldn't be a bad idea. Salty Pets' commitment to growing their own phyto is just another example of their commitment to quality and excellence.
Salty Pets grows their own with a big phyto reactor in their coral wholesale facility They believe that phyto is the building blocks of all corals and the reef, and it's clear that it's working for them.
Salty Pets' commitment to quality and excellence is evident in all aspects of their business. They not only offer vibrant and exquisite corals but also grow their own phyto and will be at this years Reefstock. This dedication to growing their own phyto is just another example of their commitment to providing the best quality products possible. From their corals to their phyto, Salty Pets is dedicated to excellence.
Check out the video on Youtube here