Flora & Fauna

Favites (war coral / closed brain coral) are encrusting SPS corals with a brain-like maze pattern. They are moderately demanding and aggressive, extending sweeper tentacles at night to sting neighbours. Available in a wide range of vivid colour morphs.

Feathery, fern-like fronds on creeping runners — arguably the most attractive Caulerpa species. Works well in display refugia where its ornamental appearance is on show. Fast-growing nutrient exporter. Same caveats as other Caulerpa: harvest regularly to prevent sexual reproduction.

A sand-sifting powerhouse — plows through the sandbed consuming detritus, algae, and uneaten food. Lively and active, with eyes on stalks. The name comes from its aggressive response when flipped.

A hydrozoan rather than a true coral — branching, blade-like, or encrusting forms in mustard-yellow. Delivers a potent sting, even to humans. Fast-growing and found on shallow, high-flow reef crests.

Striking blood-red with white-spotted antennae — one of the most beautiful marine shrimp. Acts as a cleaner shrimp, setting up stations where fish visit to have parasites removed. Best kept in pairs.

Elegant dartfish with a fiery orange-red tail and white-to-yellow body. Shy but beautiful. Tends to jump so a tight-fitting lid is essential.

Vivid red-orange dwarf angelfish with black vertical bars. One of the most popular dwarf angels. May nip at corals; monitor in reef tanks.

Vivid red with black dorsal markings and outline — perches atop gorgonians and Acropora waiting to ambush prey. Completely reef-safe with corals but will eat small shrimp. Charismatic and bold.

Bold yellow body with intricate brown-and-white facial patterning. Has venomous spines so handle carefully. Outstanding algae and nuisance weed grazer.

Frogspawn Coral is a popular LPS coral whose branching skeleton terminates in clusters of rounded, grape-like polyp tips that sway mesmerisingly in gentle water movement — resembling a mass of frog eggs. It is one of the three classic Euphyllia corals (alongside Hammer and Torch) and shares their care requirements. It has potent sweeper tentacles that can sting corals placed nearby, so adequate spacing within the reef aquarium is essential.

Fungia plate corals are unusual free-living LPS corals that rest on the sandbed and can slowly move to find better conditions. They have a single large mouth surrounded by numerous short tentacles and come in a range of colours. They are sensitive to being placed on rough substrates.

Galaxea is a large-polyp stony coral with star-shaped polyps that extend long sweeper tentacles at night, capable of stinging corals several centimetres away. It is a fast grower under good conditions but requires significant space between it and neighbours.

Beautiful coral with long flowing polyps resembling a field of flowers. Historically difficult to keep long-term. Requires stable, high-quality water and moderate flow.

Creeping runners bearing upright branches tipped with small spherical beads — resembling tiny bunches of grapes. One of the most vigorous nutrient-exporting macroalgae; grows rapidly in refugia. Can go sexual and crash if left unharvested for too long. Listed as invasive in the Mediterranean.

The quintessential schooling reef fish — shimmering apple-green in open water above Acropora. Incredibly hardy and peaceful. Best kept in groups of 6+ for the most natural look.

Attractive calcified green macroalgae with segmented, coin-like lobes. Grows upright and anchors into sandbed or live rock. Naturally calcified — contributes to calcium demand. Fish tend to leave it alone. Adds a natural look to the display tank and provides nutrient export.

Hammer coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral with distinctive T-shaped or hammer-shaped tentacles that sweep rhythmically in current. It is photosynthetic via its zooxanthellae but also benefits from target feeding with meaty foods two or three times weekly. It can sting neighbouring corals, so adequate spacing is essential.

Extraordinarily beautiful shrimp with large flat claws and white-and-pink/purple spotted pattern. Specialist predator that only eats starfish — a specific feeding commitment.

Bold orange-and-white banded wrasse with vivid blue teeth. Impressive predator fish for FOWLR tanks. Australian specimens (red-orange) are more vibrant than Indo-Pacific.

Wiry, reddish-brown branching macroalgae that tangs and rabbitfish readily consume. Grows quickly and provides excellent nutrient export in refugia. Attaches loosely to rubble and rock. One of the most palatable macroalgae for herbivorous reef fish — can be offered directly as live food.

Feathery, pinkish-white tufts of jointed calcified branches — a beautiful encrusting coralline relative that forms soft mats on rockwork. Provides habitat for tiny amphipods and copepods. A common and welcome hitchhiker on Mediterranean and Atlantic live rock. Tolerates cooler water than most corallines.

Soft coral that grows into a branching tree shape. Prolific grower and propagator — commonly frags itself. Peaceful but its natural chemicals can inhibit nearby coral growth.

Brown tang covered with fine yellow-orange spots. Excellent detritivore and algae grazer. More peaceful and compact than most tangs. Great reef fish.

Bushy, branching red-to-purple macroalgae with cylindrical, succulent-looking branches. Common in intertidal zones worldwide. Used as a food source by certain nudibranchs and sea hares. Adds colour to refugia and is a moderate nutrient exporter. More compact and ornamental than Gracilaria.

The go-to algae control fish for reef tanks — relentlessly grazes film algae and hair algae off rocks and glass. Camouflaged brown-grey with warty skin and charismatic perching behaviour.

Leather corals (toadstool corals) are large, robust soft corals with a mushroom-like form. They are extremely hardy and grow quickly, making them popular with beginners. They periodically shed a waxy coating and close up temporarily — this is normal behaviour.

Large, fleshy-polyped LPS with smooth round corallites and vivid colouration. Extremely hardy and popular in mixed reef tanks. Inflates dramatically after lights-out to capture food. Accepts a wide range of conditions.

Instantly recognisable by its elongated snout and white body with red grid pattern. Perches in gorgonian sea fans and black coral, propping itself on its fins. Bold and long-lived in captivity.

Strikingly colourful — males flash vivid red, orange, and yellow with iridescent highlights during display. Peaceful and active; best kept as one male with several females. A jewel of the mid-water column.

One of the most colourful reef fish — females orange-pink, males dazzling magenta-purple with elongated tail filaments. Best kept in a harem (one male, multiple females) with strong flow and frequent feeding.

Vivid blue-green turf-like tufts of very fine filaments — a common sight on Indo-Pacific reefs. In captivity it can spread across rockwork quickly. Produces terpene compounds that deter most grazers. Interesting as a biotope element but can become a nuisance if left unchecked.

Arguably the most beautiful fish in the hobby. Requires a mature reef with abundant copepods. Not for beginners. Will starve if not given live food.

Small, cold-water snail — an exceptional algae grazer often used in reef tanks as clean-up crew. Prefers cooler temperatures so it's ideal for FOWLR tanks or tanks below 74°F. Peaceful and prolific.

The largest clownfish species, maroon-red with bold white stripes. Highly aggressive — best kept as a single specimen or bonded pair. One of the most striking reef fish available.

Iconic labyrinthine-patterned brain coral — the classic reef centrepiece. Hardy, slow-growing, and tolerant of moderate conditions. Green fluorescent under actinic lighting. A timeless display piece.

Dazzling rainbow colouration — females green-blue, males sporting a vivid magenta-and-green pattern. A sand-diver that buries to sleep. Natural predator of flatworms and pyramid snails.