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Brian Blake

Aquarium Expert

Brian Blake is an Aquarium Expert and the Owner of Boodleshire Aquatics based in the Kansas City Metro Area. With over 20 years of experience, Brian is an expert in freshwater planted aquariums, saltwater reef aquariums, aquarium installation, care, and maintenance. Through Boodleshire Aquatics, Brian maintains and cares for several dozen aquariums in the Kansas City Metro Area. He authors and curates an aquarium blog on his website called "The Fish Tank Biologist", where he covers topics ranging from information for beginners to the more complex biology and chemistry that leads to success in the hobby.

Education

  • BS, Ichthyology and Aquatic Environmental Science, Emporia State University

Certifications & Organizations

  • Fully Insured
  • Utilizes Lab Grade Materials

Favorite Piece of Advice

Success in the aquarium hobby is a consequence of knowledge, patience, and consistency.

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Q&A Comments (16)

How do I help my hermit crab change its shells?
To change hermit crab shells, provide multiple options of varying sizes larger than their current one. Ensure the shells are clean and suitable for occupancy. In the wild, hermit crabs gather for shell swaps, selecting shells that suit them best. Offer two or three shell choices, allowing the crab to decide and move to a preferred shell. If they don't choose immediately, offer different options until they find one suitable for them.
How to recognize a sick hermit crab?
To determine if a hermit crab is sick, observe its behavior closely. Watch for signs such as decreased appetite, lethargy, or reluctance to come out of its shell and move around. While visual cues may be limited for smaller species like blue lake or red lake hermit crabs, monitoring their actions and habits is crucial for identifying their potential health issues.
Why does my angelfish eat their fry?
Parent angelfish eat their fry primarily out of instinctual behavior and fear. Inexperienced angelfish, especially during their initial attempts at parenting, may mistakenly consume their eggs or fry due to various reasons, such as fear of infection or misinterpretation of other fish behavior. This behavior is common among many cichlids and serves as a survival mechanism, albeit unfortunate for the offspring. To avoid this, you can separate the eggs from the parents, but this is not always necessary. Sometimes, parent angelfish can really do a good job taking care of their fry on their own.
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Co-authored Articles (28)

How to

Care for a Red Eared Slider Turtle

If you're looking to get a pet turtle, consider a red-eared slider turtle. This easily adaptable pet prefers warm habitats, but can thrive in a large tank. The red-eared slider is named for the red-line running behind i...

8 Easy Ways to Dechlorinate Water

Plus a simple guide to the best water filters on the marketWhether you’re concerned about chlorine in your drinking water, fish tank, or garden, there are several quick and easy ways to remove chlorine from water. Nat...

How to

Start Daphnia Cultures

Known as "water fleas" because of their jerky movements, Daphnia are tiny live organisms that can be a nutritious food source for pet fish or amphibians. To start a Daphnia culture, you'll need to set up their habitat an...

How to

Breed Ghost Shrimp

Raise baby ghost shrimp easily with our helpGhost shrimp, also called glass shrimp, are small, transparent shrimp commonly sold as aquarium pets or fish food. While several species are referred to by the same name, they ...

How to

Cure Betta Fish Diseases

If you have ever been to a fish store, you will probably have noticed small, colorful fish in solitary plastic cups. These are the wonderful aquarium fish ''Betta splendens'', or the Siamese Fighting Fish. Unfortunately,...

How to

Give Your Hermit Crab a Bath

Hermit crabs require exposure to salt water to keep them healthy and happy, but you may not want to keep a salt water bowl in their tank in addition to their freshwater drinking bowl. In that case, you should give your ...

How to

Tell if Your Goldfish Is an Adult

Goldfish tend to reach sexual maturity at around a year of age, although they are not fully grown until they are two or three years old. You can see if your goldfish has reached maturity by examining its physical charact...

How to Grow and Care for Java Moss

Plus, why java moss makes a great addition to your aquarium Java moss, which is part of the plant family ''Hypnaceae'', is a common aquatic plant used for decorating fish tanks and aquascaping. It’s considered a great ...

How to

Check Ppm of Water

If your water is odorless and clear, how in the world can you tell what’s in it? The answer is you measure really, really small. Parts per million (ppm) measures tiny amounts of substances in your water. It’s actuall...

How to

Breed Gouramis

Gourami, also pluralized gouramis or gouramies, are popular freshwater aquarium fish, and many gourami species are easily bred in captivity. Many gourami care for their eggs in beautiful nests made from bubbles, while ot...

How to

Tell If a Hermit Crab Is Sick

Hermit crabs are animals that often live long lives in large colonies. They are sometimes considered “starter” pets by people. In general, Hermit crabs are usually pretty easy to keep happy and healthy. But under cer...

How to

Make a Siphon

Depending upon the method you use, it only takes one or two things to make a cheap siphon. Whether you're siphoning gasoline out of your car, or showing kids how siphoning works as a science experiment, it can be done wi...

How to

Start a Siphon (Fish Tank)

Every possible way you can siphon the water from a fish tankFor optimum fish health, fish tanks must be drained 25% on a weekly basis. This can be done by way of a siphon, and your fish can stay in the tank. A simple aqu...

How to

Set Up a Pacman Frog Enclosure

The Pacman frog, or the horned frog, is given its name for the small horn-like bumps over its eyes and its ability to open its mouth incredibly wide when catching prey. As it's relatively easy to come by and quite low ma...

How to Raise and Feed Mosquito Larvae to Your Fish

Give your fish a nutritious, cheap, and live source of food Mosquito larvae are a cost-effective, nutrient-packed snack for pretty much any kind of fish.. 25 January 2024. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to raise—mosqu...

How to

Care for Mystery Snails

Mystery snails (or pomacea diffusa) are common freshwater snails to breed and/or keep as pets. If cared for correctly, mystery snails live an average of 2-3 years. By setting up your tank with care, adding the snails to ...

How to

Raise Goldfish Fry

After your goldfish has successfully spawned, you'll be left with goldfish fry to care for. Goldfish fry are not the same as regular goldfish, and require special conditions in regards to their food and environment. With...

How to

Test Water Purity

Clean drinking water is one of the most important resources in the world. Although pollution is a scary issue to worry about, there are a few simple ways to put your water to the test. For the most accurate results possi...

How to

Care for Tree Frogs

Tree frogs make great pets, but require that you have a suitable environment and food for them to ensure they are healthy and happy. There are several species of tree frogs that are often kept as pets. White’s and Gree...

How to

Selectively Breed Betta Fish

Betta fish, also called Siamese fighting fish, can make wonderful and very beautiful pets. Bettas are often kept separately because they can attack and kill tank mates. Many people like the idea of having multiple bettas...
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