Use our annual reference guide to find any article in the 2009 editions of FAMA. All column topics are listed after the appropriate monthly entry. (Note: Individual monthly entries for columns are omitted if the column was not printed in that month.)
Columns
Freshwater Forum
January -- Ich identification; Treating ich
February -- Gourami bubblenests; African cichlid tank sterilization; CO2 bubble rates
March -- Keeping balance in aquaria; PVC; aquatic plant recommendations
April -- Staying up to date with your setup and maintenance; freshwater stingrays
May -- Bamboo shrimp husbandry; raising feeder shrimp; snail infestations
June -- Acara species in community aquaria; testing silicone; increasing tank size
July -- Treating fin and tail rot; flashlight fish; salt and plants
August -- Reducing stress and disease
September -- Dealing with power failure; bottom-dwellers; starting a new aquarium; best light for plants
October -- Fixing cloudy water; clown loaches and snails
November -- Algae eaters; well water; angelfish parenting
December -- Starting a planted tank; hair algae
The Planted Tank
January -- Preparing plants for introduction to aquaria
February -- Rosette plants in aquaria, prep, pruning, propagation, growth rates, fertilization
March -- Planted tank do’s and don’ts
April -- Using tall plants in planted aquaria
May -- Shrimp and plants
June -- Plant dieback; Subwassertang fern
July -- Lighting; fertilizers; Cryptocoryne variants
August -- Resilient aquarium plants
September -- Ferns in aquaria
October -- Aquatic plant clubs
November -- Aquatic plants and Internet resources
December -- Aquarium plant recommendations; Cryptocoryne wendtii, Riccia fluitans, Blyxa japonica, Rotala sp.
Aquatic Maestro
January -- Salt and freshwater aquaria
February -- How to ask the right questions when seeking help with fishes
March -- Know your gourami taxonomy
April -- Science and chemistry of water in aquaria
May -- Fish senses
June -- The author’s experiences with strange aquarium problems and occurrences
July -- Upside-down catfish
August -- Botany and keeping planted aquaria
September -- Cyprinodonts and killifishes
October -- Bottom dwellers, loaches, arrow eels
November -- Fish taxonomy lesson
December -- Plant facts, balancing your planted tank
Wet Vet
January -- Ulcerative disease in fishes
February -- Protocols for diagnosing fish disease
March -- Diagnosing and treating feeding problems
April -- Identifying and treating goldfish sinking problems
May -- Invertebrate health and treatment
June -- Discus flukes and treatment
July -- Ectoparasites, diagnosis and treatment
August -- Malawi bloat syndrome
September -- Ich, diagnosis and treatment
October -- Mycobacteriosis, identification, prevention
November -- Water chemistry and fish health
December -- Fish health and plants
Bettas and More
January -- Betta genes and appearance
February -- Thoughts on betta finnage
March -- Cnidarian war games, social interaction among corals
April -- History and origins of tropical aquariums and fishes
May -- Inverts and bettas
June -- Cnidarian fight club, nematocysts
July -- Choosing breeder stock
August -- Betta fin development and abnormal fins
September -- Betta show judging systems
October -- Bubblenests and foam nest similarities
November -- Building the red betta
December -- Plants for bettas
The Dipnetter
January -- Collecting after a storm
February -- Tanks with “nothing” in them, setting up a tank with only hitchhikers
March -- North American Native Fishes Association Convention
April -- Dealing with aquarium leaks
May -- Living fossils in aquaria, ostracods
June -- The ultimate oddity, amphiuma, between fishes and amphibians
July -- Fish parasites in aquaria
August -- Juvenile aquatic life, insects, crustaceans, turtles and native fishes
September -- Porichthys spp., bioluminescent inshore fishes
October -- Brackish species
November -- Habitat re-creation, substrate
December -- Floating ferns
Sand Mail
January -- Private 1,100-gallon reef tank
February -- New private 1,200-gallon reef tank established
March -- Pest starfish spawn; restating a sandbed; faded Acropora
April -- Odd algae and emerald crabs
May -- Plenum construction; ich resistance
June -- Sandbed considerations, proper maintenance and chemistry
July -- Coral relocation in aquaria; custom plenums
August -- Feeding corals and tank stability
September -- Reef tank plenums; quarantine and dips; Harlequin shrimp
October -- Controlling nitrates, system evaluation
November -- Dealing with algae infestation
December -- Getting rid of problem algae
Reef Notes
January -- Invertebrate propagation, Part 2
February -- Stony coral propagation techniques
March -- Spawning various species, sea anemones, shrimp, mollusks, Diadema long-spined sea urchins
April -- Butterflyfish reef compatibility
May -- Mastering reef aquarium water
June -- Elements of symbiosis
July -- Calcium reactors and buffering
August -- Mollusks
September -- Clownfishes in reef tanks, Part 1
October -- Clownfishes in reef tanks, Part 2
November -- The order Decapoda
December -- All about macroalgae
Discus in Depth
January -- Green discus taxonomy; Mike Tsalikis
February -- South American discus breeder techniques
March -- Discovering discus, Mike Tsalikis
April -- Learning about discus by observing wild specimens
May -- Last edition appearing in print, discus for beginners, diet, husbandry, discus types
Conservation Corner
January -- Collecting and keeping North American native species
February -- Using the aquarium hobby to promote conservation
March -- Starting over when systems fail
April -- Collecting North American natives along the coast
May -- Last edition appearing in print, North American crayfish
Popular Freshwater Tropicals
January -- Five barb for the Myanmar biotope
February -- Emperor botias; identification, aquarium setup, husbandry, breeding
March -- Clown knifefish; identification, aquarium setup, feeding, water conditions, tankmates, juvenile care, breeding
April -- Fire eels; aquarium identification, aquarium setup, husbandry, feeding, diseases, breeding
May -- Amano and red cherry shrimp; aquarium setup, husbandry, breeding
June -- Pictus catfish; identification, aquarium setup, husbandry, feeding
July -- South American biotope setup
August -- Striped headstanders; identification, husbandry, breeding
September -- Hatchetfish; indentification, husbandry, feeding, breeding
October -- African butterflyfish; identification, aquarium setup, husbandry, feeding, breeding
November -- Butterfly cichlids; identification, aquarium setup, husbandry, feeding, breeding
December -- Plants in a West African biotope
Species Profile
August -- First edition appearing in print; Hawaiian feather dusters
September -- Longnose hawkfish
October -- Spotted mandarinfish
November -- McCulloch's clownfish
December -- Coral banded shrimp
In the Fish Room
January -- Pretty Bird Ultracolor Fish Foods
February -- Premium Aquatics Lifeguard Test Strips
March -- Ecotech Marine VorTech MP20
April -- Red Sea Berlin X2 Protein Skimmers
May -- David Lass’ fish room
June -- Marineland C-360 Canister Filter
July -- American Marine Nitrate and Water Hardness Meters
August -- Aquaticlife 48-inch T5 HO Lighting Fixture
September -- ReefresH20 BioRocker System
October -- Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Protein Skimmer
November -- Python product line
December -- Red sea Turbo CO2 Bio System
Features
January
Enter the Dragon: Take control of the tank-busting arowana for a truly unique aquarium experience. By Mark A. Mitchell, D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D.
Six Marine Fish Challenges: Beginners should look but not touch, as these piscine doozies are for experts only. By Steven Bitter
Nano Tank Explosion: For aquarists, good things do come in small packages. By David Lass
Take in a Fish Show in 2009: Forget staycations, make your next trip a “fishcation.” By Clay Jackson
February
Cichlids of Madagascar: The next fins in the freshwater hobby may come from this island’s isolated species. By Alex Saunders
Treating Your Sick Fish: Whether treating fish orally, parenterally or through dipping, there is protocol for medicating them when they are sick. By Mark Mitchell, D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D.
Marine Predator and Prey Interactions: Many aquarists avoid in-tank confrontations, but these fascinating behaviors can be exciting to re-create in aquaria under the right circumstances. By Jean-Francois Hamel and Annie Mercier
Operation Bamboo Shark: Follow one hobbyist family’s saga as they hatch a baby shark and successfully raise it. By Jeff Rabin, Ph.D.
FOWLR Aquariums: These fish-only setups are a great way to break into the marine side of the hobby. By Adam Blundell, M.S.
March
Marvelous Mandarins: Discover what it takes to keep these colorful and regal fish alive and thriving in your care. By Scott W. Michael
Make Room for a Reef: Big Tank? No space? No problem. Here’s what one aquarist did to build his dream. By David Lass
What’s in Your Fish Cabinet?: Stock your fish room with the best to ensure you can deal with any fish disease. By Mark A. Mitchell, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Spawn Your First Egg Layer: Learn to use the permanent and temporary methods to master your egg layers. By Anthony C. Terceira
Catfish at a Crossroads: A walk down memory lane explores how red-tailed catfish went from all the rage to aquatic nightmares for the uninitiated. By David Sands, Ph.D.
April
Plumbing the Depths of Clown Loaches: Learn to love this hobby favorite that still throws many first-time keepers for a loop. By John Dawes
Not Without Impact: The collecting of fishes and invertebrates may be putting unnecessary pressure on some species. By Jonathan Fung
Bussing About Bumblebees: Tiny Brachygobius spp. set fish rooms abuzz with their oversized personalities and attractive looks. By Stephen G. Noble
Be a Reef Saver: Take action now to help save the world’s coral reefs. By Brian Plankis
Dwarf Lionfish in Focus: Get to know these pugnacious creatures for advanced aquarists only. By John Dawes
To Keep a Hamlet: Often overlooked, Hypoplectrus spp. are compatible, easy to keep and interesting. By Robert Fenner
May -- Special Invertebrate Issue
Pest or Prize?: Let the peacock mantis shrimp strut its stuff in an aquarium all its own. By David Lass
Decapod Drop-Ins: With oversized claws and armor plating, colorful Stenopus shrimp bedazzle even the most ho-hum of setups. By Steven Bitter
Taken With Cleaners: Once an afterthought, invertebrate clean-up crews deserve as much consideration as their piscine tankmates. By Brian Plankis
Club Fiddler: All you need to become a member is an Uca spp. crab and a paludarium. By Robert Paul Hudson
All-Star Asteroids: A guide for picking the best, and avoiding the worst, sea stars for your setup. By Bob Fenner
June
Coral Reef Eye Candy: Ogling acan and micro corals can be dangerous to your wallet. By Bob Goemans
Many Colors, Many Names: Whether you call them hippo tangs or regal blues, palette surgeonfish are beautiful fish that are worth looking into. By Jay Hemdal
Green Texas Cichlids: Go “green” with this interesting North American native. By Juan Miguel Artigas Azas
Squatty Tanks: Intended for sideways and downward viewing, squatty tanks give a while different perspective into the underwater world we keep. By Vince Brach, Ph.D.
July
Set Your Tank on Fire Goby: Aquarists should give colorful, peaceable Nemateleotris spp. serious consideration when stocking or adding to their marine communities. By John Dawes
Fins Up, Heads Down: With their facedown posture, leaf fish and headstanders add an interesting behavioral dynamic that is often overlooked in aquaria. By Maddy Hargrove
Designing the Perfect Fish Food: Whip up a tasty, nutritious treat for your aquatic charges, and enjoy the fun. By Michael Hardman
Go With the Flow: Before committing to any reef setup, aquarists must research and strategize their system’s overflows and drains. By Scott Vallembois and Mike Kirkman
August -- Special Reef Tank Issue
Choice Reef Tanks: By selecting the right aquarium from the start, reef aquarists can avoid mistakes down the road. By Stephen Bitter
When Reef Tanks Come Alive: Filtration and lighting are crucial to successful reef systems and deserve a thoughtful approach on the part of reef aquarists. By Jeremy Gosnell
Recruiting Marines: Learn the basics of stocking a reef tank with this guide to biotope setups. By Bob Fenner
Maintenance Brushup: Consistency in aquarium maintenance increases the likelihood that fishes and corals will live out their captive life expectancies. By Tim Hayes
September
Protein Skimmer Basics: Harness this natural process, and your reef tank options will be nearly limitless. By Michael Hardman
Become a Killifish Fanatic: Start with these little-known aquarium jewels, and you’ll be an addict in no time. By Tony Terceira
Tank Building in Progress: Break out the plywood, circular saw, wood screws and fiber reinforced plastic, and construct an aquarium that will be the envy of the neighborhood. By Jon Olav Bjorndal
Bristly Encounters: An aquarist shares her successes in keeping and the first-ever breeding of bristle-tail filefish. By Iris Bonig
October
Easy on the Trigger: Do your research and you might find a triggerfish that is right for your aquarium. By Bob Goemans
Damselfish Keeper’s Guide: Though nominally labeled easy to keep, some damsels can be ferocious in aquaria. Bob Goemans
Big, Bad Wolffish: Trairas are the most commonly kept species, but all wolffishes present challenges that can be met by aquarists wanting to keep them. By Oliver Lucanus
Do You do Fugu?: Keep the orange saddleback puffer; you’ll be glad you did. By Eileen Ridgeway and Marco Lichtenberger
November
Unmistakable Harlequin Tuskfish: Put an exclamation point on your fish community by adding the psychedelic hues of Choedrodon fasciatus to your tank. By Scott Caufield
Fishes From the Red Island: Get to know these specialty fishes from Madagascar. By Alex Saunders
Oral Morphology of Fishes: Next time you feed your fishes, take a closer look at their mouths and be amazed at these marvels of evolutionary design. By Michael Hardman
Creatures From the Malili Lakes: Find out what’s new in the hobby with these critters from the Malili Lakes, Indonesia. By Oliver Lucanus
December
Creating Fusion With Plants, Wood and Rock: Seventeen ways to take your aquascape from disarray to visual symbiosis. By Robert Paul Hudson
Where Change is Constant: The “seasonal” color displays in a macroalgae setup might make even reef hobbyists envious. By Jon Olav Bjorndal
Dry-Start Method: Get your plants ready for their new aquatic home by starting them emersed. By Tom Barr
Planted Tanks for the Budget Conscious: Go easy on your wallet with these simple, beautiful and natural planted tank ideas. By Diana Walstad