Ret Talbot's Blog
Posted by Ret Talbot
Posted by Ret Talbot
Those of you familiar with my writing probably know that for more than a decade I taught United States literature, creative writing and a smattering of humanities courses at the secondary school level. While I can't say I miss school politics, I certainly do miss working with students on their writing.
Lucky for me, I have plenty of former students, friends of former students, siblings of former students, and even my wife's students (she teaches secondary school social studies) who always have a question at the ready about how to write a great essay. This is probably why you may have seen a number of writing-related articles recently published by me here at Suite (and no, they really have nothing to do with marine aquarium fishes).
For example, you'll find The Real Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne: A Novel about Patriotism and Politics, not Rosebushes or Embroidery, How to Write an Effective Thesis Statement: The Well-Written Thesis is Essential in Academic Writing, and How to Write the Opening Line of an Essay: Writing the Best Opening Sentence for a Five-Paragraph Essay (Editors Choice Award Winner!).
I even drafted a quick article on novel-writing called How to Write the Character-Driven Novel: Steps to Creating Belivable Characters after reading another Suite article on outlining the plot of a novel before writing it (not something I suggest doing, but there are many ways to skin a cat, right?).
Rest assured I am still on top of the marine aquraium world. Be sure not to miss Melamine Contaminates Fish Food and be on the lookout for an upcoming series of articles on copepods and your saltwater tank.
Until next time...
Posted by Ret Talbot
As those of you who have read my Suite 101 articles know, I am the saltwater fish feature writer. So why have a recently published a series of articles about hiking in and around Laguna Beach, California? Am I hoping to find saltwater fish there
The answer to why I am writing about hiking trails in Laguna Beach these days is because my wife and I live in Laguna Beach, and we spend a lot of time recreating in the hills around our home. Didn't someone ever tell you that you are supposed to write what you know?
I am not giving up on saltwater fish. In fact, you will find a group of recently published, Suite 101 articles on calcium and the marine aquarium. Elevating and maintaining appropriate calcium levels is absolutely essential to successfully keeping a tropical marine aquarium--especially a reef tank--and so I wanted to take the time to really explore the topic and share some tried and true approaches. In addition to my Suite 101 writing about tropical marine aquaria, I am pleased to announce that I have a short article on page 48 of the December 2008 issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist.
So as you can see, I have not given up on saltwater fish, but I am excited to also be expanding my Suite 101 writing with some hiking and travel articles. In truth, this is a return to the type of writing that used to be my mainstay, and I am pleased to be able to contribute some (hopefully) useful information to the outstanding offerings in the Outdoor & Recreation section of Suite101. Please do check out the following articles if you are a hiker who lives in or will be visiting Orange County, California:
- Laguna Coast Wilderness Park Laguna Bowl Trail: Viewing Laguna's Art Festivals From High Atop the Canyon Walls
- Hiking Laguna Bowl to Big Bend: A Great Hiking Loop in Orange County, California, USA
- Hike Laguna Bowl to Water Tank Road, California: Classic Laguna Beach Hike with Great Ocean Views
- Hiking to Laguna Beach's Top of the World: A Strenuous Climb of 1036-ft Temple Hill from Laguna Canyon Delivers
Happy trails...oh, and by the way, there is a fossilized reef along one trail behnd our house where there are, technically speaking, marine animals in these hills!
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Posted by Ret Talbot
I have not blogged here in almost a month, but that does not mean I have not been busy. With my new book (The Complete Idiot'sGuide to the Saltwater Aquarium) going into production, I have found some time on my hands, but it is time that I have readily filled (of course) with a variety of projects.
Most recently, I did some customer service work for a friend who is a part owner of a major online retailer of marine ornamental fishes, corals and other invertebrates. It was actually lots of fun (although I suppose the novelty might wear off...lol). I had the chance to "meet" a lot of new marine aquarists and walk them through tank set-up, animal compatibility, battling hair algae, equipment selection, etc. There was one question that kept resurfacing, however, and it is that question I want to address here at Suite101.
It's easy to forget about "marine ich" (it's actually "crypto," not "ich," but I'll leave that to the article) if you follow good husbandry practices like quarantining ALL new fishes before adding them to your display tank. Not quarentining new fishes significantly increases your chances of introducing a parasite called Cryptocaron irritans to your aquarium. Once present in the aquarium, this parasite can, if left untreated, wipe out all your fishes, so you have wonder why everyone does not quarantine their new fishes.
Anyway, as I was answering the third "HELP! Ich" query during my foray into customer service, I made a note-to-self to write a Suite101 article on this parasite--how to identify it and how to treat it. As always, I hope this article proves useful.
Posted by Ret Talbot
Be Patient. Good things come to those who wait, and nothing good happens quickly in the marine aquarium hobby.
Every action has a reaction. A marine aquarium is a closed system; everything you put in must come out. Be careful what you put in.
Go to the roots of problems rather than looking for quick fixes. Getting sucked down the path of buying a product to fix every problem only leads to more problems caused by the product that was bought to fix the problem.
Looks aren’t everything. Some of the most unassuming marine animals can be the most interesting to observe if you take the time to do so.
Be resourceful. Few marine aquarium systems are plug-and-play, which allows plenty of room for improvising based on good old fashion common sense (e.g. the things you can do with PVC!).
Every experience is a microcosm of life at large. The mini-reefs maintained by marine aquarists are snapshots of the real rainforests of the seas. Taking care of your reef inspires you to take care of all reefs.
Television is overrated. Whether it's drama, comedy, education, or action for which you are looking, you’ll find more of it in your aquarium than on 500+ channels of TV.
Giving up some control is a good thing. Although a marine aquarium is a closed system, and the aquarist controls everything that goes in, the reef tank quickly develops a life of its own full of (mostly) magnificent interactions well beyond the aquarist’s control.
The little, unassuming guy often does the most work. While the marine aquarist may forget about the many snails, hermit crabs and other invertebrates that go about their business so often unnoticed, without them, everything else would truly be a mess.
