238. Interview with Craig Forist

In this episode, the Water Colors team takes a trip back in time. The early aquarium hobby has some fascinating origins, some good and some not so good. Much of what we know about aquariums has changed through the years, but one thing remains constant – people are enamored with fish. In this discussion, we’ll go through some of the earliest fish species to be imported and kept in the US, as well as aquarium styles, equipment, and care through the years. Do you own any retro aquariums?   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery   Sources used in this episode: The Aquarium, Mulertt, Hugo Handbook to the Fish House, E. W. H. Holdworth The Way We Were: 1973: Breeding The Clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris, Martin A. Moe Guppies, The New York Times

In this episode, the Water Colors Team discusses their top 5 aquarium plants found in Africa! When in comes to plant diversity, Africa is hard to beat! Some of our absolute favorites come from this region. This discussion revolves around our favorite species, their native ranges, care, and more! If you’re interested in designing a biotope to this region, this episode is a great place to start! What are your favorite African plants?   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery   Species mentioned in this episode: Ammania gracilis Ammania capitellata Nymphaea zankeri Nymphaea micrantha Eleocharis dulcis Eleocharis minima Eleocharis wallichii Eleocharis huperiana Eleocharis atropurpurea Hygrophila odora Ottelia ulvifolia Bolbitis heudelotii Aubias heterophylla Anubias gigantea Aponogeton madagascarensis Crinum calimastratum Aponogeton ulvaceus

In this episode, the Water Colors team is once again quizzed on their fish knowledge! Using the worst commercial wholesale fish list we can find and a random number generator, we roll a random species from the list and test each host to see if they know the species based only on the common name alone. Each turn, they can score points by correctly naming the genus and species. This game is made even more challenging due to the blatantly wrong or outdated information on this wholesale list! Try playing along at home and see if you get as frustrated as we do!   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Once again, we are joined by our good friend and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! In this episode, we narrow down our focus and discuss ornamental marine algae, sometimes referred to as macroalgae. Aquascapes utilizing ornamental algae often resemble planted aquariums, and share some similarities, yet the species used in macroalgae tanks span across multiple kingdoms and can vary vastly in care. We’ll discuss some of the common varieties and attempt to categorize them, while also sharing our experience with obtaining and growing different species. Have you ever kept a macroalgae tank?   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery  

In this new episode format, the Water Colors team sits down to discuss the current display aquariums within our store in Grand Rapids, Michigan! The display tanks in our gallery serve as examples to inspire others. The staff will take turns designing and maintaining the various show tanks across the store. In this discussion, we’ll go in-depth on all the setups, including the dimensions, equipment, stocking, and more! From nano planted paludariums, to massive reef tanks, we’ve got a diverse array of aquariums you are sure to love!     Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery    

In this episode, the Water Colors Team sits down to discuss corallimorphs, or the cnidarians within the order corallimorpharia. This includes fun species from the genera discosoma, rhodactus, ricordea, and more! We discuss some of the available varieties in the aquarium trade and their care, as well as some other unique species that aquarists don’t typically see! Which corallimorphs are your favorite?   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

For this Halloween episode, we asked our listeners, friends, and fellow hobbyists to share their spookiest aquarium horror stories. We received some shocking tales about aquarium-related injuries, losses, and more. We hope by sharing these experiences, we can all learn from the tragedies and discuss how to prevent future disasters. What’s your scariest aquarium story?   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Once again, we are joined by our good friend and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! In this episode, we attempt to tackle the complicated world of marine algae, but quickly find that this topic warrants multiple episodes. The tricky nature of discussing saltwater algae sends our hosts off on dozens of tangents, to no surprise. From ornamental macroalgae to pesky nuisance algae, join us as we learn just how complicated this topic can be! Special thanks to Jordyn for joining us on this fun episode!   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

In this episode, we welcome a good friend of the store in for an interview! Craig Forist is an accomplished aquarist with an impressive background in the aquarium hobby. He is the president of two aquarium clubs, an active BAP competitor, and most recently – the proud owner of a trio of epaulette sharks. We sit down with Craig and hear all about his aquarium experiences, from early inspirations, to the founding of a brand new saltwater club (West Michigan Marine Aquarium Society). Join us as we discuss aquarium clubs, fish rooms, epaulette sharks, and more!   You can learn more about the West Michigan Marine Aquarium Society (WMMAS) here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/298576849030426/ You can learn more about the Grand Valley Aquarium Club (GVAC) here: https://gvaquariumclub.org/ Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/ Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/ Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

The 55 gal aquarium is a notoriously disliked tank, with many hobbyists avoiding it like the plague. At 48″ long, 13″ wide, and 20″ tall, it can be a very limiting tank to work with! Despite it’s reputation, it’s still a frequently sold model. In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 3 concepts surrounding the dreaded 55gal tank. We have some very unique suggestions that may inspire you to try one out yourself!   Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/   Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/   Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery