In this episode of Reefing Radio, we’re joined by Courtney Keeps — a hobbyist known for his beautifully designed macroalgae reef tanks, natural daylight-style aesthetics, and thoughtful approach to aquarium design.

Courtney shares his journey from freshwater aquascaping into the reefing world, including how planted tank design principles, gardening, and a love of natural aesthetics have shaped the way he approaches marine aquariums. We discuss what the reefing hobby can learn from aquascaping — from intentional layouts and repetition to colour placement, depth, restraint, and designing tanks that feel cohesive rather than cluttered.

The conversation also dives deep into macroalgae systems: how to grow them successfully, nutrient management, lighting, dealing with nuisance algae, species that thrive (or crash), and why macroalgae tanks behave very differently from traditional coral-dominated reefs. Along the way, we talk about natural seawater, freshwater influences on reefing, blackwater tanks, nano systems, and the challenge of balancing aesthetics with practicality.

Courtney also walks us through his latest shallow lagoon-style setup — including the philosophy behind the design, custom-painted cabinetry, canister filtration, and why the overall presentation of an aquarium matters just as much as what’s inside the glass.

You can check out Courtney’s stunning Reef2Reef Tank of the Month feature here:
Reef of the Month – May 2025: CourtneyKeeps

And follow his work on Instagram here:
@courtneykeeps

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We recently visited Tropical Marine Centre — the UK’s largest importer of marine fish and coral — for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour with CEO Brian Schaff.In Part 1 of this series, Brian takes us through TMC’s fish systems, quarantine and acclimation processes, animal care philosophy, and the logistics involved in handling thousands of marine fish each year.We also discuss fish health, decompression, captive breeding, UV sterilisation, feeding systems, and how TMC approaches marine livestock care at scale.Huge thanks to Brian and the whole team at TMC for taking the time to show us around.Part 2 coming soon.Don't miss our full sit-down interview with Brian Schaff discussing the reefing industry, supply chains, sustainability, and how the marine trade works.

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In this episode, Chris, James, and Gareth are joined by Brian Schaff, CEO of Tropical Marine Centre (TMC), the UK’s leading suppliers of marine livestock and aquarium equipment.

We take a closer look at how marine livestock makes its way from the ocean to our tanks, with Brian walking us through the central role TMC plays in supplying the UK reefing hobby.

Along the way, we get into wild vs captive breeding, the positive impact the hobby has on local communities, and why the trade is often more responsible and sustainable than it’s given credit for. We also touch on fish ranching, as well as the complexities around topics like biopiracy.

If you’ve ever wondered where your fish and corals come from — and what happens before they reach your local fish store — this is a detailed look inside one of the UK’s most important reefing operations.

We’ve also filmed a separate video tour of TMC with Brian to accompany this episode, so keep an eye out for that coming soon.

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In this episode of Reefing Radio, we’re back to a classic catch-up after a run of guest episodes — just the three of us talking through what’s been going on in our tanks lately.

James shares updates on his soft coral system, including new additions, how it’s starting to fill out, and his approach to keeping things simple with minimal equipment and intervention. We also touch on sourcing more unusual corals and how his tank is evolving visually as it grows in.

Gareth talks through his new shallow reef build, including the DIY wavebox that’s been getting a lot of attention, the challenges of modifying the tank, and his plans for a more natural-looking setup with fewer coral types grown out over time. We also get into stocking ideas, from groups of fish to future plans for clowns and anemones.

Chris rounds things out with updates across his tanks, including dealing with white spot using tank transfer method, changes to dosing, and setting up a mantis shrimp pico tank. We also reflect on how our tanks are starting to look more alike, and whether that’s just the result of reefing together.

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In this episode of Reefing Radio, we continue our conversation with Dr Jamie Craggs to explore one of the most exciting frontiers in the reefing hobby: spawning corals at home.

In the previous episode, we unpacked Jamie’s work and the growing importance of coral reproduction for reef restoration. This time, we bring it back to the hobbyist level — asking a simple but powerful question: can you actually spawn corals in your own tank?

We dive into the practical realities of coral spawning, from understanding reproductive strategies and seasonal triggers to what really matters in a home setup. How important are temperature swings, lighting cycles, and moon phases? What can you get away with — and what actually makes the difference?

We also explore the tools that can help you get started, including the coral spawning database developed by researchers at Newcastle University — to start predicting when your corals might spawn.

The conversation then moves into what happens next: from catching spawning events to raising larvae, settlement challenges, and why this is where things get genuinely difficult. Along the way, we touch on hybridisation, sustainability, and what this could mean for the future of the hobby.

If you’ve ever wondered whether coral spawning is something only labs can achieve — or something you might realistically attempt yourself — this episode gives you a clear, grounded starting point.

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First things first — apologies for the gap since our last episode! Life got in the way for a few weeks, but we're back on schedule now and we've got a cracking episode to make up for it.

In this episode, Chris, James, and Gareth are joined by Dr. Jamie Craggs — marine biologist, coral researcher, and the scientist who changed everything we thought we knew about spawning coral in captivity.

Jamie is the principal aquarium curator at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London and the lead scientist behind Project Coral. He's also co-founder of Coral Spawning International, which is deploying spawning research globally in support of reef restoration and local communities — with over 100 systems now operating across 19 countries.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Here, we focus on the big picture and Jamie's story: why the world's coral reefs are in such serious trouble, from climate-driven bleaching to blast fishing, and what the stakes really are for biodiversity, coastal communities, and the future of the hobby. Jamie takes us through his journey from hobbyist to researcher, explaining how he made the leap from jellyfish to corals and achieved the world's first predicted coral spawning event in a fully closed system — and what it took to scale that breakthrough into a global restoration tool.

We also get into coral biology along the way, covering the difference between brooders and broadcast spawners and why good husbandry is a more powerful scientific tool than it's often given credit for.

Jamie also highlights the Great Reef Census as a brilliant way for hobbyists and ocean lovers to contribute to real coral reef research from anywhere in the world — link here.

In Part 2, we get practical. Jamie will be back to walk us through what coral spawning at home actually looks like — and whether it might be more achievable than you'd think. Stay tuned.

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In this episode, Chris, Gareth, and James are joined by Jake — better known as Jake EC on Ultimate Reef — to explore the weird, wonderful, and often-overlooked side of reef keeping.

Jake is known for his natural-looking mixed reefs and an extraordinary collection of unusual fish and invertebrates, from shrimp, starfish, and cucumbers to nano fish, symbiotic pairings, and rare oddities you rarely see in home aquariums. We dig into how and why he stocks his tanks the way he does, focusing on behaviour, interaction, and realism rather than trends or hype.

We talk about keeping unusual livestock successfully, pairing and grouping fish and inverts, sourcing rare species through strong retailer relationships, and what it takes to run a diverse, invert-heavy reef long term. Along the way, there’s plenty of discussion around risk, responsibility, learning through experience, and why curiosity still matters in the hobby.

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New Year Reefing Resolutions

We kick off 2026 with a reefing catch-up and some New Year’s resolutions. We talk about what got done over Christmas, what got neglected, and what we’re realistically trying to do better this year — from water-change routines and testing discipline to spending less money (we’ll see).

There’s plenty of tank chat too: James’ plans for a softer, sponge-led system (and resisting the SPS temptation), Gareth’s rock-solid routines and why he’s officially done buying livestock, and Chris resetting his SPS cube with live rock, new flow, and a hard push for stability after a rough year.

We also dig into skimmers vs refugiums, pH struggles in winter, salt choices, dosing philosophies, and whether stability really does just come with time.

A relaxed start to the year, plenty of opinions, and a look ahead at what Reefing Radio has lined up for 2026.

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Raise the Reef: Inside the World of a High-End LPS Retailer

Chris, Gareth, and James are joined by Ash from Raise the Reef, a UK coral retailer specialising in vibrant, high-end LPS, with a particular passion for torches and unusual pieces.

We dig into Ash’s journey from garage-based fragging to opening a physical store, and what it’s like running a coral business alongside a full-time job. Ash shares how he selects corals in person, grows out and colours up high-end LPS, and why feeding, nutrients, and flow matter far more than most people realise.

Along the way, we talk about the realities of coral retail — from sourcing and growing corals, to supporting customers, building community, and balancing livestock care with the commercial side of the hobby. There’s also plenty of discussion around feeding, nutrients, flow, and what it actually takes to keep LPS thriving long-term.

🔗 Check out Raise the Reef at ⁠raisethereef.co.uk⁠ and on Facebook.

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Reefing Radio – “How Many Fish Is Too Many Fish?”

This episode is all about adding fish, stocking sensibly, and working out when a tank has reached its limit. We compare approaches, talk through what actually matters when choosing new additions, and look at how aggression, space, nutrients and behaviour shape whether a fish will work long-term.

We also have a catch up on our tanks: James’ softie system with booming yellow sponges and neat lines of hair algae, Gareth’s bubble coral that turned out to be riddled with boring sponge, and Chris’ UNS 90LA tank transfer — plus the calcium precipitation event that left his SPS cube coated in white dust.

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