CORAL Aquarium Portrait Interview: ReefBum's Keith Berkelhamer

If you happened to miss our livestream with Keith Berkelhamer on his ReefBum YouTube channel, you can still catch it on YouTube and numerous podcast platforms.

Thursday, December 2nd, CORAL Editor Matt Pedersen interviewed Keith Berkelhamer, founder of ReefBum LLC and author of our November/December 2021 Aquarium Portrait. You can read a FREE full excerpt covering Keith’s 187-gallon reef aquarium, and then dive even deeper in the 2-hour live stream.

Before they get too deep into the interview, Berkelhamer shows off some fresh video of the featured reef tank.

There is no shortage of stunning corals in Berkelhamer's 187-gallon reef aquarium. — There is no shortage of stunning corals in Berkelhamer’s 187-gallon reef aquarium.

Keith gives an extensive behind-the-scenes tour detailing the setup and life support systems behind this highly successful reef aquarium. CORAL readers will get an even better look at all that goes into keeping this showpiece aquarium in top shape.

Watch a behind-the-scenes equipment tour in Keith's fishroom. — Watch a behind-the-scenes equipment tour in Keith’s fishroom.

ReefBum is giving away 6 1-year subscriptions to CORAL (3 print+digtal for US only, and 3 digital-only for anywhere on the planet!). Contest closes before 12 PM eastern, December 7, 2021. Details on Instagram.

During the two hour conversation, Pedersen asks Berkelhamer about a wide range of topics, including:

Does Vermont have more cows than people?
Keeping up with stony coral skeleton growth
Secrets to getting intense colors in your Acropora
Reefkeeping Events: where will you see Keith out and about in 2022?
How to avoid reefkeeping fatigue and keep the passion going
The challenges of keeping a reef aquarium in an isolated, rural location
Reefkeeping heros: who does Keith look up to and turn to for advice?
How the ReefBum company came into being?
Was turning a reefkeeping hobby into a business the right thing to do?
Classic corals vs. over-hyped coral fads including the “Tenuis” craze
Where Keith goes to find new corals?
Are corals “investments”?
The reef equivalents of “canaries in the coal mine” – assessing reef health through daily coral observation
What was it like writing for CORAL?
How does Keith take his photos?
Where does Keith see his hobby, and the ReefBum business, 5 years from now?
What are the worst mistakes that beginning reefkeepers make?
What does Keith do besides skiing and reefkeeping?

PLUS – You have the chance to win a 1-year subscription to CORAL Magazine in a limited-time giveaway organized by Reefbum!

So, head over to Instagram to enter the contest, and listen in to the conversation between Pedersen and Berkelhamer on YouTube or the ReefBum Podcasts available on Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

Watch the Livestream Interview, now available for replay via YouTube