Keeping the Weird & Wonderful – Unusual Fish and Inverts with Jake EC

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.👉 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@reefing_radio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📘 Find us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reefing Radio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💬 Got feedback or questions? Drop us a message!🎧 Subscribe to hear more reefing chat every week