Last month’s article opened this series, and this time we will continue our study of parasitic copepods belonging to Family Xarifiidae. These animals are, as a rule, larger and more numerous (species-wise) than those parasites discussed in Part One.…
I have been contemplating writing this article(s) for quite a while. I had a few photographs taken over the years, but when a friend on the mainland (Steve Ruddy) sent some coral parasite – ‘bug’ – photos, that did it – it was time to do some further research and get this all on paper (or the internet, as the case may be).…
Although the subject of water changes in aquaria has been one of considerable debate over the years, they are generally considered to be beneficial. Refractory compounds’ (those substances resistant to traditional treatment methods) concentrations can be reduced, while desirable elements are at least supplemented.…
We’ll begin our discussion:
Caution: Tempered glass can not be cut with common glass cutting tools, and it can not be drilled. Tempered glass when broken will shatter into many small cube-like pieces.…
Sufficient water motion is a critical part of a successful reef aquarium and innovative ideas and products have certainly made hobbyists’ lives a little easier in this respect. As reef aquaria are routinely found in smaller and smaller sizes, I felt a recent introduction to the market – the MP10 Propeller Pump by EcoTech Marine (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA) – warranted a review.…
I am often faced with a situation where a specialized piece of equipment is needed and either it is available commercially and exceeds my budget, or it simply does not exist and must be custom built.…
In Part One of this series, we investigated conditions on various portions of Hawaiian reefs and compared them to those observed in a small aquarium. These parameters included pH, temperature and salinity and it was found that some variables are more stable in an aquarium.…
We often hear that stability of the physical and chemical environments are extremely important in the successful maintenance of a reef aquarium, and of course this is true. Significant deviations of any of the major parameters (such as temperature, pH, salinity and many others) from the accepted norm can cause a collapse of the ecosystem with dire consequences for the captive animals.…
We often hear that we cannot artificially replicate the amount of light that falls upon a natural reef. This assumption is likely based upon visions of shallow reefs bathed by an unblinking noontime sun, where both sky and ocean are crystal clear.…
In Parts One (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature1) and Two (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/2/aafeature1) of this series, we reviewed information about cyan and green fluorescent pigments, and factors known to induce these colors in corals and anemones, as well as cases of photoconversion.…