by Gary Parr | Dec 9, 2015 | Podcast, Reef, Science, Tanks
Toys for Kids at Reef2Reef
We’ve mostly recovered from illness and are back with another podcast. This week’s topics include the Reef2Reef Toys for Kids program, the Penn State Student Union tanks, the Vita aquarium, Kohler’s EnCube backup system, clean-up crews, and super-heated water changes. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and ChristineSponsor: Rod’s Food
Rod’s Food website
Toys for Kids
Reef2Reef Toys for Kids
Vita aquarium
Vita aquarium Kickstarter page
Kohler enCUBE generator
Kohler enCUBE generator
Cleanup crews
4 Crabby Caveats to Keeping Clibanarius tricolor, Jeff Kurtz, Saltwater Smarts
Cleanup crews
Superheated water changes, Jeremy Gosnell, Reefs.com
NameEmail * by Austin Lefevre | Dec 8, 2015 | Equipment, Industry, Tanks
A cool new style of all-in-one aquarium will be on the market shortly. While I’m normally not impressed by A.I.O. aquariums, this one’s unique design gets my gears turning: “Artfully Acrylic’s exciting new release is finally available for... by Saltwater Smarts | Dec 5, 2015 | Corals, DIY, Opinion, Reef, Science, Tanks
These SPS coral species are a beginner’s best betUpon entering the world of small polyp stony corals (or SPS), many people ask the magic question, “Which types are best for beginners?” In my opinion the most beginner-friendly choices are found in the genera Montipora, Pocillopora, Seriatopora, and Stylophora. Most of the corals I’ll discuss here are commonly available, so there should be a low cost of entry. They’ve also proven fairly hardy in my experience and can be kept in a wider range of parameters than most SPS corals. What’s more, they’re rarely susceptible to the dreaded rapid or slow tissue necrosis (RTN/STN) that you see in Acropora species. General requirements for these SPS coralsCare level: moderate Temperament: peaceful (will not try to attack neighboring corals but will most likely lose to aggressive species) Lighting: moderate to high (of the correct full spectrum) Flow: medium to high Temperature: 72-78F Alkalinity: 8-12 dKH pH: 8.1-8.4 Specific gravity: 1.023-1.025 Preparing for SPS The ultimate practice for these corals is mastering water parameter stability. Don’t chase specific numbers, but if you can keep parameters in the required ranges and stable with very little variance and spikes, you can keep practically any coral. The only other specifics to each coral are placement, which impacts lighting; flow requirements; and whether they need to be fed. These are primarily photosynthetic corals, but additions of amino acids and other elements may help with coloration and growth by Francis Yupangco | Dec 3, 2015 | Industry, Tanks
Finally, keeping jellyfish easily at home is actually possible! The team from Florida-based Jellyfish Art recently unveiled their 2 gallon Jellyfish Cylinder Nano on... by xeniaforever | Dec 1, 2015 | Tanks
Exciting news from Jellyfish Art! The Florida company has more than surpassed its $50,000 Kickstarter goal (raising over $300,000 to date!) and will be shipping their new Jellyfish Cylinder Nano just in time for Christmas... by Saltwater Smarts | Nov 28, 2015 | Fish, Reef, Science, Tanks
Whitecheek Tang (Acanthurus nigricans) afflicted with Cryptocaryon irritansDuring yesterday’s Thanksgiving get-together, which my wife and I host for my side of the family every year, a teenaged nephew asked me about marine ich (Cryptocaryon irritans)—the one fish disease he’s heard something about from a friend who keeps saltwater tanks. As I explained the parasite and its lifecycle and why I think it’s so important to quarantine new specimens, he asked, “If ich spreads so easily, why aren’t all the fish in the ocean infected?” Thrilled that, for once at least, I could offer my curious young nephew something akin to wisdom, I explained that the following factors help keep ich infections at a manageable level in wild fish populations:The vastness of the ocean Even though coral reefs appear to be bristling with fish, the density of the fish population relative to the volume of the ocean is, if you’ll excuse the pun, a mere drop in the bucket. Remember, during the tomite, or theront, stage of the Cryptocaryon lifecycle, the free-swimming parasites must find a host fish to attach to and feed upon within a relatively short period or they die. In the vast ocean, with its limitless water volume and powerful, dynamic currents, only a very small number of tomites ever succeed in locating a host. On the other hand, in a closed aquarium system, even if the actual number of fish specimens is fairly small, the population density is still extremely high relative to the volume of water. Of course, the density of host-seeking parasites relative to the water volume is also very high.
