by Reef To Rainforest | Feb 26, 2014 | Corals, Events, Fish, Industry, Science, Tanks
Twin coral displays with LED lighting and video Displays are a trademark of High Def Corals, photographed at Reef Currents in late February 2014 – image by Paul Whitby It’s safe to say that HighDefCorals has taken the act of being a “Frag Swap Vendor” to a true art-form; they often have the swankest setup in the room. Gone are the days when vendors at frag swaps were simply hobbyists with a 20 gallon long and a metal halide light; these days frag swapping is serious business. Based in Oklahoma City, OK, Ed and Denise Brookshire, and partner Paul Whitby, dedicate their time to traveling the country to offer “[imported] livestock not found in your LFS.” For companies like HighDefCorals, perhaps we are better off thinking of their mobile setups as the gourmet food trucks of the aquarium industry. Last weekend at the inaugural Reef Currents conference and coral farmers market put on by MARSH, HighDefCorals took the time to film frag swap setup Friday night before the event on Saturday. What resulted is a 2-minute condensed look at the setup of the HighDefCorals display you see may see around your local frag swap or convention. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbvNGfR_s4c They make it look easy, but having been there myself to see the tear down (and to get drenched when a hose came off a high volume water pump that was draining a bucket) there’s a lot to be done even with such a well-thought out and engineered setup. by Francis Yupangco | Feb 21, 2014 | Corals, Equipment, Tanks
Tenji Inc, a leading Custom Aquarium Design and Construction firm recently set up a 140 gallon SPS reef in their Carmel Valley, California showroom. The tank was started on December 1, 2013, so it’s only 2.5 mos old, but it is already showing tremendous... by AquaNerd | Feb 16, 2014 | Corals, Opinion, Science, Tanks
Sunny delight Zoas, Photo Credit: ReefKoi Corals In this hobby we see coral and invert phases come and go. From clams to chalices and even maxi mini anemones, it seems like they all go through a lot of initial hype then slowly decline in popularity. One of the mainstays in the hobby have been zoanthids and palythoas, which have been the craze for quite a while now. They have been in demand for what seems like an eternity and they do not appear to be getting less popular. Instead, it seems like they’re constantly on the rise. Zoas and palys are highly favored in the hobby by both beginner and expert reefers alike. They don’t require much in terms of care like other specimens and they grow under many types of lighting from T5s to LEDs. Polyps grow at the bottom of the sand bed or on your highest rock. They don’t necessarily need to be target fed like other corals and they also do not require us to dose things like calcium. by Heidi dM | Feb 13, 2014 | Corals
It seems like everyone I know is either related to or knows of someone with cancer. Cancer is a complex, life-threatening disease which affects millions and there are over 200 different kinds of cancer!!... by Francis Yupangco | Feb 13, 2014 | Corals, Photography
From breathtakingly clear shots of brittle stars and vivid sea sponges, to the intricate, yet delicate skeletons of coral, one photographer has managed to document the beauty of Caribbean reefs in exquisite detail.… by AquaNerd | Feb 12, 2014 | Corals, Fish, Science, Tanks
Nano aquariums are so much fun. It’s as simple as that. The tiny little glass boxes can be put just about anywhere, and while they can’t house every fish or coral, they can be personalized in so many ways. One such nano that we’ve recently gotten to play with is the EcoPico from Ecoxotic. This tank measures 10”x10”x12”, which translates to just a shade over 5 gallons, and has a small LED light and filter that make it pretty much saltwater friendly out of the box. We have a hard time calling it reef ready, which for the record is not one of Ecoxotic’s claims, but it certainly has a lot of features to get it off to a good start.
