by AquaNerd | Apr 23, 2014 | Conservation, Eye Candy, Invertebrates, Photography
Daniel Stoupin is determined to win the internet. He has already shown us how corals can make for some terrific subjects of time lapse photography, and his latest video shows how freshwater life can be just as interesting when displayed in a similar high def format. The clip shows an amazing world full of life, some of which looks like it would be right at home in the oceans or in our aquariums. It focuses on bryozoans, water fleas, mayfly nymphs, mosquito larvae, water mites, ostracods, and the amoeba…which looks extremely menacing in this video. To view this tiny pond life, Daniel used microscopy techniques and macro photography. Unlike the coral video, which used hundreds of thousands of still images to create a breathtaking time lapse, this video was made from a week’s worth of videography coupled with years of experience in finding and videoing these interesting critters. We don’t need to dive into the deep ocean to find the most unusual lifeforms. This short clip is a journey into a bizarre world of microscopic inhabitants of pond water. You will see water fleas, bryozoans, water mites, mayfly nymphs, ostracods, and, of course, hydras by AquaNerd | Apr 22, 2014 | Aquaculture, Eye Candy, Invertebrates, Sustainability
Thanks to the extremely focused efforts of one individual, the world of Tridacnid clams has been completely changed. We’ve been following the work of one Australian “super aquarist” who goes by the name Acro Al. He has been breeding clams at his home for quite some time now, sharing much of his journey with fellow hobbyists on social media. And because we’re total clam junkies, we’re totally excited about the fact that his babies are getting old enough to hit the market. What makes the news even more exciting is that this is the first time that fully cultured maxima clams have ever been offered in the aquarium trade! To let the market fully dictate the price, this first individual, which is a total looker by the way, was posted in an online auction with a minimum reserve set at $250. The price quickly rose to well over $400 for this 40mm individual, which interestingly is about to turn one year old. The clam is not availalbe to purchase by US hobbyists, as the permitting and paperwork hoopla is far too difficult to overcome at this point, but it’s still groundbreaking news for the hobby. First fully aquacultured Maxima clam IN THE WORLD! Species: Tridacna Maxima (Röding, 1798) Batch No. by Heidi dM | Apr 1, 2014 | Equipment, Eye Candy, Funny, Tanks
If you thought you’d seen it all then you HAVE to see this!! What will they think of next?! A completely customizable fish tank, produced by Marukan, is aimed at young children in Japan and due to be on the market... by Reef To Rainforest | Mar 7, 2014 | Corals, Eye Candy, Fish, Science
ORAnge Setosa – Montipora setosa cultivar from ORA (Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums) ORA’s cultured corals have maintained and ever-growing demand, and the latest introduction surely will be added to the drool-worthy list. It should come as no surprise that while there is a seemingly endless array of uniquely-named coral cultivars available from just as many aquaculturists, few (if any) rival the level of notoriety that an ORA coral can achieve. I believe, this is in large part due to the way ORA goes about selecting corals for commercial-scale culture. In some cases, such as the ORA Red Goniopora (see Rethinking Goniopora in the May/June 2011 Issue of CORAL Magazine), it can take a few years, to the better part of a decade, to bring a new coral into cultivation and establish enough broodstock colonies to provide a stable, ongoing supply of a genetically unique cultivar. Only the corals determined to be the most agreeable to captive-life and cultivation are ultimately selected for culture and sale. Perhaps it is a combination of rigorous quarantine, long term captive observation, and the patience to build up a suitable quantity of inventory, that explains just why an ORA coral introduction can truly be considered a “new product”, and not simply just a passing fad or a one-off piece of eye candy. Montiporas, particularly the non-encrusting types, continue to impress me as perhaps some of the most ideal SPS corals for beginners. By the same token, I believe this relative ease of care causes them to be overlooked by more advanced hobbyists who focus mostly on Acorporids- anyone out there have a Montipora-only reef tank? by Austin Lefevre | Jan 27, 2014 | Corals, Equipment, Eye Candy, Fish, Tanks
John Coppolino, better known as “Copps” or the angelfish guru to reef geeks, is in the midst of setting up and absolute dream system to house his prized collection of fish and corals. A behemoth of a home aquarium system, this build is absolutely mind boggling to... by Admin | Jan 25, 2014 | Eye Candy, Invertebrates, Reefs in Art, Too Cute
This series of felt puppet inverts all nestled in bed was created by famed puppeteer Hiné Mizushima and went on display recently in Baltimore’s EMP Collective. Unlike many other reef art things that we feature here, this is one you can actually buy, as Hiné has...
