by AquaNerd | Apr 29, 2014 | Conservation, Fish, Industry
The production team that filmed “The Cove”, a popular documentary that brought to light the extreme dolphin slaughtering in Japan, is back with a brand new movie that will focus on the larger issues of illegal wildlife trafficking and the possibility of mass extinction that are both taking place in oceans and seas across the globe as we speak. Simply called “6″, this movie utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and undercover tactics to expose the black market trading of endangered species, such as products made from whale sharks, giant clams, and hundreds of others. The trailer for the movie, posted above, shows some of the guerrilla reporting tactics used by the team, as they scour the streets of various Asian communities exposing black market dealers, who obviously aren’t always thrilled to find out they’re being investigated by the production team. Also displayed in the brief promo is a more positive side effect of the team’s efforts…a public awareness campaign involving a mobile projector, a fast car, and one very talented NASCAR driver. The trailer shows Leilani Munter driving a Jaguar fitted with a video projector around various parts of what we presume to be cities in the United States. The projector blasts imagery of marine life onto surrounding buildings, no doubt captivating pedestrians and drivers alike. Since increasing public awareness about travesties such as those currently taking place on the black market is so paramount to sparking a change. by AquaNerd | Apr 28, 2014 | Equipment, Industry, Tanks, Technology
It’s been almost a year since it’s MACNA 2013 debut to the aquarium keeping world, but the Maxspect Celestial LED spotlight is finally close to a public release and its announcement is being accompanied by a whole bunch of new information. What we already known over the past several months was that the Celestial was a pendant-style LED light that incorporated the tiny Maxspect controller right into body of the light. What we weren’t expecting, however, was the fact that it would be available in three different models. The Celestial C35, so named for its 35watts of power consumption, will come in a full-spectrum RGB model that has a total of four channels of independent control, along with a dual-channel actinic version and a dual-channel algae friendly version for growing algae in a refugium. The flagship model, in all likelihood, will the be Celestial C35-F, the full spectrum version. The full-spectrum nature of the light will make it a great choice for illuminating just about every marine aquarium out there, and the robust control will let users fine tune the color to their liking. Across its four channels, this multi-chip LED light features: Channel A: Super Actinic (x2)410nm, (x2)420nm, (x2)430nm Channel B: Blue (x2)445nm, (x2)465nm, (x2)485nm Channel C: White (1)5000k Cool White, (1)3000k Warm White, (1)660nm Hyper Red Channel D: White (1)5000k Cool White, (1)3000k Warm White, (1)500nm Cyan The other sure-to-be popular model is the Super Blue Actinic C35-S. As its name suggests, it emits a whole bunch of blue light by AquaNerd | Apr 24, 2014 | Corals, Equipment, Industry, Tanks
Reef Octopus is breaking out the DC skimmer pumps once again in this new protein skimmer release. Called the Regal Skimmers, this line of foam fractionators looks quite similar to the Super Reef Octopus Space Saving skimmers of recent memory, but will feature Reef Octopus’ own brand of DC controllable pumps. The pumps, which RO has been marketing extensively since MACNA last year, are becoming more incorporated into the product line, and for good reason. The controller allows for fine tuning of the pump’s speed, which affects things like air draw and the all important air-to-water ratio. Unlike the SRO skimmers, the new Regal line will feature red accent pieces laid over clear and white arcylic. This color scheme falls in line with the rest of what Reef Octopus has been doing, as their Prime skimmers sport a hefty amout of red as well. In terms of tank sizes, pump ratings, prices, and the like, we don’t fully know what the Regal skimmers will offer by Admin | Apr 22, 2014 | Events, Industry
Public aquariums are intended to be places for education, conservation and entertainment. For any institution to knowingly advocate and participate in the illegal collection of display animals is a shame.… by AquaNerd | Apr 21, 2014 | Equipment, Industry, Tanks, Technology
What do you get when you combine the elegant shape of a wine glass bodied skimmer with the performance and controllability of a DC powered pump? The new Reef Octopus Elite skimmer, that’s what. Reef Octopus has taken their Prime protein skimmer line and given it a big boost with the addition of a DC pump, marrying two of the hottest features in protein skimmer technology into one product that is sure to perform. The RO Elite skimmer will come in two models, the 220-INT with a filtration capacity of 530-gallons and the 200-INT for aquariums 400-gallon and less. Both models will feature the popular wine-glass body, which is comprised of soft curves that gently bottleneck bubbles into the collection cup, along with tons of other nice features outline immediately below. Turbulence Reducing Super Cone Body Solid Cast Acrylic & Machined PVC Construction Bubble Dispersant Plate Vented Output Valve with Adjustment Dial Controllable RO-DC Pump “Twist & Lift” Collection Cup Efficient & Quiet Operation Disassembles for Easy Cleaning & Maintenance As for individual product specs, the largest of the two models is the 220-INT. It sports a 16.5″ x 12.2″ footprint and draws in air at a maximum rate of 2000 lph depending on the DC 5500s Pinwheel Pump’s settings. The smaller model, called the 200-INT, takes all of the same features and crams them down into a 15″ x 11.2″ footprint. It’s DC 3500s pump has an air draw of up to 1200 lph, but like its big brother, these numbers can be dialed back to fine tune performance. by AquaNerd | Apr 21, 2014 | Corals, Industry, Tanks
Healthy reefs depend on plankton, and fresh is always best. AlgaGen recently launched its Live Feeds Program, which aims to set up culture holding systems in local fish stores across the country. Stores that offer the new program will have live phytoplankton, rotifers, brine and/or copepods available to customers to feed their reefs or breed marine livestock with. Reef aquarists will now be ale to provide reef nutrition found in nature and elicit the natural feeding responses from all of the tank’s inhabitants. Don’t be afraid to ask your local fish store if this is something they will be carrying. Heres a video all about it:
