Breeding mandarins at home, big bucks for reef restoration and all we want for Reefmas. Jeremy aquascaped the OptiMystic Reef and has started placing coral – he will be posting some videos and pictures to the Reef News Network Facebook page, Peter is planning his attack on a bit of bubble algae and enjoying a beautiful hair algae free system. All this and more on Episode 92 of the Reef News Network!

News

Jeremy– The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco (Museeoceanographique de Monaco) has been busy breeding marine aquarium fishes behind the scenes. Captive-bred mandarins represent a complete shift in the husbandry of these often difficult-to-keep fishes; while they are still slow, methodical, bottom-picking substrate feeders, captive-bred mandarins will arrive eating inanimate pellet feeds when properly weaned during the early rearing phases. Dragonet breeding is a challenging project that the dedicated home aquarist can take on, and with only Synchiropus splendidus in active commercial cultivation at the moment, there is an opportunity for several other species (including the less-seen Red Mandarin) to be produced as captive-bred offerings.

Peter– Federal officials announced plans Monday to raise $100 million to fund projects to restore seven significant coral reef sites in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Mission: Iconic Reefs calls for restoring nearly 70 acres (28 hectares) of the Florida Reef Tract, one of the largest strategies ever proposed for coral restoration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Listener Call Big T from Massachusetts is a long time listener and three time caller (awesome!). Experiencing some difficulty with a female maroon clown nipping at coral, he is looking for our insights on the situation.

Main Topic: All we want for Reefmas! Cool tech and gear we want to chat about and possibly add to our systems. These could be a great fit for your tank or for your fellow reefer.

Reef News Network: www.reefnewsnetwork.com