by AquaNerd | Oct 28, 2013 | Equipment, Industry
Reef Octopus is reinventing a classic. The aquarium equipment manufacturer is introducing a fresh new look to one of their longest standing products, the NWB-110 protein skimmer. This time they are reverting back to the traditional cylindrical shape and are offering it in the always popular space saving format. Interestingly, they are ditching the cone style that’s been popular for many years, but are loading up the features to keep pace with the rest of the current trends. The tiny skimmer has a footprint of just 6.1″ x 7.87″ with a tank rating of approximately 100-gallons. It features a brand new Aquatrance pinwheel skimmer pump sandwiched in between a bubble plate and removable base plate. Part of the new design is a vented wedge valve output that lets the water escape the skimmer below the water line of the sump, reducing bubbles and splashing. For those seeking a little more firepower, Reef Octopus also has a larger NWB-150SSS model. Specs: Tank Rating: 100 gallon on light load, 80 gallon on medium load, and 60 gallon on heavy load Body Size: 5″ Footprint: 6.1″ x 7.87″ Neck Size: ″ Total Height: 19″ Output Size: 1.25” Note: Recommended Sump Water Depth: 7-8″ Pump Information: Aquatrance 1000s Pinwheel Pump Wattage: 9w Air Draw: 420 lph / 15 SCFH* Water Draw: 350 lph / 92 GPH* *Air and water results will vary depending on aquarium setup Warranty – 2 year warranty on pump/1 year on rotor and 1 year on skimmer body by AquaNerd | Oct 27, 2013 | Equipment, Industry
We’ve all experienced power outages and blips in service, so we can all related to just how much of a problem they create for our aquariums. Lights power off, protein skimmers stop functioning, and water pumps go into a clicking frenzy once power has been restored. Protein skimmers can be particularly troublesome after a power outage, as they have a tendency to overflow and dump all of their contents back into the aquarium. Fortunately for these situations, Reef Octopus has a very helpful new product. When the power goes out, return pumps obviously quit pushing water into the display tank, often flooding the sump with a significant amount of water. If the protein skimmer were to fire up right away, it would operate in a water depth that falls way outside the manufacturer’s suggested depth, which will likely cause the skimmer to behave erratically and overflow. by AquaNerd | Oct 25, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, Tanks
Korallen-Zucht, the brand behind the ZEOvit dosing method, has an interesting new product about to make its US debut, and it’s one you don’t have to be a total ZEOhead to enjoy. Called CyanoClean, this new liquid is a live bacteria designed to specifically out-compete cyanobacteria in the reef aquarium. The additive contains no antibiotics or cleansing agents, is perfectly reef safe, and is said to not alter the nutrient composition of the tank in a negative way. CyanoClean, which was developed as a companion product to Coral Snow and Zeozym, will be available in 10ml and 50ml sizes for $15.99 and $55.99 respectively. Pre-orders are currently being taken by ZEOvit USA, and should be entering the states in the next two weeks or so. As with all ZEOvit dosing, we highly recommend reading the dosing documentation and taking things slowly. It is a very stringent dosing program that, if not used properly, could have several harmful side effects. by AquaNerd | Oct 24, 2013 | Equipment, Tanks
Innovative Marine has really been rounding out their Auqa Gadget lineup with some very useful products this year, and one of their most anticpated pieces of equipment has been the HydroFill auto top off system. We’ve been covering their entire lineup rather extensively, and we recently had the opportunity to get some significant one-on-one time with this ATO. While we haven’t finished up all of our routine testing, we wanted to just take a minute to share our initial overview and unboxing of the HydroFill, as well as discuss all of the product’s potential uses. Perfect for tanks of any size, the HydroFill system is composed of two independent components, the HydroFill controller and the HydroFill ATO diaphragm pump. Both products are packaged separately and can be used independent of each other, allowing aquarists a little more freedom with pump selection and use. The controller has a single power outlet that has a 1000W, 8Amp/120V capacity. That’s a ton of power, which may seem a bit excessive, but it allows hobbyists to use virtually whatever pump they want to top off their aquariums. by AquaNerd | Oct 22, 2013 | Fish, Reef, Tanks
CaribSea has a new product that is just perfect for hobbyists in need of some live rock rubble. The Rubble Zone is box full of calcium carbonate based rock rubble that can be used to fill a refugium, as mounts for new frags, as building material for various fish (e.g. jawfish), and even as freshwater pond filtration material. Personally, we love to use rubble rock in the rear chambers of nano aquariums instead of those awful bioballs and ceramic rings. The Rubble Zone will be sold in one gallon boxes priced at $16.99 each, and they are available at online stores like Marine Depot. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone to the fish store or broken out a hammer and screwdriver just to get our hands on some live rock rubble. There are just so many uses, as it is the best and most natural material to use for things like coral fragging or creating hiding places in the tank for small creatures. We just aren’t sure why nobody has really thought of this before. Thanks to our pal Joe Savoy for inadvertently turning us on to this product.
