by AquaNerd | May 22, 2014 | Fish, Science
Interzoo is the largest international aquarium-based trade show on the planet, and it just so happens to be right around the corner. With the date quickly approaching, we’re starting to hear rumblings of new products that will be announced at the massive event, leading off with a new item from Vertex Aquaristik. In a move that shouldn’t even remotely come as a surprise, Vertex looks as though they will be announcing a larger model to their popular Omega protein skimmer line. While we don’t have any specifics about the products, as Vertex wouldn’t immediately address our questions, we do know that it will be the Omega 180 based on the engraving on what is very likely the skimmer’s lid. We assume the Omega 180 will utilize the same wine glass body, Sicce Syncra pump, bubble diffuser plate, vibration dampening pads, and other features found in the rest of the lineup, only beefed up to handle a heavier bioload. We did notice that large red fish, part of the Vertex branding, on the skimmer lid, which is absent in the original design of the Omega. Perhaps this is the only subtle change, but perhaps there is more. We’ll know more about the Omega 180 as the show draws closer. by AquaNerd | May 14, 2014 | Fish, Science
The Marine Breeding Initiative is gearing up for yet another one of their MBI Workshops, which is slated for July 14th, and while the speaker lineup has been public record for some time now, the show’s organizers made a huge announcement late yesterday regarding the addition of one more. Joining the already star studded cast of subject matter experts is famed aquarium breeder, Karen Brittain. This is huge news for us fish nerds, as Karen is basically a legend of the hobby. Karen is well-known in aquarium breeding circles, having been doing it for what seems like an eternity. She has seen success with breeding Amphiprion latezonatus clownfish, and undertook difficult projects in breeding bandit angelfish, watanabe angelfish, and interruptus angelfish. Since living aquarium legends speak to aquarium groups all of the time, you might wonder why Karen’s “appearance” at the MBI Workshop is so surprising. Well, Karen resides in Hawaii, which makes traveling to aquarium shows a little bit costly and difficult. On top of that, she’s quite reclusive, not basking in the glory of the trade but toiling away in the “trenches” of fish breeding. That statement is not meant to be a knock on those experts who run the aquarium speaking circuit regularly, but instead it is meant to be commentary on just how significant her appearance is at the MBI Workshop. by AquaNerd | Oct 28, 2013 | Events, Science
We’ve just learned from our fellow aquarium bloggers at Advanced Aquarist that the MACNA 2014 banquet might follow a very similar format to what we saw at MACNA 2013. This year’s conference broke the traditional boring mold by using the Master of Ceremonies concept to better organize the evening’s events and provide a boost in entertainment. Rich Ross oversaw the 2013 banquet as the MC, charming the crowd with hilarious commentary and juggling skills befit of a professional show on the Vegas strip. Next year’s show will feature Mitch Carl as the MC, and while we hear that this is a “Rich Ross Approved” speaker, we have no idea what talents we may see on display. Will Mitch jump through rings of fire? Will he stack random objects into a dangerous leaning tower of amazement? Or does Mitch have the comedic stylings that could rival any standup comic by AquaNerd | Aug 5, 2013 | Equipment, MACNA, Opinion, Tanks
When a wholesale company acquires exclusive rights to distribute a popular product, there’s generally a great deal of excitement to be had. Such is the case for CoralVue, who recently struck a deal with the high end aquarium equipment company, Elos. But CoralVue isn’t just sending out newsletters to celebrate their new relationship. Instead, they are rolling out the red carpet and sinking a bunch of money into their booth at the quickly approaching MACNA. From what we’ve been told, CoralVue has already spent in upwards of $30K on their booth, and the event is still a month away. The booth itself is actually a “quad” booth, meaing it essentially takes up the space of four smaller booths. On top of that, tons of Elos equipment will be flown in to be put on display, and if the tanks are set up even half as well as those from last year’s show, we are all going to be in for a huge treat. Additionally, an Elos rep has been flown in from Italy to hang out at the booth for the duration of the event. We’ve spoken to the guys at CoralVue a time or two over the phone regarding their new partnership with Elos, and we can safely tell you that they are ecstatic about it. Not to mention, they hinted at possible better prices and availability on the entire line thanks to their purchasing power. by AquaNerd | Jul 10, 2013 | Aquaculture, Corals, Events, Fish
The aquarium hobby has never before seen more active participation in the captive breeding of marine ornamental species, and that awareness is being helped along by at least two great conferences/workshops. The MBI Workshop has enjoyed several years of success, and the Bay Area Reefers Breeding and Propagation Workshop, which is our focus today, is really coming into its own with their second annual meeting coming up in October. Much like last year’s BAP, 2013 holds some great show content for fish breeding hobbyists. Joe Yaiullo and Todd Gardner will make up the guest speaker list. There will be some coral vendors at the workshop, who will be selling a bunch of aquacultured livestock. A generous raffle will round out the day’s activities. The single-day mini conference will take place on October 19th at the Chabot Community College, the same venue for last year’s event.
