by AquaNerd | Dec 13, 2013 | Corals, Fish, Science
If you’re as into Tridacnid clams as much as we are, then you might want to pay attention. For the first time in 15 long years, T. maxima clams originating out of the Red Sea are being imported into the US. That’s been far too long in our book. Thankfully, the crew at Golden Coast for Fishing Sea Products, a company associated with RVS Fishworld, obtained all of the CITES permitting required to legally access and export the beautiful clams. They have already shipped 36 boxes of fish and clams to ACI Aquaculture, a Florida-based wholesaler, which we are told landed yesterday. The clams are downright beautiful, to say the least by AquaNerd | Sep 18, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, MACNA
The most anticipated new product that was announced at MACNA was undoubtedly the ReefLink from EcoTech Marine. This new gadget basically acts, and even sort of looks, like a wireless network router that allows users to communicate with the Radion LED fixture wirelessly and in real time. So, no more hooking up the computer to make changes to the light settings. Just hop on your favorite net connected mobile device and start tinkering away through the EcoSmart Live platform. EcoTech was showing off this new gadget with the help of an iPad, which responded beautifully to our every move. Users can navigate between three different screens (all shown below) to adjust the color and intensity of the fixture in various ways. The first tab we encounters was the “Kelvin” settings, which allowed us to pick the color of the light based on the color temperature scheme that mist hobbyists are all too familiar with. Just drag the tiny circular cursor around the color wheel to pick the setting you want. Similar to the “Kelvin” setting is the “RGB” selector by AquaNerd | Sep 13, 2013 | Aquaculture, Cephalopods, MACNA, Photography
embedded content Some of the biggest news of MACNA 2013 was the announcement of the captive bred flamboyant cuttlefish from ReefGen. These gorgeous cephalopods represent the first ever captive bred flamboyant cuttles to be offered for sale to the aquarium community, and we got to see them all kinds of up close. The tree 1″ long cuttlefish were not shy by any means, many times striking at live mysis shrimp with their tentacles. They also performed many rhythmic color changes, which thy are known for, and thankfully we were to capture then on video, though I’ll admit that the quality is somewhat lacking. It was an exciting time for us, as we have a special spot in our hearts for these amazing creatures, and we’re glad to be able to share that with you today. by AquaNerd | Sep 4, 2013 | Eye Candy, Industry, Invertebrates, MACNA
It’s hard not to be floored by this stunning Colorado Sunburst anemone, which we encountered at the Cherry Corals booth at MACNA. The electric orange, deep green, and vibrant red coloration make this an instant showpiece for any aquarium, and a definite favorite amoung anemone collectors. While many Colorado Sunbursts we’ve seen online and in person have lost their sharpness (faded colors, not so vibrant orange, etc.), all seven of the Sunburst BTAs we saw at the Cherry Corals booth were knockouts that looked just as good as this one. This anemone has been around the hobby for a long time. It was originally discovered in Colorado, a hot spot for reef aquarium activity and the home of MACNA 2014, and has since been distibuted all throughout the globe. Even after all of its years in captivity, the Sunburst BTA still garners a lot of respect and a high price tag, the latter of two being driven by a significant demand. Individuals vary from $100 for smaller, less colorful individuals up to $500 or more for the better looking nems. We didn’t take notice of the price on these particular Cherry Corals Sunburst BTAs, but they have them listed as out of stock on their website for $450. « Previous post
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by AquaNerd | Aug 12, 2013 | Fish, Invertebrates
We don’t often promote violence, but this video recently posted on Break.com is quite breathtaking. It features a bobbit worm, a type of huge bristleworm that’s often found as a hitchhiker in marine aquariums, attacking a lionfish and dragging it into its burrow. The worm extends its feeding tentacles into the was, barely above the surface of the sand, which presumably attracts prey fish to venture close enough for an attack. The lionfish wanders too closely and is quickly snatched up despite appearing far larger than the worm. The visible portion of the worm is quite misleading. Only a tiny mouth is visible, but the worms can grow to be well over 6 feet long, even in captivity. This is likely the reason why the meals have to be so large. In the aquarium, these worms don’t have near as much sand to dig into, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous
