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How To Eliminate and Prevent Diatoms in a Reef Tank

by ReefBum | Apr 30, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Reef, Science

Ok, first of all, what are they? Well, diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear. Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a

World Wide Corals Visit

by AquaNerd | Apr 29, 2016 | Corals, Eye Candy, Reef, Science

Some stunning chalice corals This past weekend we were at Reef-A-Palooza Orlando and decided to drop in to see Lou, Vic and the team at World Wide Corals. While I was looking at all of the beautiful displays and the World Wide Coral Farm I bumped into Frank Lim from Real Reef Rock. These are a few shots that Frank and I took with our phones using a yellow filter to counteract the 20K lighting. It’s pretty amazing how far along our camera phones have come. If you’re ever in the Orlando area, I highly recommend stopping by their shop. Plan to stay a while! <![CDATA[ #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align:

Featured Coral: Joe’s Passionfruit Goni

by AquaNerd | Apr 8, 2016 | Corals, Reef, Science

Also commonly know as the Flowerpot coral or Daisy Coral, Goniopora species are generally considered difficult to moderately difficult to keep alive in captivity. When opened up these corals look similar to a bouquet of flowers. Not considered to be overly aggressive towards other corals they can still sting neighboring corals within close proximity as their polyps can extend well beyond their coral skeleton base. Joe’s Passionfruit Goni is of exceptional color and contrast and this why we have featured this WYSIWYG coral as the AquaNerd Featured Coral of the Week. Goniopora corals come in a wide range of colors and species and the genus contains the following species: Goniopora columna Dana, 1846 Goniopora stokesi Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851 Goniopora fruticosa Saville-Kent, 1891 Goniopora somaliensis Vaughan, 1907 Goniopora

SPS Deep Dive – Tyree Red Dragon

by ReefBum | Apr 2, 2016 | Corals, Reef, Science, Tanks

SPS Deep Dive – Tyree Red Dragon Limited edition corals generate a lot of buzz when released and the Tyree Red Dragon was at the top of the LE hit list a few years ago. Why did this coral grab so much attention? Well, it was unique due to its red/fuchsia color, white color polyps and growth pattern. The coral’s uniqueness and limited availability did translate into a very high price tag back then but today it is more readily available and can be had for a much more reasonable price. The Red Dragon is a deepwater Acropora with smooth skin, a low density of polyps and delicate, open branches. The coral requires good flow and does well in the middle part of the tank under

Great Barrier Reef hit by Widespread Coral Bleaching

by AquaNerd | Mar 31, 2016 | Corals, Events, Fish, Reef, Science

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has been hit by widespread coral bleaching, which has the potential to be devastating to one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders. Battered by record warming on land and sea the past two years, coral reefs around the world have suffered bleaching events. When that happens, corals expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing corals to turn white or pale. Without the algae, the coral loses its major source of food and is more susceptible to disease. Starting in the North Pacific Ocean in the summer 2014, the bleaching expanded to the South Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean in 2015. That prompted NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch in October to declare the third ever global bleaching event – after the 1997-1999