by AquaNerd | Oct 2, 2013 | Conservation, Corals
Here’s a bit of good news for the aquarium industry. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has decided to postpone listing 66 coral species under the Endangered Species Act by six months. After hearing extensive comments on the matter, NOAA determined that they needed to gather more information before making a final decision. They will complete their data solicitation by October 2013 and expect to make a decision on the information no later than June 2014. If NOAA finds sufficient reason to list the proposed corals, then each species will then become illegal to own or even propagate. And just taking a quick glance at the list, passage of the proposal would affect each and every one of us, tremendously. That announcement out of the way, here’s a little background on the story. The listing of these corals under the ESA stemmed from a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity to list a total 83 coral species. That petition was originally filed in 2009, but inactivity on NOAA’s part prompted legal action by the CBD. After some initial back and forth, an agreement was eventually constructed in which the National Marine Fisheries Service would conduct a year-long study of the proposed coral species in order to determine if their listing under the ESA was necessary by AquaNerd | Oct 1, 2013 | Corals, Equipment, Fish, Invertebrates
During our recent trip to MACNA 2013, we spent a great deal of time at the Aqua Medic booth combing over their latest and greatest products. Despite several new additions to their line this past year, it wasn’t necessarily their hardware that the sales reps were so chatty about. Instead, they spoke at great length about their newest project, the Aqua Medic Live wholesale livestock facility. Always intrigued by new things, we took note of every detail thrown our way, especially since the Aqua Medic guys were just so excited about it. After seeing just what this new high end operation has to offer, we can certainly share in their enthusiasm. So, come join us for a virtual tour of this neat facility and read all about the details below. Located in Loveland, Colorado, Aqua Medic Live officially opened on August 17th of this year and its conception was driven purely by a fish store demand of a wholesale distributor in the mid-west. Aqua Medic Live currently only services local stores and companies willing to pick up their corals, though they plan to start shipping orders within the next couple of months pending logistical planning. The operation is small, but rapidly expanding as demand increases. Currently, the facility houses six coral tables measuring 6′x3′, alongside three 220-gallon show tanks that corals can also be purchased from. by AquaNerd | Sep 29, 2013 | Corals, Equipment
Late last week, we shared an article about the Aqua Medic Coral Holder, an ingenious device that keeps large LPS corals sitting upright for fish stores and frag happy hobbyists alike. Unfortunately, our photos, which we took at MACNA, didn’t do the Coral Holder any justice. They showed the product accurately, but in a sterile trade show setting. Thankfully, the guys at Aqua Medic sent us some photos of their holders in action. These relatively inexpensive coral holding devices function by placing a coral between two sliding halves of a plastic hexagon, with an oval shaped opening in the middle. The two halves can be pulled apart several inches while still remaining in contact with each other, which allows for some big, beefy corals to be held upright. These Coral Holders are not exactly ideal for the hobbyist looking to keep up with the aesthetics of a reef aquarium, but serve a great function for aquarium stores or hobbyists who have a frag tank. by AquaNerd | Sep 26, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, MACNA
Back in May, the American arm of the Italian aquarium product company, Sicce, announced a new reef feeding program. The lineup consists of just two products, called Sicce HyperKoral and Sicce Calanus, but they promised to be a complete dosing system to meet all of your corals’ needs. When dosed hand in hand with each other, they target LPS, SPS, soft corals, and other filter feeders. While at MACNA, we got to see these two coral foods in the flesh, while also getting a full rundown of what they bring to the proverbial dinner table. Below is a summation of what each product accomplishes. HyperKoral is a product that delivers purified L-amino acids, vitamins, and carbohydrates to your corals in a liquid substrate. These components are said to be in concentrations that mimic what is found on wild coral reefs, and because of their chemical makeup, they are not removed via protein skimming by AquaNerd | Sep 22, 2013 | Conservation, Corals, Fish, Industry
Here is some troubling news. According to a recent article on KeysNet, a news organization that focuses on the Florida Keys, the owner of Tropicorium Inc. and one of his employees have been indicted on felony charges of illegally taking livestock from Florida waters. The article states that the owner, Richard Perrin, and an employee, Joseph Franko, made two separate trips to the Florida Keys back in 2011. On these trips, they brought a customized van and a boat to collect saltwater fish and corals. Where the two men tripped up is that they did not have the proper permits to collect in Florida and they collected a slew of protected species.
