by AquaNerd | Apr 22, 2014 | Aquaculture, Eye Candy, Invertebrates, Sustainability
Thanks to the extremely focused efforts of one individual, the world of Tridacnid clams has been completely changed. We’ve been following the work of one Australian “super aquarist” who goes by the name Acro Al. He has been breeding clams at his home for quite some time now, sharing much of his journey with fellow hobbyists on social media. And because we’re total clam junkies, we’re totally excited about the fact that his babies are getting old enough to hit the market. What makes the news even more exciting is that this is the first time that fully cultured maxima clams have ever been offered in the aquarium trade! To let the market fully dictate the price, this first individual, which is a total looker by the way, was posted in an online auction with a minimum reserve set at $250. The price quickly rose to well over $400 for this 40mm individual, which interestingly is about to turn one year old. The clam is not availalbe to purchase by US hobbyists, as the permitting and paperwork hoopla is far too difficult to overcome at this point, but it’s still groundbreaking news for the hobby. First fully aquacultured Maxima clam IN THE WORLD! Species: Tridacna Maxima (Röding, 1798) Batch No. by AquaNerd | Apr 21, 2014 | Equipment, Industry, Tanks, Technology
What do you get when you combine the elegant shape of a wine glass bodied skimmer with the performance and controllability of a DC powered pump? The new Reef Octopus Elite skimmer, that’s what. Reef Octopus has taken their Prime protein skimmer line and given it a big boost with the addition of a DC pump, marrying two of the hottest features in protein skimmer technology into one product that is sure to perform. The RO Elite skimmer will come in two models, the 220-INT with a filtration capacity of 530-gallons and the 200-INT for aquariums 400-gallon and less. Both models will feature the popular wine-glass body, which is comprised of soft curves that gently bottleneck bubbles into the collection cup, along with tons of other nice features outline immediately below. Turbulence Reducing Super Cone Body Solid Cast Acrylic & Machined PVC Construction Bubble Dispersant Plate Vented Output Valve with Adjustment Dial Controllable RO-DC Pump “Twist & Lift” Collection Cup Efficient & Quiet Operation Disassembles for Easy Cleaning & Maintenance As for individual product specs, the largest of the two models is the 220-INT. It sports a 16.5″ x 12.2″ footprint and draws in air at a maximum rate of 2000 lph depending on the DC 5500s Pinwheel Pump’s settings. The smaller model, called the 200-INT, takes all of the same features and crams them down into a 15″ x 11.2″ footprint. It’s DC 3500s pump has an air draw of up to 1200 lph, but like its big brother, these numbers can be dialed back to fine tune performance. by AquaNerd | Apr 18, 2014 | Equipment, Industry, Technology
As part of the continued effort to integrate the VorTech pumps into EcoTech Marine’s EcoSmart Live system, an update to the EcoSmart Live app has been released that allows users to control their VorTech pumps via any iOS powered device. Just last month, EcoTech added VorTech control to their Reeflink, for the first time allowing the ReefLink and EcoSmart platforms to live up to their promises of simultaneous wireless control of the Radion XR30w LED fixtures and the popular pumps. The update app has the same look and feel of the previous verions that only offered Radion control, but adds the touch sensitive wheel right alongside the Radion controls. This touch sensitive wheel is dual purpose, allowing the speed of the pump to be adjusted, as well as the flow mode. This app is free to download from Apple’s App Store and an Android friendly version will shortly follow. by AquaNerd | Apr 11, 2014 | Conservation, Corals, Industry
The Coral Restoration Foundation has been rockin’ and rollin’ in 2014, receiving generous donations from all sorts of organizations. Another company that’s making good on their promise to contribute is Reef Suds, the first reef safe soap product to be introduced to the aquarium hobby. When Reef Suds first launched in November 2013, they promised to donate $1 from every bar sold to the CRF. Well, a few months into their campaign, the soap makers are making their initial donation of $400, with planned contributions every quarter from here on out. The goal is to gradually increase these donations as the company continues to grow, and we’re glad to see such a commitment from yet another company in the aquarium industry. by AquaNerd | Nov 11, 2013 | DIY, Science
The Majano Wand, Paul Baldassano’s DIY solution to inflict death upon pest anemones that eventually became a mass produced death dealing device, quickly became a favorite among aquarists seeking to indulge their sadistic side. For once, saltwater hobbyists had a nearly surefire way to eradicate Aiptasia and Majano anemones, and now there is a more compact model hitting the store shelves. The Mini Majano Wand, as it is called, sports all of the same features that made the original so popular, but has a shorter staff that is a mere 5″ long. This length gives the shorter wand a little more flexibility for nano aquarists, preventing them from having to use too big a tool for the job. The Mini Majano Wand is priced at $110, which is just $5 less than its bigger brother, the original Majano Wand. Considering that the only difference between the two is the length of the wand, the price point isn’t much of a surprise. The mini version isn’t quite available, though Marine Depot has them listed with an expected availability within the next few days
