by AquaNerd | Nov 7, 2013 | Corals, DIY, Equipment, Fish, Industry, Science, Tanks
For years, all-in-one aquariums have been limited to small volumes and insufficient out-of-the-box features. Most of tanks that saw mainstream success stayed around 30-gallons or less, with just about all of them coming with inadequate filtration for a fully functional reef aquarium. Even adding extra equipment proved to be difficult, as the rear chambers of these tanks were often too small and the built-in lid limited what you could put in the back. Innovative Marine changed all that when they introduced their NUVO line of aquariums. The sleek, open-top aquariums had huge rear chambers for additional equipment, and they even made solid performing protein skimmers and media reactors that could easily fit. After a couple of very successful years, IM has expanded their initial lineup to include the all new Shallow Reef (SR) series, which was designed specifically from a hobbyist standpoint. The new SR tanks come in three beefy sizes of 60, 80 and 120 gallons by AquaNerd | Nov 6, 2013 | Equipment, Science, Tanks
Good news AquaIllumination fans. The long awaited AI Director controller is now available to pre-order through any one of a number of different aquarium equipment retailers. Priced at $99, the AI Director allows hobbyists to control any of the wirelessly enabled AI modues with any web enabled device from any part of the world. Users will be able to access the controller via AquaIllumination’s cloud-based service, myAI, and native apps for both iOS and Android will also be available soon. A single AI Director can manage up to 10 tanks and up to 30 different AquaIllumination LED modules. Users can also take advantage of all of the features of each light, being able to adjust weather patterns (rolling clouds and lightning) lunar cycles, and coral acclimation cycles. The Director can also control up to 100 time points per LED color per group for a given day by AquaNerd | Nov 4, 2013 | Equipment, Fish, Science
According to a patent filing that was published ealier this year, EcoTech Marine may be cooking up a brand new toy that isn’t a light or a water pump. If the patent is seen through to a final product, the Pennsylvania based aquarium equipment company will likely be offering some type of “habitat viewing device”. Perusing through the technical terminology that is laced all throughout the patent, we have come to the conclusion that the device could either be finalized into any one of a variety of different configurations. The most heavily described version includes an interior magnet, lens, and exterior magnet that would allow users to get a closer view of their habitat’s inhabitants. The other configuration includes a top-down view of the animals, and based on the drawings and descriptions, an EcoTech Marine viewing device will likely be able to do both. For the top-down version, several different options are explored. As we mentioned, there is a model that looks to serve as a viewer that attaches to the side of the aquarium that will also have some buoyancy (or at the ver least a magnetic attachment) that will allow it to be convered into a top-down viewer. It’s a best of both world scenario. by AquaNerd | Oct 28, 2013 | Equipment, Industry
Reef Octopus is reinventing a classic. The aquarium equipment manufacturer is introducing a fresh new look to one of their longest standing products, the NWB-110 protein skimmer. This time they are reverting back to the traditional cylindrical shape and are offering it in the always popular space saving format. Interestingly, they are ditching the cone style that’s been popular for many years, but are loading up the features to keep pace with the rest of the current trends. The tiny skimmer has a footprint of just 6.1″ x 7.87″ with a tank rating of approximately 100-gallons. It features a brand new Aquatrance pinwheel skimmer pump sandwiched in between a bubble plate and removable base plate. Part of the new design is a vented wedge valve output that lets the water escape the skimmer below the water line of the sump, reducing bubbles and splashing. For those seeking a little more firepower, Reef Octopus also has a larger NWB-150SSS model. Specs: Tank Rating: 100 gallon on light load, 80 gallon on medium load, and 60 gallon on heavy load Body Size: 5″ Footprint: 6.1″ x 7.87″ Neck Size: ″ Total Height: 19″ Output Size: 1.25” Note: Recommended Sump Water Depth: 7-8″ Pump Information: Aquatrance 1000s Pinwheel Pump Wattage: 9w Air Draw: 420 lph / 15 SCFH* Water Draw: 350 lph / 92 GPH* *Air and water results will vary depending on aquarium setup Warranty – 2 year warranty on pump/1 year on rotor and 1 year on skimmer body by AquaNerd | Oct 24, 2013 | Equipment, Tanks
Innovative Marine has really been rounding out their Auqa Gadget lineup with some very useful products this year, and one of their most anticpated pieces of equipment has been the HydroFill auto top off system. We’ve been covering their entire lineup rather extensively, and we recently had the opportunity to get some significant one-on-one time with this ATO. While we haven’t finished up all of our routine testing, we wanted to just take a minute to share our initial overview and unboxing of the HydroFill, as well as discuss all of the product’s potential uses. Perfect for tanks of any size, the HydroFill system is composed of two independent components, the HydroFill controller and the HydroFill ATO diaphragm pump. Both products are packaged separately and can be used independent of each other, allowing aquarists a little more freedom with pump selection and use. The controller has a single power outlet that has a 1000W, 8Amp/120V capacity. That’s a ton of power, which may seem a bit excessive, but it allows hobbyists to use virtually whatever pump they want to top off their aquariums.
