by Robert Loren | Mar 5, 2014 | Conservation, Corals, DIY, Invertebrates, Science
Although notoriously intolerant of tissue damage, the beautiful Heliofungia actiniformis is an exciting addition to any reef display. Willing to test this coral’s vitality, I made an attempt to propagate... by AquaNerd | Nov 27, 2013 | Fish, Invertebrates, Science
By: Steve Vavrek The team down at New Life International has yet again come up with another great product. This time, the Herbivores get a turn. Introducing New Life Spectrum AlgaeMAX and Algae/Gel. AlgaeMAX and Algae/Gel use a wide range of aquatic vegetation, including Chlorella Algae, Spirulina, Ulva and Wakame Seaweed and more – 9 total varieties! Most herbivore diets just use a single source of seaweed, like kelp. The problem with that? No one ingredient alone has all the nutrition needed for healthy herbivores. Your aquarium needs veggies in a variety of colors and sources that mimics the plant diversity in their natural diets. In fact, too much kelp can cause digestive problems for fish. by AquaNerd | Nov 18, 2013 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Photography, Science
As an aquarium hobbyist who is also fairly passionate about photography, I am always looking to capture those unique moments when I’m at a fish store or some other venue where fish, corals, and invertebrates take center stage. Often times, I’ll have my camera in hand and I can snap off a few decent shots here and there. More often though, I’ll be without my DSLR and have to rely on my smartphone, which isn’t exactly the most ideal option. The phone of choice for me has been the iPhone, with the 5s being my most current option. For those of you familiar, this phone can actually take decent pictures. Unfortunately, the pitfall for the on-board camera, like with most cameras, is blue LEDs. Thankfully, I stumbled upon this cheap little hack that can get you photos that are closer to what we see with the human eye. by AquaNerd | Oct 30, 2013 | Fish, Invertebrates, Science
Photo Credit: Cathy Peairs Halloween is merely days away, and while most of us are gearing up to scare the snot out of a bunch of young people, others are showing off their aquarium nerd side with some very creative Jack-o-lanterns. Some pumpkin carvers do it simple, with random aquatic themes featuring straightforward designs that anyone can do. But then you have the more artistic and detailed approach, as some Halloween enthusiasts fill every inch of that orange surface with elaborate displays. Today, we celebrate both, and we have shared many interesting looking jack-o-lanterns to help kick off this holiday. Continue below for a small gallery of some good looking pumpkins. Some of the pumpkins are from this year, while others may be from years past. Regardless, they offer great ideas for any of you last minute pumpkin slicers. 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.
