by AquaNerd | Sep 24, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, MACNA
The guys from across the pond were out and about at MACNA this year showing off some great new gear from Giesemann. Of course, LED lighting is all the rage, so it was no surprise to see a booth full of gorgeous LED hardware. Included in that bunch was a black version of the sleek looking Teszla, which we really liked, along with a much longer version if the same light, called the Teszla-XT. The Teszla-XT has all of the same features of the standard Teszla model, but just packs in more of it. Instead of a single circuit board full if diodes, it has two, effectively doubling the length of the fixture. This boost in size allows it to cover larger tanks more effectively, and is great for those ultra deep (front to back) tanks. Priced at $799, the Teszla-XT has loads of features, including: 0-100% adjustable intensity on all three color channels Three different color LEDs: white, blue, and royal blue channel Built-in 24hr timer Built-in moonlight cycle Sunrise/sunset feature Computer interface Bluetooth remote control via tablet/PC/Smartphone (requires external kit) Active temperature control system As for the black model, none of the hardware is different from the white, standard sized Teszla, but that black housing sure does look great. It gives users just one more way to make their aquariums look their best, and the choice between iPod white (Giesemann calls it Polar White), anodized silver, and piano black should allow the Teszla to just about fit into any design scheme. Like the white and silver models, the black Teszla will retail for $499. by AquaNerd | Sep 23, 2013 | Equipment, Industry
Flipping and flopping magnetic algae scrapers are all the rage these days, giving hobbyists multiple options when cleaning their aquariums with a single device. The latest scraper to surface in this expansive hobby is this Magnetic Scraper from ZetLight, and it puts a slightly different twist to the otherwise straightforward process. Besides having the typical algae scrubbing pads and bayonet style scraping blade, the ZetLight version of the scraper also has a thick foam pad for finely polishing all those internal aquarium surfaces when heavy duty algae scraping just isn’t needed. Attached with velcro and held in place by the magnetic force, this thick pad helps significantly in the cleaning process. It provides a soft and very acrylic safe cleaning pad that will remove all of the dust-like algae without scratching the tank up, and glass aquariums will certainly benefit just as well. The Magnetic Scraper is quite powerful despite its size, as it is suitable for tanks with a wall thickness up to 18mm (nearly 3/4″). The Magnetic Scraper isn’t listed on the ZetLight sight, and we don’t have a retail price or a release date, but those details will emerge soon enough. by AquaNerd | Sep 16, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, MACNA, Tanks
The Prodibio bacteria, bacteria feeding, and supplemental additives work, and they work really well from personal experience. That said, the act of dosing these products has always presented issues for aquarium keepers, and not just because they’re in glass ampoules. One of the biggest complaints with this dosing system was that it was pretty much all or nothing. Once you crack that vial open, the entire contents are dosed all at once. For aquarists using the smaller vials, there really wasn’t much of an issue with this, but users of the Pro sized ampoules wanted a more stable, long term dosing solution. In response to this, Prodibio has released their new Dose’n Drop dosing system, which is a very simple and affordable system for dosing the additives drop by drop over an extended period of time. The Dose’n Drop only works for the Pro sized ampoules containing 10ml of product, and the smaller ampoules just won’t fit into the apparatus. Users are instructed to break the tip off of one end of the ampoule and insert the plastic fittings into the open end. by AquaNerd | Sep 10, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, Tanks
Innovative Marine is about to make swapping out filtration media in their Nuvo Aquariums a whole lot easier. They’re set to release a new AuqaGadget, called the CustomCaddy, which comes in three sizes and has removable shelves that can accommodate a variety of filter media or can even be converted into a refugium. The acrylic media holders also have a built-in arm that secure it in place within the rear chamber of an aquarium, with holes in each of the dividers to allow for ample water flow through the media. The CustomCaddy will be offered in three different sizes, with each targeting different Nuvo Aquariums. The CustomCaddy 38 fits the Nuvo Micro30 and Mini38, while the CustomCaddy 24 is designed for the Nuvo 24, and the CustomCaddy 16 for the Nuvo Pico4, Nano8 and Nano16 tanks. The price breakdown for the media caddies is $40, $30, and $20 respectively. Innovative Marine expects the CustomCaddy to start selling from authorized retailers next week. by AquaNerd | Sep 9, 2013 | Equipment
The nano enthusiasts at Innovative Marine are continuing their pre-MACNA product announcements with one more addition to their Auqa Gadget lineup. The MagnaFuge LED light fixture, as its name so perfectly eludes to, is a refugium light for the all-in-one Nuvo aquariums. It mounts directly to the back of the tank via neodymium magnets, and after a little peeling off of the black film, illuminates the rear chambers of the tank so that beneficial algae like Chaetomorpha can be grown. It’s not wholly dissimilar from other refugium lights available for AIO nano tanks, but its magnet mounts and powerful LEDs make it stand head and shoulders above the rest. One of the major benefits of the MagnaFuge, besides supplying a thriving refugium with light, is the fact that it sits behind the tank, out of view. Lights mounted above a rear chamber refugium would be far too distracting, especially if the tank sits in your bedroom and prevents you from getting to sleep in a dark room. In terms of firepower, this low wattage and small stature fixture maximizes its function by using a total of six 1 watt LEDs and 120 degree optics. The output is around the 6500K spectrum, which is definitely a good color for growing algae. The retail price for the MagnaFuge is set at $99, and we’ll be getting plenty of one on one time with it at MACNA next week. Specifications: LED Watts: 6 x 1 Watt Kelvin: 6500K Optics: 120 Degree Lumens per Watt: 120 Current: 350mA 4 Rare earth neodymium magnets Fixture Dims: 4.09” x 0.82” x 7.24” Magnet Dims: 2.76” x 0.82” x 1.77” MAP: $99 embedded content
