by gmavrakis | Oct 7, 2014 | Fish, Funny, Opinion, Science
http://www.polyplab.com/filtration-media-and-resin-waste-management/15-nitra-guard-bio-cubes-v4-80lts-250lts.php I have used this carbon product from Polyp Lab for 6 months. The Nitra-Guard Cubes do a good job at eliminating nitrates and phosphates. BIO-Cubes are made from 100% biologically degradable polymers that effectively remove both nitrates and phosphates from both marine and freshwater systems. BIO-Cubes have a very high surface area and contains 400% more carbohydrates than any other brand, making it the best product of it’s kind in the world. by AquaNerd | May 7, 2014 | Fish, Photography, Shark Week, Tanks
It is always easy to underestimate the feeding abilities of predatory fish, in this case a sand tiger shark at a marine park in Japan. You see the animal and think, “surely, it can’t eat that” when referring to its tankmates. But the 9-foot sand tiger at Aqua World surprised its keepers when after an extended fasting period, perhaps in preparation of the swimming meal it was eyeballing, the shark tried to eat a 3-foot long whitetip reef shark. The aquarium’s staff had been worried for days because the sand tiger was showing no interest in feeding. That is until, however, the tasty little whitetip morsel came a little too close. The shark attacked the much smaller whitetip and even managed to get most of victim into its mouth. But the 3-foot long shark proved to be a bit too much, as it was seen sticking out of the sand tiger’s mouth and was eventually spit out. Obviously dead at this point, the aquarium keepers removed the whitetip in fear that the sand tiger would return and try to finish the job 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 Reef To Rainforest | Mar 18, 2014 | Fish, Science
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSI5GQx65q0  (we strongly suggest you watch this one full-screen, in the highest HD setting your monitor will support!) Tim Morrissey, Coral Aquarist at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, recently shared this wonderful extra-high definition video of the Sulawesi Reef at Henry Doorly. The system is around 20,000 gallons, with the actual display being about 10,000 of that total water volume. Morrissey filled us in that the system has been through a few renovations over the years; currently he is the lead aquarist in charge of this display, having taken over in the summer of 2013 when another aquarist departed the zoo. The 10,000 gallon display area houses hard coral, soft coral, clams, anemones and lots of fish. You’ll see a periodic surge that occurs during this feeding time video; Morrissey told us this is accomplished with a pneumatic valve operated by compressed air that opens and closes to dump water in the tank.  The display is lit with 1000w and 400w metal halides; calcium supplementation is done with kalkwasser. A special thanks to Tim Morrissey for filling in some of the details on this unique aquarium.  For those who are curious, Morrissey filmed this with a GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition. by Reef To Rainforest | Mar 17, 2014 | Fish, Science
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MsKh2LaIew Aurelia Jellyfish Aquariums from Reef-Eden International are the newest jellyfish aquariums on the market.  Working in collaboration with Tunze, the Aurelia Jellyfish Aquariums are manufactured in the UK and come in two configurations; a 16.9″ desktop cube (Aurelia 80) and a 24″ standalone cube (Aurelia 220). An even larger model (Aurelia 650) is slated for release in April 2014.  Reef-Eden is also a UK-based source for the live tropical-strain Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) meant to be displayed in these aquariums. Reef-Eden is currently seeking overseas distribution as well.  For more information on these and other Reef-Eden products, visit the Reef-Eden International website.
