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Terrible Advice Tuesdays (T.A.Tues): Mushroom Eradication Is EASY!
Terrible Advice Tuesdays (T.A.Tues): Eradicating mushroom corals requires simply cutting the top of the coral off. With the top removed, the base will die. The rest of the story: Whoever said must have fantastic luck or be completely delusional. The only way I’ve ever successfully eradicated mushroom corals from a tank is by cutting the top off, then completely covering the base with epoxy. If the smallest amount of the base is left uncovered, it will regrow a new top and the coral will start growing again. I’ll also add enough epoxy such that I cover an extra inch (1″) of the rock around the base of the coral to make sure it doesn’t somehow find light and start growing again. Other mushroom eradication methods I’ve tried include supergluing over the base, which doesn’t work as the coral will slime. The slime makes the glue not stick and fall off. Kalk slurry bombs also are ineffective as the slurry won’t stay in place long enough to kill the coral. Injecting the coral with a kalk slurry takes skill and luck as the coral usually retracts quicker than you can inject the kalk slurry. Finally, while you can completely remove the rock the mushroom coral is on, but sometimes that rock is a central part of your aquascaping and can’t be removed. Clearly simply cutting the top off the mushroom coral won’t get the job done. Update: Several readers informed me they’ve had luck with the aiptasia/majano wand for mushroom removal. MORE: Terrible Advice Tuesdays (T.A.Tues): Mushroom Eradication Is EASY!… More:
Posted in Corals, Equipment, Fish, Tanks, Uncategorized
Tagged advice, around-the-base, fish, fragging-coral, mushroom-coral, posttagged, reef enthusiast, rock
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A Quick Look at the Vertex Libra Dosing System
Whenever products arrive through my door for testing, I always think to myself: ‘will I be able to say good things about it?’, ‘what happens if it’s rubbish?’ and so forth. Fortunately manufacturers rarely send out bad products for review, (well, you wouldn’t would you?), mostly they’re great and I can rave about them and rarely (but sadly for my bank balance), I receive some great products that I just don’t want to give up and actually end up buying. The Vertex Libra falls into that later category.… More:
Posted in Equipment
Tagged austrian company, bank balance, pumps, rubbish, software update
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Mr. Saltwater Tank TV Friday AM Quick Tip #128: It’s Getting Hot In Here, So Take Out All Your…
There’s some equipment on a saltwater tank that I love. There is other equipment that I hate, but is necessary. The good news is certain times of the year I can take out equipment that I don’t like and make my tank a little safer at the same time. MORE: Mr. Saltwater Tank TV Friday AM Quick Tip #128: It’s Getting Hot In Here, So Take Out All Your…… More:
Posted in Corals, Equipment, Fish, Uncategorized
Tagged callahan, dabbler, Equipment, facebookshare, fish, redditshare, reef junkie, saltwater-tank, stumblerstumblr
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Buckeye Field Supply Announces New 3-Probe Inline TDS Meter
Buckeye Field Supply has just announced the availability of a 3-probe inline TDS meter for reverse osmsis equipment, called the HM Digital TRM-1. While the industry has been full of TDS meters from various manufacturers, this is the only inline TDS meter to feature three different probes. Like it’s dual probe and single probe siblings, this new TRM-1 will sport the widely used John Guest fittings, is factory calibrated with a 342 ppm NaCl solution, and can be recalibrated with a mini screwdriver. Buckeye is currently fielding pre-orders at a special introductory price of $49.99 for the three probe meter, which are expected to be in stock by mid-July. Water purity is of the utmost importance for reef keeping aquarists these days, and the best way to deliver that water is to use reverse osmosis filtration. But even the best RO filters need regular maintenance and cartridge replacements, and the only way to determine when those are due is to use TDS meters, which ultimately measure how effectively the filters are removing contaminants from the incoming tap water. For the really serious aquarium keepers, the standard two probe inline TDS meters became the industry standard, as they can be plumbed into the filter tubing to measure incoming and outgoing water purity. While this has been adequate for many years, it isn’t exactly ideal, and users needing to measure the effectiveness of specific filters have often utilized multiple dual probe meters. In most cases, however, four probes is a bit excessive, making it hard to justify the extra costs for two meters. We have a feeling that the three probe meter will be welcomed into the hobby with open arms, and we are already fans of the concept based of our own experiences. MORE: Buckeye Field Supply Announces New 3-Probe Inline TDS Meter… More:
Posted in Equipment, Industry, Uncategorized
Tagged aquarium equipment, buckey field supply, Equipment, HM digital, industry, RO/DI, tds
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Aquarium Specialty Secures Distributorship of CeramEco VidaRock
Our pals at Aquarium Specialty, an online retailer of aquarium equipment and livestock, recently announced on their blog that they have secured a distributor agreement with CeramEco for their VidaRock. Long on the hunt for an affordable, well-made ceramic rock product, Aquarium Specialty was tired of the high prices associated with importing ceramic products from Europe. So, they took a greater interest in the American made CeramEco brand, eventually reaching an agreement to inventory and distribute their products to retail and wholesale customers. And from the looks of it, the Vida line of rock will really bolster what Aquarium Specialty has to offer, especially for aquarists looking for a more eco-friendly solution to their marine setups. MORE: Aquarium Specialty Secures Distributorship of CeramEco VidaRock… More:
Posted in Equipment, Uncategorized
Tagged aquarium equipment, aquarium specialty, cerameco, ceramic rock, Equipment, vidarock
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Why Dose Vodka?
The majority of us know at least one fellow reefer who swears by dosing his/her reef aquarium with vodka. This seemingly counterintuitive act is often believed to have beneficial effects on the overall health and appearance of one’s reef aquarium. But how is this possible? Why vodka? Vodka differs in composition from other spirits such as gin and whiskey. Vodka is composed almost purely of ethanol and water, while other spirits are composed of ethanol, water, and potentially non-reef-friendly ingredients that are used to enhance flavor. Now that we understand why vodka is the spirit of choice, let’s discuss how ethanol – its “active ingredient” is believed to assist our beloved reef aquariums. The addition of carbon-rich ethanol is widely believed to promote an increase in bacterial biomass. This increase in bacterial biomass results in the uptake of phosphates and nitrates from the aquarium’s water, yielding benefits that we are all too familiar with. The aforementioned increase in bacterial biomass necessitates the use of a protein skimmer, which may remove some of the bacteria and its byproducts. Many aquarists gauge the success of their vodka dosing by observing an increase in the output of their protein skimmer.… More:
Posted in Corals, DIY, Equipment, Fish, Science, Tanks
Tagged algae, bacteria, nitrates, phosphate, Protein Skimmer, reef aquarium, supplements, vodka
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AVAST Marine Works Scales Down Their Top-Down Porthole for Smartphones
Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on smartphones, and aquarium hobbyists are so entrenched in the devices that aquarium equipment companies are building specifically with smartphones in mind. Various aquarium controllers, for example, have become fully accessible via web capable phones, and now our mobile photography is getting a boost with the release of the new AVAST Marine Works Smartphone Top-Down Porthole. This little brother to the other AVAST built Portholes for digital SLR cameras will fit just about any smartphone, using an adjustable strap to secure the phone in place. After attaching your phone, just put the Porthole in the water and start snapping away. The tall sides will keep water off of your camera and you won’t even have to turn the pumps off. The AVAST Smartphone Porthole is simple in its design. The white plate blocks out any glare from the aquarium’s lights, and the black knob allows hobbyists to hold the device with one hand while still being able to fidget with the phone with the other. The felt lined strap make sure your phone doesn’t fall into the aquarium, allowing the hobbyist to adjust phone camera settings, focus on specific objects, and snap the photo with ease. The acrylic Smartphone Porthole runs $59.99 and is currently available to purchase from the AVAST Marine Works website. This Porthole, like all top-down boxes, allows hobbyists to take the best pictures of their aquatic livestock possible. Corals look better when viewed from above because of the way zooxanthellae reflect light, but things like glare and surface ripples usually ruin good shots. While most top-down boxes are geared toward larger cameras, we’re very happy to see mobile photography getting some much needed love. MORE: AVAST Marine Works Scales Down Their Top-Down Porthole for Smartphones… More:
Posted in Corals, Equipment, Photography, Uncategorized
Tagged camera settings, hobbyist, porthole, ripples, smartphones
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Mr. Saltwater Tank Interviews Mat Roy & Francis The Fish Geek From The Fish Tank Kings”
Aquarium-based reality TV heats up with the Premiere of “The Fish Tank Kings” Season 2. In this episode of Mr. Saltwater Tank TV, I sit down with Mat Roy and Francis “The Fish Geek” to talk to them about season 2 and to find out what happens behind the scenes and what to expect out of season 2 of the show. MORE: Mr. Saltwater Tank Interviews Mat Roy & Francis The Fish Geek From “The Fish Tank Kings”… More:
Posted in Corals, Equipment, Fish, Tanks, Uncategorized
Tagged aquarium-tv, enthusiast, episode, fish, fish-tank-kings, interview, living color, saltwater, saltwater-tank, tank dabbler, tanks
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Mr. Saltwater Tank’s 375 Gallon Reef Tank Build Show
375 gallons makes a large saltwater tank. There’s lots of swimming room for fish, lots of places to put corals and lots of opportunities for the unexpected to happen during the tank build process. Fortunately for me, I got all the issues out of the way before the tank got wet. MORE: Mr. Saltwater Tank’s 375 Gallon Reef Tank Build Show… More:
Posted in Corals, DIY, Equipment, Fish, Tanks, Uncategorized
Tagged apex, build-showby, corals, fish, hydor-skimmer, in-tank circulation, posttagged, Radion, reef enthusiast, saltwater-tank, Tank
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CORAL Featured Video: A Reef in the Sky 4
Here’s a thought-provoking open aquascape by Hong Kong reef aquarist “AlphaSierra,” who has a series of videos of this system posted on YouTube. Worth a look if you are thinking of your next reefscape. A Reef in the Sky SPECIFICATIONS Zeovit System Rimless Tank 168cm x 66cm x 56cm (approx. 150 gallons / 550 liters) 3/4″ Low Iron Glass Equipment Lighting: ATI Power Module 8x80W Dimmable Water Movement: x2 Tunze 6105 x1 Tunze 6055 x1 MP40W ES x1 MP20 Return Pump: Red Dragon 6500 Skimmer: Alpha 200 Zeo Reactor: Small Easy Lift (2L) Chiller: JBL 250 Chiller Pump: Red Dragon Mini 5000 Computer: GHL Profilux 2 GHL Dosing Unit x4 pumps YouTube Channel for AlphaSierra MORE: CORAL Featured Video: A Reef in the Sky 4… More:
Posted in Equipment, Fish, Uncategorized
Tagged chiller, ghl profilux, iron glass, liters, water movement
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AquaIllumination Sneaks Their New Hydra LED Onto the Aquarium Equipment Marketplace
AI Vega pictured here from MACNA 2011 Over the past few years, AquaIllumination has usually waited until the big trade shows like MACNA to unveil their latest and greatest products and company related news. This year, however, they let the cat slip out of the bag a little early…and what a big cat it is. Instead of making some minor alterations to their current lineup or releasing updates for their AI Controller or Director software, they have an entirely new fixture called the AI Hydra that will be hitting store shelves in a very short time. AquaIllumination has yet to release the information on their new Hydra on their website as of yet, but interestingly, the product showed up on the Salty Supply website with all sorts of those juicy details. Unfortunately, because there hasn’t been an official announcement from AI, we’re left with nothing but digital renderings of the new module…but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it at length. So, what’s the Hydra got to offer? For one, this new module sports seven distinct LED colors that include Cree XT-E Cool White, Osram Oslon Deep Red, Cree XP-E Green, Cree XT-E Royal Blue, Osram Oslon Very Deep Blue, SemiLED 415nm Violet, and Edison Opto 400nm UV. These LEDs are spread across four clusters, each containing five LEDs. The total power consumption is 95w. Comparatively, the AI Vega has around 20 color choices that are strictly made up of Cree and Osram Oslon emitters. The LEDs for the Vega are also spread across four clusters at the same power consumption. Focusing the light from the Hydra into the aquarium are the standard issue 80 degree lenses, though 50 degree lenses are an option for deeper aquaria. The clusters themselves are a tad different from those of the Vega, as they are slightly rotated. We’re not sure what effect, if any, this has on the light output of the Hydra, but it does make distinguishing between it and the Vega a bit easier. With all of these similarities to the Vega, you’re probably asking how the Hydra is different. Well, it all boils down to color choices and channels of control. The Hydra has fewer of both, which is also why it comes in $100 cheaper at retail price of $399. Obviously this puts it in the same price point as the AI Sol, but we fully expect the Sol prices to drop to some extent.… More:
Posted in Equipment, Uncategorized
Tagged aquarium equipment, clusters, hydra, MACNA, vega
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Giesemann Updates Matrixx T5HO with Stylish New Look
When it comes to stylishly functional lighting, there are few that hold a candle to Giesemann. They’ve introduced some of the best looking light fixtures that the aquarium industry has seen, and in recent years they’ve only added to their allure with products like the Teszla and Futura LED. In keeping with the same styling cues that made those too fixtures so darn beautiful to look at, Giesemann has revamped their Matrixx T5HO fixture, giving it a very similar look. Appropriately dubbed the Matrixx-II, this T5HO fixtures has a body made of heavy duty extruded and formed aluminum alloy that comes either coated in an anti-corrosion anodized silver finish or painted in a high gloss white. But the corrosion protection doesn’t stop just there. Each item that makes up the outer body of the light fixture (e.g. all joints, faces, internal faces, etc.) receive the same treatment and are either anodized or painted prior to the production of the fixture. While still on the topic of the fixture’s externals, a rather snazzy looking glass panel adorns the top of the Matrixx-II and, as we sort of mentioned, the bodywork is borrowed directly from Giesemann’s flagship LED fixtures, the Futura LED. Getting into the internals, the Matrixx-II doesn’t MORE: Giesemann Updates Matrixx T5HO with Stylish New Look… More:
Posted in Equipment, Industry, Uncategorized
Tagged aquarium equipment, aquarium lighting, Equipment, giesemann, industry, matrixx ii, t5ho
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