Harlequinmania

Click through to see the images. What this person did was to open up an inexpensive $10 smoke detector and solder wire leads onto either side of the battery test button. The leads were then embedded in a cheap sponge and the sponge was placed where it would soak up water if there was a leak. If the sponge got wet (especially with saltwater), its conductivity rose and eventually the smoke detector test button circuit tripped sounding an alarm. The nice thing with this setup, too, was that it would also detect smoke, so it performed a double function. Granted in this configuration, it would only work if a fair amount of water leaked onto the floor, but it would work. While there are ready-made water detection solutions already out there for only a little bit more (~$25), this industrious hack could lend itself to modifications beyond what is shown above. An ambitious individual could add multiple leads to the detector and test multiple points along their tank. They could also condense the large sponge down into more of a "probe" that could attach to the sides of a tank or sit in the sump area allowing one smoke detector to monitor multiple areas in a much more compact fashion. I smell a 3D printer project brewing... View the full article

Click through to see the images. This is fragging done on a grand scale for a grander purpose. Great work is being done by great organizations! View the full article

Is this taken from a public aquarium in thailand or ?

Iodine supplement is good for clam growth ,health and coloration also..

Click through to see the images. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Palm Beach County Reef Rescue coordinated the cleanup effort this past July with seven volunteer dive boats from three counties participating in the event. This effort was undertaken in order to clean up debris and refuse that has accumulated on the reefs over the years. As mentioned above, plastic grocery bags, beer and pop cans, fishing lures and lines, sandals, sunglasses, diving equipment, lawn chairs, and golf balls were found during the cleanup. Plastic grocery bags were particularly nasty as they were easily mistaken by sea turtles for their normal prey: jellyfish. Fishing line was another item that caused a lot of problems as it easily entangled with coral and marine life. Karen Bohnsack of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection commented that "anything that would entangle an organism or that something might mistake for food" is a problem, she said. "Plastic bags are an issue for sea turtles, and they can also entangle the coral and rub back and forth, and that can kill the actual coral animal." During the cleanup, the divers were careful with the removal effort. If coral had encrusted a particular trash item, they carefully cut away the unencrusted portion leaving the remainder to encrust over time with coral. The program also urges recreational divers to remove small debris items as they encounter them. Reporting larger items is encouraged by either contacting Southeast Florida Action Network hotline at 866-770-SEFL or at SEAFAN.net. (via South Florida Sun Sentinel) View the full article

Click through to see the images. From the University of Southampton and the National Oeanography Centre: Improving water quality can help save coral reefs Research from the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton has found that an imbalance of nutrients in reef waters can increase the bleaching susceptibility of reef corals. Corals are made up of many polyps that jointly form a layer of living tissue covering the calcareous skeletons. They depend on single-celled algae called zooxanthellae, which live within the coral polyps. The coral animal and the associated zooxanthellae depend on each other for survival in a symbiotic relationship, where the coral supplies the algae with nutrients and a place to live. In turn, the algae offer the coral some products of their photosynthesis, providing them with an important energy source. High water temperatures can block photosynthetic reactions in the algal cells causing a build-up of toxic oxygen compounds, which threaten the coral and can result in a loss of the zooxanthellae. Without the algae, corals appear white, a state which is often referred to as 'bleached'. Bleaching often leads to coral death and mass coral bleaching has had already devastating effects on coral reef ecosystems. The study of University of Southampton, published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Climate Change, has found that nutrient enrichment of the water can increase the probability of corals to suffer from heat-induced bleaching. Within the coral, the growth of zooxanthellae is restricted by the limited supply of nutrients. This allows the algae to transfer a substantial amount of their photosynthetically fixed carbon to the coral, which is crucial for the symbiotic relationship. Algal growth becomes unbalanced when the availability of a specific nutrient decreases compared to the cellular demand, a condition called nutrient starvation. Researchers from the University of Southampton based at the Coral Reef Laboratory in the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, found that an increased supply of dissolved nitrogen compounds in combination with a restricted availability of phosphate results in phosphate starvation of the algae. This condition is associated with a reduction in photosynthetic efficiency and increases the susceptibility of corals to temperature and light-induced bleaching. Dr Jörg Wiedenmann, Senior Lecturer of Biological Oceanography at the University of Southampton and Head of the Coral Reef Laboratory, who led the study, says: "Our findings suggest that the most severe impact on coral health might actually not arise from the over-enrichment with one group of nutrients, for example, nitrogen, but from the resulting relative depletion of other types such as phosphate that is caused by the increased demand of the growing zooxanthellae populations." Dr Wiedenmann adds: "Our results have strong implications for coastal management. The findings suggest that a balanced reduction of the nutrient input in coastal waters could help to mitigate the effects of increasing seawater temperatures on coral reefs. However, such measures will be effective only for a short period of time, so it is important to stop the warming of the oceans, which will otherwise destroy most of the reefs in their present form in the near future. "Finally, our results should help the design of functioning marine reserves." The study is published in science journal Nature Climate Change. View the full article

Click through to see the images. From the University of Southampton and the National Oeanography Centre: Improving water quality can help save coral reefs Research from the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton has found that an imbalance of nutrients in reef waters can increase the bleaching susceptibility of reef corals. Corals are made up of many polyps that jointly form a layer of living tissue covering the calcareous skeletons. They depend on single-celled algae called zooxanthellae, which live within the coral polyps. The coral animal and the associated zooxanthellae depend on each other for survival in a symbiotic relationship, where the coral supplies the algae with nutrients and a place to live. In turn, the algae offer the coral some products of their photosynthesis, providing them with an important energy source. High water temperatures can block photosynthetic reactions in the algal cells causing a build-up of toxic oxygen compounds, which threaten the coral and can result in a loss of the zooxanthellae. Without the algae, corals appear white, a state which is often referred to as 'bleached'. Bleaching often leads to coral death and mass coral bleaching has had already devastating effects on coral reef ecosystems. The study of University of Southampton, published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Climate Change, has found that nutrient enrichment of the water can increase the probability of corals to suffer from heat-induced bleaching. Within the coral, the growth of zooxanthellae is restricted by the limited supply of nutrients. This allows the algae to transfer a substantial amount of their photosynthetically fixed carbon to the coral, which is crucial for the symbiotic relationship. Algal growth becomes unbalanced when the availability of a specific nutrient decreases compared to the cellular demand, a condition called nutrient starvation. Researchers from the University of Southampton based at the Coral Reef Laboratory in the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, found that an increased supply of dissolved nitrogen compounds in combination with a restricted availability of phosphate results in phosphate starvation of the algae. This condition is associated with a reduction in photosynthetic efficiency and increases the susceptibility of corals to temperature and light-induced bleaching. Dr Jörg Wiedenmann, Senior Lecturer of Biological Oceanography at the University of Southampton and Head of the Coral Reef Laboratory, who led the study, says: "Our findings suggest that the most severe impact on coral health might actually not arise from the over-enrichment with one group of nutrients, for example, nitrogen, but from the resulting relative depletion of other types such as phosphate that is caused by the increased demand of the growing zooxanthellae populations." Dr Wiedenmann adds: "Our results have strong implications for coastal management. The findings suggest that a balanced reduction of the nutrient input in coastal waters could help to mitigate the effects of increasing seawater temperatures on coral reefs. However, such measures will be effective only for a short period of time, so it is important to stop the warming of the oceans, which will otherwise destroy most of the reefs in their present form in the near future. "Finally, our results should help the design of functioning marine reserves." The study is published in science journal Nature Climate Change. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Visit Coral Guardian's website to learn more about the organization, including ways you can help. Advanced Aquarist provides a summary below of who Coral Guardian is (via their "About Us" webpage). Vision Empowering local communities to conserve biodiversity and support local livelihoods Mission Our main mission is to preserve Biodiversity of Marine Ecosystems Conservation around Serangan Island: restore and protect damaged coral reef ecosystems in south Bali. We achieve our objective through planting and restoring coral reefs on dead reef zone, using a technique of fragging. Education is one of the key factor of conservation: We develop awareness programs dedicated to local schools, communities and tourists about impacts and the importance of marine biodiversity conservation. Research is the other key factor of conservation: propose solution to sustainable development. We develop a research project in aquaculture, aimed to help local fishermen to find an alternative to wild sampling of ornamental fish, which is essential to the balance of marine ecosystem, while ensuring stable incomes and improving their living standards. Why and Where The project is located at Bali, in the “Coral Triangle”: priority area for marine biodiversity protection with more than 30% of the world coral reefs, including 76% of the species of corals and more than 35% of the ornamental fish species. In south Bali, particularly on Serangan island, the majority of the coral reefs was destroyed during the expansion of the island, 20 years ago. The goal of this project is to take part in the sustainable development of Serangan Island. We wish to accompany the local communities towards this responsible development thanks to the marine ecosystems conservation that will enable them to obtain autonomy to preserve their local marine biodiversity, and will have a social and economic positive impact. This project addresses a growing need to find a solution for sustainable development of Serangan. We met with community leaders, enthusiastic and motivated to be part of this sustainable development approach. They ask help to develop their village, learn how to protect their resources, while developing their economic activities. This conservation project meets their needs. View the full article

To all Muslim Reefer - Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to you and your family. Enjoy the holiday celebration with you love ones.

The video of the skimmer is solid ! Where u get the skimmer?

Don't think so.. Only elos, fauna marine and zeovit is available here I think.

Irwanna still have baby size regal angel, Venatus angel, algae Benny,small size clown trigger, clown fish, baby size blue tangs ect...

Yes definitely .. My bill was cut at least $ 50.00 per month after running drop in coil.

Click through to see the images. First we have invasive lionfish infesting local Atlantic waters, out-competing endemic fish. Now we have invasive brittlestars, Ophiothela mirabilis, taking up residence! As mentioned, these brittlestars were originally only found in Pacific waters where they infest gorgonians and sponges in multitudes. It is believed they potentially originated from shipping traffic, as the brittlestars were found in ports almost 4,500 miles apart. Given their almost exclusive yellow-color (seen above), they are also believed to have originated from a single lineage. Map detailing their distribution. The map to the right highlights where these brittlestars were observed, starting in the year 2000. In 2000, they were found in Brazil off Ilha do Pai, Rio de Janeiro. Next in 2004, they were observed in Farol da Barra, Bahia. In 2009, O. mirabilis was seen in Ilha do Mel, Paraná. Finally in 2011, they were spotted in Camden Park Bay, St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles. As of 2012, they are reported more and more throughout the St. Vincent area. According to researchers Hendler, Migotto, Ventura, and Wilk who penned the paper, the 6-armed brittlestars’ proliferation “is enhanced by its capacity for fissiparous, asexual reproduction, a process producing cloned progeny with regenerating arms.” It is not host-specific, meaning they can exist on numerous gorgonians and sponges without problems. This low host specificity “may also help it colonize new territory.” Given the many unknowns, it is still unclear how this new brittlestar will impact the Atlantic reef environments in the coming years. Gordon Hendler of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and author of the paper is asking for help tracking these brittlestars. If you happen to see them while diving, photograph them and note the time, date, and location, and forward it to Gordon at hendler@nhm.org for entry into his database. He would also like preserved specimens from both the Pacific and Atlantic, if possible, for further identification work. View the full article

Click through to see the images. The CAD Lights NR-1 Nano Bio-reactor features: Effectively removes and controls Nitrates, Phosphates and Nuisance Algae for aquariums 5G-50G (with respective livestock volume. 100% Seamless Top Quality Cell-cast Acrylic Super durable 1/4" Construction. Ultra-slim 2.5" Diameter body at 12" Overall height including all plumbing. 150ML Capacity Bio-pellet works great for all Nano reefs from 5G up to 50G. Professionally handcrafted for Total silent operation (Set it and Forget it) Anti-Clumping design Unique FULL tumbling effect ensures Maximum pellet interaction and movement. High speed smooth distribution system with Low agitation Multiple ways to install with 4-directional clamp mount, works great above water and fully submerged Simple maintenance and dis-assembly MSRP: $89.99 USD Expected availability is the end of August, 2012 Product link: http://www.cadlights.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=51&products_id=226 View the full article

Click through to see the images. We all know how important proper feeding is for corals. Properly fed corals are more robust and healthy and zooplankton capture can even help them recover faster from bleaching episodes. One thing researchers did not know until recently, though, was how soon corals actually begin feeding on zooplankton after settlement and metamorphosis into polyps. Published recently in the journal Coral Reefs, researchers Cumbo, Fan, and Edmunds investigated this question and published the results in their paper “Scleractinian corals capture zooplankton within days of settlement and metamorphosis.” Their research centered on the scleractinian coral Seriatopora caliendrum, a coral that is known to actively feed on Artemia nauplii. They found that S. caliendrum was able to successfully capture and ingest Artemia within eight days of recruitment. As Artemia swam by, the tiny coral polyps were able to stretch out their tentacles, capture the nauplii (supposedly with nematocysts) and pull them into their mouths within 10-20 minutes. One polyp was even observed to pull five Artemia into its mouth within one hour. Talk about an appetite! This study again underlines the importance of properly feeding the animals in our care. View the full article

Click through to see the images. We all know how important it is to properly feed our corals. Properly fed corals are more robust and healthy, and zooplankton capture can even help them recover faster from bleaching episodes. Researchers did not know until recently, though, how soon corals begin feeding on zooplankton after settlement and metamorphosis. Published recently in the journal Coral Reefs, researchers Cumbo, Fan, and Edmunds investigated this question and documented the results in their paper “Scleractinian corals capture zooplankton within days of settlement and metamorphosis.” Their research centered on the scleractinian coral Seriatopora caliendrum, a coral that is known to actively feed on Artemia nauplii. They found that S. caliendrum was able to successfully capture and ingest Artemia within eight days of recruitment. As Artemia swam by, the tiny coral polyps stretched out their tentacles, captured the nauplii (supposedly using their nematocysts) and pulled them into their mouths within 10-20 minutes. One polyp was even observed to pull five Artemia into its mouth within one hour. Talk about an appetite! This study again underlines the importance of properly feeding the animals in our care. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Compare the size and location of P.polleni's swim bladder (above) to the small, distant swim bladder of the bottom-dwelling cichlid, S.tinant (below). P.polleini's larger swim bladder does more than help its buoyancy; P.polleini is also the better listener. Researchers Tanja Schulz-Mirbach, Brian Metscher, and Friedrich Ladich from the University of Vienna compared four morphologically diverse species of Asian and African cichlids to study the correlation between the morphology of their swim bladders and their auditory abilities. The research affirms the few other previous studies about this subject - that fish with larger swim bladders hear better. Fish with anterior swim bladder extensions in close proximity to their inner ears demonstrated markedly better hearing abilities, including higher sensitivity to sound as well as wider detectable frequency ranges. In laymen's terms, anterior swim bladders next to the fishes' inner ear act as amplifiers ... nature's version of fish hearing aids. Bottom-dwelling species generally have diminished/vestigial swim bladders and thus have poorer hearing than their pelagic counterparts. The paper's abstract is shared below. Read the full open-access article published in PLoS ONE. Background Several teleost species have evolved anterior extensions of the swim bladder which come close to or directly contact the inner ears. A few comparative studies have shown that these morphological specializations may enhance hearing abilities. This study investigates the diversity of swim bladder morphology in four Asian and African cichlid species and analyzes how this diversity affects their hearing sensitivity. Methodology/Principal Findings We studied swim bladder morphology by dissections and by making 3D reconstructions from high-resolution microCT scans. The auditory sensitivity was determined in terms of sound pressure levels (SPL) and particle acceleration levels (PAL) using the auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording technique. The swim bladders in Hemichromis guttatus and Steatocranus tinanti lacked anterior extensions and the swim bladder was considerably small in the latter species. In contrast, Paratilapia polleni and especially Etroplus maculatus possessed anterior extensions bringing the swim bladder close to the inner ears. All species were able to detect frequencies up to 3 kHz (SPL) except S. tinanti which only responded to frequencies up to 0.7 kHz. P. polleni and E. maculatus showed significantly higher auditory sensitivities at 0.5 and 1 kHz than the two species lacking anterior swim bladder extensions. The highest auditory sensitivities were found in E. maculatus, which possessed the most intimate swim bladder-inner ear relationship (maximum sensitivity 66 dB re 1 µPa at 0.5 kHz). Conclusions Our results indicate that anterior swim bladder extensions seem to improve mean absolute auditory sensitivities by 21–42 dB (SPLs) and 21–36 dB (PALs) between 0.5 and 1 kHz. Besides anterior extensions, the size of the swim bladder appears to be an important factor for extending the detectable frequency range (up to 3 kHz). View the full article

Click through to see the images. Ecotech Marine announced their new TIR lenses last week (read their announcement for full details). For $30 per pair of lenses, Ecotech claims 23% more total output and 45% more peak output over the stock reflector with no other modification. That's right; 23% more light/watt efficiency. But does the TIR live up to its billing? Description While the stock reflector consists of a metallic reflector and an acrylic shield held together with two screws, the new TIR lens are fabricated from a single piece of acrylic. Each lens contains individual optics for each LED. Savvy readers may count 21 optics per lens despite the current Radion containing only 17 LEDs per cluster. Ecotech will not say whether a new LED cluster module is planned, but we suspect something is in the works. Installation The installation of the TIR is simple and quick. It took us no more than 10 minutes to change both lenses with minimal tools. The photo below shows the original reflector on the left and the newly installed TIR lens on the right. Ecotech posted a video showing how to upgrade Radions to the new TIR lenses. " height="408" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="680"> "> "> Performance Simply put, the TIR lives up to Ecotech's claims. The new lenses are strikingly brighter to the eye as is demonstrated in the photo below (the old reflector on the left vs the new TIR lens on the right). According to our Apogee PAR meter, the TIR registered (on average) 32% more output 24" directly below the center of the LED cluster. Additionally, the individual LED colors appear more evenly mixed and distributed. The TIR lenses represents an impressive performance upgrade for a mere $30 per pair of lenses. We hope the new TIR will become the standard lens included with future Ecotech Radion. View the full article

Dear Reefers, Mark your calender this year as SRC will be organizing another event this year for the hobbyist from 07.12.2012 till 09.12.2012 . Expect to see some of the latest reefing gadget on display and tank concept from various tank manufacturer vendor. Marine Aquarium Society will also be organizing the first ever Marine Nano tank competition at the event itself and promise to be something to look out for. For a change, we will be inviting friends from some local freshwater club as well to the event to join us in making this event more fun and interesting. Key Event Highlight - Marine nano tank competition ( Organize by MASS ) - Betta Competition ( By Betta Club Singapore ) - 3rd International Discus Competition ( By Discus Club Singapore ) - Guppy Competition ( By Guppy Club Singapore ) - Latest Reefing gadget / equipment - Marine / Freshwater tank concept display - Educational Talks by oversea guest ( To be confirm ) Location : IMM Shopping center Garden plaza ( Level 3 ) @ 2 Jurong East Street 21 Singapore 609966 ** First 3 hour Free parking at IMM for those who drive. We will update here for more information ... Stay tune !

Click through to see the images. The overall goal of the mission, which left Freeport, Texas, on July 14 and returned to Pensacola, Fla., on July 24, was to examine coral ecosystems and related habitats that developed over several decades on or near actively producing deep-ocean oil and gas production platforms. Undersea structures supporting energy production platforms provide some of the scarce hard surfaces in the Gulf where Lophelia pertusa, a deep cold-water coral that lives where there is no sunlight, can grow. Scientists imaged corals in both high-definition video and still photography and also took samples for DNA sequencing to better understand the biology, growth and distribution of deep-sea corals. Through cameras on a remotely operated vehicle used to survey coral growth on oil and gas platforms, scientists observed Lophelia coral at a depth of 2620 feet (799 m) on undersea structures supporting the Ram Powell platform, which was built in 1997 and is one of the deepest platforms in the Gulf. The previous record depth for Lophelia in the Gulf was about 2066 feet (630 m). Scientists also visited four other deepwater platforms. In addition to abundant Lophelia coral and anemones, numerous western roughy fish are seen living in the community (smaller cousins of the orange roughy, common in the deep Gulf of Mexico it only reaches 6 inches as opposed to 30 inches for the orange). This structure only rises about 30 feet above the bottom and does not go to the surface. Pipelines transported oil and gas to another platform several milesaway. “Finding Lophelia at this depth was very exciting for the whole team, especially for those of us who have been studying coral habitat for decades,” said Gregory Boland, a biological oceanographer in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Environmental Studies Program who has overseen this and other coral studies. “Our findings complement previous joint research on coral ecosystems and will help policy-makers manage and protect ocean resources on the Outer Continental Shelf.” The expedition included scientists and technicians from BOEM, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operating jointly under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, which fosters the use of pooled federal resources such as funding, ships, equipment, and personnel to best meet agency and national priorities in ocean stewardship. Scientists from Temple, Pennsylvania State and Florida State universities were an integral part of the team. For BOEM, the expedition was the culmination of a series of research missions taking place since 2002, when the bureau launched its first deepwater Lophelia coral studies in the Gulf. The new data will be incorporated into a final report BOEM plans to publish in 2013. The bureau plans to monitor deepwater corals periodically through other studies it will undertake in the region. Large Lophelia colonies and numerous anemones on a portion of the subsea completion structure in block Mississippi Canyon 355 at a depth of about 1,500 ft. Red laser beams, projected from the ROV, represent a separation of 10 centimeters (about 4 inches). A western roughy is seen to the left of the structure. The structure was installed on the seabed in 1992 allowing a maximum possible period of 20 years for coral growth. In the last 12 years, BOEM completed 13 studies of platform corals, fish and habitat; six platform biology studies are ongoing. The cruise augments the ongoing USGS program Diversity Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems (DISCOVRE), dedicated to the study of deep-sea coral environments in the Gulf and the Atlantic. Joint ocean expeditions and discoveries also raise questions that give rise to follow-on research and advanced technology development, and they provide critical information to help ocean resource managers make better-informed decisions. Photos, videos and logs from the expedition are posted on NOAA’s ocean exploration website under the heading of “Lophelia II 2012: Deepwater Platform Corals” at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/. Data from the mission advance NOAA’s goals of exploring the ocean for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of knowledge. (via NOAA press release) View the full article

Click through to see the images. The Coral Restoration Foundation is a non-profit organization that restores Floridian coral reefs with Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata grown at off-shore coral nurseries. Ken Nedimyer, their president and former marine life collector and dealer, credits aquarists for innovating the coral propagating techniques CRF uses. And now he can credit the aquarium trade for financial support as well. Eight aquarium industry businesses have donated $5,000 or more each to sponsor outplanting of staghorn and elkhorn coral at new sites in need of restoration. [via PetProductNews.com] View the full article

Another new week and holiday ... Selamat Hari Raya Puasa to all Muslim reefer !!

What brand of test kit are you using ? It look normal to me just test your water again a few day later. If possible , try to draw up a chart and you should able to see the nitrogen cycle where ammonia peak and fall again. A good video on nitrogen cycling.

Sorry correction.. I though it was talking about chemi pure which is the filtration bag. Vita chem is a food addictive which is use to mix with food.