Harlequinmania

Scientists working in the central Pacific have discovered that coral which has survived heat stress in the past is more likely to survive it in the future. The study paves the way towards an important road map on the impacts of ocean warming, and will help scientists identify the habitats and locations where coral reefs are more likely to adapt to climate change. View the full article

The decline of Caribbean coral reefs has been linked to the recent effects of human-induced climate change. However, new research suggests an even earlier cause. The bad news – humans are still to blame. The good news – relatively simple policy changes regarding land use and fishing activity can hinder further coral reef decline. View the full article

The decline of Caribbean coral reefs has been linked to the recent effects of human-induced climate change. However, new research suggests an even earlier cause. The bad news – humans are still to blame. The good news – relatively simple policy changes regarding land use and fishing activity can hinder further coral reef decline. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Back in December, I covered how an archaeologist had uncovered an ancient fossilized squid and used its ink to draw a likeness of it after the archaeological dig. I thought that was pretty cool but not many of us are going to uncover our own fossilized squids to be able to do this. If this idea of printing with squid ink interests you either with squid you catch yourself or with squid you buy frozen from the supermarket, check out the Instructable on Make:Projects that covers all the steps. In the instructable, the author Christy Canida explains how to source squid for the task, extract the ink, and either use it for linoleum printing or even cooking. She links to sources on working with linocuts and to a tasty recipe for squid ink risotto with squid. This should make for a great weekend project. If you do try it, paste a link in the comments below to either your squid ink artwork or to a tasty photo of your squid ink risotto with squid! (via Make Magazine) View the full article

Extreme weather such as hurricanes, torrential downpours and droughts will become more frequent in pace with global warming. Consequently, this increases the risk for species extinction, especially in bio diverse ecosystems such as coral reefs and tropical rainforests. View the full article

It is often amaze to see a frogfish as one of the most unquie sea animal found in the ocean and in our aquarium. The frogfish is amazing able to blend itself perfectly with their surrounding in the ocean. Some of the frogfish have fleshly flaos that mimic algae, while others are covered in a warty texture which look identical to sponges or rubble. Frogfish are shallow water fish, living in a variety of substrates from algal flats, to rock strewn slopes, and sandy plains.Frogfish also vary greatly in size, from the size of your thumbnail to a slightly deflated soccer ball. They can perch themselves in uncanny positions and remain there for extended periods of time. A video of the frog fish feeding. A frogfish attracts and snags fish with the use of an illicium, a rod-and-lure-type spine that protrudes from the animal's forehead and dangles over its mouth. Once the prey approaches and attempts to bite on the tip of the illicium, the frogfish quickly opens its mouth wide and sucks in the animal. Because frogfish don't have teeth, the chemicals in their digestive track do most of the work of breaking down their prey. While Frog fish can be a very interesting ,fascinating and beautiful fish, it is not recommended for those new to keeping saltwater aquariums mainly due to it's diet. Live feed is necessary to get it to feed initially and slowly switching over to frozen food to remove it;s dependency on live feed.

Click through to see the images. This finding to date has only been found in humans and in Shark Bay bottlenose dolphins and was reported recently in the journal Proceedings of the Royal B Society. In a nutshell, what Dr. Connor and others found was that male bottlenose dolphins of Shark Bay, Australia are highly complex in their social behavior. Over the five year period that these dolphins were studied, the researchers observed a myriad of different social behaviors and interactions especially with the males as their ranges highly overlap with other bottlenose dolphin pods. When new pods meet, each member of the group needs to know how to respond appropriately. What the Connor and others found was that the bottlenose dolphins interact at least three different ways: Pairs and trios herd and capture females. Multiple dolphins ranging from 4-14 animals form "alliances" to attack other pods and take their females or to defend against other groups of marauding males after their females. Multiple large groups of dolphins forming dolphin "armies" to fend off large groups of opposing dolphin clans. According to Dr. Connor, it takes very high intelligence in an animal species to be able to navigate the different social interactions that are required to maintain this sort of society. (via BBC) View the full article

Love it or hated it, the Blue spotted box fish is a very beautiful fish to have in a aquarium. Unfortunately it is not suitable for a newbie or general reefer indenting to keep it together with some of your other fishes unless you are willing to setup a dedicated tank for it. When the Blue spotted box fish is under stress or dieing, it is well known for releasing a poison, called ostracitoxin, which can quickly kill an entire tank of fish, including the boxfish itself. Its beauty merits a species tank, however. The male has the blue spots on its sides, while the female arise uniformly brown with white spots. You can keep a single male, single female or a pair but don’t try to keep two males box fish together. The Bluespotted boxfish can also be a challenge to get it to feed. Before you purchase one next time, be sure that you are able to see it eating heartily. This fish may require some live food to start with in the form of enriched live brine shrimp, guppies or mollies or other live fish, and It also requires some algae in their diet. It can be a good cleaner in the tank since it will scrape at algae in your tank, but it should also be offered some frozen foods in order to keep healthy. The bluespotted boxfish is suitable for a reef tank, since it would tend to attach coral as food as well as attacking invert like shrimps, crabs and algae as being part of its personal dining foods. Male spotted box fish Female spotted box fish

Click through to see the images. eBay seller 2ndunitfilms has listed the cylindrical "specimen tank" for $6,499 including aluminum base.* The tank measures 88 inches tall from the floor (including the base) to the top lip. The acrylic cylinders are approximately 3/4 inches thick and 24 inches in diameter. We estimate the total volume is around 120 gallons. *According to the seller: The aluminum Rocket bases [...] can be seen in the film 'Star Trek' the latest one on the scene where Kirk and McKoy and Spock are on the loading docks about to depart for the first time. Advanced Aquarist can not verify the authenticity of these items. If they are legitimate, here's your chance to purchase movie props from not one but two major feature films. Here is the scene in Independence Day (starring Will Smith) where the tanks appear; This scene is known as the "Freak Show": " height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512"> "> "> View the full article

Click through to see the images. eBay seller 2ndunitfilms has listed the cylindrical "specimen tank" for $6,499 including aluminum base.* The tank measures 88 inches tall from the floor (including the base) to the top lip. The acrylic cylinders are approximately 3/4 inches thick and 24 inches in diameter. We estimate the total volume is around 120 gallons. *According to the seller: The aluminum Rocket bases [...] can be seen in the film 'Star Trek' the latest one on the scene where Kirk and McKoy and Spock are on the loading docks about to depart for the first time. Advanced Aquarist can not verify the authenticity of these items. If they are legitimate, here's your chance to purchase movie props from not one but two major feature films. Here is the scene in Independence Day (starring Will Smith) where the tanks appear; This scene is known as the "Freak Show": " height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512"> "> "> View the full article

Singapore Reef Club (SRC) is proud to featured this quarter (March 12 ~ May 12) Tank of the Quarter ( TOTQ ) winner .Bellina Yu aka (Bellinayu) beautiful SPS dominated reef tank to be be showcase . Brief Introduction of your history of setting up your tank I was drawn to this hobby when I was moving to a new home. Since I gave up diving, I missed the quietness and awe of the underwater world and thought how nice to have a slice of the ocean in my living room where I could just be in my own world. I got my husband’s buy in to this idea and I never looked back since then. I am very thankful to have his support in this hobby. He is paying for all the electric bills . This was more than 6 years back. I started with a 4x2x2 LPS dominated tank and later changed to a 3.5 x 2 x 2 as I wanted the water change to be more manageable for myself. My current tank is a SPS dominated tank. Having a small real estate space, I had to be very selective in my choice of corals and fishes. I’m particularly fond of these SPS species: digitatas, montiporas cap, milliporas, birdnests. I stay away from the more demanding Walt Smith Acroporas Tank details and specification Main Tank size ; 3.5 ft (L) x 2 ft (W) x 2 ft (H) Sump tank size ; 80cm (L) x 43cm (W) x 47cm (H) Types of Glass / thickness ; Normal / 12mm Total Water volume of system ; About 435 Litres Weekly Maintenance Routine 3 Oceanic pails of RO/DI water with salt mix Siphon detritus from sump and overflow compartment Wash / change cotton wool Clean skimmer cup Check parameters esp. KH reading Dose bacteria Tank system profile ( Equipments list and lighting period ) Skimmer ; Deltec AP850 Mechanical filtration ; Filter sock / cotton wool ect ?Cotton wool & fiter sock for my FR & skimmer output Calcium reactor ; Deltec 501 Kalk reactor ; DIY Kalk reactor connected to water top up devise (built by Gary) Dosing pump ; Marine Magic (KH & Mg) Chemical filtration ; P04 remover and carbon : Rowaphos in a FR Main return pump ; Tesino Amphibious Pump (GP-233 8000L/H 70W 4.5m)Wave maker ; Tunze 6085 & 6055 Lighting / period ; ATI Powermodule (8 hrs); 2 x Par 30 & 1 par 38 (5 hrs); Beamsworks powerstrip 35 for moonlight) (1 hr) Addictive used Please give some details of the brands/ types of addictive that you used and how frequent do you used it ? Weekly dosage Zeo Coral snow, Amino acid & bacteria Feeding of sps after lights off (try to) List of live stocks in your tank SPS: Montipora digitatas, Montiporas capricornis, Montiporas foveolata, Milliporas, Seriatopora hystrix, Seriatopora caliendrum , Pocillopora damicornis, Acropora tortuosa, Acropora hyacinthus. LPS: Cynarina lacrymalis, Scolymia vitiensis Clams: 2 x Squamosa, 1 x mini Maxima Others: Mini carpets Fishes: a pair of Black Ocellaris clowns, a pair True percular clowns, a pair of Halichoeres iridis, Macropharyngodon bipartitus, Black Cap Basslet Cleaners: Astrea snails, Electric Blue hermits, Hairy Pincushion Urchin Some personal Q & A questions 1. How long have you been reefing ? Ans ; 6 years 2. How did you get into this hobby ? Ans ; Refer to above 3. Are you a fish guy or a Coral guy/gal ? Ans ; Coral gal 4. What is your main concern when looking around for your reefing equipment Ans ; Reliability & affordability 5. What is your favorite past time Ans ; Water change , sports 6. What is the satisfaction you got from this hobby ? Ans ; All the corals & fishes are doing well 7. Any advice for newbie in this hobby ? Ans ; When everything goes well, the hobby can be very enjoyable but when things go wrong, it can be very discouraging especially when you have to deal with it yourself. This hobby requires a lot of patience and dedication. I have tasted my fair share of tank disasters – tank leak, equipment failures, power trip, algae outbreak...Knowing some nice reefing kakis do help in easing the burden. For those who are considering to start a marine tank, a word of advise: do as much reading, research, planning and talking to as many people as possible. It’s really important to know your livestock andit’s compatibility with the rest of the other things in the ecosystem. Then chose suitable equipment to sustain your chosen livestock for the particular tank size. It pays to spend more time cycling your tank and to introduce your livestock slowly. To enjoy this hobby fully, you have to pace yourself. This hobby is a marathon and not a sprint. Final Acknowledgement and thanks you note ( If any ). Thank You SG reef Club (SRC) who has set up this platform which enabled so many of us to share and exchange knowledge and tips so that we can learn from one another. This has made us a more informed reefer. Through SRC, I came to know so many reefing friends. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my reefing friends / kakis who have helped and taught me so much: Drato – my sifu who lured me to the dark side of SPS. Gary – the equipment guru whom I seek help and advise in the various aquarium equipments. Gouldian, Rockyboy, Fuel, Lemon, Terryz – MASS buddies whom I came to know while setting up the society. Ming, Cedric, Wilson, Joe – Sharing of knowledge and experience.

Click through to see the images. Fishbase.org is a popular reference website for fish researchers and enthusiasts; It is simply the largest, most scientific, most complete, and most accessible online database for finned animals. If you want to learn a fish's maximum size, natural distribution, depth range, etc., you turn to Fishbase.org. But we know oceans and lakes contain more life than just fish. Enter SeaLifeBase.org. From Tridacna maxima to Acropora millepora, Lysmata amboinensis to Entacmaea quadricolor, SeaLifeBase.org provides data on non-finned species in the same familiar format of Fishbase.org. If you don't recognize any of the Latin names we just listed, use SeaLifeBase.org! The long-term goal of this project is to create and maintain a FishBase-like information system for all aquatic living organisms (marine and freshwater), ca. 400,000 spp. Of these, marine organisms (about 240,000 spp) are the target of the current project phase. It will not provide yet another authority list of species, but rather, for each species included, make available the biological information necessary to conduct biodiversity and ecosystem studies, taking advantage of lists of species already available on paper and electronically, and using the scientific names as ‘hook’ to organize biodiversity information. SeaLifeBase.org was started in 2006 so it is still relatively unknown amongst aquarists, even seasoned aquarists. Advanced Aquarist hopes to bring SeaLifeBase.org out of obscurity; This website is an excellent reference tool that all marine life enthusiasts should use. View the full article

Click through to see the images. CORVALLIS, Ore. – It appears the corals that form such important parts of marine ecosystems harbor many different viruses – particularly herpes. And although they don’t get runny noses or stomach upset, corals also are home to the adenoviruses and other viral families that can cause human colds and gastrointestinal disease. In a research review published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, scientists point out that coral declines are reaching crisis proportions but little has been done so far to explore viral disease as one of the mechanisms for this problem. “Coral abundance in the Caribbean Sea has gone down about 80 percent in the past 30-40 years, and about one-third of the corals around the world are threatened with extinction,” said Rebecca Vega-Thurber, an assistant professor of microbiology at Oregon State University. “We’ve identified 22 kinds of emerging disease that affect corals, but still don’t know the pathogens that cause most of them,” Vega-Thurber said. “Most researchers have looked only at bacteria. But we suspect viruses may play a role in this as well, and it’s important to learn more about what is causing this problem. Corals are the building blocks of the tropical seas.” A research program at OSU, one of only two of its type in the world, is studying viral “metagenomics” in corals, meaning the analysis of multiple genomes at the same time. It may help explain one of the underlying causes of coral decline, Vega-Thurber said, and is one of the most comprehensive analyses yet done on the types of viruses in a marine animal. It may also shed light on the broader range of viruses that affect not only corals but many other animals, including humans. One of the surprises from recent research was the predominance in corals of herpes viruses – similar but not identical to the herpes virus that can infect humans. Herpes viruses appear to constitute a majority of the viruses found in corals, and one experiment showed that herpes-like viral sequences were produced in coral tissues after acute episodes of stress. “We were shocked to find that so many coral viruses were in the herpes family,” Vega-Thurber said. “But corals are one of the oldest animal life forms, evolving around 500 million years ago, and herpes is a very old family of viruses that can infect almost every kind of animal. Herpes and corals may have evolved together.” It’s not yet certain, researchers say, whether the viruses being found on corals are actually causing diseases. “Just because you harbor a virus doesn’t mean you are getting sick from it,” Vega-Thurber said. “This is part of what we have to pin down with further research.” Some of the possible causes of coral decline that have been identified so far include global warming that causes coral bleaching, loss of symbiotic algae that help nourish corals, pollution such as sewage runoff, and human-coral interactions. A “mucus” sometimes found on corals can harbor human-borne viruses, and levels of these viruses have been correlated with terrestrial human population density. “We have found that nutrient increases from pollution can cause increased levels of viral infection, as do warmer water and physical handling,” Vega-Thurber said. “Now we have to determine if those increases in infection cause actual diseases that are killing the coral.” Corals are often a major component of marine ecosystems and biodiversity, especially in the tropics. They host thousands of species of fish and other animals. And whether or not viruses are implicated in coral disease, it may also be that they are passing diseases along to fish. Research is “likely to reveal that viruses have numerous and profound roles on coral reefs,” the scientists wrote in their study. “As the diversity, distribution and function of reef-associated viruses becomes increasingly well defined, so will our ability to predict, prevent and/or mitigate disease epizootics on coral reefs.” About the OSU College of Science: As one of the largest academic units at OSU, the College of Science has 14 departments and programs, 13 pre-professional programs, and provides the basic science courses essential to the education of every OSU student. Its faculty are international leaders in scientific research. (News release via Oregon State University) View the full article

Many consumers want to increase their intake of heart-healthy n-3 fatty acids, found naturally in fish and fish products, but find it difficult to consume the levels recommended by the American Heart Association. Scientists have now demonstrated that it may be possible to achieve the suggested daily intake in a single serving of a savory-flavored yogurt, providing an easily incorporated dietary source for these valuable fatty acids. View the full article

Anglers are required to use circle hooks in some fishing tournaments because they are less likely to cause lethal injuries in billfish, such as marlin. However, new research shows that broadening circle hook requirements could adversely impact charter and recreational fishing, since they make it more difficult to catch non-billfish. View the full article

Anglers are required to use circle hooks in some fishing tournaments because they are less likely to cause lethal injuries in billfish, such as marlin. However, new research shows that broadening circle hook requirements could adversely impact charter and recreational fishing, since they make it more difficult to catch non-billfish. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Editorial Note: This article was edited for clarity. Advanced Aquarist believes it is important to present diverse husbandry of successful aquariums from around the world but does not endorse all the techniques of our featured aquariums. Always research and carefully plan before attempting to replicate any system. Aquariums have been a hobby of mine for over 10 years, but let it be known my interest with reef aquariums have a much more important place in my life. My even older interest in photography combined with my interest in this hobby makes it really worth the time. My house is filled with guests from far away and very different worlds. The successful husbandry of these reef species bears witness to the activities and behavior of a man with dedication. Of course, that is our responsibility as their host, with the most important task of making our guests comfortable. It is a necessity in this hobby to ensure a suitable environment for all living things. This requires serious knowledge and experience. From the first day, I spent most of my time researching this subject. With each passing day, I am excited to learn something new to apply and implement. This is my third reef aquarium after two previous attempts. As with every new build, my planning and design for this tank is based on my previous live experiences. I have considered past problems and applied convenient methods to address many issues. I started my latest project on the 30th of July 2010 and put the first water in the tank on the 29th of October 2010. After the start of the system, I waited approximately 2 months until the aquarium hosted its first guest. This process formed the basis of the system to grow a suitable biological environment while I made the necessary arrangements to follow all the controlled design factors. Equipment General Tank Information In order to use T5 lighting on a big tank, I designed the most suitable tank dimensions that could be lit with 80W fluorescents. T5 lighting was a decisive factor for my tank height. Because I wanted a SPS-weighted and a mixed reef aquarium, I attached a frag tank to system. I made the refugium completely for visual reasons because of my enthusiasm to care for some different species such as sea horses and pipefish. Starting Date: October 29, 2010 Main Tank: 180 x 90 x 55 cm (71 x 36 x 22 inches) Sump: 90 x 70 x 40 cm (36 x 28 x 16 inches) Frag Tank: 70 x 45 x 35 cm (28 x 18 x 14 inches) Refugium: 25 x 25 x 35 cm (10 x 10 x 14 inches) Total Water Volume: 1100 liter (290 US Gallons) Lighting In my previous tanks, I used metal halide and LED fixtures. Based on my experience as well as my technical and visual sense, I thought I may be more successful using T5 lighting. 12 x 80W T5 (Main Tank) 6 x 24W T5 (Frag Tank) 1 x 24W PL (Refugium) Circulation and Return Pumps I considered stability, silence and efficiency to decide the circulation and return pumps. I conceal the wavebox and wavemaking devices to create a more natural view. Circulation Pumps: 2 x Hydor Koralia 7 (Main Tank) 1 x Hydor Koralia 5 (Main Tank) 2 x Hydor Koralia 3 (Main Tank) 1 x Tunze Wavebox 6212 (Main Tank) 1 x Seio Prop 1000 (Frag Tank) Return Pumps: 1 x NewJet 6000 (Main Tank) 1 x NewJet 4500 (Main Tank, Chiller & Reactors) 1 x NewJet 3000 (Frag Tank & Refugium) Dosing I have preferred the balling method ever since my first reef tank and I'm very happy with it. I have never considered switching to other methods. In fact, over time I created my own balling formulas. ReeFlowers additives are produced using these formulas, and are used in Turkey and many countries by many hobbyist. Bubble Magus Dosing Pump (7 Pumps) DIY Kalkwasser Reactor For the first time, I am using the kalkwasser to support the balling method. There are four reasons I use kalkwasser: I dose at night to minimize the fluctuations in pH between day and night. To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the water. To precipitate phosphate and heavy metals. It does not affect the ionic balance, only adding calcium directly and alkalinity indirectly. Filtration I thought about my aquarium's filtration system to achieve two main fundamental goals. The most important is to provide oxygen, and this is done with a protein skimmer. The second is to support biological filtration, for which I use biopellets. I am also using activated carbon at the same time for possible chemical build-ups,. I don't use any mechanical filtration methods. Bubble King Deluxe 250 Internal Protein Skimmer Biopellet Reactor Active Carbon Reactor Temperature Control I think for the most stable and reliable temperature, the heater and chiller should be integrated. For this reason, I have chosen a chiller with both heating and cooling functions in a single unit (Teco TC 20 Chiller). I set up the aquarium's temperature for 26,5 C (79.7 F) in winter and 27,5 C (81.5 F) in summer. Development of My Aquarium I haven't had any serious problems except for Aiptasia ever since installation until recently. I rescued the tank from Aiptasias with Chelmon butterfly . In general, growth rate of my corals is fast until they make contact with other corals. Currently, all the corals in contact with each other are cut down a block. Corals also need pruning from time to time in order to see behind them. 02.11.2010 (Nov 2, 2010) 26.01.2011 (Jan 26, 2011) 04.03.2011 (March 4, 2011) 25.03.2011 (March 25, 2011) 30.05.2011 (May 30, 2011) 09.10.2011 (Oct 9, 2011) 30.12.2011 (Dec 30, 2011) Additives I endeavor to simplify additives as much as possible. I do not add any extra additives manually. I only dose the balling additives, kalkwasser and salt. If I have find any decline in parameters as a result of my tests, I only use extra additive to normalize the lacking concentration. ReeFlowers kH Blend (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Calcium Blend (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Magnesium Blend (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Ionic Balancer (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Enriched Kalkwasser (Kalkwasser Reactor & Dosing Pump) Tropic Marin Salt Feeding I believe feeding is effective for fish health and also for coral growth. Despite feeding high amounts, my nitrate and phosphate values are still low and the coral growth is very fast. Of course, the growth must be controlled by water parameters, ionic balance, lighting, circulation, etc. New Life Spectrum Optimum Salt H2O New Life Spectrum Thera - A New Life Spectrum Marine Fish Formula New Life SpectruMax Ocean Nutrition Formula One Ocean Nutrition Formula One Flake Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Tetra Pro Vegetables Nutron Artemia Daphnia Krill Kelp Alg Blood Worm Spirulina Nori Seaweed Cyclop Eeze Preis Coral Energizer Brightwell ZooPlanktos-L Brightwell PhytoChrome Frozen Seafood (Caviar, Calamaris, Shrimp, etc.) Live Enriched Artemia Live PhytoPlankton Water Parameters I check salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate weekly. For a more detailed analysis, I send a sample of tank water to the ReeFlowers Aquarium Laboratory monthly. Salinity - 34 ppt (Refractometer) Alkalinity - 8.5 dkH (Hanna Photometer) Calcium - 460 ppm (Tropic Marin) Magnesium - 1380 ppm (Tropic Marin) Nitrate - 1 ppm (Tropic Marin) Phosphate - 0,02 ppm (Hanna Photometer) Periodic Maintenance Periodic maintenance has been boring for me every time, cleaning glass, making test, cleaning the protein skimmer etc. For this reason, I try to find ways to facilitate maintenance work. For example, protein skimmer is connected to the waste water exit and I set up the daily waste collection 3 lt. In this way the skimmer throat is polluted lately and offset the increase in salinity caused by balling and automatically change the water every day is made. In addition, using the freshwater part, I can change 10% of water through valves and keys. Weekly Control Water Parameters Clean glass Monthly Replace activated carbon Clean filter for chiller Clean protein skimmer container Control of kalkwasser reactor Control of biopellet reactor Control of balling containers Perform 10% water change Send sample water to ReeFlowers Aquarium Lab (18 parameters tested) Yearly Change T5 lamps Clean circulation & return pumps Clean protein skimmer Perform 20% water change Livestock We need to investigate the compatibility between species when creating our stocking list. In my earlier aquariums, I stayed up many nights to keep to trap aggressive species. I think that fish excrement are also the most natural food source for corals, so I aimed to create a large fish population. Fish Tomini Tang 9 x Chromis Clown Tang 4 x Scooter Goby Longnose Hawkfish 2 x Percula Midas Blenny 2 x Lopez's Unicorn Tang 2 x Flame Hawkfish Spotted Mandarin 2 x Carpenter Wrasse 14 x Squammapinnis Anthias 3 x Dispar Anthias Jaguar Wrasse 2 x Banggai Cardinal 7 x Apogen Cardinal Scopas Tang 10 x Yellow Tang Lawnmower Blenny Orange Shoulder Tang 2 x Tuka Anthias Magnificient Foxface Convict Tang 2 x Fire Clownfish Chelmon Butterflyfish 2 x Banded Pipefish (at the Refigium) Invertebrates 2 x Pink Reef Lobster Red Marble Starfish Tridacna Crocea 3 x Dolabella 4 x Cleaner Shrimp 30 x Turbo Snail 80 x Conch 2 x Sally Lightfoot Crab 6 x Blue Legged Hermit Crab Red-Green Mushroom Anemone Blue-Purple Mushroom Anemone Purple Tube Anemone SPS Corals Green Montipora sp. Red Montipora plating coral Green Montipora plating coral Purple Montipora plating coral Velvet green Psammacora contigua Blue Montipora digitata Brown-Purple Montipora digitata Lilac Montipora digitata Orange Montipora digitata Dark green Montipora digitata Green Montipora digitata Montipora undata Orange Superman Montipora Green Montipora danae Blue Montipora danae Green-blue Acropora sp. Turquoise Acropora sp. Blue-purple Acropora sp. Green Acropora sp. Green Acropora staghorn Dark Green Acropora staghorn Blue Acropora staghorn Red Acropora millepora Pink Acropora millepora Pink Seriatopora hystrix Yellow-green Seriatopora hystrix Seriatopora guttatus Purple Stylophora pistillata LPS and Soft Corals - Pink Scolymia sp. - Red Scolymia sp. - Red Blastomussa sp. - Red Australomussa sp. - Red Cynarina lacrymalis - Green-purple-red Brain Coral - Green Star Polyps - Orange Fungia coral - Pink Goniopora sp. - Green Goniopora sp. - Purple-pink Chalice - Green Candy Coral - Dark green Candy Coral - Yellow Leather Coral - Green Leather Coral - Yellow Ricordea florida - Blue Ricordea florida - Orange Ricordea florida - Pink Ricordea florida - Green Ricordea florida - Pink Ricordea yuma - Green Lavender Mushroom - Purple Lavender Mushroom - Blue Mushroom - Red Mushroom - Green Oval Elephant Ear Mushroom - Pink Zoanthus - Orange-black Zoanthus - Green Zoanthus - Yellow-green Zoanthus - Yellow-red-green Zoanthus Video Gallery Photo Gallery Thanks All of these efforts are for our valuable little guests which come to our homes from their precious little corners of the ocean. If we care for them well, they produce the most vivid colors and all their beauty repays our efforts many times over. Thanks to everyone who did not spare their knowledge and experience with me. Thank you for those who share my excitement. I wish all aquariums success. I wish all life good health. Eren Yelkenci View the full article

Click through to see the images. Editorial Note: This article was edited for clarity. Advanced Aquarist believes it is important to present diverse husbandry of successful aquariums from around the world but does not endorse all the techniques of our featured aquariums. Always research and carefully plan before attempting to replicate any system. Aquariums have been a hobby of mine for over 10 years, but let it be known my interest with reef aquariums have a much more important place in my life. My even older interest in photography combined with my interest in this hobby makes it really worth the time. My house is filled with guests from far away and very different worlds. The successful husbandry of these reef species bears witness to the activities and behavior of a man with dedication. Of course, that is our responsibility as their host, with the most important task of making our guests comfortable. It is a necessity in this hobby to ensure a suitable environment for all living things. This requires serious knowledge and experience. From the first day, I spent most of my time researching this subject. With each passing day, I am excited to learn something new to apply and implement. This is my third reef aquarium after two previous attempts. As with every new build, my planning and design for this tank is based on my previous live experiences. I have considered past problems and applied convenient methods to address many issues. I started my latest project on the 30th of July 2010 and put the first water in the tank on the 29th of October 2010. After the start of the system, I waited approximately 2 months until the aquarium hosted its first guest. This process formed the basis of the system to grow a suitable biological environment while I made the necessary arrangements to follow all the controlled design factors. Equipment General Tank Information In order to use T5 lighting on a big tank, I designed the most suitable tank dimensions that could be lit with 80W fluorescents. T5 lighting was a decisive factor for my tank height. Because I wanted a SPS-weighted and a mixed reef aquarium, I attached a frag tank to system. I made the refugium completely for visual reasons because of my enthusiasm to care for some different species such as sea horses and pipefish. Starting Date: October 29, 2010 Main Tank: 180 x 90 x 55 cm (71 x 36 x 22 inches) Sump: 90 x 70 x 40 cm (36 x 28 x 16 inches) Frag Tank: 70 x 45 x 35 cm (28 x 18 x 14 inches) Refugium: 25 x 25 x 35 cm (10 x 10 x 14 inches) Total Water Volume: 1100 liter (290 US Gallons) Lighting In my previous tanks, I used metal halide and LED fixtures. Based on my experience as well as my technical and visual sense, I thought I may be more successful using T5 lighting. 12 x 80W T5 (Main Tank) 6 x 24W T5 (Frag Tank) 1 x 24W PL (Refugium) Circulation and Return Pumps I considered stability, silence and efficiency to decide the circulation and return pumps. I conceal the wavebox and wavemaking devices to create a more natural view. Circulation Pumps: 2 x Hydor Koralia 7 (Main Tank) 1 x Hydor Koralia 5 (Main Tank) 2 x Hydor Koralia 3 (Main Tank) 1 x Tunze Wavebox 6212 (Main Tank) 1 x Seio Prop 1000 (Frag Tank) Return Pumps: 1 x NewJet 6000 (Main Tank) 1 x NewJet 4500 (Main Tank, Chiller & Reactors) 1 x NewJet 3000 (Frag Tank & Refugium) Dosing I have preferred the balling method ever since my first reef tank and I'm very happy with it. I have never considered switching to other methods. In fact, over time I created my own balling formulas. ReeFlowers additives are produced using these formulas, and are used in Turkey and many countries by many hobbyist. Bubble Magus Dosing Pump (7 Pumps) DIY Kalkwasser Reactor For the first time, I am using the kalkwasser to support the balling method. There are four reasons I use kalkwasser: I dose at night to minimize the fluctuations in pH between day and night. To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the water. To precipitate phosphate and heavy metals. It does not affect the ionic balance, only adding calcium directly and alkalinity indirectly. Filtration I thought about my aquarium's filtration system to achieve two main fundamental goals. The most important is to provide oxygen, and this is done with a protein skimmer. The second is to support biological filtration, for which I use biopellets. I am also using activated carbon at the same time for possible chemical build-ups,. I don't use any mechanical filtration methods. Bubble King Deluxe 250 Internal Protein Skimmer Biopellet Reactor Active Carbon Reactor Temperature Control I think for the most stable and reliable temperature, the heater and chiller should be integrated. For this reason, I have chosen a chiller with both heating and cooling functions in a single unit (Teco TC 20 Chiller). I set up the aquarium's temperature for 26,5 C (79.7 F) in winter and 27,5 C (81.5 F) in summer. Development of My Aquarium I haven't had any serious problems except for Aiptasia ever since installation until recently. I rescued the tank from Aiptasias with Chelmon butterfly . In general, growth rate of my corals is fast until they make contact with other corals. Currently, all the corals in contact with each other are cut down a block. Corals also need pruning from time to time in order to see behind them. 02.11.2010 (Nov 2, 2010) 26.01.2011 (Jan 26, 2011) 04.03.2011 (March 4, 2011) 25.03.2011 (March 25, 2011) 30.05.2011 (May 30, 2011) 09.10.2011 (Oct 9, 2011) 30.12.2011 (Dec 30, 2011) Additives I endeavor to simplify additives as much as possible. I do not add any extra additives manually. I only dose the balling additives, kalkwasser and salt. If I have find any decline in parameters as a result of my tests, I only use extra additive to normalize the lacking concentration. ReeFlowers kH Blend (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Calcium Blend (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Magnesium Blend (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Ionic Balancer (with Dosing Pump) ReeFlowers Enriched Kalkwasser (Kalkwasser Reactor & Dosing Pump) Tropic Marin Salt Feeding I believe feeding is effective for fish health and also for coral growth. Despite feeding high amounts, my nitrate and phosphate values are still low and the coral growth is very fast. Of course, the growth must be controlled by water parameters, ionic balance, lighting, circulation, etc. New Life Spectrum Optimum Salt H2O New Life Spectrum Thera - A New Life Spectrum Marine Fish Formula New Life SpectruMax Ocean Nutrition Formula One Ocean Nutrition Formula One Flake Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Tetra Pro Vegetables Nutron Artemia Daphnia Krill Kelp Alg Blood Worm Spirulina Nori Seaweed Cyclop Eeze Preis Coral Energizer Brightwell ZooPlanktos-L Brightwell PhytoChrome Frozen Seafood (Caviar, Calamaris, Shrimp, etc.) Live Enriched Artemia Live PhytoPlankton Water Parameters I check salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate weekly. For a more detailed analysis, I send a sample of tank water to the ReeFlowers Aquarium Laboratory monthly. Salinity - 34 ppt (Refractometer) Alkalinity - 8.5 dkH (Hanna Photometer) Calcium - 460 ppm (Tropic Marin) Magnesium - 1380 ppm (Tropic Marin) Nitrate - 1 ppm (Tropic Marin) Phosphate - 0,02 ppm (Hanna Photometer) Periodic Maintenance Periodic maintenance has been boring for me every time, cleaning glass, making test, cleaning the protein skimmer etc. For this reason, I try to find ways to facilitate maintenance work. For example, protein skimmer is connected to the waste water exit and I set up the daily waste collection 3 lt. In this way the skimmer throat is polluted lately and offset the increase in salinity caused by balling and automatically change the water every day is made. In addition, using the freshwater part, I can change 10% of water through valves and keys. Weekly Control Water Parameters Clean glass Monthly Replace activated carbon Clean filter for chiller Clean protein skimmer container Control of kalkwasser reactor Control of biopellet reactor Control of balling containers Perform 10% water change Send sample water to ReeFlowers Aquarium Lab (18 parameters tested) Yearly Change T5 lamps Clean circulation & return pumps Clean protein skimmer Perform 20% water change Livestock We need to investigate the compatibility between species when creating our stocking list. In my earlier aquariums, I stayed up many nights to keep to trap aggressive species. I think that fish excrement are also the most natural food source for corals, so I aimed to create a large fish population. Fish Tomini Tang 9 x Chromis Clown Tang 4 x Scooter Goby Longnose Hawkfish 2 x Percula Midas Blenny 2 x Lopez's Unicorn Tang 2 x Flame Hawkfish Spotted Mandarin 2 x Carpenter Wrasse 14 x Squammapinnis Anthias 3 x Dispar Anthias Jaguar Wrasse 2 x Banggai Cardinal 7 x Apogen Cardinal Scopas Tang 10 x Yellow Tang Lawnmower Blenny Orange Shoulder Tang 2 x Tuka Anthias Magnificient Foxface Convict Tang 2 x Fire Clownfish Chelmon Butterflyfish 2 x Banded Pipefish (at the Refigium) Invertebrates 2 x Pink Reef Lobster Red Marble Starfish Tridacna Crocea 3 x Dolabella 4 x Cleaner Shrimp 30 x Turbo Snail 80 x Conch 2 x Sally Lightfoot Crab 6 x Blue Legged Hermit Crab Red-Green Mushroom Anemone Blue-Purple Mushroom Anemone Purple Tube Anemone SPS Corals Green Montipora sp. Red Montipora plating coral Green Montipora plating coral Purple Montipora plating coral Velvet green Psammacora contigua Blue Montipora digitata Brown-Purple Montipora digitata Lilac Montipora digitata Orange Montipora digitata Dark green Montipora digitata Green Montipora digitata Montipora undata Orange Superman Montipora Green Montipora danae Blue Montipora danae Green-blue Acropora sp. Turquoise Acropora sp. Blue-purple Acropora sp. Green Acropora sp. Green Acropora staghorn Dark Green Acropora staghorn Blue Acropora staghorn Red Acropora millepora Pink Acropora millepora Pink Seriatopora hystrix Yellow-green Seriatopora hystrix Seriatopora guttatus Purple Stylophora pistillata LPS and Soft Corals - Pink Scolymia sp. - Red Scolymia sp. - Red Blastomussa sp. - Red Australomussa sp. - Red Cynarina lacrymalis - Green-purple-red Brain Coral - Green Star Polyps - Orange Fungia coral - Pink Goniopora sp. - Green Goniopora sp. - Purple-pink Chalice - Green Candy Coral - Dark green Candy Coral - Yellow Leather Coral - Green Leather Coral - Yellow Ricordea florida - Blue Ricordea florida - Orange Ricordea florida - Pink Ricordea florida - Green Ricordea florida - Pink Ricordea yuma - Green Lavender Mushroom - Purple Lavender Mushroom - Blue Mushroom - Red Mushroom - Green Oval Elephant Ear Mushroom - Pink Zoanthus - Orange-black Zoanthus - Green Zoanthus - Yellow-green Zoanthus - Yellow-red-green Zoanthus Video Gallery Photo Gallery Thanks All of these efforts are for our valuable little guests which come to our homes from their precious little corners of the ocean. If we care for them well, they produce the most vivid colors and all their beauty repays our efforts many times over. Thanks to everyone who did not spare their knowledge and experience with me. Thank you for those who share my excitement. I wish all aquariums success. I wish all life good health. Eren Yelkenci View the full article

As corals continue to decline in abundance around the world, researchers are turning their attention to a possible cause that's almost totally unexplored -- viral disease. It appears that corals harbor many different viruses -- particularly herpes. They also are home to the adenoviruses and other viral families that can cause human colds and gastrointestinal disease. View the full article

As corals continue to decline in abundance around the world, researchers are turning their attention to a possible cause that's almost totally unexplored -- viral disease. It appears that corals harbor many different viruses -- particularly herpes. They also are home to the adenoviruses and other viral families that can cause human colds and gastrointestinal disease. View the full article

A pregnant ichthyosaur female that perished 182 million years ago puzzled researchers for quite some time: The skeleton of the extinct marine reptile is almost immaculately preserved and the fossilized bones of the mother animal lie largely in their anatomical position. The bones of the ichthyosaur embryos, however, are a different story: For the most part, they lie scattered outside the body of the mother. Such peculiar bone arrangements are repeatedly found in ichthyosaur skeletons. According to the broadly accepted scientific doctrine, this is the result of exploding carcasses: Putrefaction gases produced during the decomposition process cause the carcass to swell and burst. However, sedimentologists, paleontologists and forensic scientists have now managed to dispel the myth of exploding dinosaur carcasses. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Researchers Carrie Wall, Chad Lembke, and David Mann of the University of South Florida were conducting a week-long audio experiment where they recorded underwater sounds using a torpedo-shaped glider that they had deployed from Tampa Bay out into the open sea. Their plan was to record whatever sounds they could as the glider see-sawed up and down in the water column taking 25 second audio recordings every 5 minutes. During this time the glider also recorded water depth, location, salinity and temperature in order to paint a more thorough picture of where and when the sounds were being recorded. After the glider returned, the researchers matched up sounds on the audio recording with sounds from known fish. It turned out that the bulk of the sounds were from red groupers (wav sound file) and from toadfish (wav sound file). These sounds were primarily concentrated at a depth of 40 meters and could be heard during both day and night. During their analysis, they also discovered an unknown nighttime sound (wav sound file). This mystery, barely audible sound was recorded at a depth less than 40 meters and is believed to be "farts" from a school of fish (possibly menhaden and herring) releasing gas from their swim bladders. The goal of this research was to obtain a better picture of fish spatial and depth distribution in hopes of better understanding their behavior, although we doubt fish farting was on the research agenda. Citation: Wall CC, Lembke C, Mann DA (2012) Shelf-scale mapping of sound production by fishes in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, using autonomous glider technology. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 449:55-64 (LINK) (via ScienceShots) View the full article

Click through to see the images. Download your free digital copy today. This issue features these articles: Royal Gramma Factfile: All you need to know to keep this pocket rocket happy and healthy. Shrimps for your planted aquarium. Planted expert Meghan Helmer discusses their care and keeping. Marine afishinado Aaron Sewell takes a tour of Angels and Butterflys for the marine aquarium. Enter the Dragonet: Dragonets and their care. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Please join us for this one of a kind event featuring a prominate speaker & Frag Swap event. Included with your admission, CMAS will also supply a light breakfast, coffee, water, soft drinks, and a fabulous Lunch buffet to all attendees. Keri O'Neil will be the speaker for this year's Event. A bit about Keri: My work is primarily focused on the maintenance and monitoring of our land-based coral nursery, a 2500 gallon aquaculture system where we are culturing fragments of Acropora cervicornis and other stony coral species found in Broward County. One of my current projects is a comparison of growth and survival in offshore and land-based coral nurseries. I am also interested in coral reproduction and larval studies, including using aquaculture techniques to increase settlement and survival rates of sexually produced coral larvae in situations where natural recruitment may be low. Entry Fees: CMAS Paid Members: At Door Registration - $10 Non CMAS Members: At Door Registration - $15 Vendors: Pre-Registration Required - $25 We ask that everyone pre-register because we need an accurate head count for the food quantities, but understand that schedules change. Thanks. The tentative schedule of events (subject to change): 9:00-9:30 Registration/Sign In 9:30-9:45 Welcome/Opening Comments 10:00-11:30 Keri O’Neil* 11:30-12:30 Break for Lunch 1:00-2:30 Frag Swap* 3:00-4:45 Socializing/Vendor Sales/RAFFLE! 4:45-5:00 Cleanup! (Items marked with a "*" are subject to a possible schedule change.) If you're interested in becoming a vendor please contact William Koester by email at wkoester@cmas-md.org or by phone at 410.446.8181. View the full article

Researchers have examined corals from the Great Barrier Reef affected by the Black Band Disease and identified the critical parameters that allow this prevalent disease to cause wide mortality of corals around the world. Corals infected with Black Band show a characteristic appearance of healthy tissue displaced by a dark front, the so called Black Band, which leaves the white limestone skeleton of the coral animal exposed. The dark front is commonly one to two centimeters broad and consists of a complex microbial community among which there are phototrophic cyanobacteria, sulfur oxidizing bacteria and sulfate reducing microorganisms. View the full article