Harlequinmania

Scientists have observed a "super aggregation" of more than 300 humpback whales gorging on the largest swarm of Antarctic krill seen in more than 20 years in bays along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. View the full article

Marine biologists have found that oceanographic and prey measurements can be used to identify beaked whale foraging habitat. View the full article

New research has confirmed that a relatively harmless inorganic form of mercury found worldwide in ocean water is transformed into a potent neurotoxin in the seawater itself. View the full article

Two groups of small fish, one from a Caribbean island and one from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, exhibit some of the fastest rates of evolution known in any organism, according to a new study. View the full article

Two groups of small fish, one from a Caribbean island and one from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, exhibit some of the fastest rates of evolution known in any organism, according to a new study. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Editor's Note: Advanced Aquarist will be showcasing younger aquariums of experienced aquarists, with follow-up articles in future issues in order to show the progressions of successful aquariums. See photos of Sonny's past aquariums at the end of this Feature Aquarium article. I like to call my reef setup "living art". Many outside of this hobby would view our obsession as simply "fish in a glass box". But, to the avid and discernable hobbyist, we see a form of living art. I call what we produce living art because I view each hobbyist as an artist. We plan out our setups mentally, and then go forth to produce great extensions of our visions. While there may be millions of aquariums in the world, none are the same. Each aquarium is as different as the aquarist. Some of us like SPS, while others may prefer LPS or soft coral. Some aquarist may go as far as mixing all three with splendid results. The beauty of this hobby is that there are many roads to success. Today we have methods that range from the Berlin Method, Ultra Low Nutrient, Turf Scrubber, and Probiotic. From all of these methods and philosophies come successes. In almost every category of maintenance, we find great examples of success. I like to take the best of each method and incorporate it into my systems. I have a sandbed, minimal live rock, heavy skimming, and employ probiotics. I have found probiotics to be the greatest aid to my success in maintaining healthy and vibrant setups. Philosophy & Design When designing this aquarium, I had openness and negative space as my top priority. This aesthetically looks better, and allows for a more natural and pleasant display. All too often reefers are quick to stack massive amounts of rock and corals into an aquarium. This in turn gives the display the appearance of a fruit stand, and it is much too cluttered and busy. By allowing the corals a large area to grow, you will be rewarded with natural growth patterns and a better looking display. The second major benefit of an open display was the ability to manage flow. With an open design, I was able to use less powerheads and create the optimal flow conditions for the corals. The open plan also allows for the removal of detritus with ease. With water being able to flow in and around the structures, waste is easily exported to the sump. Whatever detritus that has settled can then be siphoned out. While the setup is young, it will look great once it has completely grown out. Tank Specifications Display Tank: 72"x36"x22" Rimless 246 gallons from http://www.miraclesaquariums.com/ 2 Sided Starphire glass(Front) Right Side External coast to coast Overflow with 1" return and two 1.5" drain 3/4" glass all around Stand: The stan is hand built and tiled with slate. No equipment is under the tank. The sump and all equipment are located in the room directly to the right of the tank. The stand is lower to the ground this time around, allowing for a perfect view when seated. The tank has its own special area with everything designed around it. Ehiem 1262 for Return pump Vortech Mp40w Vortech Mp20W Tunze 6065 3x250W Metal Halide utilizing XM 20K bulbs Two Ice cap ballasts, and one PHO ballast for the center bulb. Calcium and Alk Addition: Randy's Two Part Solution. I ran both a CA reactor and Kalk Stirrer in the past and honestly have had better results will a simple DIY two part solution. I dose the solutions manually, an hour apart. Substrate: 60lbs of CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand Probiotics When I first setup my previous 100gl rimless tank I had been adding Microbacter7 from Brightwell aquatics. While this helps the tank I wasn't all that impressed. It wasn't until I started dosing vodka that things really took off. Within a month of dosing vodka I no longer had to use GFO. Within 3 months I actually had to add Amino Acids and feed the tank more as it had become "too clean". The corals had lightened up and actually stopped growing. After cutting back a bit on the vodka dosage and adding more food the corals once again took off. While I was happy with the results of dosing vodka, I ran into a few issues. The number one issue I ran into was red slime, or cyano. The cyano would rear its ugly head every four months or so. While it did not affect the corals, it did smother the sandbed and take away from the overall aesthetics of the aquarium. After some research, it turns out that the cyano was appearing due to the vodka breaking the saturation point of available carbon in the system. The excess carbon could not be taken up by the beneficial bacteria present in the system, and thus the opportunistic cyano would creep in. With this in mind I decided to change things up when setting up Rimless Reef 2. While Biopellets had been on the market for over a year, they had not been thoroughly tested at the time. Being the mad scientist that I am, I decided to give the Biopellets a shot. From what I understand, the pellets provide a constant carbon source for the bacteria, while NOT breaching the saturation point of carbon. What you end up with is a continuous supply of carbon without the worry of a cyano breakout or daily dosing. The first 4-6 weeks of running the pellets were a bit rough. This was expected, and I weathered the storm. During the break in period after introducing the pellets into my system I dealt with all sorts of minor issues. I had a very large outbreak of diatoms, followed by an equally large outbreak of red cyano. Around the 6 week mark the cyano disappeared almost over night. What I am now left with is a clean and healthy sandbed, low nutrients, and the luxury of going 7-10 days without having to clean the viewing panes of the aquarium. Filtration In addition to probiotics, I run a simple yet effective filtration system. I have a Deltec AP851 as a skimmer, run carbon and use filter socks. The skimmer has been running for close to 6 years on numerous systems. The amount of waste that this thing pulls out never ceases to amaze me. As for chemical filtration, I run carbon 24/7 in a Phosban reactor. The carbon is changed out about once every month. I find that the benefits of carbon far outweigh any issues others may complain about. With all of the household fragrances, chemicals, and cleaners in the air it's a good idea to run carbon. Another good reason to run carbon is that it aids in offsetting any chemical warfare conducted by opposing corals. For those of us with mixed reefs, maintaining a proper balance and equilibrium is key. . The filter socks are change every two days, and washed in bleach. I then allow the socks to air dry, thus neutralizing any residual chlorine. The sock are great at collecting free floating detritus, and they aid is combating micro bubble issues in the display. Water changes are done about once a month. I do not like doing large water changes, as I feel that it can do more harm than good. Through trial and error, I have found a sweet spot of 30gls a month. This amount of water changed every month works for me, but may not work for others. The comparatively lower percentage of water changed is likely due to the effects of probiotics. I am not an expert on the matter, but I feel that the larger water changes were removing large amounts of beneficial bacteria. Until I see a reason to do so, I will continue with these lower percentage water changes. My back room is very simple, consisting of a Rubbermaid 150gl tub which acts as a sump. The skimmer and system siphon and drain into this single tub. I like to keep my systems and plumbing simple, so I am sorry that I cannot provide more detailed configurations or specs. Flow Of all the factors in maintaining a successful reef aquarium, flow is on the top of my list. Proper flow can make or break a system. Continuous flow is required in order to feed the corals, as well as carry away waste that the corals expel. Without the proper flow, the corals will suffer; leading to a decline is health and coloration. As a general rule of thumb, I like to have the polyps of the corals swaying every 3-4 seconds. I often tell fellow reefers to concentrate on the individual coral, and not the total system turnover. When it comes to proper flow, its all about the positioning of the pumps and rockwork. Many reefers build up these huge walls of rock, which absolutely skill flow. I on the other hand decided that a more open plan would be best. I only have a MP40,MP20, and a Tunze 6065. My Ehiem 1262 return maybe only gets 4-500gph after head loss and such. So, you can see that its all about how you position things. When the pumps turn on, the flow doesn't look like much in the tank. But, after 10 minutes the water starts to move and really build momentum and channel around the islands, almost like a gyre system. This is precisely why I have the islands placed and built as they are. The canyons help to channel the flow to where I would like it. Eventually when the corals get to a certain size I will need to increase the flow. When that time comes I plan on getting a Vortech MP60, so that I can have all of the pumps on only one side of the tank. Lighting Well, if you have read this far you will know that I like to keep things simple. It is my firm belief that less is more, especially when it comes to reef systems. While my lighting system may not be the most extravagant, you cannot argue with the results. I ran T5's for a couple years on my previous 100gl Rimless Reef. I loved the T5's and the colors that they produced. I had the full intention of running T5's on this setup, but things got complicated. My wife and I found out that we were expecting a baby shortly after ordering the aquarium. Not to long after that we found out that my wife was in fact having twins. So with this great news in mind, I knew that I would have to scale back on certain parts of the new reef. I no longer could justify an expensive LED or T5 fixture to place over the tank. I did however have three Lumenarc mini's handy, along with new bulbs and ballasts. I proceeded to place the metal halides over the system, and they have turned out great. The color of the XM20K bulbs is perfect, and my corals love it. I do have 4x54W T5's ready to be added, but I just need to find time to build a fixture to hold them over the aquarium. I run three Lumenarc Mini's, with 250w XM 20K bulbs. Each reflector is placed over a boomie, allowing for maximum usage of lighting. I wanted to utilize as much open area and negative space as possible in this system, so the less light that is hitting the sand the better. I have had my eye on my many new LED fixtures hitting the market. But, I think that it will be some time before I am able to hang one over my display. I have two wonderful baby boys on the way, so ill have to hold back on the excesses, at least for now. Supplements While I don't dose too many additives, I do follow a strict dosing regiment. I dose Lugol's Solution in order to bring out the blues in my SPS. I have dosed it for about 6 years now with great results. I started dosing Strontium a couple years ago. I did notice some positive effects in my corals so I continue to dose it. The KZ Coral Snow is a recent addition. I have been now dosing it for about two months. This additive helps to neutralize undesirable acids and slime, along with clarifying the aquarium water. The agents that the solution binds are then exported via the protein skimmer. Below is a full list of additives and dosing schedule: Carbon in a Phosban 150 reactor Microbackter7 BRS Biopellets Lugol's Solution Reef Crystals Salt Seachem Strontium KZ Coral Snow CA: 110ML ALK: 110ML Strontium: 1 Teaspoon Lugols: 1 drop MB7: 14 drops KZ Corals Snow 5ml MG: 110ML 30gl Water change Reef Crystals Carbon replaced (3-4 cups in a mesh bag) </h2><h2> </h2><h2> Livestock Fish [*]Pacific Blue Tang (10 years under my care)[*]Two smaller Pacific Blue Tangs[*]Powder Blue Tang[*]Sohal Tang[*]Yellow Tang[*]Four Lyretail Anthais[*]Bartlett Anthais[*]Black Cap Balast[*]Royal Garrama[*]Oci Clownfish Pair[*]Five Blue-Green Chromis Corals The tank is SPS dominated, no chalices or small freaky colored corals here. With the SPS I have large acan colonies, some with 50+ heads, along with assorted Zoas. The soft stuff makes for a nice filler towards the bottom. I will not have any corals on the sand, and I try and utilize negative space to the extreme. Acropora [*]ORA Pearl berry[*]ORA Red Planet[*]ORA Blue Voodoo[*]ORA Turquoise stag[*]ORA Aussie Delicate[*]ORA Chip's Acro[*]ORA Nathans Green Millie[*]ORA Tri-color Staghorn[*]ORA Tri-color Valida[*]ORA Marshall Islands Blue Bottlebrush[*]ORA Blue Tort[*]ORA Green Stylophora[*]ORA Green Birds nest[*]ORA Pink Birds nest[*]ORA German Blue Acro[*]ORA Green Bali Slimer[*]ORA Joe the Coral[*]ORA Hawkins Blue[*]ORA Miami Orchid[*]Blue and Busy Acro[*]Red Milli[*]Sonny's Sunset Mille[*]Yellow Tort[*]PC Sunrise Acro Table[*]Purple Monster[*]Unknown Deepwater acro[*]Green Slimmer[*]Sonny's Blue Slimmer[*]Elias stag[*]GARF Purple Bonsai[*]Deswali tabling acro[*]30,000 Leagues Lokani[*]Lime Green Lokani[*]Tyree Pink Lemonade[*]ATL Strawberry fields[*]ATL Pink Tulips acro[*]Palmers Blue Mille[*]Blue Turaki acro[*]Random Blue Stag[*]Aussie Blue Table Acro[*]PC Superman Table Acro[*]PC Super Blue Hoeki </h3> <h3> Montipora [*]Orange cap[*]Idaho Grape[*]Pokerstar Monti[*]SupermanMonti[*]Superman Digi[*]Green Digi[*]Orange Digi[*]M. Setosa[*]Sunset Monti[*]Mystic Undata[*]Tyree Undata Acanthastrea [*]Rainbow, orange, green, red, etc..[*]Multicolored acan's[*]Multicolored Chalice[*]Red Favia with green base[*]Red Rings of fire Lobo Zoanthids [*]Rasta[*]King Midas[*]African Blue's[*]Tubs Blue[*]Watermelon[*]Green Bay Packers[*]Assorted colors[*]Purple Hornets[*]Blue Hornets[*]Candy Apple Reds[*]Gobstoppers[*]Carlito Alien Eyes Clams [*]Large Tuamatu Maxima Clam[*]Two Blue Maximas[*]Gold Teardrop Maxima[*]Derasa Thanks Id like to thank every here at Advanced Aquarist for allowing me to share my passion and work. I can't wait for what new and exciting developments this wonderful hobby holds. Ill be posting updates on my setup from time to time, so please be sure to follow @ my blog www.RimlessReef.com and at Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/SonnyM63 Sonny Harajly Sonny's Past Aquariums The Rimless Reef 1 (100 gallon) and In-Wall 225 gallon Reef View the full article

Click through to see the images. Dr. Hanlon has spent over three decades researching this ability and this four year grant will fund scientific research into exactly how cephalopods achieve their unique camouflage ability. The deliverables on this project include a fundamental understanding in exactly how cephalopods sense their surrounding environment and how their chromophores and iridophores respond to changes in their surroundings. The New York Times interviewed Dr. Hanlon back in 2008 about the amazing camouflage ability of the cuttlefish: I can imagine that ultimately the armed forces would adapt this understanding into adaptable camouflage for troops and vehicles. It will be interesting to learn what this research uncovers. (via Physorg) View the full article

Click through to see the images. Prizes include: Orphek PR-25 LED PicO Aquariums Deep Blue 12 Starphire rimless aquarium, Ecoxotic EcoPico 5 Gallon Desktop Aquarium Kit with LED Lighting InTank Media Basket Tunze Turbelle Nanostream 6015 To enter, all you have to do is post in their giveaway thread! There are, of course, a few simple rules to follow; Register with Nano-Reef.com and read the thread for more details. Happy 10th Birthday, Nano-Reef.com! View the full article

Click through to see the images. While this recall is voluntary, Advanced Aquarist recommends all owners of Marineland Stealth and Stealth Pro heaters to return their units for a refund or exchange due to severe dangers posed by faulty wiring within this product line. This product defect was serious enough to warrant the attention of the US government. According to United Pet Group, UPG will arrange the return of the recalled model(s) in your possession in exchange for your choice of a free replacement heater (Visi-Therm Deluxe), or full refund. Please contact UPG at (800) 338-4896 between 7:30 am - 5:30 pm EST Monday through Friday to begin the process. No receipt or original box is required for the refund or exchange. However, we have heard several reports that UPG may only provide partial refunds. If they are unable to provide a full refund for your Stealth/Stealth Pro heater, we recommend you bring your unit(s) to an authorized Marineland retailer (some of whom are reportedly more generous with their refunds/exchanges) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 21, 2011 Release #11-202 Aquarium Heaters Recalled by United Pet Group Due to Fire and Laceration Hazards WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. Name of Product: Marineland Stealth and Stealth Pro Aquarium Heaters Units: About 1.2 million Importer: United Pet Group, of Cincinnati, Ohio Hazard: A wiring problem can cause the aquarium heaters to overheat or break during normal use, damaging the aquarium and posing fire and laceration hazards to consumers. Overheating can cause the heater to shatter or the aquarium glass to break. Incidents/Injuries: United Pet Group has received 38 reports of fires resulting in property damage and 45 reports of broken aquarium glass. United Pet Group has received one report of a consumer who suffered an eye injury when the aquarium heater forcefully broke while he held it. Description: The recall involves the following Marineland Stealth and Stealth Pro aquarium heaters. The heaters are black plastic tubes and have a temperature adjustment knob at the top. The model name "Stealth" (in white letters) or "Stealth Pro" (in red letters) is printed on the side of the heater. The model number and the wattage rating are printed below the model name. Stealth Pro heaters were also sold as part of aquarium starter kits. Marineland Stealth ModelsMarineland Stealth Pro ModelsWattageModel #WattageModel #25WETP2525WML90447-0050WETP5050WML90448-0075WETP7575WML90449-00100WETP100100WML90450-00150WETP150150WML90451-00200WETP200200WML90452-00250WETP250250WML90453-00300WML90454-00 Sold at: Pet stores nationwide and on various websites from January 2004 through February 2011 for between $20 and $300. Manufactured in: China and Italy Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled aquarium heaters and contact United Pet Group for a free replacement aquarium heater or a full refund. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact United Pet Group at (800) 338-4896 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.marineland.com source: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html View the full article

Click through to see the images. According to United Pet Group, UPG will arrange the return of the recalled model(s) in your possession in exchange for your choice of a free replacement heater (Visi-Therm Deluxe), or full refund. Please contact UPG at (800) 338-4896 between 7:30 am - 5:30 pm EST Monday through Friday to begin the process. No receipt or original box is required for the refund or exchange. However, we have heard several reports that UPG may only provide partial refunds. If they are unable to provide a full refund for your Stealth/Stealth Pro heater, we recommend you bring your unit(s) to an authorized Marineland retailer (some of whom are reportedly more generous with their refunds/exchanges) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 21, 2011 Release #11-202 Aquarium Heaters Recalled by United Pet Group Due to Fire and Laceration Hazards WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. Name of Product: Marineland Stealth and Stealth Pro Aquarium Heaters Units: About 1.2 million Importer: United Pet Group, of Cincinnati, Ohio Hazard: A wiring problem can cause the aquarium heaters to overheat or break during normal use, damaging the aquarium and posing fire and laceration hazards to consumers. Overheating can cause the heater to shatter or the aquarium glass to break. Incidents/Injuries: United Pet Group has received 38 reports of fires resulting in property damage and 45 reports of broken aquarium glass. United Pet Group has received one report of a consumer who suffered an eye injury when the aquarium heater forcefully broke while he held it. Description: The recall involves the following Marineland Stealth and Stealth Pro aquarium heaters. The heaters are black plastic tubes and have a temperature adjustment knob at the top. The model name "Stealth" (in white letters) or "Stealth Pro" (in red letters) is printed on the side of the heater. The model number and the wattage rating are printed below the model name. Stealth Pro heaters were also sold as part of aquarium starter kits. Marineland Stealth ModelsMarineland Stealth Pro ModelsWattageModel #WattageModel #25WETP2525WML90447-0050WETP5050WML90448-0075WETP7575WML90449-00100WETP100100WML90450-00150WETP150150WML90451-00200WETP200200WML90452-00250WETP250250WML90453-00300WML90454-00 Sold at: Pet stores nationwide and on various websites from January 2004 through February 2011 for between $20 and $300. Manufactured in: China and Italy Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled aquarium heaters and contact United Pet Group for a free replacement aquarium heater or a full refund. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact United Pet Group at (800) 338-4896 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.marineland.com source: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html View the full article

WHOI's Mark Baumgartner finds that the location, the length of stay, and perhaps the very abundance of the whales may be dependent on an interesting vertical migration pattern by the copepods on which the whales feed. It seems to be a case, he said, of "how the behavior of the prey influences the behavior of the whales." View the full article

WHOI's Mark Baumgartner finds that the location, the length of stay, and perhaps the very abundance of the whales may be dependent on an interesting vertical migration pattern by the copepods on which the whales feed. It seems to be a case, he said, of "how the behavior of the prey influences the behavior of the whales." View the full article

Click through to see the images. Marine Depot, an Advanced Aquarist sponsor, is a leading supplier of aquarium products. Recently, they hosted a multi-part Q&A session with Julian Sprung of Two Little Fishies, also an Advanced Aquarist sponsor. Two Little Fishies is a manufacturer of a myriad of saltwater aquarium products such as additives, media, and reactors. Each of their videos range from 2 to 4 minutes in length, probing Julian's insight into a variety of questions relating to the latest ideas and trends. In this particular installment, Julian is asked by Marine Depot Facebook fan Brandee Lamkin: "What, if any, correlation does he [Julian] find between vodka dosing and the presence of cyanobacteria in aquariums?" Watch the below video to see what Julian has to say on the subject. For Marine Depot's latest videos, subscribe to their Youtube channel. To learn more about Two Little Fishies products and to read user reviews, visit the Two Little Fishies section at Marine Depot. (via Marine Depot) View the full article

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hi, Have a 4" Yellow tang to give away to reduce bio load. Suitable for those having a 3 ft tank and above only Will give priority to those who can collect the fish on thursday as i will not be in town from friday onward.

It took 26 years for marine invertebrates living on the Port Valdez seafloor to stabilize after Alaska's Great Earthquake of 1964, according to a scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. View the full article

Click through to see the images. (New video and information of P.sagamiensis added) No surprise, but Blue Harbor (Japan) has new videos of these gems. Plectranthias pelicieri is a deep water species whose natural range is yet undefined and is mainly known from the Mauritius in the Indian Ocean but has been reported as far north as southern Japan (unverified). Plectranthias sangamiensis is also a deep water species ranging from Southern Japan to Indonesia. Both species are extremely rare in the aquarium trade and have exorbitant price tags to match ("If you have to ask ..."). Despite being related to groupers/basslets/anthias, Plectranthias sp. behave more like hawkfish, spending most of its time perched on the substrate. Like hawkfish, Plectranthias sp. can be aggressive towards similar species and is not considered safe around ornamental crustaceans. View the full article

Click through to see the images. No surprise, but Blue Harbor (Japan) has a new video of another gem of a species. Plectranthias pelicieri is a deep water species whose natural range is yet undefined and is mainly known from the Mauritius in the Indian Ocean but has been reported as far north as southern Japan (unverified). Plectranthias sp. behave like hawkfish, spending most of its time perched on the substrate. Like other hawkfish, Plectranthias sp. can be aggressive towards similar species and is not considered safe around ornamental crustaceans. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Using a new type of laser imaging technique, researchers have been able to show for the first time that the dorsal and ###### fins of fish are used for more than just stabilization during swimming. The full results of the study were published in Biology Letters on April 20th. The new type of imaging technique uses a container equipped to provide constant unidirectional water flow along with tiny plastic beads and short bursts of laser pulses to map in 3 dimensions how these plastic beads flow in the wake of the fish as it maintains its position in the tank. It's essentially a "a treadmill for fish." What they have shown is that both the dorsal and ###### fins (the fins on the top and bottom of the fish) are actually used for forward locomotion as opposed to just stabilization of the fish as once thought. “We knew the dorsal and ###### fins are very important for balance, and although a locomotory role was suspected, we have only now been able to show that they also play a big part in locomotion,” Flammang said. There is a short video on Harvard's website that shows about 4 seconds of how this technique is employed in measuring the flow around the subject. Unfortunately Harvard's website doesn't provide an embeddable video so head over and watch how they accomplished the task. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0282 (via Physorg, Harvard) View the full article

Click through to see the images. The Easter Island Dwarf Angelfish (aka Hotumatua Angel) is regarded by rare fish aficionadosas as one of a few 'holy grail' angelfishes. Less than a dozen 'live specimen' photos exist. At present time, I am not aware of any captive specimen in the United States. Centropyge hotumatua is one of the least collected dwarf angelfish because of its limited natural range. This species is endemic to Easter Island - a remote Polynesian island located in the southeast Pacific. By remote, i really mean remote (see the Google map below). The water temperatures around Easter Island range from 73°F (22.6°C) to 76°F (24.7°C), with a mean temperature of 75°F (23.7°C). While the biodiversity and density of Easter Island's reefs are not as rich as those found in the warmer and less isolated Indo-Pacific, this island is still home to some of the world's most exotic rocky coral reefs. Due to its isolation, it is also home to several unique species, including Centropyge hotumatua. Hotumatua Angels were infrequently available in the late 1990s and early 2000s; Only a handful were collected annually, with most being shipped to Asia (where they commanded the highest prices). Today, they are non-existent in the aquarium trade. Very few hobbyist have had the opportunity to keep (or see) Centropyge hotumatua in captivity; I am fortunate enough to have cared for two specimens during my 20+ year reefkeeping "career." It has been a decade since I've kept them, and just as long since I've seen C.hotumatua in the aquarium trade. The logistics of collecting and transporting live specimens from Easter Island have proven too impractical. My first C.hotumatua was purchased in the late 1990s through The Marine Center (Texas). At the time, The Marine Center was one of the few livestock vendors in the United States receiving rare fishes. I received a 2" specimen in great shape, and it quickly adapted to captive life within my 120 gallon mixed reef aquarium - despite the aquarium temperature of 78-80°F. My specimen was very passive ... perhaps the least aggressive Centropyge I have owned. It spent most of its day out in the open foraging. Like nearly all dwarf angelfish, the Easter Island Angelfish readily accepted most foods. Its captive diet mainly consisted of mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef (frozen food). Unfortunately, my specimen also had a taste for SPS polyps. After several months of constant nipping, I was forced to remove the angelfish and sell it to another hobbyist who had a suitable FOWLR aquarium. This broke my heart, so when I had another opportunity to buy another Hotumatua Angel the following year (this time, a tiny 1" specimen), I quickly jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, this specimen was also a coral-nipper, though not as destructive as its predecessor. And even more unfortunate: I didn't get a chance to try and remove it before the angel mysteriously disappeared. A few years later, while upgrading my 120 gallon to my current 176 gallon aquarium, imagine my surprise when I find the dried-up body of my missing Hotumatua behind my stand. Apparently, it had jumped! In December, 2006, J. Charles Delbeek M.Sc. shared with Advanced Aquarist the history of rare fish exhibited at Waikiki Aquarium, which included a Centropyge hotumatua. Below is a photo of their Centropyge hotumatua. Hotumatua’s Pygmy Angelfish, Centropyge hotumatua Randall and Caldwell 1973. Photo by J.C. Delbeek, courtesy Waikiki Aquarium. He writes: Rarely collected due to its isolated habitat in the southeastern Pacific, Hotumatua angels do well in captivity. The Aquarium exhibited this fish from 1998 to 2001 until it disappeared from its display tank. It was housed on the same tank as the Colin’s and Golden angels without problem. The fish fed on flake food, gel diet and mysis without difficulty. It occasionally picked at corals but was not seen to be a big problem. This fish is currently in culture and captive bred specimens may appear on the market. Currently this species is available once or twice a year through exporters in Hawaii, the majority of these are sent to Japan where profit margins are much higher than in America or Europe. (read the full article) Despite breeding efforts, no captive bred specimens have ever made it into the aquarium trade as far as I know, and I am not aware of anyone currently breeding the species ... or even having a live specimen in captivity for that matter. I would not be surprised if we do not see any more specimens making their way into the aquarium trade in the immediate future, but I would be happy to be proven wrong. View the full article

Click through to see the images. (1920x1200 pixels) Click the download button to view the wallpaper. Right-click the wallpaper and "set as desktop background" or save the file on your computer. photo by James Wiseman PREVIEW View the full article

Clearing some these spare equipments after recent upgrade and changes; 1) Tunze 6085 Wave maker ( About 11 month old ) - $ 180.00 Flow rate: 8,000 l/h ( Non - Controllable ) ** Left over warranty by RD ** Come with original Box 2) Deltec AP851 Skimmer with ehiem pump ( External model but can be used in sump as well ) - $ 350.00 Selling due to upgrade For aquarium up to 1500 litres. Condition: 7/10 have some calcium deposit around the skimmer since i used it as a in-sump skimmer but still working very well. 3) Deltec Calcium Reactor PF601 with free C02 tank ( Need to top up gas ) ,solenoid valve and extra Deltec cal and mg media. PLUG AND PLAY ! - All these for $ 400.00 This CR is a little bit under size for my tank ,maybe Switching to balling method instead. CR is currently still running in my system. Deal in the west , clement during weekday office hour or night time at CCK ave 3 to test the equipments .

Scotland's first fully protected marine reserve, and only the second in the UK, is already providing commercial and conservation benefits, according to new research. (2011-04-22) View the full article

Seafloor communities in a restricted fishing area in NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary are showing indications of recovery from chronic fishing gear impacts but is not fully stable. View the full article

Seafloor communities in a restricted fishing area in NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary are showing indications of recovery from chronic fishing gear impacts but is not fully stable. View the full article