Harlequinmania

Click through to see the images. IceCap was one of the most respected equipment manufacturers during the formative years of modern reefkeeping. After twenty years, they closed their business in Q4 of 2010 due to the shift in consumer demand for aquarium lighting (ie. a shift away from retrofit fluorescent and metal halide lighting, which were IceCap's core product lines). CoralVue assumed warranty and service of IceCap products shortly after IceCap went out of business. Four years later, they are relaunching the IceCap brand. CoralVue intends to re-release the 660 and 430 electronic ballasts* along with DC Fans, dosers, RO/DI, and ozone generators, with more products in the pipeline. *CoralVue sold the 660 and 430 ballasts under their own brand for years, but now the two ballasts will return "home" to the IceCap brand. Chris Conti is the current President of CoralVue and former President of IceCap (and also the lead developer of the 430 and 660), so it's not surprising to see CoralVue resurrect IceCap, which still holds a lot of brand equity amongst seasoned reefkeepers. Stay tuned for more details. View the full article

Click through to see the images. With Giesemann releasing a plethora of new advanced lighting products in the past year, the German company is clearly aiming to capture a greater market share of the high-end aquarium market by seeking international distributors such as Reef Eden International (UK) and now CoralVue Aquarium Products (North America). Effective April 15, 2014, CoralVue will assume marketing, distribution, warranty, and service of Giesemann products in North America with the exception of light bulbs branded by Giesemann. With CoralVue's established distribution channels, Giesemann is poised to become much more accessible to aquarists within North America. View the full article

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Click through to see the images. In our previous article we considered theoretical aspects of reef lighting, such as the light spectrum and intensity required for growing corals and achieving their best coloration. We would now like to discuss the various practical challenges one faces when designing a LED light for the reef tank. Over one year has passed since the publication of our first publication on reef lighting. We planned to publish our second article on practical aspects of building a LED fixture shortly thereafter. At the time, we were actively working on the design of a special LED assembly that, based on our understanding of reef lighting requirements, would be best suited for a reef keeper’s needs. However, we decided to postpone the publication, until our ideas fully matured based on our actual achievements. As our work progressed, we decided to share not only theoretical stipulations, which were our starting point, but also the experience we gained through the efforts towards creating a light source that would not only provide for good coral growth but would also yield premium results in the visual perception of a reef tank. The first part of this article describes how we planned our LED assembly; in the second part we describe our progress, in several successions, towards the latest version of our product. We hope that our practical achievements, the problems we encountered, and our attempts at solving them will prove useful to the reef keeping community. Contents Part One: Planning Choice of LEDs Challenge number one. Getting rid of color shadows (disco effect) Challenge number two. Battling the heat Challenge number three. Filling up the spectrum Part Two: Our Attempts at Building an Optimal LED Assembly The first attempt The second revision Revision Three Light diffusers Acknowledgements References Part One: Planning When planning for a light source for a reef tank, there are many aspects that we needed to take into account. One challenge is the choice of LEDs that would provide for optimum efficiency. The next challenge is achieving uniform color mixing, in order to avoid unsightly color shades (“Disco” effect) in the tank. Another challenge is how to organize efficient heat removal from the LEDs. Last but not least, we need to “fill up” the spectrum, i.e. which supplemental colored LEDs to use for best visual representation of the corals. We shall consider these challenges in detail in the subsequent sections. Choice of LEDs It is evident that, whenever possible, preference should be given to LEDs manufactured by one of world’s leading manufacturers: either Cree or Philips - they provide the best efficiency among commercially available LEDs today. The specifications of many reef LED fixtures available today list the brands and types of LEDs used (such as Cree XT-E or Philips Luxeon Rebel). Yet, most manufacturers do not specify, the particular LED bins which they used in their fixture. Still, bins are a very important characteristic which we need to keep in mind when building a LED fixture. What is a bin? Due to technological reasons, the parameters of LEDs can be different even within the same batch. To achieve a product with uniform quality, leading LED makers sort out their product into several categories, depending on certain characteristics, which they call bins. Color bins contain LEDs with similar wavelengths, or spectrum; luminosity; whereas, efficiency bins consist of LEDs that are sorted out according to the efficiency of converting the electric energy into light. Each manufacturer assigns certain bin codes to these LEDs, and this bin code is attached to LED model number in order to better characterize the properties of the lot that is offered for sale. If we look at the offered color bins, for example, we can see that emitters with different prevailing wavelengths are available for the same LED type. For example, consider the newest generation of Philips Luxeon Rebel ES Royal Blue emitters (Fig 1): Fig 1 Peak wavelength bin structure for Luxeon Rebel ES Royal Blue emitters The ability of the human eye to differentiate between close shades of color depends on the range. It varies from approximately 1 nm resolution in the blue-green and yellow wavelength ranges to about 10 nm or poorer for red and blue [1]. It is easy to see that by looking at the bin code. LED emitter’s peak wavelength can vary significantly. Color bins can be very narrow, sometimes only 5nm wide or even less, and it is important to take this into consideration when we want the whole desired spectral range covered - otherwise we can miss some shades of color in our fixture’s light. The second binning category - luminosity or efficiency bins - is also very important. The manufacturers use this bin type to sort out their LEDs according to the optical power output, while the electric power consumption is the same. Even for the same LED type the difference in efficiency between bins may be significant. Let us have another look at the datasheet of same Luxeon Rebel ES Royal Blue (Fig 2). Fig 2 Radiometric power of Luxeon Rebel ES Royal Blue emitters at 350 and 700ma, depending on luminosity bins You can see that the efficiency of electric power conversion into light energy can vary from 37% to 53% for different bins at the same current. This means that the best bin is some 40% more efficient compared the worst bin! Thus, by installing less efficient LEDs in a “cheapo” fixture, it will yield 40% less light compared with the use of best bin LEDs. Yet, at a glance (and even according to fixture specification – if bins are not mentioned), both will seem to be utilizing the same LEDs. Of course, fixture manufacturers are tempted to use less efficient LEDs, since the best bin’s price can be twice as much as that of the worst bin (besides, LEDs of topmost quality are scarce; they are usually not readily available for purchase and “catching” the best bin requires significant efforts from the fixture manufacturer). This concerns the LEDs of same type. Price (and efficiency) difference between different LED generations is way higher. Therefore, beware if a manufacturer only specifies that “the fixture is made with Cree LEDs.” without even specifying the particular LED type used - it is most probable that the fixture may be using LEDs which are two or even three generations old, which offer mediocre performance, at best. Unfortunately, manufacturer’s interests do not always match that of the user. The cost of LED emitters is only about 20% of the total fixture cost, but this additional 20% expense can provide up to 40% extra light, and add an additional advantage, less heat generation and power consumption. If we consider a 300W LED fixture as an example, calculating for 12H daily operation, and based on a 15c per kWh power cost, the total power consumed in 10 years of operation will cost (300/1000*12*365*10*0,15)=$1,971 for a fixture with the worst bin, while the owner of a fixture with the best bin would save $788 throughout this period. There are many other advantages in using LEDs with better efficiency, which are far more difficult to account for objectively due to many unknown variable factors. To name a few, less efficient LEDs will result in higher junction temperature during operation, which in turn, will further reduce their light performance and result in a shorter lifespan of the LEDs. The heat from a less efficient fixture will be transferred to the environment, and it is more likely that the tank and the room will require a more powerful cooling unit. So far, our estimates were based on a 40% efficiency difference between the best and worst LED bins of the same type. Depending on the LED type, this difference can be higher or lower. If we extend our speculations and start to consider LEDs from different manufacturers, this efficiency difference can be much higher. If we compare low-cost Chinese LEDs, which now flood the market, with the best bins from the best manufacturers, there can easily be three a times efficiency difference, or even more! In fact, this means that by choosing between two fixtures of same power but a three-times price difference, one may to yield less light per dollar from the cheaper fixture (this is true under the assumption that the fixture cost is directly linked with the cost of used materials rather than other marketing factors). At the same time, the less efficient fixture will spend much more in power bills in a fixture’s lifetime. Worst of all, it is almost impossible to accurately measure LEDs efficiency at home, and manufacturers are tempted to indicate a higher efficiency for the LEDs they use: serious errors in LED fixture specifications are common. We believe that the choice of most efficient LEDs is very important when building a fixture. As we have shown, their higher cost will be justified in time. There are a few other important issues which are often poorly addressed in existing fixtures. We have heard claims from many experienced reef keepers that LED lighting has not yet matured for aquarium use. We believe that this notion is caused by two main shortcomings of the existing fixtures: spectrum deficiency and poor color mixing which results in multicolored blotches and shades. The first problem is relatively easy to address by combination of different LEDs in order to cover the desired spectrum fully (in our previous article we have shown that violet spectrum plays an important role but is neglected or poorly represented by most manufacturers, mainly due to the high cost). The second problem requires a complex of efforts to achieve an acceptable solution. Some people spot these color blotches at once, while others may require time to notice the problem. Still, it is very important to eliminate this effect, as it affects our perception of the reef tank directly. Challenge number one: Getting rid of color shadows (disco effect) The so-called disco effect is witnessed when a tank is lighted by several power LEDs (especially multi-colored) which are positioned on a certain distance between each other. Each LED is a point light source, resembling a small sun. When illuminated by several LEDs from different directions, every object produces multiple shadows. When these LEDs are of different color, these shades look colored like disco lights. The only way to overcome this effect is to place LED crystals as closely as possible. We cannot place all the LEDs of the fixture in one place, as we want to light up the whole surface more-or-less uniformly. Therefore, we need to gather all differently colored LEDs in groups, in the required proportion. These groups can then be evenly spread over tank’s surface. One option is to collect a group of LED crystals in a small space by creating a custom COB (Chips On Board) with many LED crystals closely packed in one case. A COB is a matrix of individual LED crystals attached to a common platform and covered by a protective compound (usually silicone). They have several advantages over SMD LEDs and are becoming quite widespread for general lighting use. Indeed, they are easy to mount, provide a relatively low cost per emitted light, and are undemanding to optics – they are, indeed, very good when you need lots of light from an inexpensive fixture. COBs can be very good for the lighting of roads, warehouses, or other large premises. Custom COBs can provide a perfect color mix if crystals with the right spectrum are selected. However we believe that COBs are not the best choice for a reef tank. Three factors are most important when building a reef fixture: spectrum, efficiency, and optics. In theory, a COB may contain any crystals. However, none of the top ranking manufacturers, neither Cree nor Philips Luxeon, cover the whole spectral range required for reef lighting. Cree, for example, does not make violet (“true actinic”), or deep red LEDs, Philips Luxeon also doesn’t cover the violet range. Of course, there are smaller companies which make a wider range of LEDs, and their crystals cover the required spectrum. However, our second requirement – efficiency – would suffer. Theoretically, crystals from different manufacturers can be combined in one COB package, but this can be practically impossible for similar crystals, made by different brands. As a result, the COB will have to use crystals with significantly lower efficiency, compared with world’s leading manufacturers. Our calculations based on the datasheets from leading Taiwanese manufacturers - Epistar/Epileds, show that there can be as much as 54% difference in efficiency compared with best individual LEDs from top manufacturers. Besides, manufacturers usually don’t put their best crystals into COBs. Even Cree declares about 34% less efficiency for their best COBs today, compared with individual LEDs. A shorter thermal path in COBs is usually listed as an advantage, however, this is not as simple as it seems. As an example, let us consider Cree’s newest COBs. As one of World’s top leaders in LED technologies, this company pays closest attention to improving the thermal characteristics of their products. According to the datasheets, thermal resistance of Cree’s COBs varies from 2.5°C/W for CXA1507 to an impressive 0.8°C/W for CXA2530. Seems to be pretty good, huh? Only until we notice that, say, CXA2520 may consume up to 50W of power. According to the datasheet (see the picture below), this will add a significant 40С to junction temperature above the temperature of the LED case. For CXA2530, with 61W power consumption, junction temperature will be even higher. Fig 3 Main characteristics of Cree CXA2520 Note that the thermal resistance of COBs from Asian manufacturers is usually even higher than those of Cree. This can result in serious overheating of the crystal (even though the heatsink temperature may stay in the acceptable range). A better approach would be, instead of COBs, to use carefully selected individual LED emitters (the ones with most efficient bins, to minimize heat generation), then mounted on an advanced MCPCB to provide the best heat dissipation from the crystal. This can yield less than a 10°C temperature difference between the junction and the MCPCB, and about 12°C between junction and heatsink (see our thermal vision study, Fig 9). Therefore, we believe that the best approach to avoid the Disco effect is through the use of individual LEDs packed tightly on a custom MCPCB. This way the light beams from differently colored LEDs will mix up well, without forming color shadows. The smaller is the distance between individual LEDs, and the better it will be able to overcome the color shade effect. The distance between individual LEDs, however, cannot be smaller than the size of secondary optics. Fortunately, compact and efficient LED lenses are available today. The best effect is achieved through the use of hybrid optics, combining a TIR lens and a special light diffusing material. Challenge number two: Battling the heat Modern LEDs are quite efficient at the conversion of electric energy into light. However, even the most efficient LEDs today waste about half of the consumed energy in the form of heat. Since the crystal is quite small (a power LED’s crystal usually has the surface of only 1-2mm2 or 0.0015-0.003in2), its generated heat density is quite large. In fact, it is about 30 times as large as the heat density through the soleplate of a household iron! Heat removal from LEDs is very important since their lifespan and performance depend on the operating temperature. When the temperature of the crystal increases from 25 to 100C the performance of the most heat tolerant LEDs (Luxeon Rebel ES royal blue) decreases by 10%. In the same time, less heat tolerant LEDs may lose up to 75% of their efficiency (Luxeon Rebel amber). This drop of efficiency is even more pronounced in cheap LEDs of Asian make. Unfortunately, commonly known technologies today do not permit mounting the LED crystal directly on the heatsink. The crystal requires a special package, and its heat transferring capability is described by a parameter called thermal resistance, usually measured in the degrees of temperature increase per watt of generated heat (C/W). The thermal resistance of the best individual LEDs is about 2.5C/W today. Let us consider the influence of thermal resistance on crystal temperature. Suppose we have two 3W LEDs of the latest-generation. Let us consider, for example, a violet LED Semileds N35L-U-A with a thermal resistance of 4.4C/W, and a Cree XP-E2 green LED with 15C/W thermal resistance. When operating at 700mA, the respective voltage drop will be, approximately, 3.3V and 3.5V, and hence their overall power consumption will be around 2.31W and 2.45W respectively. In the first case, the LED package will add 2.31*4.4=10.16С to crystal temperature, and in the second case the temperature difference is much higher: 2.45*15=36.75С. We need to supply current to the LED and the conductors should be somehow isolated from the heatsink. Therefore, the LED emitter is first installed onto a special PCB, which is then mounted on the heatsink. Thermal resistance of least expensive PCBs can be as high as 60C/W or more (see the datasheet for Cree XLamp _PCB_Thermal.pdf). This, however, is quite unacceptable, and therefore special metal PCBs (МСРСВs) have been developed. Their structure is shown in Fig 4: Fig 4 MCPCB cross-sectional geometry You can see that the LED thermal pad does not touch the MCPCB metal directly, but through a thin dielectric layer. Unfortunately, thermal conductivity of dielectric materials is hundreds of times less than that of aluminum or copper, and МСРСВ’s total thermal resistance is somewhere between 0.2C/W (for LEDs with large surface area) and 5.3C/W for smaller crystals. Since we are planning to pack the LEDs tightly, in order to avoid the “Disco” effect, we shall assume a larger figure, towards 5C/W. This will add another 11.5С to 12.25С to the temperature of our crystals. These calculations are valid for a traditional MCPCB, but we can improve the situation significantly by using an advanced MCPCB like SinkPAD or similar. The МСРСВ is not a part of the heatsink and is attached to it through a layer of heat conducting compound, which is required to fill in the gaps resulting from manufacturing imperfections of the attaching surfaces. The compound’s thermal resistance depends on material but, in any case, the thinner is the layer, the less will be the resistance. As a rough approximation, for a high-quality compound it is around 2C/W. This will add 4.6С and 5С respectively to our crystals. Once the heat from the LED has reached the heatsink, it cannot be instantly transferred to the environment. A heatsink is usually selected in such a way that its average temperature would not exceed 50C when the surrounding air temperature is 25C. Heatsink temperature at the contact point with the МСРСВ will be around 60C. Thus, the crystals temperature will be 60+10.1+11.5+4.5=86.1С and 60+37.5+12.25+5=114.75С respectively. Note that if we attach such LEDs to a cheap FR-4 PCB with thermal resistance about 60C/W, crystal temperature may reach 252С. Since LEDs are attached with a solder which melts at about 217С, the LED would probably unsolder due to its own heat! Note that our quoted 15C/W thermal resistance isn’t the worst case scenario: many Asian manufacturers avoid indicating this parameter in their datasheets, just because the figure is even worse. Also note that real-life temperatures will be worse than we calculated above, because of mounting imperfections of the МСРСВ, an uneven layer of the heat conductive compound, etc. As we have seen, there are two main obstacles to removing excess heat from the LED crystal: the LED package and the MCPCB. Manufacturers are constantly working to overcome the first obstacle and the best LEDs on the market are using packages with reduced thermal resistance. Overcoming the second obstacle is more of a challenge since, until recently, there was no technology that would allow engineers to get rid of the dielectric layer between the LED thermal pad and the МСРСВ metal. In 2011, however, a US company SinkPAD (www.sinkpad.com) has offered a patented technology called SinkPADTM, allowing it to dissipate the heat from LEDs thermal pad directly to МСРСВ’s metal. The structure of the SinkPAD МСРСВ is shown in Fig 5: Fig 5 SinkPAD MCPCB structure You can see the raised portions of the МСРСВ metal in the picture, which touch the LED’s thermal pad directly; whereas, the electric traces are situated on a separate PCB. This approach results in a significant reduction of thermal resistance, and the more LEDs there are on the MCPCB surface, the more pronounced is the effect. Therefore, this technology is preferred for our МСРСВ which will be densely populated with power LEDs. Challenge number three: Filling up the spectrum The MCPCB shall contain individual LEDs, or groups of LEDs, each radiating at different wavelength ranges. With this approach we shall be able to adjust the resulting spectrum as we find appropriate. Below, we shall consider the general rules which we believe are important when designing a LED assembly, pointing out the problems and solutions that we had found in the process. First of all we need to stress that, even for the same LED type, the efficiency may differ significantly, and all serious manufacturers sort out the product into several efficiency bins (which, inevitably, also differ by the price). We believe that only the best (most efficient) bins are suitable for making the LED assembly: the price margin will pay off several times throughout the many years of operation. At the same time, higher conversion efficiency means less heat generation, which is also a significant factor, especially within a LED fixture’s confined space. If not specified otherwise, we always use the most efficient LED bins that are available in commercial quantities at the time of manufacture. Some explanations are required regarding this commercial availability, however. In the datasheets LED manufacturers usually specify a list of bins, including some bins which they are not yet capable of manufacturing in sufficient numbers at the time the document is created. With time, the manufacturing process will be refined and a higher yield of higher quality LEDs will be achieved, but initially, the share of the best bins is very low and they aren’t offered for sale. Spectral considerations We have pointed out the importance of violet spectrum multiple times in our previous article. Beside the high photosynthetic activity, this spectrum provides strong fluorescence and, at the same time, it is very poorly visible to the human eye. We have also shown that, in natural sunlight, the amount of radiation in this part of the spectrum is significant. Therefore we install on our assembly several true violet LEDs with different wavelengths, covering the 400 to 430nm range. Spectral differences between these LEDs are hardly visible to the eye, and therefore we combine them all in one chain, without the possibility of individually controlling each sub-range. Unfortunately, high quality and efficient violet LEDs are still very expensive and in fact, if installed in sufficient quantity, they account for most part of the LED assembly’s overall cost. The next important component of the assembly are white LEDs. The situation is much better here – white LEDs are manufactured in great quantities for general illumination needs. Usually they are based on royal blue LEDs with special phosphors applied on top, to convert some of the blue light into longer wavelengths. This technology is highly polished and is being perfected constantly. White LEDs are readily available for a moderate cost, even when the most efficient bins are requested. Spectral distribution of light emitted by a cool-white emitter LXML-PWC2 (by Philips) is shown in Fig 6 (a), and a warm-white emitter LXW9-PW27 in Fig 6 ( below: Fig 6a) Radiation spectrum of LXML-PWC2 (5650K) Cool-White emitter at Test Current, Thermal Pad Temperature = 25C Fig 6b) Radiation spectrum of LXW9-PW27 (2700K) Warm-White emitter at Test Current, Thermal Pad Temperature = 25C Note that in a cool-white emitter a larger portion of the blue light (about 440nm) emitted by the crystal penetrates through the phosphor, whereas a larger percentage of this light is converted to longer wavelengths in the warm-white emitter. The efficiency of this conversion is not particularly high, and therefore the efficiency of warm white LEDs is usually less compared with similar cool white LEDs. We believe that cool-white LEDs with 6000-8000K CCT are best suited for the LED assembly to be used on a reef tank. A cooler white, if required, can be obtained easily by supplementing the radiation from blue and violet LEDs on the assembly. Using this approach, we can use the most efficient cool white LEDs on the assembly and, at the same time, will have an efficient tool for increasing the overall CCT when required. Looking at the spectral plots of white LEDs, it is easy to notice a marked drop in the 475nm range. To achieve a more even spectral distribution in this range, a blue LED with corresponding wavelength shall be supplemented to the assembly. The next color that is worth having, in order to better fill the gap in white LEDs spectrum, is cyan, or turquois, with wavelengths around 510nm. This is a rather bright bluish-green color and is visually quite pleasant. Lately many manufacturers of LED fixtures have also been including green LEDs in their products. We believe that this is an unnecessary option. First of all, the true green spectrum, in the 530-560nm range, is already present in sufficient amounts in the spectrum of white LED, and therefore a separate green LED is not required on the assembly. Another disadvantage of using separate green LEDs is that so far the efficiency of commercially available green LEDs is extremely low and, to make their addition meaningful, a significant number would be required (even though the human eye is most sensitive to green spectrum), and this will affect negatively the overall heat generation by the assembly. We believe that adding just a few green LEDs to the assembly, like most manufacturers do, is a tribute to fashion and does not have any noticeable impact on the aggregated spectrum of the fixture. Separate green LEDs in a fixture can only prove useful for a hobbyist willing to experiment with very unusual spectral combinations (like, for example, illuminating the tank with purely green light, or its combination with some other colors to achieve a certain design effect) and thus making a narrow-band adjustments across the whole spectrum. Anyway, such brave souls will require a completely different setup than your usual LED fixture, eliminating the white (and any other wide-spectrum LEDs) completely and substituting them with a multitude of different narrow-band LEDs. It needs no explanation that such unusual combinations can only be used for achieving short-term impressions and are not appropriate for general health and coloration of corals. The orange and red spectrum is also required on the LED assembly, in order to emphasize corresponding shades of color in non-photosynthetic corals and fish. Through our numerous experiments with LED lighting during the past year we made quite a few unexpected discoveries. But, let us explan this in due course. Part Two: Our Attempts at Building an Optimal LED Assembly In the following sections we will discuss our several successive attempts at building an optimal, according to our understanding, LED light source that will not only provide optimal conditions for coral growth but, equally important, will achieve the best visual perception of a reef tank. Our quality requirements were quite high, and therefore the assembly could not be manufactured at home. Therefore we contracted a factory to manufacture the assemblies by our design. The first attempt An experimental LED assembly with 12 LEDs (Rev. 1.0), was introduced to the reefkeeping community on 29 August, 2012. The MCPCB is shown in Fig 7: Fig 7 Rev. 1.0 of our 12x LED MCPCB We designed this configuration based on the dimensions of a particular commercially available LED optics which can accommodate 12 LEDs densely populated within the diameter of 45mm. The assembly consisted of six independent channels: Violet: violet spectrum (in the 420-430nm range) comprised a significant portion of the assembly’s radiated light. We used 4pcs of the most efficient true violet LEDs at the time: Semileds N35L-U 420-430nm, 400mW up. White: 2pcs of cool-white, Cree XT-E (XTEHVW-Q0-0000-00000LG51) Royal Blue: 3pcs of Cree XT-E (XTEARY-00-0000-000000N02) Blue: 1pc. of Cree XP-E (XPEBLU-L1-0000-00205) Cyan: 1pc. of Philips Luxeon Rebel ES (LXML-PE01 Flux:K CCT:4) Deep Red: 1pc. of Philips Luxeon Rebel ES (LXM3-PD01-0350 Flux: D CCT: 7) While testing these MCPCBs, following shortcomings were revealed: Connection of the MCPCBs required soldering skills, which was a serious disadvantage for many aquarists. All violet LEDs on the MCPCB were in same wavelength range. While this range was perfectly suitable for coral growth, the 420-430nm radiation was somewhat visible to the eye, similarly to the radiation of Royal Blue LEDs. This was a serious hindrance to our goal of providing coral fluorescence even while the white LEDs were ON. We used an MCPCB material with advanced thermal conductivity (3W/m.K), and even though we used the most efficient LEDs, this was still not sufficient for passive cooling. To avoid overheating the LEDs on this MCPCB, a heatsink with a cooler fan was required. The second revision The second, improved, revision was introduced on November 6, 2012. We solved all major problems of the first revision and made several important improvements: The proportion of violet radiation has been increased up to recommended values outlined in our article. The new version contained 5 violet LEDs with highest available efficiency, N35L-U by Semileds. The spectrum spread in violet range was extended by using 1 LED in the 390-400nm range (280mW up), 1 LED in the 400-410nm range (340mW up), 2 LEDs in the 410-420nm range (400mW up), and 1 LED in the 420-430nm range (400mW up). This helped us achieve distinct coral fluorescence even in the presence of white light, and without it being noticeable to the eye of an undesirable color tint. We used a novel patented MCPCB technology by SinkPAD http://www.sinkpad.com to achieve a unique thermal conductivity of 135 W/m.K: almost 50 times improvement vs. our first revision, and almost 100 times improvement vs. a standard MCPCB! Rev. 2.0 MCPCBs looked as shown in Fig 8 below: Fig 8 Front (a) and bottom ( side of the SinkPAD MCPCB Pay attention to the grooves on the reverse side of the metal plate: this is SinkPAD’s patented technology, responsible for the achieved extremely high thermal conductivity. With this innovation, the new revision of our LED assembly can be used with a relatively small passive cooler: a pin-fin heatsink with the total surface area of 1050 cm.sq (about 1.13 sq.ft) at room temperature, without cooler fan, provided a comfortable temperature below 65C on LED crystals, when operated at maximum current. A thermal vision image of this study is shown in Fig 9 below: Fig 9 Thermal vision image of LEDs on SinkPAD MCPCB under maximum current The MCPCB has been redesigned for solderless assembly (as a result, a larger number of hobbyists were now involved in testing). Cree LEDs were replaced with their even more efficient counterparts by Philips. The number of channels and spectral distribution remained the same, but one of the three Royal Blue LEDs was replaced by an additional violet LED. The second revision too has been tested by reefkeepers, and the following shortcomings were detected: The Deep Red LED betrayed our hopes in providing better reds and oranges: non-fluorescent “warm” colors in the tanks looked unnaturally cold. Some reefkeepers reported that an excess of deep-red radiation provoked algae growth in the tank. On April 7, 2013 we presented an improved version of the assembly, which we call Rev. 2.1. In this revision one of the cool-white LEDs was replaced by neutral-white, and the deep-red (660nm) LED was replaced with normal red (620-630nm) Philips Luxeon LXM2-PD01-0050. This mostly resolved the problem of better representation of warm colors. To our amazement, it turned out that this orange and red spectrum added significantly to the beauty of a reef tank. This spectrum has been mostly neglected so far, and requires additional attention. We would like to make some notes about the algae bloom concerns. Many hobbyists believe that, due to high photosynthetic activity, the presence of wavelengths longer than 620nm may facilitate to algae growth, and therefore any radiation in this range should be eliminated from the fixture. This approach will, unfortunately, deprive us from enjoying the beautiful shades of non-fluorescent orange and red color present in many corals and fish. The algae problem can be resolved radically by maintaining good water parameters in the tank, and particularly, by maintaining constant phosphate deficiency in the water. An American oceanographer Alfred C. Redfield discovered in 1934 an empirical stoichiometric ratio of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus present in marine phytoplankton. It later turned out that most living organisms require these nutrients in roughly the same proportion. However, corals are better suited to live in the conditions of phosphorus deficiency and are capable of consuming phosphorus even when it is present in minute amounts (moreover, corals obtain a significant part of required phosphorus through food, rather than in the form of dissolved in water phosphate). Lower algae require more phosphorus for growth and cannot thrive when it is lacking. Thus, by maintaining a very low phosphate (typically below 0.03ppm) and a nitrate ratio slightly exceeding the Redfield ratio over phosphate[1], i.e. in the range of 1-3ppm, algae problem in the tank can be eliminated completely. It is worth noting that human eye’s sensitivity to red light is several times higher compared with blue light. Therefore a sensible amount of red light, sufficient for visual perception, will not be excessive compared with the relatively large amount of the available but poorly visible short-wavelength radiation. Therefore we believe that red LEDs are safe to use the, unless, of course, your tank suffers from an excess of phosphates. On July 24, 2013 we manufactured Rev. 2.2 of our LED assembly. In the course of our continued experiments it turned out that the 390-400nm violet LED does not provide any additional fluorescence versus the LEDs radiating in the 400-410nm range. This shorter wavelength LED is less efficient, and also may cause the fluorescence of small particulate matter, giving water a milky appearance. Therefore in Rev. 2.2. we installed two LEDs in 400-410nm range, obtaining even more violet radiation (due to higher efficiency) and eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages. Rev. 2.2 also sports the newly available and highly efficient blue LED LXML-PB02 by Philips. Thus, any evident shortcomings of the LED assembly have been eliminated, but there were certain imperfections: Total brightness of the LED assembly, as perceived by the eye, seemed too low, although the amount of radiated light was sufficient. This is mainly due to the fact that most hobbyists are used to the light emitted by MH or VHO bulbs which emit too much of highly visible to the eye white light. The representation of warmer colors of the spectrum was not ideal, and it was not possible to adjust the overall CCT towards the reduction of color temperature. Revision Three Rev. 3.0 of the LED assembly manufactured in September, 2013, with certain major advantages compared with the previous revisions. After thorough testing, it was announced in March, 2014. Fig 10 LED assembly Rev. 3.0 First of all, SinkPAD provided a new technology, called SinkPAD II, which allowed us to simultaneously use three different LED footprints on one MCPCB. Thus, we were able to install the newest Luxeon T range of LEDs by Philips, providing the best efficiency available today in LEDs with small crystals, along with best thermal transfer characteristics. The White and Royal Blue LEDs on our assembly can be operated close to the maximum allowed current for the LEDs thanks to the use of more efficient emitters and a shorter thermal path. By using the new advanced SinkPAD II technology, the back side of the metal plate has no grooves now, which further improves the heat transfer from MCPCB to the heatsink. At the same time, Semileds Optoelectronics achieved a further efficiency improvement for violet LEDs, reaching over 480mW of optical radiation power at 350mA. This can be translated to at least 46% of conversion efficiency of electric power into light – a truly remarkable value for violet LEDs! This higher efficiency is now achievable in the whole range of our interest, between 410 and 430nm. Due to this efficiency increase we were able to eliminate one of the violet LEDs from the assaembly, while being able to emit even more light in the selected range: the new revision contains 1pc of 400-410nm LED, 2pcs of 410-420nm LEDs, and 1pc of 420-430nm LED. With the elimination of one violet LED we were able to add the seventh channel which is used for CCT control. This was possible due to the use of a unique Luxeon Rebel PC Amber LED by Philips. The spectral distribution of PC Amber (a) compared with Neutral-White ( LED are shown in Fig 11: Fig 11a) Spectral distribution of radiation by PC Amber at Test Current, Thermal Pad Temperature = 25C Fig 11b) Spectral distribution of radiation by LXW8-PW35 (3500K) at Test Current, Thermal Pad Temperature = 25C Looking at the graphs, it is clear that the spectrum of PC Amber is virtually the same as with Neutral-White, except for the lack of the blue spike. The manufacturer has designed this LED specifically for the adjustment of color from cool-white LEDs, in order to achieve a warmer light. While in our previous revisions we could only adjust the color temperature towards cooler colors (by adding the radiation of Royal Blue and True Violet LEDs), with the addition of PC Amber[2] we are now able to control the CCT towards warmer colors also. Due to using more efficient white LEDs along with PC Amber, visual brightness of our LED assembly has almost doubled! Some manufacturers try to control color warmth by using a Red-Orange (610-620nm) LED. We had experimented with this approach, but the results were not satisfactory: experienced hobbyists reported an unnatural color rendition on a reef tank. Both Red-Orange and conventional Amber LEDs emit only a narrow band in the required spectral range, whereas PC Amber has a wide and even spectral diagram in the whole range. In Rev. 3.0 we also used a unique Philips Luxeon red LED with dominating wavelength at 630-645nm. It is better suited for our needs than the common 620-630nm, as well as the 660-670nm LEDs that were used previously. The 620-630nm range is sufficiently present in PC Amber, whereas in the 660-670nm range the sensitivity of the eye is significantly lower[3]. The use of this particular wavelength allows us to obtain an even spectral density in the long-wavelength range and to efficiently control it. Rev. 3.0 is also equipped with SMD connectors which are more reliable and rugged than the connectors used in our previous revision. These new connectors will never come out inadvertently, even under strong vibration. Another significant improvement in our third revision are the LED Protection Devices. These are the small black objects which you can see next to LEDs on the photograph. These devices constantly monitor the state of the attached LED. If the LED was somehow damaged, the device will make sure that operation of other LEDs in the same circuit will not be interrupted. This is an important novelty, since the LED fixture is designed for many years of operation. Even though the LEDs we use are very reliable, there are hundreds of LEDs in each fixture and there is a statistical chance that one of them will eventually die during years of operation. If each LED were not equipped with such protection, the death of one LED could result in shutting down of the whole channel. Light Diffusers We believe that proper light diffusers are very important part of a LED-based light fixture. We applied serious efforts to address the “Disco effect” problem that was discussed earlier. We first tried to resolve the problem by designing a compact LED assembly with a very dense population of LEDs, each equipped with individual lenses[4]. Although the lenses helped significantly with the mixing of colors, the effect was not eliminated completely. Through extensive experimentation, we have found a suitable solution through the use of hybrid optical system. The light from a densely populated LED assembly first passes through an efficient lens which is capable of concentrating about 93% of all emitted light into a narrow beam. This beam is then directed at a carefully selected light diffuser material which breaks it down into a very large number of smaller beams at slightly differing angles. These beams mix perfectly, forming an even distribution of all spectral components radiated by the LED assembly. A microphotograph of the surface of the light diffusing material, designed by German Evonik specifically for color mixing purposes, is shown in Fig 12: Fig 12 Microphotograph of the light-diffusing material surface You can see on the photograph that the surface is not matte (or it would result in mere scattering and significant light loss), but consists of numerous chaotically distributed planes, providing perfect color mixing along with insignificant losses. After passing through the diffuser, the beam becomes wider, and thus the LED fixture can be positioned comfortably at the height of 30-40cm (12-16 in) above water surface. Our light diffusers are mounted in a ring which attaches tightly over the optics. Beside their main function, they also play another important role by protecting LEDs from particles of dust which are always present in the air and would gradually accumulate on the LED’s primary optics and the adjacent part of secondary optics. Initially, this dust is negligible, but over years of fixture’s operation primary optics will start absorbing light. This, in turn, would result in the overheating of the LEDs. The attached diffuser ring can be glued to the MCPCB, thus hermetically sealing the whole assembly, Fig 13. Fig 13 Light diffuser with sealing ring, attached to the assembly Acknowledgements We would like to thank the many enthusiasts at Russian reefkeeping forums http://www.aqualogo.ru/phpbb2/ and http://reefcentral.ru/forum/ who tested the consecutive revisions of our LED assemblies on their reef tanks. Without their help and invaluable discussions, our work would not have been successful. Unfortunately we cannot list everyone by the name here, but we would particularly like to mention Karen Sanamyan for the experiments with visual perception of red spectrum and testing out the diffuser materials, Egidijus Juteika for the experiments with visual perception of numerous SPS corals under different spectra generated by our LED assembly, Oleg Dubinsky for help in all matters concerning electronics, Roman Piontik for analytical representation of the LED assembly’s spectrum in various modes, Vladimir Juma for optimal representation and systematization of materials under study, and Oleg Tkachev for advice concerning red spectral range. They, along with many other unlisted enthusiasts, helped us immensely in testing out the results of our work, pointing at any flaws witnessed during operation, and participating in discussions concerning the approaches towards their elimination. It is due to their efforts, observations, recommendations and friendly help, that we were able to advance our project on building an optimal LED assembly. Among all other LED manufacturers we would like to particularly acknowledge Semileds Optoelectronics for their unending support to our numerous requests and continuous refinements, and their invaluable professional consultations on very many issues. Our every whim was taken very seriously, and they continue doing their best to provide us with the best options possible. It is mostly due to this cooperation that we were able to represent the important violet spectrum in our product fully in accordance with our understanding of its requirements. References 1.Wikipedia: Color vision [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_vision] 2.Redfield's Ratio Refuted [http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/45744] [1] According to the recently corrected Redfield ratio [2], in warm, nutrient-starved areas the algae requires for growth the Nitrogen:Phosphorus atomic ratio of 28:1. If we recalculate this to NO3:PO4, the ratio is approximately 18:1 [2] Note that PC Amber is a unique LED, manufactured exclusively by Philips Lumileds at the time of writing this article. This LED is quite different from the widely available Amber LED (with wavelengths around 590nm) offered by many manufacturers. In the name of this LED, PC stands for Phosphor-Converted. This is a InGaN based LED coated with special Lumiramic phosphor, which gives up to 4-5 times the light output of conventional AlInGaP amber products. Beside this huge efficiency benefit, conventional amber LEDs are very sensitive to overheating – their efficiency drops by hefty 50% at crystal temperatures of just 60-70C – which is otherwise a quite comfortable temperature for all other LEDs on the assembly. [3] To make it more visible, significant power should be radiated. This light being extremely photosynthetically active, it might result in potential algae problems if the phosphate level in not properly controlled. [4] Even the use of custom COBs, where differently colored LEDs come in bands, does not fully solve this problem, whereas the design of a COB with fully mixed-up placement of multicolored LEDs is too complicated technologically. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Add an internal or canister filter and you've got yourself a functioning aquarium not much different than any sumpless system. If you need more lights for plants or a look down reef, you can always add some submersible lights such as the magnet-clipped LEDs Tunze introduced last year. Note: These designs have built-in perimeter fluorescent lights. Aquascaping for top-down viewing is an exciting prospect. Hardscapes and plant arrangements would take on a new dimension. When it comes to reef organisms, many look their best from a top-down perspective. Granted, these aquariums aren't ideal around small children or pets, and they aren't the most practical. But for the crazed aquarist who wants an instant conversation piece parked between their couch and TV, these will definitely make a statement. We have no idea how this Taiwanese-made coffee table aquarium works, but it sure looks fancy. Designs like this demonstrate the potential for someone to design a purpose-build table aquarium with all the functionality of a conventional aquarium. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Press Release The application for the 2014 - 2015 $4,000 MASNA Student Scholarships is now available. This year there are two scholarships available; one $4,000 scholarship for a college undergraduate student and one $4,000 scholarship for a college graduate student. The two $4,000 2014 - 2015 MASNA Student Scholarships are made possible by our generous sponsors Doctors Foster and Smith LiveAquaria.com, Ecotech Marine, and Seachem. To be eligible for a $4,000 MASNA Student Scholarship, an applicant must be a current/entering undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college or university. The student must have declared a major/focus or have intent to declare a major/focus in one of the marine science disciplines. Selection will be based upon the student’s academic history and the student’s contributions and demonstrated commitment to the marine aquarium hobby. North American students, no matter where they are studying in the world, as well as students from abroad, who are studying in North America, are eligible, as long as they attend/plan to attend an accredited college or university. The deadline for submission is June 20, 2014. Additional information and the application form can be found here: http://scholarship.MASNA.org Additional information about MASNA can be found here: http://www.MASNA.org/AboutMASNA.aspx Regards, Kevin Erickson, M.Sc. www.KevinPErickson.com Vice President of the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA) MASNA's Podcast: MASNA Live View the full article

Click through to see the images. Oddly behaving fish from a CO2 seep confirm laboratory experiments The study confirms laboratory experiments showing that the behavior of reef fishes can be seriously affected by increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the ocean. The new study is the first to analyze the sensory impairment of fish from CO2 seeps, where pH is similar to what climate models forecast for surface waters by the turn of the century. “These results verify our laboratory findings,” said Danielle Dixson, an assistant professor in the School of Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. “There’s no difference between the fish treated with CO2 in the lab in tests for chemical senses versus the fish we caught and tested from the CO2 reef.” The research was published in the April 13 Advance Online Publication of the journal Nature Climate Change. Philip Munday, from James Cook University in Australia, was the study’s lead author. The work was supported by the Australian Institute for Marine Science, a Grant for Research and Exploration by the National Geographic Society, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. The pH of normal ocean surface water is around 8.14. The new study examined fish from so-called bubble reefs at a natural CO2 seep in Papua New Guinea, where the pH is 7.8 on average. With today’s greenhouse gas emissions, climate models forecast pH 7.8 for ocean surface waters by 2100, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). “We were able to test long-term realistic effects in this environment,” Dixson said. “One problem with ocean acidification research is that it’s all laboratory based, or you’re testing something that’s going to happen in a 100 years with fish that are from the present day, which is not actually accurate.” Previous research had led to speculation that ocean acidification might not harm fish if they could buffer their tissues in acidified water by changing their bicarbonate levels. Munday and Dixson were the first to show that fishes’ sensory systems are impaired under ocean acidification conditions in the laboratory. “They can smell but they can’t distinguish between chemical cues,” Dixson said. Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is absorbed into ocean waters, where it dissolves and lowers the pH of the water. Acidic waters affect fish behavior by disrupting a specific receptor in the nervous system, called GABAA, which is present in most marine organisms with a nervous system. When GABAA stops working, neurons stop firing properly. Coral reef habitat studies have found that CO2-induced behavioral changes, similar to those observed in the new study, increase mortality from predation by more than fivefold in newly settled fish. Fish can smell a fish that eats another fish and will avoid water containing the scent. In Dixson’s laboratory experiments, control fish given the choice between swimming in normal water or water spiked with the smell of a predator will choose the normal water. But fish raised in water acidified with carbon dioxide will choose to spend time in the predator-scented water. Scientists collected fish from the coral reefs shown here and found that fish from the more acidic waters of the bubble reefs were less likely to detect the odor of predators. Credit: Danielle Dixson Juvenile fish living at the carbon dioxide seep and brought onto a boat for behavior testing had nearly the identical predator sensing impairment as juvenile fish reared at similar CO2 levels in the lab, the new study found. The fish from the bubble reef were also bolder. In one experiment, the team measured how far the fish roamed from a shelter and then created a disturbance to send the fish back to the shelter. Fish from the CO2 seep emerged from the shelter at least six times sooner than the control fish after the disturbance. Despite the dramatic effects of high CO2 on fish behaviors, relatively few differences in species richness, species composition and relative abundances of fish were found between the CO2 seep and the control reef. “The fish are metabolically the same between the control reef and the CO2 reef,” Dixson said. “At this point, we have only seen effects on their behavior.” The researchers did find that the number of large predatory fishes was lower at the CO2 seep compared to the control reef, which could offset the increased risk of mortality due to the fishes’ abnormal behavior, the researchers said. In future work, the research team will test if fish could adapt or acclimate to acidic waters. They will first determine if the fish born at the bubble reef are the ones living there as adults, or if baby fish from the control reef are swimming to the bubble reef. “Whether or not this sensory effect is happening generationally is something that we don’t know,” Dixson said. The results do show that what Dixson and colleagues found in the lab matches with what is seen in the field. “It’s a step in the right direction in terms of answering ocean acidification problems.” Dixson said. “The alternative is just to wait 100 years. At least now we might prepare for what might be happening.” This research is supported by the Australian Institute for Marine Science, a Grant for Research and Exploration by the National Geographic Society, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies. CITATION: Philip L. Munday, et al., “Behavioural impairment in reef fishes caused by ocean acidification at CO2 seeps.” (Nature Climate Change, April 2014). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE2195 Material from the Georgia Institute of Technology. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Eviota oculopiperita may not be the most gaudy goby (take a look at Trimma helenae, which was officially described earlier this year). But the new goby recently described in the Journal of Ocean Science Foundation is quite special in its own right. This tiny goby is a rare greenish pigmentation with scales outlined in brown, creating a crosshatch appearance. The main body is translucent; you can actually see the fish's organs and white spine that runs the length of the fish, which measures less than half an inch (11.9mm). The journal also described another new Red Sea dwarf goby, Eviota geminata, below. With the discovery of these two gobies, the total number of Eviota species known from the Red Sea is now eight. If it seems like scientists are discovering a lot of new dwarf gobies in recent years, it's because they are. These new species are mostly found in shallow tropical seas, but because they are so tiny and often cryptic, a lot of dwarf gobies have yet to be discovered and described. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Eviota oculopiperita may not be the most gaudy goby (take a look at Trimma helenae, which was officially described earlier this year). But the new goby recently described in the Journal of Ocean Science Foundation is quite special in its own right. This tiny goby is a rare greenish pigmentation with scales outlined in brown, creating a crosshatch appearance. The main body is translucent; you can actually see the fish's organs and white spine that runs the length of the fish, which measures less than half an inch (11.9mm). The journal also described another new Red Sea dwarf goby, Eviota geminata, below. With the discovery of these two gobies, the total number of Eviota species known from the Red Sea is now eight. If it seems like scientists are discovering a lot of new dwarf gobies in recent years, it's because they are. These new species are mostly found in shallow tropical seas, but because they are so tiny and often cryptic, a lot of dwarf gobies have yet to be discovered and described. View the full article

Click through to see the images. We serve up two delicious videos prepared by Global Dive Media: To complete our three course prix fixe, here's a Global Dive Media video we've share before. It's so amazing we couldn't help ourselves to a second helping. Our planet is a ridiculously wondrous place! View the full article

I am starting this thread for everyone to share the contact of the local store where you can usually get stuff for your DIY project from. I guess this would be very helpful instead of running around singapore or google around the internet.

Click through to see the images. Toledo Zoo staff Jay Hemdal, Curator of Fishes and Invertebrates and Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, staff veterinarian answer your questions about your fish's health issues. Question: Some of the rainbowfish in my aquarium have raised greyish-white lumps on their bodies. I haven't added any new fish for over a year and the water checks out fine. They've had these spots for over a month now, is the problem serious? Answer: Your fish have an infestation of a peritrichous ciliate protozoan related to the genus Epistylis or possibly Vorticella. These one-celled organisms are actually not parasites; they filter the water for particles of food. They grow in colonies and use their stalked bases to attach to various surfaces. In the case of fish, Epistylis can only attach to areas where the fish's skin has been damaged. In the image above, you can see that each colony of Epistylis is growing where a scale is missing. Continued presence of the colony irritates the skin so that it doesn't heal properly. Although rarely fatal, this malady is unsightly. It only affects freshwater fish, and is sometimes found growing on the shells of turtles. Although these protozoans are easily eradicated, they usually return after treatment, so a long-term cure is difficult to achieve. Short-term relief can be gained by treating your aquarium with one of the standard Ick cures. For fish that can tolerate it, such as your rainbowfish, a long-term bath of 4 parts per thousand of synthetic sea salts will help. To dose sea salt at this rate, first determine the actual volume of your aquarium (length x width x height in inches, divide by 231 and then multiply by .90 to account for water displacement by gravel and tank decorations). Using this volume, multiply it by 15. This is the total grams of salt to add, but it must be added slowly, so split the amount of salt into thirds and add one third to the aquarium once a day for three days. If you do not have an easy way to measure grams of sea salt, you can figure that one level teaspoon of salt weighs about five grams. Leave the fish in this mild brackish water condition for at least six weeks. Don't use aquarium salt or regular sodium chloride alone, as the calcium in the synthetic sea salts makes this treatment less toxic to freshwater fishes, while still being deadly to the protozoans. Ultimately, Epistylis has two basic needs; a place to grow (injured fish tissue) and food (particles of organic material in the water). Ensuring the fish don't reinjure their skin reduces sites where Epistylis can grow. This may require separating fish that fight, such as cichlids the "lip lock" each other in fights over territory. Increased partial water changes and better mechanical filtration will both help to reduce the food sources Epistylis needs in order to thrive. The old Toledo Zoo Aquarium, with its antiquated filter systems had high levels of organic particulates in its freshwater systems that made Epistylis something that had to be routinely treated for. The new Aquarium, opening in 2015 will utilize state-of-the-art life support systems that will certainly reduce the prevalence of this disease. This was just a sample case. We welcome your fish health questions, and hope to provide timely information to allow you to become more successful with your aquariums. If we can help you maintain your aquariums better, and make them more sustainable, it helps us meet our primary mission of "Inspiring others to join us in caring for animals and conserving the natural world". So ask away and we'll try to help! View the full article

Click through to see the images. Giesemann supplied Advanced Aquarist with the following literature: MATRIXX-II DIMTEC The worlds most advanced T5 lighting solution with all the control of an LED system. The worlds most advanced T5 lighting solution with all the control of an LED system. Giesemann has always prided itself in leading the market and offering the most advanced solutions available for aquarium lighting. And whilst many companies have forsaken tried and trusted methods such as HQI and T5, Giesemann still appreciate that for many, these methods are still very relevant and in some cases still preferred. What is lacking in most cases however is adjustability and control. Giesemann are therefore pleased to announce the release of the new BLUETOOTH MATRIXX-II DIMTEC with full remote controllability and advanced programming capability. You may recognise the style as one of the most stunning designs to hit the aquatic market in recent years, and you would be right. With bodywork borrowed directly from our flagship FUTURA LED range, the MATRIXX-II utilises a full assortment of features borrowed from its bigger brother, but in a cost effective T5 format, with active and passive cooling technology, computer designed reflectors and high quality, fully dimmable ballasts manufactured by Philips the MATRIXX-II offers the highest output of any T5 system available on the market to date. The MATRIXX-II DIMTEC expands on that theme to incorporate full Bluetooth connectivity to a range of devices including PC/MAC Android smart phone, and Tablet, and is controlled by Giesemann's own software package similar to that used on the class leading Futura-LED system which offers an incredible range of advanced yet user friendly features. This means a wide range of programmability without the limitations of small control screens. Features Include: Point to point multi-plot light cycle programming allowing smooth transitional lighting phases across an available 920 set points. Fully independent channel control over 2 – 4 channels* dependent on light unit connected. Transitional colour shift dependent on the mix of tubes across each channel. Fully adjustable cloud and weather simulations Fully adjustable lunar phases. Creation of dedicated user profiles. The ability to download and share profiles. * Each channel controls 1 ballast and tube set. Prices are yet to be finalised but are estimated to start at around £450.00 Available formats: MATRIXX II DIMTEC 4 x 39w- 950mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 4 x 54w- 1250mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 4 x 80w- 15500mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 6 x 39w- 950mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 6 x 54w- 1250mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 6 x 80w- 1550mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 8 x 39w- 950mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 8 x 54w- 1250mm MATRIXX II DIMTEC 8 x 80w- 1550mm Availability Europe: April 2014 Availability US: May/June 2014 For further information visit: http://www.giesemann.de/710,2,MATRIXX%20II%20DIMTEC,.html or contact your local authorised Dealer or Distributor. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Sea Serpents Do Exist Human encounters with oarfish - even dead oarfish washed ashore - are very rare, so this footage of oarfish in the shallow tropical sea in the Sea of Cortés (Mexico) is truly something special. The video was shot by a group affiliated with Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. The video begins with what appears to be a woman freeing a beached oarfish using boat paddles to send it out back to sea. As previously mentioned, oarfish rarely wander into shallow waters. It's unknown why this happens. Theories range from fish weakened by disease or injury to simply a specimen drifting inshore (oarfish are poor swimmers and are largely at the mercy of ocean currents). Watching this video, "you can easily imagine where tales of sea serpents might have started," as the Smithsonian article states. We apologize for the small embed box, but you can maximize the video to full screen to really appreciate the scale of these amazing fish. FYI: The footage records what is considered a small 15 foot long oarfish. They can grow well over twice in length. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Read our previous product coverage to learn about Giesemann's FUTURA and TESZLA LED lights. The following profiles will soon be available for download from the Giesemann website and via their connected support forums. To use the profiles, you must be running the current FUTURA-BT software with Load/Save feature via either PC or MAC: Shallow Lagoon Day-cycle 5 meter Day-cycle 10 meter Day-cycle 20 meter Day-cycle Growth Priority Colour Priority Four of the first six profiles replicate natural equatorial daylight cycles at various depths. Two additional profiles are programmed for optimal coral growth and for optimal coral coloration. FUTURA users can, of course, fine-tune their lighting to best suit their needs and preferences. These profiles are designed to simplify the initial programming and to serve as a starting point for customization. Note: Each profile is pre-configured to a maximum peak intensity of no more than 50% on its highest channel to minimize light shock. Users are provided instructions on how to increase intensity over time if desired as well as add additional features such as cloud cover simulation and advanced sun shift programming. Additional profiles for Giesemann will also release profiles for their TESZLA LEDs soon. View the full article

Click through to see the images. This is a seminal moment for our hobby. Visit Acro Al's facebook post for your opportunity to own a living piece of history. Read our previous article about Acro Al's clam breeding program. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Southern Daily Echo reported this amazing lost and found fish tale of a beloved koi named Chadwick finding its way back home after months on the lamb. Two fishes at Romsey World of Water (an retail center for aquariums, ponds and terrariums) were swept away by a big winter flood. Steve the Sturgeon was found alive a few days after the flood in a puddle of water at a nearby car wash of all places, but Chadwick the Koi was no where to be found ... until a woman walking her dog recently reported a friendly fish eating breadcrumbs from people's hands at a local river. Chagoi Kois are amongst the most personable pond fish, and it was Chadwick's friendliness that ultimately saved him. Staff from Romsey World of Water captured the koi ahd have returned him back into his pond. Chadwick suffered a serious gash and damaged dorsal fin from his wild adventures. After treatment from the staff, Chadwick is reportedly on the mend and doing well. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Regular readers of Advanced Aquarist may have noticed our last post about this research project was retracted. This was done to allow the research team to revise and better define the project's description and scope for those who expressed concerns. The team has published a new video (see below) to address these concerns as well as clarified the short and long term goals of their research. With emerging interest in azoox reefkeeping, demand for azoox invertebrates by aquarists and public aquaria are expected to increase as well. Wijgerde and Lateveer aim to unlock the secrets of reef invertebrates that have proven challenging or impossible-to-keep in captivity while also minimizing the hobby's impact on wild reefs . Their initial research will yield a sustainable protocol to keep and propagate azoox corals in captivity starting with carnation corals, Dendronephthya and Scleronephthya spp. This endeavor is only a stepping stone for further research into invertebrates with challenging dietary requirements such as azoox corals, tunicates, sponges, and bivalves. Advanced Aquarist strongly encourages your contribution to this crowd-sourced research. Even $5 will help. Encourage your favorite aquarium brands to make corporate contributions. Spread the word with fellow reefkeepers. Like and share this article on Facebook. Tweet. This is the very type of progress our hobby needs, and it's led by two of the most credible and capable coral researchers we know. Let's start something special! ♦♦♦ Please visit the Indiegogo project page for information and to contribute to research. ♦♦♦ For reference on the quality of coral research you can expect from your contribution to Wijgerde and Laterveer's research, read: Coral growth under Light Emitting Diode and Light Emitting Plasma: a cross-family comparison Feeding and oxygen affect coral growth: implications for coral aquaculture Zooxanthellae: Biology and Isolation for Scientific Study Zooplankton Feeding by Corals Underestimated Red Light Represses the Photophysiology of the Scleractinian Coral Stylophora pistillata " height="383" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="680"> "> "> View the full article

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Click through to see the images. Republished with permission from www.avinasharora.com. Make sure to read all the way to the bottom to see the animated GIF of the Space Aquarium in action. Superb background, Avinash! Now let us guide you to stock the inside of your aquarium just as spectacularly Space Aquarium So, my dad got a new 135 gallon fish tank, and he bought a repeating pattern backing that was really bland and boring. I floated the idea of letting me do something really special for him, and he immediately said yes, before even hearing most of the idea. It came out quite well, not as well as I think I’d like, but for around $100, it came out AMAZING. This is the image we wanted to use, it came from the Spitzer Space Telescope (Mission) and basically, it’s a glimpse of the entire Milky Way. It looks incredibly vivid thanks to the infrared eyes of the telescope capture, and you can read more about the image and get the full size hundred something megapixel image here: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03239 As almost always, my first step was 3-d modeling it. Okay, looks good! So we got started on the process. I was helped immensely by Jeff Frankle over at Duggal Visual Solutions (www.duggal.com) and we got the space backdrop printed. He printed it with no white ink, and on a matte translucent background, this would allow the light to pass through the star points. Because there was no white ink, a lot of the brighter colors are semi translucent. Why all the trouble? Backlighting, of course . Anyone that knows me knows well and good how I feel about lighting. But first, some construction for the backboard. I’ll skip the majority of the build photos, here’s the backing: We got a bunch of LED christmas light strips that had circuits built in to do a “twinkle” effect. I opened up all the circuits and soldered out the buttons to modify the way they twinkle, and soldered on leads and connected them all to one button. So, one button behind the tank to change all of the light strings at once, so constant lighting, slow fade, whatever, was a little easier to work with. If I were doing it again, I would have dropped all pretense of using these circuits and written a program on an arduino and done it myself by hand. This ended up being more problematic than I’d have liked, but it works now. Robin’s help during the process of gluing and all was indescribable. I would not have done it without her, she has far, far more patience than I do. Additionally, she managed to stick the entire thing on the fish tank completely bubble free. Yeah, I helped, but it would have been a disgusting monster had she not led this piece of the project: Backing is on the tank! the LEDs had a lot of hot spots, so we used three layers of vellum to diffuse the lighting. One day I may go back and redo this, two layers was not enough to diffuse the lighting as much as I’d have liked. I should have used on the scale of 4-6 layers, with spacing in between. I think if I were to do it again, I’d use smaller vellum pieces and stick them right onto the lights, and then another layer over the entirety of the lights, and another 2 layers over the entirety of the back board. That would give some mild amount of spacing between the sheets and would have gotten the light to diffuse better. Also, Andrew showed up and helped some Okay, so what does it look like all together? Photos don’t capture it as well as in-person does, but I’ll do my best, here’s an untouched photo: Here’s a gfycat compressed gif: View the full article

Click through to see the images. Fish Tank Kings Premieres Monday, April 28, at 9 PM ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD (WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 1, 2014) The dynamic “school” of aquarium specialists at Living Color in southern Florida are experts at fulfilling the wild aquatic requests of their fish-loving clientele. Last season they made a “splash” transforming a Volkswagen Minibus into an aquarium and building a fireplace around a fish tank. This spring, Nat Geo WILD “hooks up” once again with the Fish Tank Kings for an all-new season of custom-built tanks that seem to defy imagination. The new season of Fish Tank Kings premieres Monday, April 28, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD. (For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com/fishtankkings and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/NGC_PR.) Each episode follows the dedicated team as they work to create some of the most impressive fish tanks ever developed: Mat Roy is the president and is responsible for overseeing all projects and running operations at Living Color. His favorite part of the process is seeing the look on clients’ faces as they view their aquarium for the first time. Francis Yupangco is a lifelong fish geek and marine life specialist. Jose Blanco and Ben Alia oversee construction and creative designs for the tanks. John Manning is the life support system designer, responsible for creating intricate systems in small spaces that will ultimately keep the exotic creatures inside the tank healthy. Going bigger and bolder than ever before, the guys “reel in” a new “haul” of extreme projects that range from our very own Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan’s aquatic oasis in the middle of the California desert to a pimped-out octopus exhibit at a New York zoo, and the largest private aquarium in South Florida. Being there for every reveal, we’ll see clients change their minds 10 times in the process while displays are artistically created. In addition to building some of the most astonishing tanks out there, the Fish Tank Kings also swim to the depths of the oceans to meet their clients’ needs. Our cameras plunge into open waters to see how they expertly retrieve deadly and exotic sea creatures — from the giant Pacific octopus, to an elusive pair of fish that mate for life and a deadly nocturnal fish with a venomous spine. It’s a fishy job, but somebody’s gotta do it! Fish Tank Kings: Shark Tank Monday, April 28, at 9 p.m. ET/PT Can the Fish Tank Kings transform a second-floor office space into South Florida’s largest privately owned fish tank? A lifelong fish enthusiast envisions a 5,000-gallon Shark Tank that would take up half the square footage in his office and the only way to install such a monstrosity is through a second-floor window! The guys at Living Color are always up for a challenge, but this request is a particularly tall order. Then, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y., commissions Francis to design, build and install a new Pacific octopus exhibit … oh, and they also need him to dive deep into the frigid waters off Vancouver to retrieve their eight-armed star attraction. Francis wrangles a Pacific Giant Octopus for a new exhibit at Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Installing a 5,000 gallon Shark Tank on the second story requires heavy machinery. Fish Tank Kings: Secret Crystal Cave Fish Palace Monday, May 5, at 9 p.m. ET/PT The team at Living Color is forced to think outside of the box, and outside of the tank, to meet the high-end expectations of South Florida’s famous PB Catch restaurant. Owner Thierry Beaud doesn’t want coral, he wants crystals. Instead of intricacy, he wants simplicity. By requesting such foreign elements, this job requires endless amounts of trial and error on both the technical and design fronts. Then, the Fish Tank Kings are tasked with designing a Paris-themed aquarium that will impress the likes of Madonna and Justin Timberlake. The owners of Obie One Recording Studio don’t provide many guidelines on The Job, but one thing is for sure … this tank had better be worthy of music royalty. Fish Tank Kings: The Fish Whisperer Monday, May 12, at 9 p.m. ET/PT Nat Geo WILD’s very own Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, recruits the Fish Tank Kings to build an aquatic oasis at his Dog Psychology Center in the California desert. This is no ordinary aquarium project — Cesar wants a massive koi fishpond where there is no viable water source for miles! While Mat and Jose struggle with water complications, Francis heads to Alabama to noodle the catfish needed to keep the koi from overpopulating the pond. As problems mount on the West Coast, the staff back in Florida are tasked with their own challenge: designing a tank so elaborate it will trick the client into thinking the whole house was built around it. This is an enormous task that will require an aquarium to be molded, constructed and installed with pinpoint accuracy. Fish Tank Kings is produced by Sharp Entertainment for Nat Geo WILD. For Sharp Entertainment, Matt Sharp, Dan Adler, Bob Larson and Matthew Blaine are executive producers. For Nat Geo WILD, executive producer is Jenny Apostol, senior vice president of production and development is Janet Han Vissering and general manager is Geoff Daniels. About Nat Geo WILD For more than 30 years, National Geographic has been the leader in wildlife programming. The networks Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo WILD HD, launched in 2010, offer intimate encounters with nature’s ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air that draw upon the cutting-edge work of the many explorers, filmmakers and scientists of the National Geographic Society. Part of the National Geographic Channels US, based in Washington, D.C., the networks are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. In 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) debuted, and 10 years later, Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation’s major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with Nat Geo WILD currently available in 56 million U.S. homes. Globally, Nat Geo WILD is available in more than 100 million homes in 90 countries and 28 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com. View the full article

Click through to see the images. My last article covered the relationships between clownfishes (anemonefishes) and their host anemones, as well as the substitute hosts that these fishes will often take up residence in when no suitable anemone is available. This month I want to continue on the subject of fishes living with anemones, but not the same fishes. Surprisingly, there are at least fifty such species of non-clownfishes that associate with anemones, some of which are regularly offered in the hobby.1,2,3 I'll also cover a good number of crustaceans that live with anemones, many of which are also available to us. Maybe you'll decide to try one or more of these pairings in an aquarium. Fishes First A search of the literature turned up numerous papers discussing non-clownfishes living with anemones. Far more than I expected, actually. However, while clownfishes are obligate symbionts that are never found living away from an anemone in the wild except when very young, these non-clownfishes are faculative symbionts. This means that they may live with an anemone, and doing so may increase their chances of survival and reproductive success, but they do not have to. Unlike clownfishes, many of them also associate with anemones only when young. And, most are also different from clownfishes in that they live amongst (or just near) the stinging tentacles of their host anemone but do not intentionally come into contact with them. For example, one study found that of seven covered species of fishes that occasionally lived near/amongst the tentacles of anemones, only one made full contact with the tentacles, while the others did not.3 Another study found that some species were not immune to the stings of the anemones they associated with and that many had white spots and lesions on their bodies, which were assumed to be the result of accidental contacts with the tentacles.5 So, what we seem to have here are a number of species that have some means of protection from stings, and others that do not. As is the case with clownfishes, it is thought that those species that can come into contact with the tentacles are protected by their mucus slime coat, which either contains chemicals that inhibit the discharge of an anemone's nematocysts (stinging cells), or simply lacks any chemicals that would stimulate their discharge.2,4 The details are apparently unknown at this time, though. On the other hand, those that do get stung on occasion are thought to be accepting of an occasional sting in return for the protection from predation that an anemone's tentacles can provide.2Please see my previous article for more on this. With that covered, I'll give you a number of examples that I was able to find: The common domino damselfish (Dascyllus trimaculatus) is frequently found living amongst the tentacles of various anemones and can come into full contact with them. It has been reported to associate with the Ritteri anemone (Hetractis magnifica), the sebae anemone (H. crispa), the sand/beaded anemone (H. aurora), Merten's anemone (Stichodactyla mertensii), the carpet anemone (S. haddoni), the long-tentacle anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis), and the pizza anemone (Cryptodendrum adhaesivum).6,7,8 Despite this, I can't say I've ever known of anyone that intentionally added these damsels to an aquarium housing a suitable anemone, just to do something different. Like clownfishes, the domino damselfish can come into full contact with the tentacles of several anemones, and is frequently seen living in them in the wild. Typically they share an anemone with clownfishes. Anyway, the similar white-spotted damselfish (Dascyllus albisella) and Strasburg's damselfish (D. strasburgi) also associate with various anemones at times and can come into full contact with their tentacles, including the Ritteri anemone, a Hell's fire/night anemone (Phyllodiscus semoni), and a mud anemone (Marcanthia cookei).6,7,9 The sawcheek cardinalfish (Apogon quadrisquamatus) and the bridle cardinalfish (A. aurolineatus) occasionally associate with the curley-cue anemone (Bartholomea annulata) and the condy anemone (Condylactis gigantea). However, it is not clear if they are able to make full contact with the tentacles. While some seem to make occasional contact with them, others seem to only hover near them.2,5 Several cardinalfishes, including sawcheek cardinal (L) and the Banggai cardinalfish ®, also associate with various anemones. The condy anemone (L) and the curley-cue anemone ® are commonly-offered species that do not host clownfishes, but several other fishes and some crustaceans may associate with them. Likewise, the Moluccan cardinalfish (Apogon moluccensis) has been reported to associate with an unidentified anemone of the genus Heteractis and makes contact with its tentacles, while the yellow-banded cardinalfish (Apogon nanus) sometimes associates with tube anemones (ex. Cerianthus spp.), but only hovers near its tentacles.2 The Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) may associate with the sebae anemone, and some unidentified cardinalfishes reportedly associate with Hell's fire anemones, as well.2 Again, it's not clear if they intentionally come into contact with the tentacles, though. Several fishes and crustaceans may also associate with Hell's fire anemones (L) and tube anemones ®, while clownfishes do not. Various wrasses also associate with anemones, especially when juveniles. For example, the blunthead wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum) reportedly associates with the bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) and the Ritteri anemone, where it sometimes coexists with the tomato clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus) in the bubble-tip anemone and the ocellaris clownfish (A. ocellaris) in the Ritteri anemone.1,6 Through forced contact experiments and microscopy it was also found that juveniles are indeed protected from the sting of the bubble-tip anemone, but possibly not from the Ritteri anemone.1 However, others have reported that regular contact with the tentacles of the Ritteri anemone does occur and that this wrasse appears to clean mucus and/or necrotic tissue from the its host.1,2,6 Likewise, the lunare wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) has also been reported to associate with the Ritteri anemone and is often touched by its tentacles, as does the checkerboard wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus).2 The checkerboard wrasse (L) may associate with the Ritteri anemone when young. Several other juvenile wrasses associate with this and other anemones, as well. In the above mentioned study covering seven species of non-clownfishes that associate with the condy anemone, principally as juveniles, it was found that six avoided touching the tentacles, including the bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum), the yellowhead wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti), the pearly razorfish/cleaver wrasse (Hemipteronotus novacula), the gobies Quisquilius hipoliti and Lythrypnus nesiotes, and an unidentified juvenile parrotfish.3 The bluehead wrasse (L) and yellowhead wrasse ® often associate with condy anemones when young. The exception to the above was the ringed blenny (Starksia hassi), which made full contact with the tentacles of the condy anemone. Another study reported that the diamond blenny (Malacoctenus boehlkei) also associated with the condy anemone and touched its tentacles, while a third reported that yet another blenny, the palehead (Labrisomus gobio), did the same.9,10 Two unidentified hawkfishes of the genus Cirrhitichthys have also been reported to ''actually live in'' a Ritteri anemone, while the spotted hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys aprinus) has been reported to live among the tentacles of a large unidentified sea anemone.2 Then, there are the butterflyfishes. Several species of butterflyfishes feed on anemones and thus must have some means to deal with stings, and juvenile sunburst butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) are frequently seen moving amongst their tentacles.6,11,12 I have never personally witnessed one touching the tentacles though, and can't find any reports of them doing so. Unfortunately, I also had no luck finding any information about all species of anemones they do/don't associate with. Juvenile sunburst butterflyfish are often seen associating with anemones, such as the Ritteri anemone (L) and Merten's anemone ®. Regardless, here's something quite unusual that I came across by accident. It's a story about a personifer angelfish (Chaetodontoplus meredithi), associating with the carpet anemone Stichodactyla haddoni and touching its normally sticky (and very deadly) tentacles after a period of acclimation.13 The fish eventually began to move back and forth between two of these anemones in the same aquarium, and even shared them with clownfish. (insert URL: http://reefbuilders.com/2012/07/09/clownfish-anemone-angelfish/) Crustaceans Next There are quite a few crabs, shrimps, and other crustaceans that also associate with anemones. Apparently some, if not all, must go through an acclimation procedure to do so, as their exoskeleton does not prevent them from being stung, or grabbed by anemones like "sticky" carpets. In fact, one experimental study found that some shrimps that normally associate with anemones lose their protection from being stung after a period of isolation from their hosts.14 In order to acclimate themselves to their host, it has been suggested that these crustaceans either actively produce some form of chemical camouflage that prevents anemones from stinging them after initial contact, or acquire such camouflage by transferring mucus from their hosts to their bodies. Regardless of how it's done, many can come into full contact with their host's tentacles after making brief contacts with it, such as picking at the tips of the tentacles.14,15 Anyway, the spotted porcelain/anemone crabs Neopetrolisthes maculata and N. ohshimai typically live in pairs that associate with a wide range of anemones, including the carpet anemone, Merten's anemone, the Ritteri anemone, the long-tentacle anemone, the bubble-tip anemone, the pizza anemone, and Hell's fire anemones.7,8,12 Both species come into full contact with their host's tentacles, and can even walk across carpet anemones. The attractive spotted porcelain/anemone crabs Neopetrolisthes ohshimai (L) and N. maculata ® can inhabit several common-offered anemones, and are quite interesting to watch. The mithrax crabs Mithraculus forceps and Mithrax cinctimanus, and another unidentified species ofMithrax have been reported to associate with the condy anemone and come into contact with its tentacles, although they were typically found at the anemone's base, under the tentacles.7,16Mithrax cinctimanus associates with the sun anemone (Stichodactyla helianthus), a well.7 The arrow/spider crab Stenorhynchus seticornis has also been reported to associate with the condy anemone, and again, can make contact with its tentacles.16 Likewise, the arrow crab Stenorhynchus lanceolatus has been reported to associate with the club-tipped anemone (Telmatactis cricoides).17 I also came across a photograph of an unidentified arrow crab associating with a tube anemone.7 Some mithrax crabs (L) and the arrow/spider crabs ® may associate with anemones at times, and can touch their tentacles. Other crabs reported to associate with the club-tipped anemone are Homola barbata, Pilumnus villosissimus, Inachus phalangium, Herbstia condyliata, Dromia personata, and Xantho incisus.17 An unidentified squat lobster (Galathea sp.) has also been reported to associate with the club-tipped anemone, as well as an unidentified mysid shrimp (Heteromysis sp.).17 And, another unidentified red mysid shrimp reportedly schools amongst the tentacles of the knobby anemone (Bartholomea lucida) at times.8 An unidentified pistol shrimp (Alpheus sp.) has been reported to associate with the corkcrew anemone, typically as a pair that lives at its base.7,8 And, the pistol shrimp Alpheus armatus has been reported to associate with an unidentified aiptasiid anemone, although in this case the only observed contact was between the shrimp's antennae and the anemone's tentacles.16 The sexy shrimp (Thor amboinensis) gets around, as it associates with the giant carpet anemone (Stichodactyla gigantea), the flower/beaded anemone (Epicystis (Phymanthus) crucifer), the sun anemone, the curley-cue anemone, the knobby anemone, the condy anemone, and the club-tipped anemone.7,8,17 Other unidentified members of the genus Thor also associate with the curley-cue and knobby anemones, as well as two antler/branch anemones (Heterodactyla hemprichii and Lebrunia danae) and a Hell's fire anemone (Actinodendron sp.).8 The sexy shrimp (L) is well-known for associating with various anemones, as are numerous species of shrimp in the genus Periclemenes ®. The peppermint shrimps Lysmata ankeri and L. seticaudata, the skunk cleaner shrimp (Lysmata grabhami), and the golden coral shrimp (Stenopus spinosus) have all been reported to associate with the club-tipped anemone.16,17 And lastly, we get to the true anemone shrimps, which belong to the genus Periclimenes. All of these can make full contact with their host's tentacles, although some of these are apparently specialists that associate with only one anemone, while others are more generalists that can associate with several species. These shrimps are also cleaners that will nip and pick tiny parasites, dead skin, scales, mucus, and such off fishes without getting eaten. Also note that while these shrimps generally do no harm to their hosts, in the absence of food some have been reported to feed on their host's tentacles.8,14,18 One of the most commonly-seen anemone shrimps is Pereclimenes yucatanicus, seen here in the tentacles of condy anemones. Regardless, the anemone shrimp Periclimenes magnificus has been reported to associate with a sand anemone (Edwardsia sp.).7P. anthophilus associates with the condy anemone.19P. yucatanicus associates with the condy anemone, the sun anemone, and the curley-cue anemone.8P. pedersoni also associates with the condy anemone, the sun anemone, and the curley-cue anemone, as well as the antler/branch anemone Lebrunia danae.7,8P. brevicarpalis, sometimes known as the pepperoni shrimp, associates with the pizza anemone, as well as the antler anemone Heterodactyla hemprichii and Hell's fire anemone Actinodendron arboreum.7,8 And, P. rathbunae associates with the condy anemone, the sun anemone, the curley-cue anemone, and the antler/branch anemone Lebrunia danae, as well as the warty anemone (Bunodosoma granulifera) and Duerden's sun anemone (Homostichanthus duerdeni).18 Other unidentified species of this genus have also been reported to associate with the giant carpet anemone, the mini carpet anemone (Stichodactyla tapetum), the sun anemone, the curley-cue anemone, the knobby anemone, the flower/beaded anemone, the Hell's fire/night anemone, and the antler/branch anemone Lebrunia danae.7,8 And that's all I've got. Again, for an aquarist looking for something interesting and different, there are lots of combinations presented here, many of which are available to us. So, keep these in mind if you think you might be interested in keeping anemones and some of the non-clownfishes and crustaceans that associate with them. References Arvedlund, M., K. Iwao, T.M. Brolund, and D. Takemura, 2006. Juvenile Thalassoma amblycephalum Bleeker (Labridae, Teleostei) dwelling among the tentacles of sea anemones: A cleanerfish with an unusual client? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 329(2):161-173. Randall, J.E. and D.G. Fautin. 2002. Fishes other than anemonefishes that associate with sea anemones. Coral Reefs, 21:188-219. Hanlon, R.T., R.F. Hixon, and D.G. Smith. 1983. Behavioral associations of seven West Indian reef fishes with sea anemones at Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Bulletin of Marine Science, 33:928-934. Mebs, D. 2009. Chemical biology of the mutualistic relationships of sea anemones with fish and crustaceans. Toxicon: 54(8):1071-1074. Colin, P.L. and J.B. Heiser. 1973. Associations of two species of cardinalfishes (Apogonidae: Pisces) with sea anemones in the West Indies. Bulletin of Marine Science, 23:521-524. Fautin, D.G. and G.R. Allen. 1992. Field Guide to Anemone Fishes and their Host Sea Anemones. URL: http://www.nhm.ku.edu/inverts/ebooks/intro.html Fossa, S. and A. Nilsen. 2000. The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium, Volume 3. Birgit Schmettkamp Velag, Bornheim, Germany. 448pp. Delbeek, J.C. and J. Sprung. 1997. The Reef Aquarium: Volume Two. Ricordea Publishing, Coconut Grove, FL. 546pp. Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Coral Reef Fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers. 400pp. Hanlon, R.T. and R.F. Hixon. 1986. Behavioral associations of coral reef fishes with the sea anemone Condylactis gigantea in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science, 39:130-134. Godwin J. and D.G. Fautin. 1992. Defense of host actinians by anemonefishes. Copeia, 1992:903-908. Fatherree, J. personal observation. Kai, T.Y. 2012. A clownfish and its anemone play host to their unorthodox angelfish friend. Reefbuilders, URL: http://reefbuilders.com/2012/07/09/clownfish-anemone-angelfish/ Levine, D.M. and O.J. Blanchard. 1980. Acclimation of two shrimps of the genus Periclimenes to sea anemones. Bulletin of Marine Science, 30:460-466. Melzer, R.R. and R. Meyer. 2010. Field experiments on the association of decapod crustaceans with sea anemones, Anemonia viridis (Forsskål, 1775). Natura Croatica, 19(1): 151-163. Wirtz, P., G. de Melo, and S. de Grave. 2009. Symbioses of decapod crustaceans along the coast of Esp´rito Santo, Brazil. Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Marine Biodiversity Records, 1-9. Wirtz, P. 1997. Crustacean symbionts of the sea anemone Telmatactis cricoides at Madeira and the Canary Islands. Journal of Zoology, 242(4):799-811. Hayes, F.E. and N.A. Trimm. 2008. Distributional ecology of the anemone shrimp Periclimenes rathbunae associating with the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus at Tobago, West Indies. Nauplius, 16(2):73-77. Zahra, M. undated. Marine Invertebrates of Bermuda: Giant Caribbean Sea Anemone (Condylactis gigantea). URL: http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/MarineInvertebrateZoology/Condylactisgigantea.html View the full article

Click through to see the images. Read our article to learn more about the Innovative Marine NUVO FUSION all-in-one aquariums. " height="383" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="680"> "> "> View the full article

Click through to see the images. This morning, ORA issued a press release announcing the dramatic change in their company's direction. Effectively immediately, ORA will cease production of its "non-consumable" marine ornamental product line to focus heavily on the edible pet industry. With the surging popularity of delicious teacup poodles, it was only a matter of time before Americans' insatiable appetite spread to the aquarium industry. See ORA's new edible clownfish product line. Last month, ORA sent a few privileged industry insiders preproduction batches of their new sugary-sweet edible "livestock." The overwhelmingly positive responses we have seen thus far indicate ORA's bold departure from their original business model may pay immediate dividends. With worldwide appetites surging for tastier pets, ORA has pioneered the market for edible aquatic animals that wash down easily with a glass of milk or breakfast beer. “What we seem to have produced are the most edible fish in the aquarium hobby," claims ORA President Dustin Dorton. "Did I say edible? I meant delicious ..." Dorton mumbles to himself while pretending to swim the tasty Premium Picasso confection directly into his mouth. Dorton refused comment on rumors of a fermented seawater line rumored for release later this quarter, although he confirmed the "imminent" release of dottyback and mandarinfish edible pets. While ORA will leave a sizable void in marine ornamental aquaculture, having experienced ORA's edible pets product line ourselves, our staff is unanimously convinced ORA has made a smart and delectable business decision. View the full article

Click through to see the images. A team of Conversation International scientists documented the solitary 12.4 meter long whale shark on March 18, 2014. Genetic analysis from tissue samples collected from an in situ biopsy will be used to determine whether this specimen is a new species, an aberrant phenotype, or a hybrid (possibly Rhincodon typus x Amphiprion percula). A second expedition to Ko Samui is planned for late May, 2014, when scientists hope to locate and geotag this specimen for further study. The whale shark was last sighted in the Sula Sea 50 kilometers northeast of Mindanao swimming alongside a blue whale companion. View the full article