Harlequinmania

Click through to see the images. " height="408" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="680"> "> "> Follow Mike & Terry's tank build at www.reef2reef.com. Here is a quick run-down of their system: Equipment List: Custom 300g Marineland Deep Dimension Tank Custom (approx) 70g shallow acrylic sump (dimensions: 48" x 24" x 14") 150g Rubbermaid stock vat 75g refugium/frag tank Iwaki MD70RLT return pump 1/2 hp Tradewind chiller w/Panworld 50pxx pump Super Reef Octopus 6000-SSS internal skimmer Deltec AP851 Skimmer GEO Calc RX GEO KH RX Phosban 550 RX (for GFO) Phosban 550 RX (for GAC) Tunze 7095 Controller (4) Tunze 6055 Turbelle NanoStream pumps (1) Tunze 6105 Turbell Stream Reeflo Dart (3600gph) and Ocean Motion 4 for closed loop Custom slide out aluminum light rack from eztube (3) Lumenmax Elite Reflectors (3) Lumatek 400w dimmable electronic ballasts currently running 400w Radiums (2) VHO Super Actinics (3) 12.5" Ecoxotic Royal Blue Stunner Strips w/reflectors (for dawn/dusk) View the full article

Some personal Q & A questions 1. How long have you been reefing? Ans: Serious reefing started only from 2008. 2. How did you get into this hobby? Ans: An ex-colleague (angry) introduced me to SGREEFCLUB forum back in 2003. 3. Are you a fish guy or a Coral guy? Ans: I think this is a trick question, so my response is: I am straight. 4. What is your main concern when looking around for your reefing equipment? Ans: Cheaper, Better, Faster… Ok, seriously: Reliable, Value-for-Money, Resale Value. 5. What is your favorite past time Ans: Toying around with my ride: Forester 2.5XT, In-Car-Entertainment and Single Malt whiskey. 6. What is the satisfaction you got from this hobby? Ans: Winning this TOTQ! And of course, witness the growth and ever-changing shapes of the SPS. 7. Any advice for newbie in this hobby? Ans: Read (a lot) but do not believe everything you read. Dedicate some time for Trial and Error to find out what works for you. Go Slow, Be Patient and Disciplined. Finally, make some friends in the forum; there are plenty of very helpful reefers who can ease your learning curve. Final Acknowledgement and thank you note (If any). I’m deeply humbled by this win, which is, coincidentally just days before I turn 38. Thanks for the nomination and awarding TOTQ to The 5ive. It will be a memorable one for me! And now, the Oscar speech, there are really too many people to thank. But truly, with amnesia becoming a real problem for me lately, please forgive me, as you know, I tend to be quite absent-minded. So here it goes: Larry, thanks for taking over this forum and starting this award, hopefully it can inspire more non-reefers to join in this hobby! JoeP, Fuel, ShootSimon, Pak Hon (Hon), FishChemist (Brother-In-Law), YellowTang, HotSoup, Sunny Mau. Past TOTQ winners: Jeremy (Eniram), Crispin (Clee), Bellina (Bellinayu) and Gary (MengYang_Neo). My humble tank is honoured to be mentioned in the same breath as yours. The one and only (Best Fish Friends) BFF whatsapp chat group: JackyWong, AhSiang, Luke (Digibee) Ignatius (Kikobananas), ZM (Comycus), for sharing your ideas and experience during my tank build. Jane and Leslie (Desideria and Ketchup) – the model reefing couple, congratulations on your twins! Ray (Raydiative) – Many thanks for your help in the scaping of the tank buddy! Congratulations on your engagement, really happy for you! And Jeremy (Eniram) again – Bro, your tank has always been an inspiration. All the best for your newly re-scaped tank. Hope it wins another award for you! Cedric Ang, aka Dr. Ang. Very grateful to you for sharing your knowledge, not just SPS but in life! This win, is possible with your patience and guidance. Finally, a big thanks to my family for their continuous support and all the sacrifices they made to accommodate my hobby. Like Father, Like Son !

Corals Fishes 1x Yellow Tang (Hawaii) 1 X powder Blue tang 1 x Rusty Pygmy Angelfish 1 x coral beauty pygmp angelfish 1x Sherpadi pygmy angelfish 1 pair Flame pygmy angelfish 1 pair Flame pygmy angelfish 1 x Pair Flame hawk 3x Barlett anthias 3x Springer damselfish 1 x Yellow Wrasse 1x Red-elongated dottyback 1x Mandarin dragonet

Due to keeping of SPS, tank parameters are kept constant at these parameters. Salinity: 1.028 Temperature: 26-28 degrees Celsius Ph: 8.3 Calcium - Ca: 430 Alkalinity– KH: 8.2 Magnesium – Mg: 1300 Addictive used 3x 20L dosing jerry cans (Ca/Kh/Mg) [Daily] Strontium, Potassium, Iodide, Reef Pearls [fortnightly] Tank: Hardware Skimmer: Skimz SM201 – weekly wash and empty skimmer cup Mechanical filtration: “Tea bag – Filter sock” – changed weekly Dosing pump: Bubble Magus BM-T01 (Kh/Mg/Ca) + BM-T02 (FW auto topup w/ 3 spares) Chiller: 1hp Mitsubishi StarMex with titanium drop-in coil and external probe Biopellet / reactor: JNS BioPellet Reactor – Alpha 2 Chemical filtration: Rowaphos and Rowacarbon Main return pump: 1xEhiem 1264 + 1x Reef Octopus Water Blast HY7000 Wave maker: 2x VorTech Mp40w + 1x Tunze 6055 (single controller) + 3x Tunze 6025 (modded) Fans: 2x computer fans to cool MH Lighting Controller: 2x digital timers (with 6 powerpoints) Lightset: Giesseman Infiniti (courtesy of Ketchup and Desideria) 4x54W T5 + 2x250W Double-ended MH + 2X moonlight (DIY)

We are proud to featured this quarter Tank of the Quarter ( TOTQ ) winner . Wilson aka (wilsontantw) beautiful SPS dominated reef tank to be be showcase . We had a hard time on the selection for this quarter since there is so many beautiful tank on sight recently, but we hope to be able to featured all of these member tank one by one. Congratulation again to Wilson ! Theme of your wining tank - The 5ive Brief Introduction of your history of setting up your tank Evolution of The 5ive My reefing experience began in 2003 with the typical 2-feet “Luo Han” tank with overhead filter (OHF). Without sufficient knowledge nor the ability to invest in the right equipment from this first foray, the tank didn’t do too well, so I took a sabbatical from reefing. Fast Forward to 2008, my passion was reignited when I found a very new (nine months old) resale 30”x24”x24” tank from the Forum’s Pasar Malam section (Bro SunnyMau). Soon, the addiction grew stronger and stronger, and before I knew it, I was running 2x 2feet tanks side by side, both fully stocked with SPS. Finally in Aug 2011, my application for a new tank to my ‘Home Affairs Minister’ was approved, and after two months of preparation and production, The 5ive was delivered on 24 October 2011. With advice from the reefing gurus and help from fellow reefers in scaping and coral selections, The 5ive began to take shape very quickly; coralline algae can be seen from second month. It is now about a year old and livestock have settled down and growing without many new additions for the past six months. You can find out more about the setup The 5ive - tank specifications The Main Display Tank measures 60”x24”x22” (LxBXH), customised with 2 panels of Clear Crystal Glass. It also comes with an External Over Flow (EOF) box. Main tank water overflows to the under-tank sump via two over-sized 40mm PVC downpipes that come with 40mm union valves to handle 10,000L/hr water turnover. The overall volume of Main and sump tanks is around 196Gallons, or slightly over 740Litres of water. The Cabinet is also customised to ensure sufficient workspace and access area to accommodate a dedicated electrical ‘panel’. This allows me to DIY a neat and systematic wiring of all the countless equipment required to “automate” the operations of the tank. On the reverse side of the same panel, I got some ‘hangars’ from Daiso and this optimises the storage area for quick access to frequently used tools/equipment, such as scissors/torch light.

Lck got a handful of it.

Lck also still have blue angel, small and big AT, blue tang, fox face ect...

Click through to see the images. Other aquarium patrons reported the attempted theft to the aquarium staff but the suspect had already fled the premises. Really ... Is there nothing someone will try to steal? View the full article

Click through to see the images. Coral frag swap and store wide sale. Free lunch and refreshments. Raffles, demos and propagation workshops throughout the day. You don't want to miss this one people. Our TFP sponsored events have been growing each year and 300 to 600 people is not unheard of at this point. It was standing room only with corals everywhere last year and it will be bigger and better this year. Sign up on Fragswapper.com to list your corals or just reserve some that you may want. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Many species of goby are known to inhabit Acropora corals for protection from predators. While a lot is known about the benefits coral-inhabiting gobies receive from their host coral, very little is known about what, if any, benefit the host coral receives from their guest. Researchers Dirnwoeber and Herler of the University of Vienna probe this question in their latest paper in Coral Reefs titled "Toxic coral gobies reduce the feeding rate of a corallivorous butterflyfish on Acropora corals." Their research centered around three main fish: Broad-barred goby (Gobiodon histrio) Gobiodon sp. 3 (unnamed) Black-tailed butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus). The two researchers setup aquarium experiments with these three fish and similar-sized heads of Acropora corals and used a video camera to document how many times the black-tailed butterflyfish fed on the different coral colonies. The Black-tailed Butterflyfish, Chaetodon austriacus, crusing the reef looking for food. They found the broad-barred goby was much more aggressive toward butterflyfish than Gobiodon sp. 3. The more aggressive behavior led to a reduction in butterflyfish predation on coral heads inhabited by the broad-barred goby by 62–98%. Gobiodon sp. 3 was much less aggressive and it showed in the data as the predation of their inhabited Acropora heads were only reduced by 64–68%. Obviously the gobies were protecting the coral from predation. The researchers also noted that the mucous covering Gobiodon species was not only toxic, which aided in their defense of the coral, but also acted as a parasite repellent, which also reduced incidence of parasites. Dirnwoeber concludes: "this study demonstrates that Gobiodon spp. exhibit resource defence against coral-feeding butterflyfishes and also that coral colonies without resident Gobiodon suffer higher predation rates. Although the genus Gobiodon is probably a facultative corallivore, this study shows that by reducing predation on inhabited colonies by other fishes, these obligate coral-dwellers either compensate for their own fitness-decreasing impact on host colonies or live in a mutualistic association with them." View the full article

Click through to see the images. Another "Why Didn't I Think of That?" Moment The idea is elegantly simple. The NoClean Betta Tank has a built-in siphon and spout that draws water from the bottom of the tank whenever you add fresh water. The siphon automatically breaks when the water level reaches the level of the spout. All the Betta enthusiast has to do is simply add clean freshwater to the aquarium and the dirty bottom water will siphon out — not exactly "self-cleaning" but close enough! Now if we could only make large reef tanks this easy to service ... [via 3reef.com] View the full article

Click through to see the images. Another "Why Didn't I Think of That?" Moment The idea is elegantly simple. The NoClean Betta Tank has a built-in siphon and spout that draws water from the bottom of the tank whenever you add fresh water. The siphon automatically breaks when the water level reaches the level of the spout. All the Betta enthusiast has to do is simply add clean freshwater to the aquarium and the dirty bottom water will siphon out — not exactly "self-cleaning" but close enough! Now if we could only make large reef tanks this easy to service ... [via 3reef.com] View the full article

Click through to see the images. The 28 banned species are outlined in the Indiana Natural Resources Commission's new Rule found on the state of Indiana's website. Included in the rule are popular aquarium plants like Egeria densa (Anacharis), Hygrophila polysperma (dwarf hygrophila), and Caulerpa taxifolia. While I understand the ban on invasive freshwater plants, I am a bit confused by the inclusion of Caulerpa taxifolia in the rule as the last time I looked, Indiana did not have any saltwater lakes. But I digress. Indiana has banned these plants in an effort to prevent introduction of these fast-growing invasive species in local waters. These species have the potential for choking out native species if they become well established. According to the Journal Gazette, eradication and management of existing invasive species easily exceeds $1 million dollars if lake association and Department of Natural Resources budgets are pooled. This rule becomes effective August 31, 2012 and bans the sale, offering for sale, gift, barter, exchange, or distribution of any of the listed species. If you are a hobbyist in Indiana like I am, you should make yourself familiar with the list so that you can become compliant with the new rule. According to the new rule, the only way you can legally keep these species are if: you have a permit issued by the state entomologist stating you can keep them you are a person engaged in a project approved by the state entomologist for the destruction of a species Any store or individual that has these plants in inventory will need to get rid of them in the proper fashion. Contact the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator at (317) 234-3883 for instructions in their proper destruction. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Some corals prefer to host only one dominant species of zooxanthallae (Symbiodinium sp.) and now we might have an answer why. Logic has always suggested that when corals host more types of symbiotic algae, they can better cope with environmental shifts. However, new University of Hawaii at Manoa research finds that the opposite may be true. Corals with more species of zooxanthallae actually fare worse to stress. So much for common sense! Less Is More for Reef-Building Corals: Surprisingly More Flexible Corals Are More Sensitive to Environment Disturbances Researchers at the University of Hawaii -- Manoa (UHM) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) made a discovery that challenges a major theory in the field of coral reef ecology. The general assumption has been that the more flexible corals are, regarding which species of single celled algae (Symbiodinium) they host in coral tissues, the greater ability corals will have to survive environmental stress. In their paper published August 29, 2012, however, scientists at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at SOEST and colleagues documented that the more flexible corals are, the more sensitive to environment disturbances they are. "This is exactly the opposite of what we expected," said Hollie Putnam, PhD candidate at UHM and lead author of the study. This finding was surprising, as it is thought corals exploit the ability to host a variety of Symbiodinium to adapt to climate change. "Our findings suggest more is not always better," she continued. "The relationship of coral species to their algal symbionts is fundamental to their biology," says David Garrison, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research. "This study gives us a new understanding of how corals are likely to respond to the stresses of environmental change." Reef corals are the sum of an animal (host), and single celled algae that live inside the corals' tissues (also called 'endosymbionts'). This is a mutually beneficial arrangement -- the coral provide protection and keep the algae in shallow, sunlit seas; and the algae produce large amounts of energy through photosynthesis, which coral use to survive and build their skeletons. The stability of this symbiosis is critical to the survival of corals and if they lose their endosymbionts they bleach and often die. Corals can host different types of endosymbionts, which affects their response to stress. Putnam and other scientists from Dr. Ruth Gates' laboratory at HIMB took tiny tissue samples from 34 species of coral in Moorea, French Polynesia. By analyzing the DNA from the endosymbionts in these samples, they were able identify the types of Symbiodinium. This revealed that some corals host a single Symbiodinium type that is the same in all individuals of that coral species, and that others host many types that vary among individuals within a coral species. "The corals we sampled spanned a range of environmental sensitivities from resistant to susceptible, and we were able to link, for the first time, patterns in environmental performance of corals to the number and variety of symbionts they host," reported Putnam. These patterns show that corals hosting diverse Symbiodinium communities, those that are flexible with respect to endosymbionts (termed 'generalists'), are environmentally sensitive. In contrast, environmentally resistant corals were those that associate with one or few specific types of Symbiodinium (termed 'specifists'). "Coral reefs are economically and ecologically important, providing a home for a high diversity of organisms necessary for food supplies, recreation, and tourism in many countries. The better we understand how corals respond to stress, the more capable we will be to forecast and manage future reefs communities," said senior author Professor Ruth Gates. Coral reefs can undergo mass mortality due to high temperatures, and ocean acidification is threatening the capacity for skeletal growth. These global stressors are superimposed on the local threats of pollution, coastal development and overfishing, together threatening the persistence of corals as a functional ecosystem in the future. In the future, the Gates Lab will examine what causes the differences in success between corals that are flexible and inflexible in their Symbiodinium associations and compare the symbiotic flexibility in corals and reefs across much larger areas -- in locations such as Hawaii, Moorea, Taiwan and American Samoa. This further understanding will allow better predictions of the future of reefs under further ocean warming and acidification. Reference: Hollie M Putnam, Michael Stat, Xavier Pochon, and Ruth D Gates. Endosymbiotic flexibility associates with environmental sensitivity in scleractinian corals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2012 Contact: Marcie Grabowski mworkman@hawaii.edu 808-956-3151 University of Hawaii ‑ SOEST View the full article

Click through to see the images. Darwin hypothesized in 1880 that most species could not disperse across the marine barrier, and Baums's study is the first comprehensive test of that hypothesis using coral. The results of the scientific paper, which will be published in the journal Molecular Ecology, has important implications for climate-change research, species-preservation efforts, and the economic stability of the eastern Pacific region, including the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador. The Eastern Pacific Barrier (EPB) -- an uninterrupted 4,000-mile stretch of water with depths of up to 7 miles -- separates the central from the eastern Pacific Ocean. In his writings, Darwin had termed this barrier "impassable" and, since Darwin's time, scientists have confirmed that many species of marine animals cannot cross this oceanic divide. However, until now, researchers had not performed a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the barrier on coral species. "The adult colonies reproduce by making small coral larvae that stay in the water column for some time, where currents can take them to far-away places," Baums said. "But the EPB is a formidable barrier because the time it would take to cross it probably exceeds the life span of a larva." To test whether or not coral larvae are able to travel across the barrier, Baums and her team chose a particularly hearty species called Porites lobata. "Compared with other coral species, Porites lobata larvae seem able to survive for longer periods of time; for example, the weeks that are required to travel across the marine barrier," Baums said. "This species also harbors symbionts in its larvae that can provide food during the long journey. In addition, the adults seem able to brave more extreme temperatures, as well as more acidic conditions. So, if any coral species is going to make it across, it is this one." A map of the Pacific Ocean showing where coral samples were collected. Circles of the same color indicate corals that are genetically similar. Clipperton Island has corals that are genetically similar to those found throughout the central Pacific, suggesting that larvae from the central Pacific traveled eastward to populate Clipperton. Blue arrows indicate cool ocean currents; red arrows indicate warm ocean currents. The inset image shows the study species, Porites lobata. Credit: Baums lab, Penn State University Baums and her team hypothesized that coral larvae originating in the central Pacific might be pushed along the North Equatorial Counter Current, which flows from west to east and becomes stronger and warmer in years with an El Niño Southern Oscillation event -- a climate pattern that occurs about every five years. "Coral larvae are not very mobile," Baums said. "So the only way coral larvae originating to the west of the barrier could travel to the east is along an ocean current, and warming of a current like the North Equatorial Counter Current would help larvae survive. If coral have traveled along this current in the past, we should find populations that are genetically similar living from the Galapagos to Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador." The team members collected coral samples of the Porites lobata species from both sides of the Eastern Pacific Barrier and performed genetic tests using special markers called microsatellites -- repeating sequences of DNA that are informative for the purpose of distinguishing among individuals. "We found that Darwin was right: the EPB is a very effective barrier," Baums said. "For the most part, samples we found to the east are genetically dissimilar to those we found to the west. This means that coral larvae originating in the central Pacific simply are not making it across the ocean to the Americas." The only exception, the team found, was a relatively small population of Porites lobata living near Clipperton Island, which is located just north and west of the Galapagos. The samples collected there were genetically similar to samples found throughout the central Pacific, indicating that the species had migrated there from the west relatively recently. "Interestingly, the coral that are lucky enough to cross the EPB to Clipperton Island stay there and don't go any farther," Baums explained. "In other words, we find that Porites lobata are not migrating south and east to the Galapagos after making it to Clipperton. We believe this is because these coral are adapted to the warmer conditions that their parents enjoyed to the west of the EPB; for example, near the Line Islands, Fiji, and Samoa. "Coral reefs thrive in shallow water in areas where the annual mean temperature is about 64 degrees Fahrenheit," Baums said. "The eastern Pacific tends to be much cooler; in part, because of a process called upwelling -- a phenomenon that occurs when winds stir up cold, deep ocean water, pulling it to the surface. Clipperton Island may provide a similar-enough environment to the Central Pacific, but the Galapagos area simply may be too cool." An adult lobe coral (Porites lobata) colony provides shelter for a myriad of fishes and invertebrates. Credit: Joshua Feingold, Nova Southwestern University The team's findings about the ability of coral to travel across the marine barrier have important implications for the economic stability of the eastern Pacific, the region's species-conservation efforts and, more broadly, for the impact of climate change on tropical ecosystems. The Galapagos, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador all rely heavily on tourism. Tourism, in turn, relies on healthy reefs that divers can visit and the sale of shellfish and lobster -- species that are maintained, in large part, by the presence of coral communities. "The take-home message is that coral populations in the eastern Pacific need to be protected," Baums said. "That is, in the event of any large-scale coral crisis, we cannot count on coral populations in the eastern Pacific being replenished by larvae from the west." Baums explained that, especially as the Earth's surface continues to warm, such a crisis to coral reefs is not unlikely. During the El Niño Southern Oscillation events that occurred from 1982 to 1983 and from 1997 to 1998, some of the reefs experienced a 90-percent loss. Although they ultimately were able to bounce back, a stronger El Niño event might spell extinction for some coral species. In addition to Baums, other researchers who contributed to the study include Jennifer Boulay and Nicholas R. Polato at Penn State and Michael E. Hellberg at the Louisiana State University. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation. (Press Release Penn State Eberly College of Science) View the full article

Click through to see the images. In a clear attempt to replicate the success of Okinawa's popular whale shark tank, Aqua Planet had grand plans to stock their massive 23 x 8.5 meter (75 x 28 ft) main display aquarium with whale sharks, rays, and large schools of fish. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan when a 16 foot (4.9 meter) whale shark suddenly stopped feeding and died on August 19, 2012. Aqua Planet states: "“We admit a lack of proper preparations [for sustaining whale sharks in captivity] and we regret causing concern among the people." Under public pressure, aquarium officials have now decided to release the second whale shark back to the sea. Aquarium officials claim both CITES-protected whale sharks were unintentionally captured by fishermen nets. View the full article

Click through to see the images. This is an amazing tank. Robert upgraded to this 400-gallon aquarium around New Year's Eve 2010 from a 130-gallon tank and it certainly shows that he has a "salty-thumb." It is mainly an SPS-dominated aquarium measuring 250 cm x 80 cm x 80 cm (~ 8 ft x 2.6 ft x 2.6 ft). Lighting consists of three 13,000 K Aqua Medic 400-watt HQI lamps and eight ATI T5 54-watt (4 special blue and 4 white) as supplemental lighting. The HQI's run from 1 PM to 9 PM and the T5's run from 11 AM to 11 PM. In the summer, Robert has to run a Aqua Medic Titan chiller to keep the tank temperature within range. The system has a 100-gallon sump and the filtration system consists of a Bubble King 300 skimmer, with activated carbon, along with UV and ozone. Calcium demand is handled by a Dastaco T4 Extreme calcium reactor which can handle 2000 liter to 3600 liters of water. Limewater is also added to help maintain calcium and alkalinity demand. A weekly 50-gallon water change is also performed. Keep up the great work, Robert. We will certainly watch how this tank progresses. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Coral Search and Rescue Like sci-fi nanobots swarming to repair the human body, Scottish scientists have set out to design a team of submersible robots that automatically identifies broken coral fragments and cements them to rocky substrates, giving the frags a much higher chance of maturing into full colonies. Such coral outplanting is currently performed by divers and thus limited in depth and time humans can submerge using conventional scuba equipment. "Coralbots" could enable large scale, continuous, and fully automated outplanting operations in virtually any location where coral reefs need a helping hand. Professor David Corne is the team's design leader in charge of programming the robot behavior to function as one collective "swarm intelligence" in order to recognize and secure coral fragments damaged by natural events such as hurricanes or anthropogenic events like bottom trawling. Robots: Is there anything they can't do? [via Scotsman.com] View the full article

Click through to see the images. Urban development and agricultural activities increase nutrient levels in local waters. This becomes especially problematic around reefs as higher nutrient levels not only bring on eutrophication but also favor increased filter feeding activity. Organisms like bivalves, sponges, polychaete worms, and barnacles are filter feeders and many are also bioeroders as they can tunnel into the reef structure. Why would boring organisms cause problems? Because reef building corals like Porites can become damaged due to their activity. Researchers Tianran Chen, Shu Li and Kefu Yu published their article about the problem in the latest issue of the journal Coral Reefs (pdf). What they did was evaluate bioeroder populations on Porites corals in northern South China Sea and compare these populations to where the coral was found: either in areas close to urban / agricultural areas or far away from these areas. Their research indicated that the primary bioeroders were bivalves (Lithophaga spp.) and the sponges (Cliona spp. and Cliothosa spp.) and they accounted for 80% of the bioeroder population on Porites corals. The remaining 20% was made up of polychaete worms and barnacles. They also found that bioerosion was worst close to urban / agricultural areas (10.34–27.55 %) whereas corals from relatively unpolluted areas were least affected (2.18–6.76 %). According to Chen: High levels of bioerosion, especially boring bivalve infestation, significantly weaken the corals and increase their susceptibility to dislodgement and fragmentation in typhoons, limiting accumulation of limestone framework. This study implies that carbonate accretion and reef development for high-latitude coral communities may be limited in future high-CO2 and eutrophication-stressed environments. (via Coral Reefs) View the full article

Click through to see the images. Environmental changes, if severe enough, can cause coral to bleach and expel their zooxanthellae. Under these conditions, one would think that if a more temperature-tolerant Symbiodinium species inhabited a coral, it would become the new dominant species. This is not the case, however, at least with eastern Pacific Pocillopora spp. corals. Research undertaken by McGinley and others from the University of Delaware, the Florida International University, and The Pennsylvania State University document these findings in the paper “Symbiodinium spp. in colonies of eastern Pacific Pocillopora spp. are highly stable despite the prevalence of low-abundance background populations.” What the scientists did was survey the Symbiodinium species in a wide range of Pocillopora coral after a cold water bleaching incident in the Gulf of California to evaluate their Symbiodinium preferences. This bleaching incident affected individual coral colonies differently depending on the dominant Symbiodinium sp. in their tissue. Corals that were more susceptible to bleaching contained high levels of Symbiodinium ITS-2 type C1b-c. Tolerant corals contained Symbiodinium ITS-2 type D1. The researchers also found many corals in their survey did in fact contain lower levels of more temperature-tolerant Symbiodinium sp. (i.e. C1b-c or D1). However, despite bleaching and having low levels of more temperature-tolerant Symbiodinium in their tissues, only 3% of those corals surveyed actually switched to the more temperature tolerant algae. This finding have serious implications for coral as climate change takes place. If certain coral species have a low propensity for switching Symbiodinium, even if conditions favor a more temperature-tolerant species, they will not last as long as coral that are willing to switch. View the full article

Click through to see the images. This video shows never-before seen footage of a deep-sea angler fish, Chaunacops coloratus. In it, a summary of recent work by scientists at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is presented. The video seen here was recorded by MBARI's ROV Doc Ricketts at depths of 7,800 - 10,800 feet below the ocean's surface. (via The Scuttlefish) View the full article

To celebrate SRC 10 year anniversary, we will be launching our very own Limited Edition 10 year Anniversary T - Shirt up for grab !! We will only print this T-Shirt once and will not arrange for a second print again.The Additional funding derive from this T-Shirt drive will also help us to fund the organizing of our Fish Show in Dec 2012. Please show us your support as we need a minimum of 30 pcs in order to make this happen. Details of the T-shirt will be as follows; Materials ; Men's Beefy T-Shirt ( Hannes Series ) -205 g/m2 -100% deluxe ring-spun cotton for extra comfort -Grey Heather 85% Cotton/15% Viscose -Pre-Shrunk single jersey fabric, individually pressed for a quality finish -Famous Hanes fit -Seamless design -Taped shoulder to shoulder -Double needle sleeves and hems for durability Print : Left chest and Back A4 size logo. Design: Plain full color with various sizes for adult , ladies and kids . Color : Please refer to the attachment of the catalogue. Price: $ 25.00 / pcs ( Men ) $ 24.50 / pcs ( Ladies ) $ 23.00 / pcs ( Kids ) ** Closing date : 10 th Oct 2012 ** We need a minimum of total 30 pcs in order to make this possible. Please support. Kindly state down the following with your interest and order format below; ------------------------------ ORDER LIST Nick name / Shirt colorl ( Please check attach photo ) / Size ( S/M/L/XL ) / Quantity required 1. 2. 3. (pls fill up and update the list if you make changes yourself) ** PS : If you need more pcs in different color, please follow the list down as well .. : Ladies and kids sizes is available for order as well. ------------------------------ Examples as follows; ORDER LIST Nick: shirt Colour code / Size ( S/M/L/XL ) Lady or Kids ( XS/S/M/L/SL) / Quantity required 1. Harlequin Mania / Bottle Grey / L / 01 pcs 2. Harlequin Mania / Navy / L / 01 pcs 3. 4. 5. Payment : Upon closing of sales , You can either bank transfer the money to me or cheque payment ect.. But I would prefer an internet or bank transfer. If you are doing a internet bank transfer, Please indicate your nickname in SRC, as your transaction initials so that I am able to find out who it is from . For ATM transfer... please indicate to me via PM / email or SM your bank account number, time, date and amount together with your nick so I can cross reference. Delivery / Collection Collection will be announce at a later date and most likely at the Dec event itself .

Click through to see the images. Aqua Illumination, the manufacturer of the popular Sol and Nano LED lighting units, will certainly create a buzz with this announcement. The August 31 ship date will mean a lot of people will have the new Vega fixture in their hands in the upcoming weeks. We expect with the overall popularity of the Sol and Nano units (which we reviewed in the past here, here, and here) that this one will be another hot item especially given the Vega will come with built-in wireless control and will work with the upcoming New Controller and Director platform. Distributors have begun taking pre-orders and we are certain that the Vega will showcase as a feature item at the AI booth at the upcoming DFW-MACNA at the end of September. If you want to keep up with the latest AI announcements, make certain to stay tuned here, check them out on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for their email distribution list on their homepage. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Aqua Illumination, the manufacturer of the popular Sol and Nano LED lighting units, will certainly create a buzz with this announcement. The August 31 ship date will mean a lot of people will have the new Vega fixture in their hands in the upcoming weeks. We expect with the overall popularity of the Sol and Nano units (which we reviewed in the past here, here, and here) that this one will be another hot item especially given the Vega will come with built-in wireless control and will work with the upcoming New Controller and Director platform. Distributors have begun taking pre-orders and we are certain that the Vega will showcase as a feature item at the AI booth at the upcoming DFW-MACNA at the end of September. If you want to keep up with the latest AI announcements, make certain to stay tuned here, check them out on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for their email distribution list on their homepage. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Many hobbyists dream of tropical locations in far distant places. They often want to recreate that sense of beauty with their aquariums. However, what they often fail to realize is that tropical beauty and thriving reef systems may not be all that far from home. The Tropical West Atlantic is filled with beautiful sea creatures and an Atlantic Biotope can make for a stunning home aquarium. These aquariums are often referred to as Atlantic Tanks or Caribbean Biotopes. The Tropical Western Atlantic The Tropical Western Atlantic is a region that encompasses the waters from Northern Brazil, up through the lesser and greater Antilles, the gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys, Florida, and up towards the Georgia Carolina coastlines. The corals in these areas are beautiful, the fish are stunning, and for hobbyists in the US they are right here in our backyards. Not all animals are found in all areas of the Tropical Western Atlantic, but those common to the US shores are readily available to the hobby. This large area of natural reef habitat is often overlooked and underappreciated in the hobby. Atlantic Corals One of the most unfortunate aspects of keeping Atlantic systems is the governmental restrictions on corals. Stony corals (from the Scleractinia) are very rare in the hobby, because they can not be collected for the aquarium trade. These corals are amazing animals creating huge amounts (as in hundreds of square miles) of reef structure throughout the area. In addition, many other "corals" are frequently harvested and serve as great animals for the home aquarium. All sorts of mushroom anemones (Ricordea species) and Gorgonia and zoanthids are very common in the Atlantic. They all make fantastic inhabitants for captive systems and are truly an overlooked addition to a reef aquarium. Atlantic aquascapes are often usually very colorful, full of movement, and unique in their rare appearance in the hobby. Some of the stationary invertebrates available in the hobby make wonderful inhabitants for home aquaria. The design, health, and structure of the home aquascape is created by using stationary invertebrates. In addition to the corals, these animals are the living structure for reef habitats. Mushroom Corallimorphs Hydroids Zoanthids Bryozoan Anemones Sponge Feather Worms Barnacles Scallops and Clams Tunicates Popularity In the Hobby, from color → size → groups Historically the popular fishes of the Atlantic were those with lots of color. The motto for collectors was "color sells" as they tried to collect the most colorful of the fish in the waters. That has shifted during the last few years with the rise in popularity of nano aquariums. Currently, small diminutive fishes are the popular choices for livestock. Even the most colorful of the angelfish are no longer in high demand. Small blennies and gobies are now the aim for collectors. Recent trends and advanced hobbyists may be shifting that trend again, with a growing demand for pairs of fishes, harems, schools, and unique specimens. Atlantic Fishes This is one area where abundance, variety, color, size, and everything else is at your fingertips. The Atlantic fishes are bold, beautiful, interesting, and often times serve as the highlight in a reef aquarium. What is even more amazing is that they are readily available to home hobbyists. Many local pet stores are unaware of the great market that exists for Atlantic fish, they may also be unfamiliar with what fish are available, and they don't regularly carry these fish. This is all very unfortunate given the gems that are available. Lucky for home hobbyists, some collectors actually sell directly to the public! This means you can get fish shipped straight to your house without a middle man cost, and limited acclimation steps. Places like www.Sealifeinc.net even quarantine the fish and offer medicated treatments before selling a fish. This practice can be a life saver (literally) for your inhabitants. The Tropical Western Atlantic may not have the diversity and great numbers of fishes found in other areas, but it certainly does have some strikingly beautiful fishes. 10 of the Most Beautiful Caribbean Fishes: Harlequin Pipefish Juvenile Porkfish Redband Parrotfish French Angel Sunshine Chromis Princess Parrotfish Royal Gramma Queen Angelfish Juvenile Stegastes Damsels (longfin damsel, beaugregory damsel, dusky damsel) Color Changing Wrasse (yellowhea wrasse, yellowcheak wrasse, clown wrasse) Aquarium Setup A Tropical Atlantic Biotope is set up the same way as any other reef aquarium. The basic principles of water flow, filtration, lighting, and aquascaping all apply. Common base rock is often used in reef tanks, and Eco-friendly cultured rock is also available from Atlantic suppliers. Fields of terrestrial rock have been places in the ocean and have been allowed to grow and inhabit fauna for several years. Companies like Sea Life Incorporated are licensed to grow this rock, harvest it, and use it to preserve surrounding coral reefs. Filter feeding corals that are photosynthetic are also easily purchased and make for stunning displays. If you prefer highly colored and textured corals the ricordea and zoanthids of the Atlantic can not be beat. And if you are into corals that grow fast and provide visual appeal with a gentle saw in the current, then the gorgonian are your choice. Add them together, and you have a rather interesting aquarium. The challenges of setting up an Atlantic tank do not reside in the reefscape and husbandry. Instead, like most aquaria the challenge is in finding suitable tank mates and understanding their requirements. Selecting livestock choices prior to setting up the aquarium can save you a lot of troubles down the road. Here are some specifics on some common and not so common Atlantic inhabitants. Common Atlantic Fishes Butterflyfishes are beautiful, colorful, and abundant in the Caribbean. However, most of them are not reef safe, do not do well on prepared foods, and have a very poor survival rate in the hobby. These fish in general are best left for advanced hobbyists and those looking to study their captive care. Angelfishes are beautiful, colorful and abundant in the Caribbean. Unlike many of the butterflyfishes these fish readily take prepared foods, often live for several years in captivity, and are all around great choices for the home aquarium. Some angels (especially the larger specimens) have been known to pick on tube worms, small polyps, and some corals. However, they are also easily trained to eat prepared foods and often do very well in reef aquariums. Damselfishes of these waters are brilliantly colored, hardy, easy to feed, and serve as your typical damsel fish. Unfortunately this also means that many of them grow up to be bland, aggressive, and rather pugnacious. Great beginner fish for many hobbyists as well as some beautiful potential candidates for the nano reef aquarium. Wrasses of the Caribbean are fantastic! These fish often do well in captivity, are frequently found in very large numbers, are often times very reef safe in captive settings, have wonderful color and personality, and are quite hard. Numerous of species are available that all make stunning additions as showpiece fish in the home aquarium. Some fishes that are popular in aquariums are found and collected in the Caribbean waters. Hobbyists are often surprised to find out that these common aquarium fish are from the Atlantic. 10 Common Atlantic Fishes in the Aquarium Trade: Yellowheaded Jawfish Cleaner Goby Dwarf Seahorse Rock Beauty Angel French Angel Blue Tang Blue Chromis Chalk Bass Royal Gramma Queen Angelfish Some fish would make great showpieces in home aquariums. They are incredibly interesting and can be perfect specimens for advancing the hobby and knowledge base. Aquarists looking to go beyond simply keeping fish, but really taking on an advanced topic may want to consider these fish. 10 of the Most Intriguing Atlantic Fishes: Flying Gurnard Scorpionfish Trumpetfish Filefish Walking Batfish Flounder Harem of Wrasse Grunts (group) Glassy Sweeper (group) Needlefish Uncommon Atlantic Fishes The Silverbody fishes is a general term used to describe a wide variety of fish families. These include the small fishes often found in schools, all the way up to large solitary fishes. Historically unpopular and virtually absent from the hobby the needlefishes, ballyhoos, jacks, mojarras and more are peaking the interest of advanced hobbyists. These fish all offer great potential for stunning displays, a chance to provide new information for the hobby, and unique aquatic systems. For hobbyist looking to stand out from the rest, these silverbody fishes are sure to do just that. While not popular in the past, some of the Caribbean fishes are now making their way into the hobby. They are often overlooked, but with a growing trend in nano aquariums these fishes may be perfect for your captive care. 10 of the best Caribbean Fishes for the Nano Aquarium: Grunts Damsels Reef Bass Cardinalfish Gobies Blennies Jawfish Clingfish Scorpionfish Hawkfish Ecofriendly Fish These Lionfish are part of the ever growing population of lionfish that have colonized the Atlantic waters. These fish are not native to the Atlantic and their removal is an ongoing and never ending process. Collection and removal of these fish is completely Eco-Friendly and hobbyists who purchase them are doing their part to protect the Atlantic waters. Atlantic Invertebrates The Atlantic Ocean (tropical areas alone) offer a very large and wonderful selection of invertebrates. The sessile reef invertebrates like Gorgonia, Zoanthids, Anemones and more provide the reef habitat that makes the area so beautiful and full of life. Add to that wide array of mobile invertebrates such as cleaning shrimp, rock crabs, nudibranchs, urchins, sea stars, and sand worms, and you find yourself with a thriving ecosystem. All of these animals play an important role in the reef, and all of them are important in the home aquarium. Beginning hobbyists often overlook mobile invertebrates and focus on the big colorful fishes. However, with time hobbyists learn to appreciate the little forms of life that make an aquarium a living reef structure. These animals are fascinating and their interactions within a community create a complex reef habitat. Some of the mobile invertebrates found in the Tropical Atlantic are colorful, unique, fascinating, and well suited for home aquaria. Each of these may make great additions to your aquarium and are worthy of further consideration. Banded Shrimp Ornate Snails Ornamental Flatworms Jellyfish Reef Crabs Anemone Shrimp Mantis Shrimp Horseshoe Crabs Chitons Sea Slugs Conclusion Often overlooked and underappreciated, the Atlantic biotopes are amazing aquariums. Sustainable inhabitants are here in our own backyards and ready for hobbyists to create new and interesting aquariums. Much can be learned about these animals from captive systems and hobbyists have a remarkable opportunity in front of them to participate in the process and progress. View the full article