Harlequinmania

Click through to see the images. Just in time for Christmas too! The latest book, like the others, is a full-color compilation self-published through CreateSpace.com. It measures 8" x 10", is 194 pages in length, and comprises all of the magazine's content from January - June 2011 (minus blog posts). Since going back through all of the back issues would be a bit time consuming, here is the Table of Contents in PDF. The book contains great articles by Dana Riddle, Kenneth Wingerter, Ken Feldman, Sanjay Joshi, among many others. It is currently available from our CreateSpace storefront and from Amazon.com for $32.95. As always, the purchase of any of our books (or for that matter our PDFs as well) goes toward the upkeep of AdvancedAquarist.com and helps keep this website free for everyone to read. Support Advanced Aquarist by buying a book today! View the full article

Click through to see the images. First things first: Yes, a website dedicated to blenny (and apparently goby) watching does exist! The Flaming Prawn Goby (Discordipinna griessingeri) has some competition for world's coolest nano-sized goby. This undescribed Callogobius sp.grows to a maximum size of only 25mm (1 inches) and is known from Borneo and Indonesia to South Papua New Guinea. Watch the video of the Mini Mud-Goby flapping and skirting over the (where else) muddy substrate of Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. Our thanks to ReefNews.eu for sharing the link with us. View the full article

Observations at submarine springs found along the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula are giving scientists a preview of the possible fate of coral reef ecosystems in response to ocean acidification. The naturally low pH in the water around the springs creates conditions similar to those that will result from the widespread acidification of surface waters that scientists expect to occur as the oceans absorb increasing amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. View the full article

An international team of researchers has reviewed the evidence linking exposure to atrazine -- an herbicide widely used in the US and more than 60 other nations -- to reproductive problems in animals. The team found consistent patterns of reproductive dysfunction in amphibians, fish, reptiles and mammals exposed to the chemical. View the full article

The biodiversity loss caused by climate change will result from a combination of rising temperatures and predation -- and may be more severe than currently predicted, according to a new study. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Fauna Marin (an Advanced Aquarist sponsor) has just released their new Professional Sea Salt to the public. According to the supplied information, the salt when used at 39 - 40 grams per liter (5.2 - 5.3 oz per gallon) will mix to 35 ppt and yield: Magnesium: 1.250 - 1.340 mg/L Calcium: 410 - 440 mg/L Potassium: 380 - 400 mg/L Sodium: 10.300 - 10.700 mg/L Chloride: 19.100 - 19.800 mg/L Sulfate: 2650 - 2750 mg/L Strontium: 7.0 - 9.0 mg/L Alkalinity (dKH): 8.0 - 8.5 pH: 8.0 - 8.4 The literature further states: Professional Sea Salt contains all of the important macro and trace elements in the correct relative amounts that reflect as closely as possible the mix that occurs in natural seawater, and provides your corals with all the essential minerals in bioactive form. Professional Sea Salt has been specially developed for coral breeders and aquarists with the same professional standards. As a well-balanced allrounder, it gives you the best results when used in conjunction with any modern filter system. Pharmaceutically purest salts, and regular purity and composition inspections in independent laboratories, ensure that the highest standards for sensitive coral can be satisfied consistently. You can find the appropriate certificates at www.faunamarin.eu. Despite the extreme care taken during production, individual values may change because of conditions during transport. These are average values that apply to the complete content of the product. According to Fauna Marin, the new salt should be available state-side around Christmas and it is also currently available in Europe. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Now wipe the drool off your keyboard! View the full article

Start of a brand new week ..

Click through to see the images. We are always happy to hear of "extinct" species being rediscovered and the giant Neptune's Cup sponge is one of them. They were last seen in 1908 and up until March of this year no living specimen of the sponge had been found. The Neptune's Cup sponge was first discovered in 1822 and typically measured over a meter in height and diameter. Due to their large size and shape, they were routinely used for bath tubs for babies. Over-harvesting quickly led to their disappearance in the wild. A couple of dead Neptune's Cup sponges were found in the 1990's in dredge samples which gave scientists hope that they may be rediscovered at some point and it has finally happened. In actuality, two specimens were found about 50 meters apart by biologists with the environmental engineering firm DHI Water & Environment (S) Pte Ltd. “Basically, little is known about the Neptune’s Cup, as it was never found alive”, explains Karenne Tun. “Now we have the opportunity to study the biology and ecology of this impressive sponge and learn about its life cycle. It also showcases very well how DHI adds to the current body of knowledge. We’ve already had the first surprise: The Neptune’s Cup was thought to be a very slow growing species. However, between our last visits in April and August, respectively, it had grown several centimetres. Looks like we might have to rethink some of these ideas..” (via Mother Nature Network, Scientific American, DHI) View the full article

Click through to see the images. French Polynesia is a group of Central Pacific tropical islands south of Hawaii. Most famous of their islands is Tahiti and Bora Bora, but there are ~170 islands in French Polynesia, each with unique coral reefs. Being outside of the "Coral Triangle," the biodiversity is not as rich as the Indo-Pacific. However, the coral reefs here are robust thanks to French Polynesia's remote location and lower human activity. One look at the impressive shark populations tells us how healthy these reefs are. The first video shows young snorkels enjoying the power of the ocean and beauty of Tikehau, French Polynesia. The wave action is remarkable, sculpting the low, compact formation of the coral reef. The second video is by Eric Cheng and is a mini-documentary describing shark diving in these islands. The "walls" of sharks greeting divers is a testament to the health of the ecosystem. Healthy predators means healthy reefs. These are large-file HD videos so they may stutter with slower connection speeds. You can either turn off HD (click HD at the bottom right of the video) or pause the video and let it load completely before playing. View the full article

Click through to see the images. French Polynesia is a group of Central Pacific tropical islands south of Hawaii. Most famous of their islands is Tahiti and Bora Bora, but there are ~170 islands in French Polynesia, each with unique coral reefs. Being outside of the "Coral Triangle," the biodiversity is not as rich as the Indo-Pacific. However, the coral reefs here are robust thanks to French Polynesia's remote location and lower human activity. One look at the impressive shark populations tells us how healthy these reefs are. The first video shows young snorkels enjoying the power of the ocean and beauty of Tikehau, French Polynesia. The wave action is remarkable, sculpting the low, compact formation of the coral reef. The second video is by Eric Cheng and is a mini-documentary describing shark diving in these islands. The "walls" of sharks is a testament greeting divers to the health of the ecosystem. Healthy predators means healthy reefs. These are large-file HD videos, so they may stutter with slower connection speeds. You can either turn off HD (click HD at the bottom right of the video) or pause the video and let it load completely before playing. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Isaac Krauss has built an incredibly detailed and beautiful octopus table out of bronze. The idea for the sculpture started back in high-school while he was working with ceramics but was put on the back burner due to limitations of the studio he was working in at the time. The idea resurfaced when he took a bronze class a couple years later. The most difficult aspect of this project, according to Krauss, was the detailed suction cups and applying them to the octopuses eight arms. For this, a close friend of his helped him out and also assisted in carrying through with the project till its completion. Overall, it took 1500 hours of work and $5000 to create this marvelous piece of art. More photos of the build can be found My Modern Met. We are certain that Richard Ross will want one of these for either his home or office (or both!). (via BoingBoing) View the full article

Singapore Reef Club (SRC) is proud to featured the First Tank of the Quarter ( TOTQ ) winner . Jeremy aka (Eniram) beautiful SPS dominated mixed reef tank has been chosen to be showcase for this quarter. Front View Side View Brief History of my Setup Let me thank both the Singapore Reef Club staff and to everyone spending time reading this article. Really honored to be nominated TOTQ, but I believe there are more reefers out there who have just an impressive tank. Reefing all began in 2001 when I chanced upon my uncles tank which was Fish Only With Live Rocks (FOWLR). It was ran with a canister filter, wooden air stone skimmer and only 2 tubes of T8 lights, NO chiller somehow that got me hooked on reefing, but the main catalyst that pushed me into reefing was when I was enlisted into the Navy where many exercises were held on the island P.Senang. I was amazed by the corals and fishes that were within touching distance, sun corals growing on the jetty pillars, green turtles swimming past at night under the flood lights and the really rare chance to spot a school of dolphins off the coast of Singapore. 2003 I chanced upon SRC and the reefing poison slowly but surely kicked in. From there did a lot of research and got a lot of inspirations from our local and overseas reefing community. I remember heading down to Reborn, Harlequin, and another LFS around the area (had a seahorse logo, can't remember its name), Reef Aquarist along Koon Seng road and E-aquarist at Siglap. All these were my favorite haunts. Due to financial constrains (straight out of NS) I got myself a 1.5ft tank with an IOS (Internal Overflow system), Weipro skimmer, some really cheap fluorescent lights that had blue and white infused into 1 bulb and a PC fan , but Keeping a reef with these equipments were a challenge, constant temperature and salinity fluctuations, PO4 and NO3 were going hay wire, red slime taking over my tank and countless unnecessary live stock and corals dying in my hands. Furthermore it was making a mess in my parents place and work load took a toll on me and the tank. So I stopped reefing but was still hibernating on SRC, keeping in touch with the local reefing scenes. 2008 got my own place, by divine King Neptune's power of the trident, visited my wife's good friend and what did you know her husband aka Wilson had a 2.5ft cure reef tank! The 7 year itch kicked in and the rest is history plus Aquarama 2009 happened to be round the corner, competition tanks were on sale, I told myself it's now or never or regret like a frogfish missed its dinner. This 3 footer lasted a year and by 2011 I got myself a new tank that is till today. Tank details and specification My current tank is built of a 12 mm thick glass, 48"x36"x20" 3 sides low iron glass. Sump Tank 36"x36"x12" the total volume of the system is about 200 US gallons. Decided to go bare bottom, this way I can maximize my wave makers without the sand storm. Water circulation is provided by a Reef Octopus water blaster 5000 and a Ehiem 1262 that is linked to my chiller and out into Main tank. Maintenance, Feeding & Supplements To maintain calcium and alkalinity levels I added via a Bubble Magus dosing pump, which is used for supplementing all 3 main elements such as Ca, KH and Mg. Basically, I check the Ca and kH levels every second week and adjust them if it is necessary. All water changes and top-off are done using DI water. I typically perform about 10% water changes every week. 20% every month, if not for the necessity of frequently trimming corals, the system would need little maintenance, which usually means emptying the skimmer cup, cleaning the tank's viewing panels, water changing, preparing Ca and kH solutions and replacing carbon. From time to time I check the most important parameters with Salifert testkit (Ca, Mg, kH) . Moreover, on a daily basis I monitor the salinity and feed my fishes, I don't feed my corals other then my super sun. I believe when I feed my fishes and the detritus that are floating around it feeds my corals. Tank Equipments & system parameter Calcium - ca ; 450~500 Alkaline - KH ; 8.5~10 Magnesium – mg ; 1450 Tank system profile Skimmer ; Running a Reef Octopus 3000 INT with bubble blaster 3000 pump Mechanical filtration ; Cheap filter wool (changed bi-weekly with water change) UV ;36W Coralife UV Dosing pump ; Bubble magus dosing pump of Ca, KH, Mg Chemical filtration ; PURA Phos-Lock Filter Media and PURA Carbon Main return pump ;Reef Octopus water blaster 5000 Wave maker ;2xEco-tech MP40Ws,2xTunze 6055, 2xTunze 6045 Lightings; 2 x 2 tubes of 54W DD lighting fixtures 1 x 2 tubes 54W Giesemann razor Lighting period; 4 ATI Blue Plus from 1100-2230hrs 2 ATI Aquablue special + 1 PAR38 14K 40deg from 1600-2000hrs Chiller; TECO TR15 Refugium A simple DIY mini cheato box above sump, reason for making this box is so as to prevent unwanted broken off cheato drifting in Main Tank and clogging up return pumps. Addictive used Daily dose of Tropic Marine Lugols solution This post has been promoted to an article This post has been promoted to an article

Poaching accounts for the loss of up to 60% red coral biomass in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve, according to a new article. The article reports the first study of poaching and its effects in the marine reserve and raises the alarm about the impact of recreational diving on the coral population of the Medes Islands. View the full article

Poaching accounts for the loss of up to 60% red coral biomass in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve, according to a new article. The article reports the first study of poaching and its effects in the marine reserve and raises the alarm about the impact of recreational diving on the coral population of the Medes Islands. View the full article

Click through to see the images. . If you love seahorses, you should watch this video. Acropora selectivity among damselfish recruits and the risk of bleaching-induced habitat loss. Research paper on damselfish association with various Acropora spp. and how bleaching affects their habitat. Fish in shoals steer like cabbies. Fish in schools manage to go with the flow and not crash into each other by following simple "driving" rules. Google Earth follows robots across the Pacific Ocean . Google Earth is following four unmanned robots across the Pacific Ocean. UK Aquarium hails birth of rare shark. UK first as critically endangered angel shark give birth at Deep Sea World. Corals can sense what's coming, commit 'cell suicide' when conditions deteriorate. Australian scientists have thrown new light on the mechanism behind the mass death of corals worldwide as the Earth's climate warms. What is it? Attack of the jellyfish. Perfect idea of the terrifying size of a white shark. Oh. My. Wow. This is why you shouldn't get out of the shark cage. Use magnets to keep track of what fish food you have in your freezer. That way you know when it's time to get more of your Reef Nutrition or Rod's Food from the LFS. Watch the stonefish gobble up unsuspecting prey. New deep-sea worms found—have big "lips". The Mick Jagger of the worm kingdom. Dolphin whistles help solve the mysteries of the cosmos. With a lot of help from Flipper, scientists have a better shot at understanding phenomena like black holes and supernovae. Robojelly gets an upgrade: underwater robot learns to swim more like the real thing. Scientists have created an underwater robot that can swim like a jellyfish. Using qPCR, scientists have been able to pinpoint the guilty coral killers. Lionfish may not be back on the menu, boys. 'Edible' lionfish found with poisonous ciguatoxin; 'This is very bad news.' How about catching your own fish for supper. Japan restaurant Zauo gives patrons fishing gear to catch their own seafood. Did BP oil make shrimp lose their eyes? It wouldn't surprise us... Remember all those unique Dubai islands that were built for the ultra-rich? Dubai's island builder is planning to build artificial reefs now. Unseen devastation from tsunamis can destroy coral reefs. Seahorses are under stress: with about 25 million seahorses sold each year, global consumption of seahorses is massive. View the full article

Click through to see the images. This clip is the perfect example of the beautiful cinematography of BBC One and the famous narration of David Attenborough, showcasing this phenomenon for the first time. When ice sheets form on our oceans, the seawater is ripped apart and separated into brine and freshwater ice. This process of separation creates a release of the saltier brine water down into the water column because the brine is heavier than the sea water. As this plume of brine sinks, the surrounding seawater is frozen and a tube-like piece of ice creeps down with the sinking of brine. This conduit of ice then creeps towards creatures roaming the sea floor and traps any slow-moving animals in its path. It's one of the most amazing time-lapsed footage ever recorded! The seven part Frozen Planet series showcasing our wonderful planet through its most harsh season, winter, will soon be airing in the States for all our viewing pleasure! View the full article

Much of our knowledge about past life has come from the fossil record -- but how accurately does that reflect the true history and drivers of biodiversity on Earth? View the full article

Click through to see the images. Terry Siegel, our Editor in Chief. How he hasn't won MASNA's Aquarist of the Year Award is beyond me. From Aquarium Frontiers to Advanced Aquarist, Terry has contributed so much to our hobby ... arguably more so than any individual I can think of. I am extremely thankful to Terry for founding Advanced Aquarist and marrying science with our hobby; I am honored to have the opportunity to work with him. Shane Graber. Picture the worst coworker you've ever worked with. Now picture the exact opposite, and you've just described Shane: hard-working, intelligent, professional, ethical, easy-going. Without him, Advanced Aquarist's website would not be what it is today. Shane continues to do a wonderful job making sure our website is the most professional and polished reefkeeping website possible. I could not ask for a better running mate. All our authors, past and present. I started typing out a list of all our authors, but it quickly dawned on me the list is WAY too long. So to all our authors, I apologize for not naming you individually; I am extremely thankful to each and every one of you for what you've contributed to AA and our hobby. All our sponsors. No, I'm not kissing up to them. Their support really is what makes this website possible. We know our sponsors have many options to allocate their marketing allowance (especially in these trying economic times), and we appreciate they chose Advanced Aquarist. The Advanced Aquarist community. Yes, this means you! I know publications aren't forum communities, but I feel a great sense of community with our writers and readers. Social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+) help us all stay connected, and it's been a pleasure conversing with everyone through these interactive websites and our comment system. Our hobby is filled with good people! Reefkeeping. I'm thankful for reefkeeping, not just because of all the enjoyment I get out of this hobby, but also because of all the life lessons it's taught me - both from a hobbyist and a writer's perspective. Topping the list: Patience, responsibility, stewardship, knowing the difference between "need" and "want," accuracy, honesty, respect, problem-solving, self reliance, and understanding when teamwork is better than relying only on yourself. The Internet. Like many other things, our hobby was radically transformed with the dawn of the internet age. We often take for granted how quick and easy it is to find and share information, but it hasn't always been this way. I really don't know how I ever managed reefkeeping without online access. The internet has also made the world that much smaller; Instead of tiny, fractured local communities, we are now able to engage with aquarists around the world. Advanced Aquarists has readers from every continent except Antarctica (slackers!). Coral Reefs. While Advanced Aquarist covers a wide range of aquarium topics, it is no secret reefs are what we are most passionate about. It's a bit strange to think about how invested people can be in ecosystems half a world away (places most of us have never visited), but I believe our hobby has given us great appreciation for one of the world's most compelling and beautiful ecosystems. Bacon. Just because. Oh, and muffins of course. (Hi Sumpers!) A few days break We're going to take a couple days off for the first time since we started blogging (that is, if all goes according to plan, which being information junkies, it probably won't). We'll be back no later than Sunday with a new Destination Reefs video. In the meantime, I encourage you to flip through some of our past magazine articles over the long weekend. There's over ten year's worth of material! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! View the full article

The elusive culprits that are killing countless coral reefs around the world can now be nabbed with technology normally used to diagnose human diseases, marine researchers say. Coral researchers and reef managers will be able to identify coral infections using a new method that allows them to classify specific diseases based on the presence of microbes. This could lead to more effective action to reduce the impact of disease on the world's imperiled coral reefs. View the full article

A new study predicts severe negative impacts, including loss and alteration of habitats, smaller and less-diverse fish stocks, and coral bleaching, and urges prompt action to help fisheries prepare. View the full article

A new study predicts severe negative impacts, including loss and alteration of habitats, smaller and less-diverse fish stocks, and coral bleaching, and urges prompt action to help fisheries prepare. View the full article

Click through to see the images. We here at Advanced Aquarist are big fans of CORAL magazine, so it is with great excitement we announce that their sister magazine AMAZONAS will soon premiere their new English edition. AMAZONAS is a freshwater aquarium magazine. The magazine has actually been in publication for seven years but only available in Germany, hence its relative obscurity in foreign markets. This all changes in 2012! AMAZONAS will debut their English edition with the January/February 2012 issue. A brief introduction: AMAZONAS is one of the world’s legendary freshwater aquarium magazines, read by tens of thousands of tropical fish enthusiasts and now available for the first time in English. New species discoveries, awesome aquarium profiles, breeding breakthroughs, tropical nature, hands-on advice and secrets to keeping a thriving, stunningly beautiful freshwater aquarium are the focus of every sumptuously printed issue. Written by experts and illustrated with breathtaking color images, AMAZONAS is a must read for the adventuresome freshwater aquarist—a constant source of new ideas, cutting edge information and inspiration. Here are weblinks to explore AMAZONAS for yourself. WEBSITE: www.amazonasmagazine.comFACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/AmazonasMagazineTWITTER PAGE: twitter.com/#!/AmazonasMag Click on the cover image on their new website's home page and see the prototype digital edition (very snazzy!). They will also be giving away free subscriptions throughout the day to randomly selected people who "like" AMAZONAS' Facebook page and follow their twitter account. For those who don't win free subscriptions, AMAZONAS offers charter subscriptions for $29.00 USD (40% off newsstand price). The subscription also includes access to their digital edition to read AMAZONAS on the go. The first issue will land in mailboxes and hit the stands shortly. USA freshwater aquarists can purchase their copies at Barnes & Noble. Sample two-page spread of AMAZONAS (via digital edition) View the full article

Click through to see the images. Sometime last year this 300 pound bluefin tuna washed up on the shore in northern Maine. University of Maine students learned of the carcass a week or two later and decided to use it in their skeletal reconstruction class. After getting containers to put all the pieces and parts in, they packed up and made the trip to the shoreline and did their best to salvage the rotting remains. After months of soaking in ammonia, the real work began. Seven students in the skeletal prep class began the arduous task of piecing the fish back together again. This fish measured six feet in length and took them almost the entire semester to put back together again. They used a lot of hot glue and 1/8 inch rod in the reconstruction process and the results are a sight to behold. Not only is it an almost complete skeleton but it's an articulated skeleton meaning that many areas of the skeleton are actually jointed and can move freely. Based on their cursory search of the internet, there are only six other articulated tuna skeletons in existence. They had no idea that this was a rarity when they started out the project. Reddit member 'thechink' posted some amazing "build" photos of the process and it's completely awesome! What are they planning on doing with the skeleton once it's completed? Display it in a case the foyer of the science building where professors can use it as a teaching tool and the school administration can use it to woo prospective students to their school. If anyone has any other projects like this that they know of, please let us know! (via DIYReddit) View the full article

Click through to see the images. We shot this video last week, and even though the footage is shaky, and made slightly more so in the 60's editing style, it still shows some pretty amazing behaviors of one of the most fascinating of all the fascinating cuttlefish, Metasepia sp. This female, and two males, are currently on display at the Steinhart Aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences, where they are mating and laying eggs regularly. In the wild these animals are often found ‘walking’ across sand flats or much habitats away from any cover, where it has been thought they live most of their lives protected from predation by their apparently toxic flesh, flashing their flamboyant colors as a warning – don’t eat me, I am bad for your digestion. However, some recent observations lead me to want to question where these animals may actually be spending their time. Atlantis Marine World in New York has been incredibly successful at raising these animals and recently shipped 10 juveniles to the Steinhart aquarium where they are being kept behind the scenes. In their holding tank, and in the holding tank of one adult male, there is a literal wall of rock against the sides of the tanks for biological filtration, and the cuttles spend most of their time in, around, and on this rock and not on the large area of open sand. This behavior is more consistent in the adult male, who over the past month, has rarely been seen on the sand. Last summer while on an Academy expedition in the Philippines, we saw only one Metasepia on the sand, but that sand was in the surrounded by rocky reef, so it just might be the case that these hard to find animals are actually hiding in and around the reefscape. It is important to make clear that this is speculation and that hopefully more observation of these animals both in captivity and in the wild will help to yield more information about these amazing animals. The lone male Metasepia in this tank ignores the open sand and prefers to stay on the rock, often perched near the top of the stack. The lone male Metasepia in this tank ignores the open sand and prefers to stay on the rock, often perched near the top of the stack. For more information check out this article, this article, and of course the site for all things cephy TONMO.com View the full article