albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) EcoTech Marine MP60 Propeller Pump © Dana Riddle & Advanced Aquarist Magazine This review will report on operational issues of a MP60 that has seen over a year of service. How well did the pump hold up? What problems, if any, encountered? These questions and others will be answered below. This article will conclude the product review series of EcoTech Marine's propeller pumps, and our focus this time will be upon the largest of their currently available pump and controller, the MP60. We'll examine this pump's performance in different operational modes as well as power consumption. Link: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/9/review (- A Sept. 2012 Review -) Albert Edited September 30, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Maxi-Jet Pro Series Pumps © Dana Riddle and Advanced Aquarist Magazine Marineland Aquarium Products' Maxi-Jet pumps have been around for quite some time. Recently, their design changed as well as their country of manufacture. The manufacturer promises relatively high performance while offering them at very modest prices. Is this a case of 'you get what you pay for' or are they a true value? The art and science of reefkeeping continues its steady progression with introductions of equipment that we only dreamed about in the hobby's early days. Early on, it was recognized that lighting was critical while water motion received relatively little attention. Since the reef hobby was such a tiny fraction of the aquarium trade, few manufacturers were catering to the needs of reefers so hobbyists were forced to improvise. Serious hobbyists were handcrafting dump buckets and siphon-based Carlson Surge Devices. One dedicated aquarist, Jimmy Chen, modified a Little Giant™ pump by adding a model boat propeller. This ingenious concept would have far-reaching ramifications and eventually revolutionized the way we move water in reef aquaria. Link: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/8/review (- August 2012 -) Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 On the Use of NP-BioPellets and other Brands - - Videos on how to set the system up © To the owners of the various videos listed below: - http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/8/review - - - - - And there are many more on youtube and other video channels Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 NP Reducing Bio Pellets - How they Work and Why © D. Van Houten Products The link leads to the site of the Manufacturer and if you click on the internal links you will have access to a lot more information that what is listed on the main page Link: http://npbiopellets.dvh-import.com - and http://npbiopellets.dvh-import.com/index.p...w-it-works.html Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 CORAL Magazine Access Online with an Article on the Use of Bio-Pellets And More © Coral Magazine and Daniel Knop Full Jan/Feb 2012 CORAL Magazine on line Read the article on Bio-Pellets to get more info than what was posted in previous messages today Link: http://tinyurl.com/9olf67j Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 "The Bathroom you may not want to Leave" For Real ... this is a Bathroom at Ngurah Rai International Airport (Southern Bali) Amazing what designers come up with : Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Very Unusual: Looks like the Ritteri IS Floating ... © Aquarium Effects - Starfire Aquarium Glass Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 A Giant Mushroom at a McDonald's in an 8 foot Reef Aquarium © Aquarium Effects - Link http://tinyurl.com/8geec8t Giant Cup Mushroom in McDonald's 8' reef. This coral is about 14" in diameter, that's a little bigger than a dinner plate! (- location not identified -) Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) Giant Lobo ... Wicked Lobo coral in Client's 150 reef. its under some T5 lighting © Aquarium Effects - http://tinyurl.com/9kv7hkt Albert Edited September 30, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) Mystery of the White Reef Slime: Part III © Coral Magazine and Lance Ichinotsubo Links to Part I and II are available in the article Thanks patback for finding it and posting it This third segment brings to a conclusion almost three months of work, research, treatment and finding cure for what I think of as the “mysterious white reef slime effect.” This White Slime is found in our tanks and the article explains why: you may be surprised when you read the reasons! Link: http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/my...-slime-part-iii Albert Edited September 30, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
wombat Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 If a short etiology would help, this thing that looks microscopic was actually visible, the size of a common flatworm But it was pelagic, floating around in the current and not on substrate like the flats It would actively swim to different areas in the bowl, rest on a rock, then flutter around exactly like a jellyfish My best guess is a brooded planula from either xenia or my alveopora After I put it back in the bowl I never saw it again! Brandon, that looks and sounds exactly like the ephyra of a jellyfish. I would bet $100 on it. They strobilate from a polyp that could have easily hitchhiked in on a coral or rock. Very Unusual: Looks like the Ritteri IS Floating ... Looks like the H. magnifica is trying to get as close to the light as possible. The Trachyphyllia at the bottom of the tank looks pale from not enough light. I imagine that will not end well for the anemone. Black Snail or Whatever it is ... is Not to be Found this Morning If anyone has any suggestions on the ID do let me know please. Tks. Albert Stomatella http://wetwebmediaforum.com/showthread.php...omatella-Snails Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Brandon, that looks and sounds exactly like the ephyra of a jellyfish. I would bet $100 on it. They strobilate from a polyp that could have easily hitchhiked in on a coral or rock. Looks like the H. magnifica is trying to get as close to the light as possible. The Trachyphyllia at the bottom of the tank looks pale from not enough light. I imagine that will not end well for the anemone. Stomatella http://wetwebmediaforum.com/showthread.php...omatella-Snails Wombat : Thanks for the ID's for Brandon's specimen and also for the Black snail that I suddenly discovered, and yes looking at the link you gave I can find a black strain when I scroll down, although usually what I have seen are the tan colored varieties, but then in nature things do sometimes if not often surprise us. As you said elsewhere, I too wonder what the color adaptation really means for it ... survival? Geographic origin? Who knows ... Agreed on your comments on that big tank ... most of what is on the bottom does not look all that good indeed. Again thanks for your input and the ID's Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Stomatella varia ... the Black Snail/Slug in my Tank Wombat ID'ed the Snail as a Stomatella varia but of the Black Color variety ... Below is a picture of one posted and © LynnZ on http://wetwebmediaforum.com Here is some of what LynnZ has to say about them (material is © LynnZ) Color Varies from mottled shades of green, tan, brown, cream, rust, gray, pink, even blue, to solid black. The shell itself can be mostly smooth or appear a bit rough due to some short, raised, almost papery areas sticking up from the surface. Size The shell maxes out at about 1.25” for the larger species. Note The species name most often attributed to these common hitchhikers is Stomatella varia, but there are at least two other possibilities that may be misidentified on occasion. Those two species are Stomatella impertusa and Stomatella planulata. The problem is that they’re all very similar looking, their range overlaps, and complicating things is the fact that they do vary so much within each specie. The species name “varia” in Stomatella varia is indeed a most apt description. Please see the links listed at the bottom for photos and more information on each specie. Diet Stomatellids are herbivorous grazers that eat microalgae – including diatoms and dinoflagellates, as well as possibly cyanobacteria. They do not eat hair algae. Compatibility issues Fishes and the usual “pickers” such as shrimps (especially Peppermint shrimps/Lysmata wurdemanni), and crabs will eat these little guys. The Stomatellids themselves are peaceful and pose no risk to corals or other livestock. They'll do fine in systems nano-size and up. The full thread can be found at the link given by Wombat : http://wetwebmediaforum.com/showthread.php...omatella-Snails © Picture posted by LynnZ Of course ever since I saw it last night, I have not seen it again however hard I looked :-) Albert Quote Link to comment
brandon429 Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) Matt and Albert thank you for lending some support to this id quest! Now that you mention it Matt I think I remember you saying that a few years ago when I was looking around for it, hard to remember thousands of posts ago lol I was fascinated by what looks like zooxanthellae packets in it, perhaps an early nutrition booster as the larvae prepares to settle and transform Makes me possibly regret removing it for id with a McDonalds straw siphon lol, too much stress for it along with dorsal ventral compression from being put under a cover slip lol Really a nice collection of work Albert, id also never seen the black snail as well. Edited September 30, 2012 by brandon429 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Matt and Albert thank you for lending some support to this id quest! Now that you mention it Matt I think I remember you saying that a few years ago when I was looking around for it, hard to remember thousands of posts ago lol I was fascinated by what looks like zooxanthellae packets in it, perhaps an early nutrition booster as the larvae prepares to settle and transform Makes me possibly regret removing it for id with a McDonalds straw siphon lol, too much stress for it along with dorsal ventral compression from being put under a cover slip lol Really a nice collection of work Albert, id also never seen the black snail as well. Indeed Brandon it is amazing what one finds in one's aquarium sometimes and how difficult it can be at times to actually identify what it is ... but here we got two ID's ... so thanks again Wombat. Yes pity maybe that you did remove it ... who knows how it would have turned out in the end. Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Skimmate from my Red Sea Prism Pro Guess that based on the color, the skimmer is working well and that the water did contain quite a bit of matter that needed to be removed after I blew and squirted water on, behind and inbtween the rocks yesterday. What you see is just a portion of the liquid it took out but the color is what I wanted to show. Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 The Diversity and Biogeography of Western Indian Ocean Reef-Building Corals A Research Article by © David Obura and plosive.org This study assesses the biogeographic classification of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) on the basis of the species diversity and distribution of reef-building corals. Twenty one locations were sampled between 2002 and 2011. Presence/absence of scleractinian corals was noted on SCUBA, with the aid of underwater digital photographs and reference publications for species identification. Access the Full Article here: http://tinyurl.com/d28t737 With many internal links to other articles Albert Quote Link to comment
wombat Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Matt and Albert thank you for lending some support to this id quest! Now that you mention it Matt I think I remember you saying that a few years ago when I was looking around for it, hard to remember thousands of posts ago lol I was fascinated by what looks like zooxanthellae packets in it, perhaps an early nutrition booster as the larvae prepares to settle and transform Hey Brandon, if it really was a jellyfish ephyra then it would never settle down again and just continue growing into a jelly medusa. At that size you would have needed to do twice daily feedings of rotifers for a while to rear it successfully. That does indeed look like zooxanthellae inside. Lots of tropical jellies are zooxanthellate--Casseiopeia, Catostylus, Rhizophyllia, Mastigias, etc. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) More on Stomatella Snails and Pictures Since we saw pictures of Stomatella varia, and since their are other species, here are a few pictures of those snails which by the way as pointed out in a previous post are not always "black". - S. planulata - S. impertusa - and a few more of S. varia S. impertusa S. planulata And more S. varia S. varia S. varia Albert Edited September 30, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 There Are Many Myths In Our Hobby and No One Really Knows Where They Originate Some get posted on a Forum and read by a few, who then go on and post them on other Forums, and so on and sooner rather than later, the Myth is to be found everywhere and, unless one is or has been in the Hobby for a long time, many readers of those posts will believe them and repeat them. I came accross 3 Articles by Eric Borneman that demystify the many Myths that are going around in some Hobbyists circles. Here are the Links to them. All are © Eric Borneman and reefkeeping.com Part 1: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/eb/index.php Part 2: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/eb/index.php Part 3: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/eb/index.php Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) Aquarium Chemistry: Regeneration of Granular Ferric Oxide Media with Sodium Hydroxide Copyright: Matt Wandell, Laura Kormos and Advanced Aquarist Magazine and Blog For aquarists who keep non-photosynthetic corals that require massive feeding, have large tanks, or a dense fish population the costs of regular GFO replacement can be significant. With a few simple tools and techniques we can easily regenerate GFO so that it can be reused several times over. © Matt Wandell and Laura Kormos Link: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/10/chemistry Albert Edited September 30, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
wombat Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 There Are Many Myths In Our Hobby and No One Really Knows Where They Originate Eric is particularly infamous for writing this line: "Myth 5: The "K" rating of aquarium lamps plays an important role in the coloration of corals." NOT a myth! Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Eric is particularly infamous for writing this line:"Myth 5: The "K" rating of aquarium lamps plays an important role in the coloration of corals." NOT a myth! Agreed Wombat ... and as it drops in spectrum level it creates other issues too, e.g. outbreaks of undesirable growths in tanks as quite a few have experienced when they do not replace certain types of bulbs soon enough. But ... I just posted the links to the articles, and as I have always maintained ... hobbyists should read up on any information they find, and check various reliable sources and then make up their mind. Some of the other ones he brings up are IMO not totally myths either .... Thanks though for pointing it out .... I appreciate it. Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) Venomous Velvetfish: Caracanthus spp. © Felicia McCaulley and ReefTools.com Some of my all-time favorite fish are fish in the genus Caracanthus. There are four species in this genus, though only two are common in the pet trade — Caracanthus maculatus from the Indo Pacific and Caracanthus madagascariensis from Africa. Some common names for these fish are Velvetfish, Velvet Goby, or Gumdrop Coral Croucher. Velvetfish are often called gobies, but they actually belong to the order Scorpaeniformes like scorpionfish and anglers. The specimens from Africa are the most colorful, having pink bodies and red spots to resemble the Pocilloporid corals they inhabit. Link: http://reeftools.com/news/venomous-velvetfish/# Albert Edited September 30, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Aquarium Chemistry: Calcite, Aragonite, Limestone, and More © James W. Fatherree and Advanced Aquarist Magazine ( 10/2011 ) It's been said a million times that aragonite helps buffer aquarium water, or helps maintain calcium concentrations, while other (carbonate) substrates do not. However, to the best of my knowledge this simply isn't true. Essentially everything solid in our aquariums that isn't made of tissue is made of calcium carbonate, so it's worthwhile to know a bit about it. Link: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/10/chemistry Albert Quote Link to comment
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