albertthiel Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 A member asked a question about small strands of floss that have gotten into his tank from the floss in his HOB filter, and his fish are trying to eat it ,,,, he wonders whether they will die because of it. The answer is that they may "try to eat it" but they will, more than likely, spit it back out immediately, as they sense that it is not food. Just watch the fish and you'll be able to see what they do: try to eat it and just about immediately spit it back out. You can try to remove the strands by and but, if the strands are single ones just being blown around in the water, they are not that easy to get out. if at all. But all is not lost .... Indeed there is a sure method to get them out of the tank: use a small fish net, and put it in the water. Then when the strand, or strands, are in plain view catch them with the fish net, and if there are more than one you will have to keep netting them out till there are none left that you can see. You may want to slow down the water flow so it is easier to net them out but so that they keep moving around you do need "some" flow. Next, what I would suggest, is that you put some small piece of perforated plastic or something similar, in front of the floss in the HOB so that the strands cannot actually get into the tank but are trapped by that piece if any come loose. Hopefully that answers your question and gives you a method on how to get them out, and also one to prevent more of them to get into the water. Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Deep Sea Fish Medley Video © Fischettiroller The most unusual fish you have probably never seen (at least for most of them) And these are just 2 of the many you will see. They may not be aquarium fish, but it is IMO interesting to know more about what goes on in the depths of the Oceans. Link to the Video: Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Nudibranchs, Dorids, Aeolids, Arminaceans And More Oddities © Ilovenudibranchs The largest collection of photos of all of the above that I have come across ... literally hundreds and hundreds I would bookmark this one for reference ... ... ... Enjoy watching Link : http://iheartnudibranchs.tumblr.com/tagged/other Click the Links at the top of the page to move from one kind to another Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Duncan Coral, Duncanopsammia axifuga © marinehabitatmagazine & John Clipperton Relatively undemanding, Duncanopsammia colonies may grow to large sizes if kept under suitable conditions. Although many authorities advocate keeping them under moderate or even dim lighting of a high colour temperature, some hobbyists have seen phenomenal growth rates when the coral is carefully acclimated to higher light levels and target-fed regularly (small meaty foods). In such situations, colonies have been known to quite rapidly develop into basketballsized examples, where the large fat polyps obscure the skeletal structure. Read more information at : http://www.marinehabitatmagazine.com/archives/6858 Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Wi-Fi Lightbulbs like these are the Future of app-controlled Lighting © Brian Blank We’ve started seeing Wi-Fi controlled LED lighting in the hobby and in the residential lighting market and a review of Wi-Fi controlled lights on Gizmodo is showing the promise of WiFi and app-controlled lighting. Since the built-in Wi-Fi allows devices to communicate through the air, there is no need to rewire your house and it fits in with the normal wireless computer line you already have running in your house making it a big plus. Now tie into an app on your iPhone or Android to adjust the settings and you have some pretty useful, personalized lighting at your fingertips. Link : http://tinyurl.com/8js2u7n Albert Quote Link to comment
Kfmmartin19 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Hey Albert, posted this in the disease forum with little response. Hoping u can give me some pointers of what I should do/look for for a diagnosis. Let me know what other info u need. Thanks! Hey guys. I have a tailspot blenny in my biocube 29 with 3 other fish and he is not looking great. He is very thin and where his belly should be it's a little sunken. He is eating like a pig, as usual, and acting fine. I've had him for 8-9 months. Just noticed this the other day. Got any ideas? All parameters are spot on. Tried to get a pic but he is always perching so you can't see his belly. Also my camera sucks. Let me know if you have any ideas or something I should look for. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Hey Albert, posted this in the disease forum with little response. Hoping u can give me some pointers of what I should do/look for for a diagnosis. Let me know what other info u need. Thanks! Hey guys. I have a tailspot blenny in my biocube 29 with 3 other fish and he is not looking great. He is very thin and where his belly should be it's a little sunken. He is eating like a pig, as usual, and acting fine. I've had him for 8-9 months. Just noticed this the other day. Got any ideas? All parameters are spot on. Tried to get a pic but he is always perching so you can't see his belly. Also my camera sucks. Let me know if you have any ideas or something I should look for. Thanks! Sounds like he may have an internal infection and that may be causing it. Could be bacterial or parasitic. QT the fish IMO and treat with Pimafix or Melafix or if that does not help an antibiotic or sulfa drug added to the food. Here is 1 link http://www.fishvet.com/medications.htm and 2 http://www.chucksaddiction.com/disease.html These should help you in finding what to do based on the symptoms and the cures suggested in the articles. If however you need more help let me know Kfmmartin1996 Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) Avast Marine Dosing Barrels are a clean way to store your Dosing Liquids © Brian Blank Avast Marine Dosing Barrels are simple, yet handy and attractive containers to store liquid additives for dosing into your aquarium. Many of us are content using recycled water jugs or other containers we’ve hacked and modified to work for our system but as the support system gets to be just a much of a work of art as the display tank. The Avast Marine Dosing Barrels help you have a neat and tidy stand or fishroom plus a functional container. Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/9knzeyx Albert Aquatic Life 3 watt LED marine light fixtures shown off at Reef-A-Palooza © Joost de Vries Aquatic Life is an aquarium product manufacturer primarily known for their R.O. systems, pumps, T5 fluorescent lights and more recently for entry level 1 watt expandable fixtures, and their half watt fish sytem lights. They have recently announced the release of a 3 LED watt fixture aimed at the higher end LED market, and we got to check out the latest developments in person. At $729 these fixtures aren’t cheap, especially compared to other high end fixtures such as the Ecotech Radion or AI Vega but the software behind the fixtures is definitely very impressive. More info: http://reefbuilders.com/2012/10/21/aquatic-life-3-watt/ Albert Edited October 23, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) Candy Cane Coral - - Caulastrea spp. Coral © corallore and fishlore The Trumpet coral gets its name from the way the skeletal structure grows as a strait tubular stalk and ends in a bulbous fleshy polyp resembling the end of a trumpet. This coral is found normally in several different shades of bright green, purple, and blue. This coral will fluoresce under actinic lighting adding vibrant color to the reef. Candy Cane corals do have tentacles but they are very short so unless you have a coral fall directly into your Trumpet coral it’s not likely that other corals will be stung. Which is why this coral is considered peaceful. Link : http://www.corallore.com/candy-cane-coral-420.htm Albert Edited October 23, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Video on Phosphate issues in Deep Sand Bed © ReefDVM's Dealing with phosphate and what they bring about in a Reef Tank Link to Video : Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) A few Coral Pictures from Rare Reef © Rare Reef and their Owners Note that I am not in any way associated with them. Pictures are for your viewing pleasure. Link to more : http://www.facebook.com/RareReef Albert Edited October 23, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Understanding Marine Testing and Parameters © By Michael Soda (a.k.a. skeety) The purpose of this article is to help new comers to the hobby understand the various water parameters that are tested for in this hobby. For each water parameter, I will explain the following: - What is it? What the parameters is. - Why's it Important? The importance of that water parameter, and what impacts that parameter has on your tank. - What Value should I Aim For? What values you should try to strive for, and why. (Natural Seawater vs. optimal closed system conditions) - What do the values mean? Importance of each value at certain stages, understanding the values (what they mean, how to convert them, etc), the importance of good test kits, etc. - When Should I Test For It? How to know which test(s) to do, when to test, and how frequently you should test. - Any More Info? Links to other threads/articles that contain more detailed information on the parameter and its affects. Informational article on water quality parameters as outlined above Link : http://tinyurl.com/35f3x46 Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Toxicity Of Trace Elements: Truth Or Myth? © By Habib Sekha (Salifert) In this article I will explain that it is not always necessary that a heavy metal is toxic since this depends strongly on the form (=speciation) in which it is present. That is, it is not always bio-available. In a study conducted by Atkinson and Bingman it was shown that commercial salt mixes contain elevated concentrations of heavy metals compared to natural seawater. Studies of aquarium water by Salifert and Shimek have shown a similar trend. It has been stated by Shimek that the concentration of some of these elements as present in aquariums is toxic to many invertebrates including corals. Link to the Article : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/5/aafeature Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Chemistry And The Aquarium: Metals In Limewater © By Randy Holmes-Farley This article expands on the basis of the claim that limewater may be able to deliver lower quantities of some metals compared to calcium reactors and it also provides some experimental data that demonstrates this claim. Link : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/5/chemistry Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 An Aquarist's Experiences With A Species Of Acropora Parasites © By Greg Hiller This article deals with Acropora Bugs, however it was written at a time that not a lot was known about parasites etc. on Acropora and other corals ... and this may be one of the early discoveries that "something" was killing of the SPS coral, but it may not be Amakusaplana acroporae (AEFW). Since the article was written a lot more research has been done, and if the bug in this article is the AEFW one, an identification has been achieved : it is now referred to as "Amakusaplana acroporae" Now based on the images shown in this article the parasite may not be AEFW but some other bug that attacks Acropora corals. Here is a link on the Net that gives links to many sites that deal with AEFW : http://tinyurl.com/9vo7833 and a second one : http://tinyurl.com/92d9bkl - both lead to pages with many links to other related material. The Link to the article by Greg Hiller is : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/6/aafeature There also is a good article with many pictures at this link : http://www.melevsreef.com/aefw.html Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Two Videos of Acropora spawning in Captivity By Leonard Ho Captive spawning of invertebrates is always an amazing and rewarding sight, and even more so for a coral once considered impossible to keep in captivity just a few decades ago. We share two videos of Acropora spawning in home aquariums. Link : http://tinyurl.com/9b6o52s Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Bitty Bugs: Copepods in the Reef Aquarium © Dr. Ron L. Shimek The diversity of crustacean shapes and sizes notwithstanding, the numerically dominant animals in the world's oceans belong to one group, the copepods. In fact, one copepod genus, Calanus, likely contains more individual animals over one tenth of an inch in length than any other animal genus. At one time, it was rumored that one marine biology professor put one of his more troublesome grad students to work calculating the number of tons of molts produced annually by one species, Calanus finmarchicus Link to the Article: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/rs/index.php Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 There's More to Pipes Than Just PVC: The Genus Doryrhamphus and Other Pipefish © Henry C. Schultz III Often times when hobbyists are considering a species-dedicated aquarium, the idea of a tank full of seahorses is the first species of choice. For those interested in the "common" animals of the exotics, seahorses can be a fulfilling experience. They will certainly entertain your guests. However, there are those that prefer something less mainstream, an "uncommon" exotic, if you will. For those individuals I present the April 'Fish Tales' on pipefish. Link : http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/hcs3/index.php Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Now Here is One For You ! © Linda Cline You can see hundreds and hundreds more of high quality photographs at : http://www.dancingfish.com Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Opistognathus rosenblatti, Bluespotted / Bluedot Jawfish © Marine Habitat Perhaps the primary concern for housing such a fish in captivity is providing the right kind of substrate. A minimum of approx. 9cm (4ins) depth is required (based on observations of minimum burrow depth in the wild). To allow effective construction, a good mix of substrates should be provided, including mixed-grade gravel plus shells, rubble and even dead coral branches. Extra materials should be added occasionally, indeed, this can limit disruption to other areas of the sand bed Link : http://tinyurl.com/9uf5kpd Albert Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Opistognathus rosenblatti, Bluespotted / Bluedot Jawfish © Marine Habitat Link : http://tinyurl.com/9uf5kpd Albert Hi Albert, Despite all the advice I often hear of people buying these wonderful fish and putting them in aquariums with less than the minimum required depth of sand in the tank. IMO 4" is definitely the MINIMUM and 6" would be better. I would suggest if people can't provide the minimum depth of a mixed substrate then they leave these fish well alone. Putting these fish in a tank with a shallow bed will stress these fish unnecessarily and they should be left with the LFS if you can't provide ideal conditions for them. Les. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Hi Albert, Despite all the advice I often hear of people buying these wonderful fish and putting them in aquariums with less than the minimum required depth of sand in the tank. IMO 4" is definitely the MINIMUM and 6" would be better. I would suggest if people can't provide the minimum depth of a mixed substrate then they leave these fish well alone. Putting these fish in a tank with a shallow bed will stress these fish unnecessarily and they should be left with the LFS if you can't provide ideal conditions for them. Les. It seems indeed that if you read messages about this fish on various forums that they start off well when the Hobbyist gets one, but then as time goes by, the fish either will not eat, or only eat very little, become weaker and get chased around, and as you say it is often not due to underfeeding or bad water quality, or whatever else, but it seems that indeed they are kept in aquarium with too shallow a substrate. So you are right, unless a deep deep substrate can be provided, Hobbyists should refrain from getting them as they will not survive in the long term. Of course, and unfortunately, typically LFS's won't tell buyers about that ! How's your NEW tank coming along ? ? Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Periclimenes imperator, The Gorgeous Emperor Shrimp © Marine Habitat A partner species to various holothurians and sea slugs, this species has a wide distribution across the Indo-Pacific, and can occur in any environment where its host organisms thrive. Such environments are typically shallow and brightly lit areas of sand and rubble that are not subjected to heavy wave action or currents. The partnership itself involves the shrimp riding around on the back of its host organism, which it also uses for shelter. It may also benefit by feeding on items disturbed by the host organism, or even on the waste products of the organism itself. Their colouration and pattern is remarkable and may even be modified to match their host organism, thus camouflaging them from predators. Link : ...... http://tinyurl.com/9dou9lb Albert Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 How's your NEW tank coming along ? ? Albert Simply put It isn't, that is I can do little on it until my new skimmer arrives hopefully this week. However our Royal mail service is poor. If the supplier had sent it via DHL or another courier I would have had it by now for sure. I do now have the RO tubing to run from my RO to my tank but as I may have to alter the sump to accommodate the skimmer I can't really start filling it. So my tank is just sitting here looking at me saying "fill me" However I am in no rush and would rather wait to get the skimmer and ensure it fits OK. I did buy a 4" filter sock holder and 100 micron filter sock today which I should have this week as well. One thing I have learnt in this hobby is if it can go wrong it will so I am in no real hurry to fill the tank which will take approximately 4 days inc the sump. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Simply put It isn't, that is I can do little on it until my new skimmer arrives hopefully this week. However our Royal mail service is poor. If the supplier had sent it via DHL or another courier I would have had it by now for sure. I do now have the RO tubing to run from my RO to my tank but as I may have to alter the sump to accommodate the skimmer I can't really start filling it. So my tank is just sitting here looking at me saying "fill me" However I am in no rush and would rather wait to get the skimmer and ensure it fits OK. I did buy a 4" filter sock holder and 100 micron filter sock today which I should have this week as well. One thing I have learnt in this hobby is if it can go wrong it will so I am in no real hurry to fill the tank which will take approximately 4 days inc the sump. Got it ... guess if you don't have all the components then you can indeed not set it up ... And yes "Murphy's Law" does apply to our Hobby for sure .... If it has not happened yet, just be patient and it will ... should be the saying ! Good luck when everything gets there ... Changed avatar as you noticed and was hesitating between the one I have now and this : Albert Quote Link to comment
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