The Royal Gramma

Posted by on January 21st, 2012 | No Comments
Royal Gramma

Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto, 1868)

The Royal Gramma, Gramma loreto, or Fairy Basslet is one of the most common fish today in both the local fish stores and our tanks, and for good reason!  These fish are relatively small, hardy, generally peaceful and brilliantly colored.  They are such good candidates for the marine aquarium that the vast majority of marine fish keepers will have one at some point in time in the hobby.  From love at first site at the store to daily fish watching, these beautiful fish captivate many fishkeepers from beginner to self-proclaimed expert!

 

The Royal Grammas come from the tropical western Atlantic.  They are primarily found in the Caribbean, though span all the way north to Florida and south to Venezuela. Commonly hanging out in small caves, tunnels, every little nook and cranny of the reef Continue reading this post…

Acan’s & Acan’ts: A few things to discuss about out sessile friend (Acanthastrea lordhowensis)

Posted by on December 27th, 2011 | No Comments

Acanthastrea lordhowensis, or as we like to call them: Lord Howie Acans

Whatever you call them, they have been around for a while. First reported scientifically in (Ehrenberg, 1834) this little Acanthastrea keeps reef keepers in awe today. As sessile invertebrates go, they really are remarkable, becoming available in the 1980′s few people had the knowledge to care for live coral, let alone the specific needs of an Acan. That’s just it though. Its their ability to endure less than perfect (to say the least) water quality and there Diversity of coloration that has made them so popular. Continue reading this post…

Ecotech Coral Glue

Posted by on September 24th, 2011 | No Comments

 

The Cool kids at Big Dog Reefs review Echotech’s Coral Glue.

Review of the Ecotech Marine MP-40 (part 1)

Posted by on September 17th, 2011 | No Comments

A video review of the Ecotech Marine’s MP-40 by the guys at Big Dog Reefs

Ocellaris Clownfish

Posted by on September 9th, 2011 | No Comments

Ocellaris Clownfish

Scientific Name : Amphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, 1830

Common Names : False Percula, Common Clownfish

Maximum Length : 3.6 inches ( 9 cm )

Minimum Aquarium Requirements : 20 gallon (76 L ) for single, 30 gallon (114 L ) for pair

Feeding : Omnivorous. Meaty foods such as mysid shrimp and enhanced brine, herbivore preparations and flake foods. For healthy clownfish feed a mixed diet.

Reef Compatible : yes

Anemone Compatibility : Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea, S. mertensii, Entacmaea quadricolor( in captivity)

Notes : Can be aggressive towards con-specifics. In a mated pair the female will be noticeably larger in size. Can be purchased in black/white color variations along with the more common orange/white.

Next Reef Introduces Frozen Food Strainer

Posted by on September 4th, 2011 | No Comments

Next Reef Frozen Food Stariner
If you’ve spent any time patrolling the message boards, you’ve inevitably crossed more than a few threads on phosphates and their removal. The easiest way to control phosphates?  Don’t introduce them into your tank!  The cool kids at Next Reef have come up with an easy way to strain frozen foods, and keep that funky phos’ filled water clear of your aquarium.

The FFS is what you would expect from a Next Reef product; well crafted and easy to use. The best thing about it? It takes a mundane job(straining foods) and makes it fast and simple.

Be sure to check out Next Reef, the Frozen Food Strainer and all their cool products at MACNA!

Energy Conservation in the Aquarium

Posted by on August 31st, 2011 | No Comments

T-5 Lighting

 For many aquarists the monthly electricity bill is the greatest ongoing expense to maintaining their tank, especially for those with reefs.  With today’s constantly soaring energy costs and the movement towards increased circulation and lighting, it only makes sense to research and plan your system to be the most energy efficient as possible within your needs and desires.  There is a large  attrition of reefkeepers every year due to power costs.  With smart planning this need not be!

Assessing Electricity Consumption

 Most manufacturers will give you a wattage consumption rating on an individual product.  This should be a consideration in any piece of equipment you buy.  You can use this to calculate how much electricity, and in turn money, this component costs you to run using the following formula:

Device Wattage/1000 X Cost per KWhr = cost to run the device for one hour

If you have a pump that is rated at 75 watts and you pay 20 cents a KWhr (check you electric bill, it will be listed) then you get:

75 watts/1000 X 20 cents per KWhr =  1.5 cents per hour to run

Keep in mind that the cost will come out in this equation in whichever units you use for the cost of a KWhr.  If you use cents, you get cents.  If you use dollars, you get dollars.

Continue reading this post…

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