Modern ReefKeeping » Archive
Water Quality Basics – Michael
I often see hundreds of threads across dozens of on-line community sites every month regarding water source. What filter type, if any? Is home supplied tap water safe to use? As well as many other questions on this very important subject . I am not an expert on water quality in the home marine aquarium. Far from it. I’m still learning myself. Even after more than 2 years concentrating purely on reefs and nothing else, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Aquarium Setup
Hydor Heater Recall
Hydor, makers of fresh and saltwater products, has recently issued a recall on their Theo 300 watt ( batch #’s 928-929-938 , June-Oct ‘09 ) and 400 watt aquarium heaters (batch #’s 926-931-938 ). Customers that have purchased these items are asked to discontinue use and return them to place of purchase. After testing it was discovered that a batch of the glass tubes used in production was faulty which could cause improper function of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Heaters and chillers
Peppermint Shrimp
Peppermint Shrimp Common Names Peppermint Shrimp Veined Cleaner Shrimp Caribbean Cleaner Shrimp Candy Cane Shrimp Scientific Name Lysmata wurdemanni Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropodia Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Suborder: Caridea Family: Hippolytidea Genus: Lysmata Origin This shrimp inhabits the waters of the Caribbean Sea. These shrimp often make homes inside tube sponges. Appearance This shrimp is nicknames peppermint as it is red and white in coloration. The body is mostly red with white markings. It has a number of small red antennae. This shrimp does not have large pinchers like some of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Inverts, Livestock Profiles
Cleaner Shrimp
Common Names Cleaner Shrimp Skunk Cleaner Shrimp Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp Scientific Name Lysmata amboinensis Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropodia Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Suborder: Caridea Family: Hippolytidea Genus: Lysmata Origin The Skunk cleaner shrimp is typically found in the Indo Pacific. Appearance The cleaner shrimp has the typical shrimp appearance. The most notable feature is the three long sets of white antennae. There are also a number of small arms with tiny pinchers. These shrimp, unlike many of their relatives, do not have large claws. They also have distinctive coloring. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Inverts, Livestock Profiles
Eric Borneman Chat on Calcification Q&A
Michael very interesting eric, especially about ph at levels to 8.6 Eric Borneman Well, that is an artifact of closed systems and the propensity of tanks to drop so much in pH (especially at night) oldsaint What are the effects of maintaining a high Ca level? I was told years ago, mainly stoney corals If you run a high Ca level this will put stress on the coral by robbing energy from their limited energy budget by trying to shed … Read entire article »
Filed under: Miscellaneous
Eric Borneman Chat on Calcification Part 2
Aquarium Calcification The water chemistry of closed system aquaria tends to be significantly different than that of seawater; a result of the metabolism of highly unnatural groupings of organisms contained in such displays, the myriad additives and devices employed by aquarists, and the almost limitless potential chemical and biochemical reactions which may occur in such systems. Yet, little investigation of calcification has been done at all in private aquaria. Some public aquaria have published a few studies; … Read entire article »
Filed under: Miscellaneous
Eric Borneman Chat on Calcification Part 1
Introduction The process of calcification, or the accretion of calcium carbonate to form reefs, is one of the distinguishing characteristics of coral reefs and reef aquaria. Both plants and animals calcify, although perhaps it is the corals and the coralline algae that are most noted to aquarists as the builders of limestone skeletons and frameworks. Octocorals (soft corals, gorgonians, etc.) also calcify by producing internal calcium plates and inclusions (spicules, sclerites); these are occasionally external in the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Miscellaneous
Automated Water Changes
What is one of the most onerous tasks in maintaining a saltwater aquarium? The weekly or monthly water change. Everyone acknowledges that they are critical to the health of a tank, but no one enjoys doing them. And lets face it, how often have you missed doing a water change. Whats the best way to perform a water change? If you ask 10 different reefers you will probably get 11 different methods of doing a water … Read entire article »
Filed under: Equipment
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