UK Man Jailed for Smuggling Corals and Clams into the Manchester Airport
By: Brandon Klaus
Stock photo of Tridacna clams
According to a recent BBC news story, a Manchester man was jailed after he tried to smuggle more than 700 corals and clams into the UK through the Manchester Airport. The 23-year-old man was arrested when he went to pick up his 36 boxes of marine life, which contained 650 corals and 60 clams sourced from Vietnam. The man, who goes by the name Alex Montgomery, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in jail.
Diablo DC3500 Controllable Pump Adds Flexibility to Your Flow Scheme
By: Brandon Klaus
Direct current pumps, or DC pumps for short, are all the rage these days. They allow aquarists to have more control over the water flow speed of their system, making them ideal for most applications. They’re so popular, in fact, that you can find them from a broad spectrum of companies on a variety of protein skimmer bodies or operating as primary circulation pumps. One might even be hard pressed to find many aquarists complaining about them, and given the added functions that these pumps bring to the table, Reef Octopus has fully jumped on board. They have put these pumps into just about everything they can, with their newest product coming in the form of the Diablo DC 3500 circulation pump.
AquaIllumination Sneaks Their New Hydra LED Onto the Aquarium Equipment Marketplace
By: Brandon Klaus
AI Vega pictured here from MACNA 2011
Over the past few years, AquaIllumination has usually waited until the big trade shows like MACNA to unveil their latest and greatest products and company related news. This year, however, they let the cat slip out of the bag a little early…and what a big cat it is. Instead of making some minor alterations to their current lineup or releasing updates for their AI Controller or Director software, they have an entirely new fixture called the AI Hydra that will be hitting store shelves in a very short time.
Tip of the Day – 5/22/2013
By: Brandon Klaus
When purchasing aquarium equipment and livestock over the net, specifically from online forum sites, take multiple precautions for each transaction. For starters, research the seller and make sure he or she has a good reputation. Once you’re confident enough to pull the trigger, use a payment service like PayPal. Most aquarium keepers who are selling stuff online use it, and it’s a great way to send money for purchases. That said, it can also get you into trouble. For the best protection, document everything, use a credit card through the payment site, and never send money as a gift. Those added fees from sending money for “goods” may seem like a pain, but they add some benefit in that PayPal is willing to look at your transaction should an issue arise. After a purchase is made and money has changed hands, be sure to keep those lines of communication open with the seller. Once the item is received, double check that it made it in one piece (or alive if it’s an animal), and relay any necessary information back to the seller. If an issue arises, don’t immediately go public, but try to handle things privately. Work all channels possible, using public communications as a last resort.
Really, there are tons of different options, and we recommend taking every precaution available to ensure you have a positive experience.
New Lamp Clamp Fixtures from Coral Compulsion Are Simple, Affordable Solution to Illuminate Your Reef
By: Brandon Klaus
When it comes to aquarium illumination, hobbyists are often left with a tough choice for mounting their lights. On one hand, you can go the route of style and aesthetics, beig left with a difficult install from the ceiling or some sort of hanging hardware. On the other, you can use unsightly tank brackets that are simple to incorporate, but really detract from the overall look of the setup. Fortunately, lighting hardware producers have started to get smart and make gooseneck brackets, which are both simple and stylish, and the latest Lamp Clamp from Coral Compulsion is no different.
Tip of the Day – 5/21/2013
By: Brandon Klaus
Plastic light diffuser, otherwise known as eggcrate, is one of those tools of the aquarium trade that has tons of different uses. Besides making for the perfect frag rack, eggcrate can also serve to block jumping fish from escaping the open top of an aquarium, separate unruly and aggressive fish, or even act as an in-tank refugium for growing macroalgae. In terms off assembly, the plastic can be bound together with zip ties or various types of glue and plastic bonding chemicals. The uses of eggcrate are virtually limitless, and because it comes in also comes in a black version, it won’t stand out like a sore thumb in your aquarium.
Giesemann Updates Matrixx T5HO with Stylish New Look
By: Brandon Klaus
When it comes to stylishly functional lighting, there are few that hold a candle to Giesemann. They’ve introduced some of the best looking light fixtures that the aquarium industry has seen, and in recent years they’ve only added to their allure with products like the Teszla and Futura LED. In keeping with the same styling cues that made those too fixtures so darn beautiful to look at, Giesemann has revamped their Matrixx T5HO fixture, giving it a very similar look.
The AquaNerd Weekly Recap
By: Brandon Klaus
Monday is gracing us with its presence once again, and we’ve got some great things to share while you sip your coffee. To kick off your week, we’re looking back at last week’s top articles before pressing on. From the week of May 12th through the 18th, our most read articles include a new Mitras fixture from GHL, a pet store being shut down, a wildly popular picture of the week entry, an updated Orphek LED fixture, and an aquarium livestock wholesaler shutting down. We hope you enjoyed the articles, and as always, we’ll have another week full of aquarium hobby coverage ahead of us, so stay tuned.
- GHL Releases Newer, Bluer Mitras LX 6200 HV LED Fixture
- Michigan Pet Store Without Water or Power Shut Down for Deplorable Conditions
- Picture of the Week, ORA Sprung’s Stunner Ultra Closeup
- Orphek Announces 4th Generation DIF 100 LED Pendant
- Oculus Aquatics Closes Its Doors for Unspecified Internal Reasons
Picture of the Week, Maxi Mini Carpet Anemone
By: Brandon Klaus
For this week’s AquaNerd Picture of the Week, we’re revisiting Daniel Leija’s 40-gallon mixed reef aquarium, which houses one very beautiful Maxi Mini carpet anemones. Carpet anemones have always been a favorite among aquarium keepers, but they are far too large to house in smaller aquaria. So, it’s no surprise that the Maxi Mini anemones are so popular with the small tank crowd. These anemones often exhibit a rainbow of colors, often outlined with a green ring. Despite their name, these anemones can get quite large. While most are sold in the 1-2″ diameter range, they can grow to be 4+” across.
Tip of the Day – 5/20/2013
By: Brandon Klaus
When corals start to rapidly decline in your aquarium with no obvious reason in sight, there are a few paths to take to prevent all out destruction. For one, don’t lose your cool and panic. Chances are that the problem is simple and fixable. Once you’ve gathered yourself, prepare and perform a water change. This will dilute any chemicals or metabolic byproducts that could be harming your corals. After a big water change, add carbon to your filtration scheme to further remove any harmful pollutants that might cause damage. After these two important steps, start trying to find the source of the issue all the while prepping for more water changes. Check every piece of equipment in use to eliminate voltage issues. Then make sure there is nothing within the tank that can be releasing harmful chemicals. If none of that works, try bouncing ideas off of fellow hobbyists and keep troubleshooting until the problems are resolved. It may take a while, and you may lose a lot of livestock, but acting quick and being smart are key to ensuring that you minimize those losses.
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