We’ve been gushing over the aquaPlanner app ever since we were given the opportunity to review it. There were things we loved about it when it was first released and some we didn’t, but one thing is for sure is the fact that this application as gotten better and better with each release. With the latest version available, we decided to do a brief video walkthrough, hopefully demonstrating why we like the aquaPlanner so much. Following the video, we create a new aquarium, add a couple of tasks to our to-do list, confirm performing overdue tasks, and explore livestock…and these are just a few of the features this app offers. Other features include adding equipment, writing notes, and even charting water parameters that we test for. The best thing about the aquaPlanner, though, is its simplicity and ease of use. The app uses motions and features already native to the iPhone/iPod, so there’s no learning curve involved. On top of that, stepping through each menu is easy to do and requires little effort.

The price on this app is a measly $3 and there’s even a lite version for a whopping one dollar.

Just recently, I was having a conversation with a local pet store owner about the price of a new, unreleased piece of aquarium equipment, and the conversation inevitably wandered into the retail price associated with that particular item. The wholesale price was also mentioned, and we talked for a while about the very narrow margins that many aquarium companies have to deal with, particularly on aquarium equipment. Now, it has been a few years since I worked in a local fish store, but the one thing that always stuck with me was how little markup their was on aquarium equipment from wholesale pricing, with larger items being the least profitable. While most retail stores offering products from different industries see markups of 20% or more at the very least, the aquarium industry actually sees far less, with the particular item of our discussion seeing only a 3% bump up from the wholesale price. With this conversation sitting in the back of my mind for a while now, we figured it would be a good idea to shine a little light on the pricing structure of aquarium-related products for the average hobbyist so they could see just how competitive the industry is, as well as how hard it is just to just break even, let alone squeeze out a profit. Of course, we are looking at this aspect of the hobby in a very limited scope, that being from aquarium store to hobbyist for the most part, but it’s the only view most hobbyists have access to anyways.

Livestock

Aquarium livestock is actually one of the more profitable areas of the saltwater aquarium industry, but only if you compare the on-paper cost of one fish to its retail price. Depending on availability, a fish that normally retails for $100 might actually show up on a pricing sheet for $50-60. A 100% markup would be awesome from the perspective of a store owner, however, if you take into account every aspect of the livestock purchase from wholesaler to storefront, then that profit begins to shrink dramatically, and here’s why. When a local fish store makes an order, they don’t just order one fish. Some stores order a few boxes once a week, others may do multiple orders. Regardless, a significant purchase is made and it’s one that has to be shipped overnight to the airport closest to the fish store. A box with 15 fish that cost a total of $150 from the supplier immediately triples or even quadruples in price due to the shipping costs alone. Factor in at least one or two DOA (dead on arrival) fish, and the margins draw even closer. The remaining fish are acclimated to the tanks, and it’s inevitable that a few fish die from stresses associated with the relocation from their long journey from California to a random fish store thousands of miles away.

Aquarium Equipment

The pricing on aquarium equipment is much simpler than that of aquatic livestock. The items are purchased and shipped via the cheapest means available, and the items sits on the store shelf until it is sold. Shipping can be a pain on the wallet, but since things are typically shipped via freight and items are purchased in fairly large quantities, it really turns out to be insignificant. And of course you don’t have to worry much about losing equipment to shipping stresses, unless of course the carrier wants to play soccer with your box of goodies. Even then, most companies will swap broken or defective equipment free of charge. You can’t swap a dead fish for another, and no livestock wholesaler is going to issue refunds for DOA livestock (unless a certain amount of the fish are dead).

The problem with aquarium equipment though, is its miniscule markup. In the scenario we described in the intro of this article, the aquarium was marked up only about 3%, a percentage that is barely even worth the hassle. Small aquarium items do have better price differences from cost to retail than larger items, but even then we’re still talking about a few bucks on average. Where most industries see a 20-30% markup on their items, the aquarium industry is lucky to see 10%, which is obviously great for aquarium hobbyists but not so much for store owners who already have to walk a tight line.

Tank Maintenance

From what I’ve seen in my experience with fish stores, tank maintenance is where the largest profits are found. Maintenance companies and storefronts with service technicians load up a little equipment and a fresh batch of saltwater, then perform various cleaning tasks for the client. The trips to a customer’s home may last about an hour or so depending on what all is requested, and once done the aquarium tech drives on to the next customer. A good service tech working for a respected company may do ten or more maintenance visits per day depending on the distance between stops, and each trip yields a fairly significant profit if all goes well. A typical service call can include water changes, filter media replacement, equipment cleaning, and so on. Each company will charge their own fees, but for the most part the company is paying for time and equipment.

This is just one aspect of the economics of the aquarium industry, and we hope there is some value in explaining it to readers. We hope to show just how much of a struggle it is for fish stores to survive, especially in a time where the economy is depressed and people stop buying aquarium stuff.

Summer is always a tough time when you live in the southern part of the US, especially when the heat hits over 100 degrees and looms on for what seem like endless weeks. What makes the situation even harder is the lack of rain, a drastic one-two punch that Texas has been facing this long blistering summer. Most people cope by staying indoors and staying hydrated, and our aquariums start to require more water as evaporation keeps the tanks within decent operating temperatures. Unfortunately, when times are tough and water is getting scarce, municipalities step in to start the water conservation process. The city of Houston recently did just that by announcing mandatory water conservation measures yesterday. The city had already enacted stage 1 of the water conservation plan, but this recent announcement is centered around the city council’s approval to move on to step 2. Under this stage, residents must have all detectable leaks repaired within 72 hours and are only allowed to water their lawns between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. on specified days. Misuse of the water will result in fines of unspecified amounts.

So what does this mean for aquarium keepers? Keep reading below to find out.

If you want to keep on with your tank activities (e.g. water changes and topping off water), you may run into fines. You might be able to avoid the watchful eye of neighbors by performing water-consuming activities at night. You may even be able to successfully make the argument that your animals depend on the water and could get any fines lifted. Despite these options, we recommend that you try to comply with the rules the most reasonable way possible and scale back on the amount of water used. Perhaps instead of doing water changes every two weeks, they can be done once a month. Or maybe the volume of the water change can be cut back. Don’t do anything that would harm your aquarium inhabitants, just be sensible in your water use.

Aquarium Design Group recently announced that they are looking to hire a reef aquarium specialist, or as they put it, a “Reef Badass”. The tech will be hired to service some of ADG’s premiere reef tanks here in the Houston area, which has been an increasing market for them due to a recent increase in popularity for saltwater fish only and reef aquariums. The position will require an expert knowledge in marine and reef systems, along with a customer-service oriented attitude, ability to think on your feet to troubleshoot problems, a strong sense of punctuality, a valid driver’s license, and prior experience. The hours are 8-5 Monday through Friday, and the position comes with some enticing benefits. These include full coverage health insurance, a business cell phone, and the best of all, employee discount opportunities for aquarium livestock and equipment. And if you’re a real “Reef Badass”, ADG may even gift whole systems and rare coral as an additional reward for hard work, which is something they have been known to do.

To apply for the position, send an email over to Mike Senske, president of Custom Installation and Maintenance division at Aquarium Design Group. Mike can be reached at: msenske@aquariumdesigngroup.com

Back in February, we were given access to a new Apple application designed to serve as a digital planner for aquarium maintenance tasks. Called the aquaPlanner, the original version of the app was a great piece of aquarium software, but it had a couple of drawbacks. These included a limited number of customizable tasks, some saltwater tasks showing up in the freshwater section and vice versa, and finally the software’s limitation to just monitor one aquarium. After our initial review, the app developer took our constructive criticisms and released a version 2.0.0 update, which went live a couple of weeks ago. This update really makes the aquaPlanner app shine. Users can now add multiple aquariums and customizable tasks, and the app’s new layout is much easier to use. It makes use of the iPhone’s native number scrolling and digital keypad. Additionally, the new version allows for a notes section to keep track of any interesting events that take place in your aquariums.

Since the release version 2.0.0, I’ve really given the aquaPlanner a workout. I added both of my aquariums to the list, setup customized schedules for each, and let the reminders roll on in. The app reminds me to dose additives to the tank, top off water, clean the protein skimmer, and even keeps track of water changes. I honestly love using this software because I’m just too busy to remember what to do and when sometimes.

The only improvement that I could think would be needed at this point is the inclusion of volumes in some of the alerts. For example, it’s often difficult to remember how much to dose of a certain additive, especially when you have a bevy of two part solutions, bacteria additives, and so much more. But even if those don’t show up in the next version, we’ll still be very happy with this app.

Unfortunately it’s that time of year again for residents of the Gulf Coast and the eastern seaboard to prepare themselves for the worst case scenario. Today is June 1st, and it marks the official start of the hurricane season, and according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), it’s going to be a busy one. So, make preparations and get your very mature yet so very fragile reef tank prepared. Stockpile gasoline, grab the battery powered air bubblers, and get the generators ready.

For more information on prepping your aquarium for the hurricane season, visit Hurricane Season is Back, Are You Ready.

Listen up Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard reef keepers. Hurricane season is just around the corner, June 1st in fact, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting it’s going to be an active one. Meteorologists, with the help of long-range weather patterns, expect between 12 and 18 named storms to develop in the Atlantic, Caribbean, or Gulf of Mexico. Between 6 and 10 of these storms could strengthen into hurricanes, and of those, 3-6 could be major storms.

What this news means for hobbyists is they need to be prepared. Gather up supplies, plan out possible emergencies, and try to keep the inhabitants of your aquarium alive through any storm. Of course, you need to protect you and your family first, but also make sure to plan for tank emergencies. Last year, we wrote up a very helpful hurricane preparedness article that is full of different things you need to do to keep your tank alive during power outages and excess heat.

Dinoflagellates are the terror of many hobbyist’s aquariums. They are a marine and freshwater protist that can take many forms, such as free-floating or attached, photosynthetic or parasitic, and even predatory. The dinos typically found in the home aquarium are attached to hard surfaces and are photosynthetic. They thrive in a variety of conditions, even perceive low nutrient conditions, feeding off the light emitted by our high dollar aquarium light fixtures. To top it off, dinos can be quite toxic to algae grazers such as snails, rendering your clean up crew virtually useless. This makes getting rid of the pest protists extremely difficult, often leading to the complete teardown of many formerly gorgeous reef systems.

So how did I get rid of the terrible dinoflagellates? The problem wasn’t an easy one to fix. As expected, I lost several snails in the process, but after performing several different troubleshooting steps, I’ve finally managed to get rid of the dinos. When the protists first showed up in my frag system, I was actually surprised. There are currently no fish in the system, but a mere handful of corals. I do not add any food to the tank and I’ve been performing regular 35-gallon water changes for the last several months. On top of that, the filtration system (protein skimmer, sump, and medial filters) for the 80-gallon frag tank is rated for aquariums three times as large. It was obvious that excess nutrients were not the source of the problem, so I focused on two other areas. At first sight of the dinos, I cut the photoperiod back to just a few hours a day. When that didn’t work, I began only turning on only the actinics lights, with the occasional two or even three day lights out period. This kept the dinos from growing out of control, but they weren’t disappearing either.

After the photoperiod change, I added a new media reactor to the system and filled it with activated carbon. I did this mostly to remove the tint in the water, but as we all know, carbon does so much more. Carbon is great at reducing the amount of dissolved organics, so I figured it couldn’t hurt. When I first added the carbon, I didn’t notice anything drastic. The water cleared up a bit, but the dinos still persisted.

So, the next step came in the form of adding more flow to the tank. I didn’t initially think water flow was a possible source of the problem, as I was running almost 50x turnover in the display with the use of Tunze powerheads. But, I did notice some of the dinos collecting in what appeared to be dead spots, so I upped the flow by another 1800gph. At first, I noticed a huge bloom and actually feared the worst. The day after adding the powerhead, I noticed the water was heavily tinted brown. I cleaned all of the filtration equipment and began prep work for a 35-gallon water change. Luckily, the water cleared up over night and actually looked better than ever. Slowly the dinoflagellates started disappearing, and eventually the tank was dino-free.

We were recently given access to a nifty new aquarium related iPhone application for a product review. The aquaPlanner app is a maintenance scheduling software that reminds you when certain tasks are coming up and when others are about to expire or are overdue. The app is easy to use and is currently available to download from the Apple iTunes App store for only $2.99.

What We Liked:

The app is very easy to use. You fire it right up and can get to work. Scheduling tasks is a breeze since everything is adjusted via sliders, which has become very common among smart phones. When I first started using the aquaPlanner app, my fingers kept getting in the way of the numbers as I adjusted the sliders. It was a little frustrating, but to circumvent this pesky FFS (Fat Finger Syndrome), the app has convenient “+” and “-” signs that appear above the slider when it is activated. These signs also provide better fine tuning of the numbers, as the sliders seem to be more for quick adjustments.

Another great feature is customizable tasks. This app’s designer obviously had enough foresight to understand that not every tank is the same and not every hobbyists performs the same tasks. Up to four custom tasks can be created and they can be whatever you want them to be. Further adding to the app’s appeal is list of upcoming notifications, some being several months in the future. These serve as constant reminders of approaching tasks

Keep reading below for the areas where we thought the app could improve, as well as our official verdict.

Areas for Improvement:

There was really only a few things that we feel needed improvement. The first is how the aquaPlanner distinguishes between fresh and saltwater aquariums. Even though switching between the two is very simple, there is no difference in the scheduled tasks. When you switch to freshwater, items like “Chaeto Trim”, “Ref. Light”, and “Skimmer” still show up. Obviously freshwater aquariums don’t have Chaetomorpha, refugiums, or protein skimmers, so these should vanish when you make the switch. Additionally, there’s nothing new that shows up when you switch from saltwater to freshwater. Fortunately, the app user has an area for customized tasks, so adding more tasks for freshwater or saltwater isn’t impossible or difficult to do.

The second area for improvement is the limitation of the app to only one aquarium. Currently, the aquaPlanner can accommodate a single tank, either freshwater or saltwater. However, because many hobbyists have multiple aquariums, we feel the app should also be able to handle multiple tanks.

The last item to be improved is the number of customizable tasks. The app currently offers four, but if possible I would like to see that number be limitless.

Neither Here Nor There:

One thing that would be nice, but doesn’t affect the functionality of the app at all, is the ability to change the app’s background. Currently, the app offers only one background…a gorgeous clownfish pair swimming in an anemone. Allowing users to customize the background by uploading a photo might make the software more personable. It might serve to keep one focused on the activities if they constantly see a picture of their tank behind all of the reminders. Sort of like a “this is what it takes to look this good” reminder.

Verdict:

Overall, the aquaPlanner is a great piece of software for those who like to keep up to date with their aquarium maintenance. It is especially nice for those who have a difficult time remembering when to perform certain tasks. I would certainly recommend this app to other aquarium hobbyists with smart phones, and hopefully future updates will expand the app’s functionality.

I came across an article called “Having a Fish Tank Can Make You Healthier” on That Fish Tank Place. Their article obviously described all of the benefits of the aquarium to one’s health, which included lowering blood pressure in seniors, decreasing the amount of sedatives required for dental patients, and calming down children with attention deficit issues. There are multiple other benefits to having an aquarium, but I wanted to take the opposite approach and add my own little fun spin to it.

Because aquariums require so much attention, hobbyists are constantly putting their hands into the tank. Simply putting your hands into the aquarium exposes you to loads of bacteria, fungi, and toxins. Doing this is especially dangerous if you have an open wound, or if there is potential for you to get cut, and believe me, there are a million different ways to get a small hand injury in a saltwater aquarium. You might brush against a sharp rock, get poked by a sea urchin, or even get stung/bitten by one of your fish. Open wounds are bad news in aquariums. Palytoxin, found in Palythoas and Zoanthids, can cause numbness, paralysis, or even death if it is rubbed into a wound or ingested in some other way. Staphylococcus aureus is also known to be present in aquariums and is a leading cause of staph infections.

In addition to physical trauma, aquariums can be a significant source of stress. They are huge money pits, since successful saltwater aquariums require habitual attention and maintenance, along with plenty of expensive equipment. A endless need for buckets of salt and an intense electric bill all zap your wallet, and the lack of extra funding can be stressful. This added stress could lead to health issues and the lack of funds might also prevent you from getting the needed care in the event of an emergency.

Additionally, many hobbyists tend to “get into the zone” with regards to rearranging rock work or trying to catch an elusive fish. They might bypass eating or sleeping, choosing to work long hours into the night in order to accomplish their goals. This too could lead to health issues, since sleep and a healthy diet are necessary for keeping sickness away.

I have personally experienced small injuries while working with aquariums. In the worst of these injuries, I had a tiny cut on one of my fingers, didn’t realize it. I continued to toil away at a local fish store and my personal aquariums, all the while not realizing what the risks really were. I ended up getting a very bad infection, one that caused my entire index and middle fingers on my left hand to swell to the point I could not move them. An emergency room visit occurred, as did medication. It was a very painful experience and it has forced me to take the extra precaution that we should all be taking.

Images above taken from the article Cutaneous infections and injuries caused by traumatic and venomous animals which occurred in domestic and commercial aquariums in Brazil: a study of 18 cases and an overview of the theme.