As all serious reef aquarium hobbyists know, light intensity is an important consideration for a successful captive reef. This short article will examine how light intensity decreases as water depth increases in an aquarium the depth often maintained by hobbyists. The Swedish researcher Nils Jerlov was a pioneer in defining the optical qualities of oceanic and coastal waters. His work involved a scale of meters and could be applied to very large private and public aquaria. However, most...
An example of stained glass.
This is a royalty-free photo from Pixabay.
Introduction
The inspiration for this article started with a short conversation or thread I had with Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley. When I asked about what kinds of things I could put in a saltwater tank that wouldn't hurt the water column and leach bad things into it, he mentioned not to put in objects made of float glass because of how float glass is made on a bed of metal, usually tin.
I started reading about glass and...
Part 2: Genicanthus angel species details – fish that are available to buy in the ornamental fish trade.
In the first article, I discussed some general information about the Genicanthus angels. And what distinguishes them from their cousins in the Pomacanthidae angelfish family.
In this article, I will talk about the six available species that are available for purchase in the marine fish trade. The prices of these fish tend to be a little higher than most aquarium fish due to the depth at...
Part 1: Genicanthus Angel Overview
Genicanthus is a genus of marine angelfish that belongs to the family Pomacanthidae. Pomacanthidae contains many of the iconic and most beautiful fish kept in marine and reef aquariums, like Emperor Angelfish, Regal Angelfish, Blueface angelfish, Queen Angelfish, Coral Beauty and many others.
However, most of the marine angels are not considered reef safe or safe with caution. Another issue with most angels is that it is hard to keep more than one angel...
So, in Part 1, we started putting together our small-scale Carlson Surge Device for your home reef tank. We started testing it, and now we're going to finish and get the device where it needs to be--next to and above your display tank.
At the end of the article are two videos that will help you to visualize what's happening during the testing phase.
Fit and finish
After testing in the bathtub, now we need to make this thing operational for the tank itself. We left these steps to the end...
In the late 1980s, Dr. Bruce Carlson, who was the Director of the Waikiki Aquarium, built a surge device based on information he had received from David Powell at the Monterey Aquarium. This surge equipment became known as the Carlson Surge Device or CSD.
The Carlson Surge Device is a time-tested method of creating a surge of water in an aquarium. In the days before DC controlled pumps and complex reef computers, many aquarists had one of these devices mounted to a wall over the tank.
The...
Mussels
Photo is a royalty-free image from Pixabay.
DIY Food - Mollusk Feast
By making your own fish food, you know exactly what your fish are eating. A variety of mollusks are a good choice, but I'm not a good shell shucker, so, I've taken the easy way out making this recipe. I also want to think I'm saving money, but don't really believe that is the case, especially if you take into account the time spent. However, I do get a good feeling knowing my fish are getting fresh seafood for...
A "red planaria" flatworm problem in a saltwater aquarium. Photo has been enlarged with a macro lens.
Photo is from the Reef2Reef archives.
Welcome to the second part and conclusion of the flatworm article. For Part 1, just go here, but I warn you, it’s a long one.
As I mentioned last time, flatworms are a perennial topic in our forums because some marine aquarists have problems with them. I wanted to devote an article (or two) to aquarium flatworms and how we (try to) deal with them. If...
A marine flatworm magnified 60X.
Photo is from the Reef2Reef archives.
Flatworms are a perennial topic in our forums because some marine aquarists have problems with them. I wanted to devote an article (or two) to aquarium flatworms and how we (try to) deal with them. If you need some help with your flatworms, head over to the Reef Aquarium Discussion forum, and you’ll find plenty of people willing to help you.
For this article, because there are so many references, instead of having tons...
