Reef Builders - The Source for Reef Keeping Information

Upon releasing ultra algae x to the world, we thought that is seemed like a very promising product. We mean to say of course that it was a “cure all” or “cure almost” of all your algae problems in your aquarium. Seeing the before an after shots posted up about the new Ultra Algae X confirmed what we already knew. However there are several details that we did have questions on and thankfully we have found the answers to most of these.  We have a large howto guide on Ultra Algae X which is below after the jump for your review. Also we might note that you need to turn your UV and ozone off as it will destablize the product. Interesting.

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Not be confused with it’s distand cousin, the mesh wheel impeller. The needle wheel impeller which Fauna Marin is not charging for comes standard in all blue line protein skimmers. With the image we aquired it looks to be a typical high quality Fauna Marine product. However, with this we again have questions. Why is the Mesh wheel impeller a cost upgrade versus the needle-wheel impeller? Is the needlewheel impeller not as efficeient as the mesh wheel? These questions in our humble opinion need to be answered.

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Well what do we have here? It seems we have a unique mesh wheel that Fauna Marin is charging extra for and by the looks of this new mesh wheel we are confident it will produce merry of bubbles for your skimmer to enjoy. Our questions are: Why is Fauna Marin charging $99 to $160 extra for this impeller and  2) is the price they are asking for justified with added efficiency?

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Some UK retailers have been receiving Fauna Marin’s blue line protein skimmers in stock these past weeks. There are 3 models in total, each with the option of either having mesh wheel or needle wheel impellers. Besides all that pricing has also been leaked out and it isn’t pretty for the US. Pricing for the Blue line protein skimmer 3 is right at £799.99 or about $1,590 million US dollars. Interesting too is the mesh type impeller is an additional £50 ($99.50). Whaa?

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We received a photo, and hopefully more to follow of an Aqua Illumination LED lighting unit out in the wild. The unit from what we can tell is a smaller sized unit, most likely their 24″ or 30″ model. Be sure to check back when we receive additional photos.

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We received these before and after shots of a Current Nova extreme pro. The first picture which is below shows what the reef aquarium looked liked before the new Nova Extreme pro lights were added. Shorthly thereafter the new lighting unit was addedd and it made a world of difference. We can say that we can really see the difference in the new lighting unit that Current released. Click the read link to see the before shot.

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The Hydor Wavemaker controller, the one that effortlessly controls 4 pumps at once with its nice and sleek LCD screen finally gets a price. Retailers are now charging a cool $499 or less depending on who your favorite supplier is, seem a little steep to you? Yep, we have the same sentiments here too. Granted the LCD screen alone is making us drool but do you think it is worth $499? For comparison the Wavemaker 2 is priced at $320.

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My name is Anthony, and this is my 110 Custom Acrylic Closed Loop Tank
I have been in the hobby for almost, and this is my 3rd tank. My 1st was a 30 gallon(29) F/W with a Goldfish and a ugly plecos. I got the Marine bug about 7 months into after looking at trying to color up  my goldfishes home. No one told me however that this was going to be a highly addictive habit to be picking up! Click the read link to continue reading.

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Christmas trees worms are a popular addition to the modern home aquarium. Sadly most die with a few short months, generally from an array of problems ranging from poor water quality or malnutrition. Christmas tree worms are not for a beginning aquarist, and should only be tempted by advanced aquarists.

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A company that we have touched on before is Aquavie, made in France, they stick to 3 rules with making protein skimming equipment, simplicity, reliability, effectiveness. This continues with their line of protein skimmers that can handle loads from 500 to 2000 litres. You’ll most likely have to either travel to France or either have a friend bring one over the Atlantic for these to be seen here in the US.

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Elos announced that their new e-power lighting that was released at Interzoo 2008 will come with two options for ballasts. The first option is a stand-alone version that will not come with a ballast. You will be responsible for installing a ballast and connecting the wires. The other option includes an icecap ballast with the unit. These should hit US shores later this year.

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If you have the inkling to see complete unboxing pictures then you might want to check out Derek M. Rodner’s blog who has a new reefkeeper elite, bugs and all up for display. To see the host of pictures click the read link. Word of warning, Derek suffers from a very strong sense of Obsessive Compulsive Reef Disorder (OCRD), don’t tell us we didn’t warn you.

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The new ReefKeeper Elite was released and pre orders were taken in a very short time period. Because of this a fair amount of users have been experienceing bugs from the Reef Keeper Elite. Digital Aquatics is hard at work releasing new bug fixes for all of their new modules. You can head on over to their support page to download the latest version.

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The Copperband Butterflyfish known as Chelmon rostratus as the scientific name. This is one of the most popular among aquarists. Selecting a good specimen and offering it a varried diet are the keys to keeping it successfully.

Size: Males and females up to 7.9 inches.

Feeding: A wide variety of frozen foods should be offered, including shellfish, and particularly mysis shrimp rather then brineshrimp. Supplement with vitamins. If you happen to buy this fish at a LFS, these fish should swim toward you as you pass by the tank and make sure they are eating well before buying.

Location: Eastern Indo-Pacific

Breeding: It’s not going to breed, so don’t get your hopes up.

Tank Size: 120 gallons

Behavior: The Copperband butterflyfish will most likely be harassed by tangs and dwarf angels and surgeonfishes if these are already in the tank when the copperband is introduced. Stock the copperband fish first before any fish could challenge it. It will “head standing” to fend off aggression with its erect dorsal fin spines.  This fish is actually more peaceful the longer it is settled in the aquarium.

Word of Caution: Upon seeing emaciation, you should raise the feeding rate and if you are feeding brineshrimp stop and start feeding mysis shrimp which has a higher fat content. It is vital you have the time to closely monitor this species.

Coral compatibility: The copperband butterfly fish will nip at tubeworms but should ignore other species of sessile invertebrate with the exception Aiptasia spp. anemones. Which some aquarists introduce into the aquarium to control this pesky pest. If you are thinking about introducing this fish just to control your aiptaisa problem then your making a mistake if you haven’t considered the other requirements this fish has.

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We received word that Hydor’s new Magnum models 5, 6 7 and 8 will hit US shores in Mid-August. So if you are wanting to upgrade your marine aquarium with some more water flow you could possibly wait to see how well these Magnum water movers will work. We have a burning question wondering if these new pumps are actually controllable and if not is a controllable version coming? Hydor did use this method with the original Koralia models, deciding to release controllable versions later on. We hope these are controllable with common controllers available on the market today, as nobody likes to upgrade twice.

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