Updated Privacy Policy and TOS
Posted November 1st, 2007 by Ryan
Well we updated the Privacy Policy/TOS to all members. Click the read link for more information.
Archive for the 'General' Category
What is all this talk about? R-E-E-F-I-N-G
Posted October 31st, 2007 by RyanIf you haven’t heard already Reef Builders had a new place to hang out and chat. No you won’t be needing your keyboard either. Using the Teamspeak engine you can now login and talk to other aquarists of all things related to aquariums. Instructions for doing this are straightforward and easy to do, it requires one download a mic and speakers.
Fish Tycoon Game for Nintendo Ds
Posted October 24th, 2007 by Ryan
Seems fish are all the rage lately, the game’s publisher Last Day of work hopes to captalize or fullfill the nerds among us that crave to raise, breed, and sell fish. Seems pretty cool to us, and it must be to be on the best sellers list for 40 weeks straight. We will take two.
* Special DS-only features: 7 exclusive fish yield nearly twice as many fish types as the PC version (over 750!); all new 3D environments and several new tank decorations;
* Extensive use of the Touch Screen to breed fish, make purchases and decorate tanks;
* Simulated real-time experience yields potential surprises every time you turn the game on. Choose from 4 speed options to dictate how time passes in game. Take regular care of your fish or watch your hard work get flushed down the drain!
* Set your own prices for specific fish based on prior sales and present needs;
* Buy fish tanks, decorations, plants, fish eggs, fish food, and medicine to enhance the aesthetic of your tank;
* Research environment, food, and advertising techniques to discover how to keep your rare fish healthy, feed more fish per feeding and attract additional customers.
The internet is building the reef industry
Posted September 28th, 2007 by Ryan
I am an avid online internet browser, after all it is what I do for my day job. After strolling around the internet looking for reef keeping information I noticed there was one thing in common: There are a lot of reef forums online today. Some are big, some are small, some are large and some are huge. Having said that, another thing I found that all of these forums had in common: they are all growing. Some are growing faster then others but they are all growing, slowly. Why?
Reef Builders magazine Launches
Posted September 27th, 2007 by Ryan
Today is a very special day, because we have launched Reef Builders very own magazine for its members. Located at http://magazine.reefbuilders.com this is sure to give thousands of other reef builders information, articles, reviews about products and methods used in keeping a reef tank today. Since it is newly launched content is light, if anyone like to write articles please send me a PM via the forums, or just respond in the comments field on this blog.
Red Sea Max tank cycling…dirty, magnet cleaner needed
Posted September 5th, 2007 by Ryan
The Red Sea Max is cycling, I have a few pieces of live rock, and I threw some zoo’s in there. I’ve had this for a little over 2 weeks and have already decided that there are things I really don’t care for. The first being the pads that come with it, you know the mechanical filtration for the overflow. It seems to get clogged up really fast, faster then I am used to. On my 75 gallon I can easily rinse out the pads about once per month. With the Red Sea Max I would probably have to change it out every 2 days. Granted, I have just started to cycle and the rock in the aquarium was not live, it was sitting outside. I threw in a rock with zoos on it along with a lot of healthy coraline algae. We will see how long coraline takes to get going.
The state of the aquarium sump: it is leaking slowly
Posted September 4th, 2007 by Ryan
Earlier I told you that my sump was leaking, the whole reason why I needed to setup the 34 Gallon Red Sea Max tank. It seems that it is leaking underneath the sump, perhaps on the joints. It could even be in the back joints, away from my view. Whatever the case I need to get it out. The above picture shows salt creep coming from below…now my sump has little to no water turbulence, or water splashing up so it could not be from that. It’s leaking. Also I would like to point out that since I will be getting a new sump that I will not have to clean out my sump, which it needs to be. You should clean them out at least once every 6 months.
Reef Builders Magazine: where we are heading with it
Posted August 31st, 2007 by Ryan
Seems that the tradition in the reef industry is to launch a reef magazine of some sort. We continue the tradition, we haven’t forgotten about it. We are working on the magazine and rest assured, it is still going to be in a PDF format. For starters this allows people to download the file and forward it to other people…so you really don’t have to be online to read it. Say you talk a friend of yours into keeping a saltwater aquarium with live rock, or better yet you talk them into keeping a reef tank, you can just forward them the magazine and viola! They are addicted even more. Look for the next issue around Oct 2007.
MACNA is in September which I am very busy getting things ready for. We were planning on having an amazing machine which if you were there, you would be totally jealous…but we don’t have enough booth space. What are the odds? That is what we get for adding it so late. So perhaps next year you will get to see the secret machine. Also whoever thought about using Macna2007.com instead of the roman numeral, you have my respect.
I’ve often wondered why this hobby is so addicting. It takes a lot of money to get going, granted you can save quite a lot by DIY stuff, but the corals and fish alone are killers. Not to mention the odds of having a tank crash are high, especially since there are so many variables to keep a tank running smoothly. So I ask you the question, why are you so addicted to this hobby?
Live in Madrid Spain? Check this 90 gallon wonder out…
Posted August 24th, 2007 by Ryan
If by chance you live or plan on visiting Madrid Spain, you might want to drop by and say hello to Enrique Mora who runs a spanish blog about his 90 gallon setup. For those of you who don’t speak Spanish you can read his thread about his 90 gallon wonder of a tank. Among his vast array of corals (mainly SPS) he uses a deltec Bubble King protein skimmer no less. Times must be really hard good over there in Spain. He uses the Zeovit method with a twist. I am guessing to mean he makes the equipment himself and just buys the Zeovit “food”. Anyways get your drool pan ready if you haven’t already started to with the teaser pic.
5 Keys to Sucessfully Keep a small pico reef aquarium
Posted August 20th, 2007 by Ryan
Richard over at Great Reef tanks listed some successfull keys in keeping a small pico reef aquarium. Total volume is only 2.5 gallons. There are five keys in total and they include: 1. Very minimal bio load, 2. Frequent water changes, 3. In frequent feeding of coral, 4. Regular fresh water top-up each day, and 5. Keep your entire system simple and have patience. Looks good Richard!
Supersized lobster saved because he was too big to fit in the saucepan.
Posted August 16th, 2007 by Ryan
MEET ‘Lobzilla’ the supersized lobster who was saved from the chop because he was too big to fit in the saucepan. The three foot long lobster, who is SIX times bigger than most, was destined for a dinner plate after he was delivered to a stall at an indoor market.
But kind fishmonger John Adams, who has a stall at Birmingham’s Indoor Market, took mercy on the 8lb mammoth crustacean and donated him to an local aquarium instead.
Timelapse of moving a 500 Gal Reef Aquarium Piece by piece
Posted August 15th, 2007 by RyanHere is a pretty cool video of a 500 gallon aquarium being torn down and moved. You need to watch this! So cool!
Have you entered into the Canon Rebel XTI Giveaway yet?
Posted August 13th, 2007 by RyanTo celebrate Reef Builders having 10,000 members, we are giving away a: Canon REBEL XTI SLR Camera, so you can take pictures of your tank!
You can read more about it here This is the camera body and lens kit, retails for about $895
How do you enter?
Simply reply in “comments”, or reply in this thread. A random member will be drawn out of a hat. Includes free shipping to anywhere in the world (yes even the UK, or FIJI) This contest will end September 31st.
The Life Of A Dolphin Trainer
Posted August 10th, 2007 by Ryan
The dark blue water in the pool ripples with movement. Suddenly five pacific white sided dolphins burst from the water and majestically soar 30 feet into the sky. As the 300 pound marine mammals crash back into the pool a gigantic splash of water splatters over the rail and lands at the feet of a five year old girl seated in the front row. The pint sized fan claps, raises her arms enthusiastically and laughs as the crowd erupts in applause. As the girl’s family leave the Oceanarium, still smiling and talking about the show, Jessica Whiton, an animal trainer at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, reaches for a shovel and heads to the seal habitat to shovel feces out of a drain. Welcome to the world of dolphin training.
15% off your order at Drs. Foster and smith
Posted July 17th, 2007 by RyanWant to get 15% off your order from Drs. Foster and Smith? Just type in DODGE at checkout.
