Reef Builders - The Source for Reef Keeping Information

The whale shark now has more friends in Taiwan and fewer enemies.

January 1st, 2008 will be the day the Taiwanese will put into effect a total ban on the hunting and selling of whale sharks, and whale shark meat. The ban also includes the export of whale sharks to aquariums around the world.

The Georgia Aquarium is negotiating with the Taiwanese government to acquire two more whale sharks before the ban takes effect. Taiwanese officials are reluctant to approve the sale of the two whale sharks until they learn more about the death of Ralph, a male whale shark which died in January at the hands of the Georgia Aquarium staff.

The ban recognizes “world opinion” as well as domestic concerns about the world’s largest fish, said Chu Yung-cheng, another fisheries department spokesman.
“Many Taiwanese have developed a sense of environmental protection,” Chu said.
The ban means no more whale shark meat will be on Taiwanese grocery store shelves, or on restaurant menus. This, according to restaurant owners isn’t going to hurt their business, as dishes containing whale shark meat aren’t as popular as they once were.
“Now, more Taiwanese want to protect the environment,” said restaurant manager Kuo Yaoming.
This is good news from Taiwan! Hopefully because of Taiwan’s close proximity, China will get the message and follow suit.

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Divers off Palm Beach caught a rare glimpse of an underwater spectacle not often seen on tape. Susan Gardner shot video of barrel sponges spawning on the Breakers Reefs just off the coast of Palm Beach.

The cloudy water is the male sponge; and the thick matter is the female producing eggs. The barrel spawning typically happens only once a year and rarely is it caught on tape.

“The sponges start spawning after the full moon in may and they stimulate other sponges downstream so it’s an all or nothing every sponge that gets hit with a water column with sperm and eggs in it starts producing.”

Angel and butterfly fish were among the other species that can be seen swimming near the sponges.

Watch

A new species of sea anemone has been found in the carcass of a whale that sunk to the ocean floor off the coast of Monterey, California, marking the first discovery of one of these filter-feeding marine animals living in a so-called whale fall.

Whale falls, the resting place of a dead whale, provide temporary but important nutrition boosts and habitats for deep-sea life. The flesh of the dead whale decomposes within weeks, but the bones can last anywhere from 60 to 100 years as bacteria break down the bones, releasing sulfur that aquatic creatures use to make energy.

The anemone, called Anthosactis pearseae, is small, white and roughly cube-shaped. It’s about the size of a human molar and even looks like a tooth with small tentacles on one side.

The anemone was named after Vicki Pearse, the University of California, Santa Cruz, naturalist who found and collected the anemone during a Pacific cruise taken by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s research vessel, Western Flyer. Ten anemone specimens, including the newly named one, that she gathered were sent for identification and closer study to biologist Meg Daly, an anemone specialist at Ohio State University.

“These creatures were so cool simply because we knew that no sea anemone had ever been found on a whale fall,” Daly said in a prepared statement.

The new anemone species is distinctive for the uniform length of its tentacles, a characteristic shared by the seven species of sea anemones in the genus Anthosactis.

The anemone was collected, like all deep-sea animals, via a tedious process that involves underwater video cameras attached to remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). ROVs have robotic arms and suction devices that are used to collect ocean species.

Whale falls might seem like strange places for marine life to dine and dwell, but once carcasses fall, they are excellent food and real estate for sea creatures.

“A whale dies where it dies, and its carcass lands wherever,” Daly said. “But these are actually some of the most stable deep sea communities.”

President Bush seems to have decided that he stands a better chance of history remembering him favorably for marine conservation rather than nation-building in Iraq or human rights in Guantanamo Bay. First he designated the world’s largest marine protected area, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument–formerly the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument (which by the way was the result of a process which predates the Bush administration and began under legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton.)
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We would like to extend a very heartfelt welcome to ReefGeek.com. They are Reef Builders first official sponsor. They have an array of fine quality products at very affordable prices. The owner is a very pleasant person to talk to and knows his stuff. Order online 24 hours a day 7 days a week at ReefGeek.com Oh and tell them Reef Builders sent you!

Just to clear things up and so everyone isn’t confused. We (RB) post a lot of new product announcements. The reason we do this is because we would like our members and readers to know about new and future/up and coming products that are going to be released. We by no means endorse any one product over the other. This is just a reef news blog with occasional how to articles, along with my personal observations about my personal aquarium. Thank you for being a RB Blog Reader!

The May Issue of Reef Builders Magazine is online in PDF format. You can read about the current tank of the month along with news and articles related to reefkeeping. The file is 4.4MB big and you can download the reefbuilders magazine online.

This week the London Aquarium unveiled the newest “species” to join its collection: robo-carp.

Computer scientists at the University of Essex in the U.K. developed the self-guided robot fish, seen here swimming in the aquarium. The designers say it is the smartest such robot yet created—the fish uses artificial intelligence and built-in sensors to avoid obstacles and respond to environmental changes.

The fish’s battery lasts for up to five hours, though the scientists hope to one day program it to search for and access a recharging station when it runs low.

“This work has many real-world applications, including seabed exploration, detecting leaks in oil pipelines, mine countermeasures, and improving the performance of underwater vehicles,” project leader Huosheng Hu told the Associated Press.

The bot, which resembles a one-and-a-half-foot-long (half-meter-long) common carp, mimics the undulating motions of a real fish swimming and turning. Three of the cyber-fish will swim in a tank at the aquarium alongside their living counterparts.

Placed at the lobby of the Radisson SAS Hotel in Berlin, the 25 meters high AquaDom is the largest cylindrical aquarium ever built. Filled with about 900,000 liters of seawater, it contains some 2600 fish of 56 species.

Combined with a vast amount of sandblasted glass, the giant AquaDom gives a transparent-like feeling to the lobby. Guests and visitors are able to travel through the aquarium in a glass-enclosed elevator to reach a sightseeing point and restaurant under the glass roof. Two full-time divers are responsible for the care and feeding of the fish and maintenance of the aquarium.

Some of the interior rooms and suites look out over the atrium, offering “ocean views” of the AquaDom.

Construction

The AquaDom was opened in December 2003. It cost about 12.8 million euros. The acrylic glass cylinder was constructed by the U.S. company Reynolds Polymer Technology. The outside cylinder was manufactured on-site from four pieces; the inside cylinder for the elevator was delivered in one piece. The Aquadom is the largest acrylic glass cylinder in the world, with a diameter of over 11 meters, built on a 9 meters tall concrete foundation.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A fund to compensate Puerto Rico for damages from a 1994 oil spill will be used to build an artificial reef, create a shoreline nature reserve and restore the walls of a Spanish colonial fort, trustees said Sunday.

Nearly $10 million for restoration projects was included in a settlement with those responsible for a barge that ran aground off the coast of San Juan, spilling 750,000 gallons of heavy oil. For weeks, the oil slick stained beaches and lagoons around the capital’s reef-fringed coast.

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said the projects mark a turning point in the island’s recovery.

“We have learned that a positive outcome can result from a negative event,” Acevedo said.

In an effort to restore sealife habitats, cement modules will be installed in a lagoon one mile from the grounding site to create a reef. Marine sediment will also be used to fill dredge holes and boost the recovery of seagrass.

About $2.6 million will be used to buy 270 acres of private shoreline property for use as a nature reserve. The land east of San Juan is home to more than 40 species of rare plants and animals, including endangered leatherback sea turtles, officials said.

An oceanside walkway along the 16th century Fort San Felipe del Morro will be extended, and about 25,000 square feet of its walls will be cleaned and restored.

The Morris J. Berman barge spilled half its load of heating oil when it smashed into a coral reef on Jan. 7, 1994. Under a settlement with the U.S. government, the Caribbean Petroleum Corporation and two insurers were required to reimburse federal and local governments for the cost or removing the oil from beaches and Caribbean waters.

The spiny and toxic crown-of-thorns starfish are voracious predators that can wipe out large areas of coral; an individual can consume up to 6 square metres of living reef per year. Outbreaks of the species often occur when ocean temperatures and nutrient levels increase. Crown-of-thorns starfish have long spines and are capable of severe stings. Contact will almost surely inflict severe swelling, pain and nausea that can last for hours or days.

Unfortunately, some of the starfish’s major predators, such as humphead wrasse and giant triton, which usually keep the species in check have declined in recent years as a result of overfishing.

“We are experiencing a return of the starfish in greater numbers,” said WWF-Philippines CEO Lory Tan. “The situation facing our reefs is far from normal.”

The Philippines once boasted 25,000km2 of coral reef. However, a recent World Bank study shows that barely 1 per cent of this area remains pristine, and more than 50 per cent are reported to be in decline or unhealthy.

To combat the outbreak, WWF-Philippines is enlisting the help of beachgoers to reduce the number of starfish in an infested area. The most recent action netted hundreds from the world-class diving site of Apo Reef off the west coast of the island of Mindoro, about 100km south of the capital, Manila.

“In the long term, the best response to the situation is by putting a stop to overfishing and agricultural runoff, and to better manage sewage,” Tan adds. “It’s important to keep our oceans clean and our reefs well balanced.”

According to a WWF survey, outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish have been reported at Apo Reef and Puerto Galera in Mindoro, as well as at Mabini in Batangas, Roxas in Palawan, Bolinao in Lingayen Gulf, and Kiamba and Glan in Sarangani Bay. It is possible that many other coastal areas have been affected as well.

In the Solomon islands, coral reefs were heavily damaged from a recent 8.0 scale earthquake in the region. In an instant, the grinding of the Earth’s tectonic plates in the 8.0 magnitude earthquake Monday forced the island of Ranongga up three metres (10 foot).
Submerged reefs that once attracted scuba divers from around the globe lie exposed and dying after the quake raised the mountainous landmass, which is 32-kilometres (20-miles) long and 8-kilometres (5-miles) wide. Corals that used to form an underwater wonderland of iridescent blues, greens and reds now bleach under the sun, transforming into a barren moonscape surrounding the island. The stench of rotting fish and other marine life stranded on the reefs when the seas receded is overwhelming and the once vibrant coral is dry and crunches underfoot.

Dazed villagers stand on the shoreline, still coming to terms with the cataclysmic shift that changed the geography of their island forever, pushing the shoreline out to sea by up to 70 metres.

The April issue of Reef Builders magazine is now online. It discusses lighting information as well as news and information regarding reefbuilders.com along with the tank of the month for March. You can read the reef keeping magazine in PDF format. (2.4MB) If any of you have any suggestions on the next issue, reply in the comments section. This is the first beta test.

I believe learning in this hobby is a daily adventure. There are tons of things I know today that would have helped me greatly when getting going in this hobby only a short 14 months ago which could have avoided some costly mistakes and wet floors. (Oh!! The return line goes IN the sump.)

I have created a short list of things/rules I would go tell that eager young aquarist whom was (and still is today) very wet behind the ears. Please feel free to include yours in the comments as well – I’d love to hear from some more senior and junior reef-builders.

10. Aquascaping: Don’t build rock structures so close to the sides of the tank it makes it near impossible to keep the glass clean of algae. Secure rocks with reef-safe glue or drilled metal rods, hermit crabs have the uncanny ability to dislodge even the most securely piled rocks. Watch out below – Anemone I’m looking at you.

9. Tank Placement: Put the tank in a lower traffic area, places where people walk around often and or has loud music can scare inhabitants into sickness. Also choose a location with more room/better access because where are you going to put that 30 gallon top-off bucket and that skimmer rated for a 300 gallon tank that you got from that sick deal on eBay.

8. Find a single source for rock: I wish I purchased all my rock from one place, now it seems that I have 30 different styles of rock; some porous, some smooth, some branchy. The rocks may turn all the same color, but visually it’s a little “messy” in some areas. I wish it matched a bit more.

7. Finding the right tank: I purchased a 72 gallon glass tank in which the bottom was already tempered. So I ended up getting an overflow which has worked well for me, but it is unsightly and sometimes the siphon breaks which creates all sorts of wet floors.

6. Plumbing Planning: I wish I had realized how often I would be doing water changes and planned a way to easily pump water in and out of the system. Dragging 15 gallons of water across my apartment is not a fun Saturday morning — sometimes I can even hear my fish laughing at me. Jerks.

5. Sump Planning: I created a DIY sump because who has $300.00 for a pre-made acrylic sump. All and all I did a fairly decent job at converting a 20 gallon long tank into a sump, but I wish I did a better job planning on what type/room of return pump, skimmer and Plexiglas I wanted. One piece of thin acrylic holding back 15 gallons of water tends to bend a lot, next time use thicker glass and leave yourself some room for that Deep Sand Bed (DSB).

4. Believe it or not, water is the main ingredient in an AQUArium: We spend hundreds of dollars on pumps, filters, critters, tanks, lights, chemicals and we skimp where it matters most. The water. I was battling hair algae, cyanobacteria and high phosphates for several months before I realized that my city water was just not cutting it. Once I purchased my RO-DI system my tank started to clean up and now is easier than ever to maintain.

3. Research, Research, Research: Fish species are well documented and whether or not they exhibit those behaviors for the 5 minutes you are looking at them is an Indication on how they will act 3 years from then. When getting my tank started after the initial cycle I was looking for some fish to start my community. I was in the Local Fish Store (LFS) in my area and he mentioned that the “Blue Damsel” was a good starter fish and a good addition to any aquarium. They seemed cute and harmless so instead of going online and reading the countless horror stories about this type of fish, I took his word for it and soon had 4 bullies in my tank beating up on any other fish that was introduced. Buying fish for a tank is like inviting a new member into a society and can profound affects on the rest of the members of your tank.

2. Feed less: The majority of the fish are cold blooded, they only need a small amount of food to keep them warm (the main reason why we need to eat so much), healthy and happy. A large majority of tank crashes and problems can be linked to too much food buildup. A rule of thumb I heard is that every fish should eat a portion of food twice the size of his eye, twice a day. I on the other hand need a Cheeseburger, a Salami Sandwich, a Grilled Chicken Salad and a Breakfast Burrito once daily to sustain.

1. The first rule of Marine Aquariums: is that you don’t talk about .. wait wrong article. The first rule of marine landscaping as it was told to me is that only bad things happen quickly. Advance slowly, have some patients and enjoy your little world.

BONUS: Get a second job, you’re gonna need it.

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