Running a low nutrient system? You might consider testing for Potassium (k). As Logan over at stony reef suggests, your potassium levels could run low. Water changes may not be enough. Be sure to check it out.
by Holle Abee
Think of all the divers who go to such lengths to visit saltwater reefs for a view of the amazing sea life that inhabits the area. Now imagine that you can have a little corner of that magic in your own home. With a saltwater reef tank, you can have the mezmerizing tranquility and the brilliant natural beauty of a tropical sea, all vividly displayed in an aquarium.
A reef tank isn’t just a regular saltwater aquarium. The key word is “reef.” The main focus of the tank is the soft or hard corals. Colorful fish, sea stars, eels, anemones, urchins, shrimp, and sea horses can certainly be added, but everything should revolve around the coral itself.
Adam Blundell Discusses coral fragging, a simple summaries article. Be sure to check it out when you get the time!
Here is a chance to pick up a frag of nuclear green zoos for only $45 at World Wide corals. Get them before they sell out!
You can order them and mention reef builders sent you.
Read
In the United Kingdom, $98,199 worth of corals were spoted in seized in air freight from Indonesia. They were heading to specialist shops across the UK. Meanwhile, the corals were transported to the London zoo where they could take care of the them. Brian Zimmerman which is the head keeper of the zoo had this to say: “It is disheartening to see so many protected species being smuggled into the UK. “These species are vulnerable to over-collecting which is why their trade has been banned in the EU.” The investigation is ongoing. We at reef builders discourage buying banned or protected corals if you see them at a local fish store.
If you haven’t heard of Symbiodinium then don’t worry, not a lot of people have. You can think of Symbiodinium as the heart of your corals, scientists have compiled the world’s first detailed gene expression library for Symbiodinium, the microscopic algae that feed the corals. “Symbiodinium uses sunlight to convert CO2 into carbohydrates for the corals to feed on. At the same time there’s evidence the corals control its output, suggesting that they are farming their captive plants” Professor David Yellowlees explains. Ever wonder why corals start to bleach and turn white? This is a sign that they are stressed by heat, light, increased CO2 levels and pollutants from land run-off.
Symbiodinium is part of a larger group of organisms called dinoflagellates, responsible for events like red tides and ciguatera poisoning. Together, the dinoflagellates process about one third of all CO2 entering the oceans – and are thus vital players in helping to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Understanding how they function will help fill in one of the critical gaps in our understanding of climate change – how much CO2 the oceans can trap and how this will affect ultimate climate change.
The above photo shows Symbiodinium highlighted in green.
So I placed an order at thecoralbroker.com and got 3 new corals, I received free shipping since my order was over $150, all I had to pay was a $10 box charge. These guys have great customer service and a RB sponsor here!
Green Blastomussa wellsi:
Red Gonipora:
Red & Green favia moon brain:
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.
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!
This was written by one of our own RB members, this is a step by step guide on how to setup a reef tank. Enjoy!
The best words I have to describe a coral reef is a “lush wasteland.” By this I mean many extremely different types of life inhabit a coral reef, yet it is incredibly nutrient poor. Reefs rely on powerful sunlight as an energy source and lifeforms concentrate in a very complex web. All the nutrients in a coral reef are tied up in the living biomass of the inhabitants. Since a reef aquarium is an enclosed system it has only the capability to mimic the biofilter of a reef, and is by definition a micro-habitat. We are unable to mimic the flow of millions of gallons of water flushing and refilling a coral reef. We can only create “reef soup”. However, this should not allow you to become discouraged. Through knowledge of what you are trying to mimic we can do an amazing job of allowing a captive reef to thrive and flourish. I hope my tiny guide helps anyone get interested in this fantastic hobby and allows you to be at ease with a little knowledge about how to prepare. With that let’s get our hands wet. I have written this set-up guide with the understanding the reader understands the nitrogen cycle (cycling) and other such beginning concepts.