Reefkeeping South Africa

Recent items

Marine Aquariums of South Africa

America just landed

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 9:18am CST by ebrahim sams aquarium

Yellow tangs r595 (small)
peppermint shrimps r129
royal gramma r195
blue legged hermits r25
queen angel r1750 (stunning fish)
cured fiji blue live rock r189 p/kg

huge coral sale
plenty more instore special
Mr

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 8:44am CST by Don Howell

Hi all,

My tank has yet to be completed. I have built the stand and glass structure myself having had experience in building one before. I am amazed at new technology and obviously have a lot to learn. My tank is 2000 x 600 x 600mm with a sump tank. The one question I have is whether to use LED lighting and if so what type and capacity?

Regards

Don
A Must Read Article On Kalkwasser!

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 8:36am CST by mandarinman

This article is understandable and easy to read. please read the Whole article ! kalkwasser
Red/Orange earhworm like things???

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 8:32am CST by Landu

Found these in my tank- like i said looks like orange red earthworm like worms...and then there's one big one with like 20 finger like growths on eater ends of his body...
Fire worms???

I need to know if they benificial or are they a threat to anything in my aquarium???

Please assist
Will try to get pics asap
[FS]: 600 x 600 complete cube for sale (plug and play) : Centurion

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:33am CST by Pete

Full system sales or multiple items for sale.Thread title:
600 x 600 complete cube for sale (plug and play)
Location:
Centurion
Shipping or Collection only:
Collection only
Photo's and description/list of items for sale:
Hi All

I have a 600(L) x 600(W) x 500(H) cube with slimline overflow for sale.
The tank comes with the following

Tank 600 x 600 x 500 with slimline overflow, AM overflow grid so that fish dont go in there, removable teeth for easy cleaning. I excelent condition tank has been running for around six to seven months
Stand 600 x 600 x 700
Sump 520 x 350 x 400 (three chaimber)
Cabinet push around can be moved to work in sump area removable door and open to canopy all in black
1 x NW-110 Reefoctopus skimmer rated for 400L (3 months old still have box and has remainder of warranty)
1 x return pump (cant remember what pump it is will have to check)
2 x Voyager stream pumps V2 (3000L/H /7W)
1 x Wave Surfer (2 channel voyager controller)
1 x BPR-70 Biopellet reactor with a one way valve plumbed to it.
1 x almost full 250ml packet NP biopellets
1 x Sicci SS1.5 pump plumbed to NP reactor
2 x (2x24W) oddysey light units with giesseman globes (2xActinic+ and 2xAquablue+)
It also comes with caribsea seaflor special grade aragonite substrate.
All plumbing included

Will add more picks as soon as I have emptied the tank and cleaned the equipment

Asking price R5500 slightly neg

Reason for selling busy with an upgrate of bigger tank

Notes:
-
Medicine needed urgent

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:05am CST by Yuri

I need KANAMYCIN of seachem urged
vodka,vinegar or sugar

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 4:34am CST by frankie fish

i am planning to start carbon dosing,but i neet some help pls,firstly,what would work best,vinegar,vodka or sugar? Iread that vodka causes cyno in some systems,but it's a great source of carbon. On reefcentral i read that people mix 75% vinegar and 25% vodka. Is there anybody that can help me pls with the start-up of carbon dosing,and the effects of it,as i'm currently running a ats,purigen and phosgaurd. thnx:peroni::thumbup::1:
Another one to guess...

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 12:40am CST by LikesFish
New Video: freedom1.wmv

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 11:36pm CST by SteveZi

freedom1.wmv

Video: freedom1.wmv
Category: Competition
Uploader: SteveZi
Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveZi Porcupine Fish Release - Diodon holocanthus

Reef Builders | The Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog

Home automation still a hot topic at tech trade shows, hoping 2012 is the year it comes “home”

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 10:20pm CST by Brian Blank
As hobbyists, we’ve been resourceful when it comes to managing our systems. From the simple use of lamp timers to complex X10 systems to modern day controllers and iPhone apps, we as hobbyists like to push the envelope and do creative mods to try and make our lives simpler. Home automation has been a topic we’ve covered quite a bit over the past few years and while we get excited when we hear about the dream coming closer to a reality, we are beginning to wonder if 2012 will be the year home automation becomes a mainstream reality.

Tech tradeshows have been hyping these types of products for years and while last year Google teased us with Android@Home and we even had the Actiontec MegaPlug to network our aquarium controller to the interwebz and a slew of proprietary apps and controllers that may not play nice with the other parts of our homes. Even early on in 2012 we are seeing two interesting products entering the consumer marketplace. First off we saw the Belkin WeMo system at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month and this week Creston is showing a more robust “Apple-like” system at Macworld this week.

Why does having mainstream success have an impact on our hobby? The simple answer is economy of scale and availability of more robust technology allowing the hobby to build upon what is already out there and ensuring our aquariums lighting system, home furnace and sprinkler system can all be monitored and controlled remotely. Besides having one gateway, one system, one dashboard makes things a lot easier and the benefits of automation can be spread around the entire homestead.

The two systems — Belkin’s WeMo and the Creston — are vastly different with the Belkin system spearheaded for simple applications that don’t break the bank and Creston is looking to offer a more robust offering.

Currently the Belkin WeMo system is using a series of motion sensors and power outlet adapters that connect to your home’s wireless network. While having motion sensors attached to your lights might make sense in the fish room, there is promise in having the ability to tap into more advanced home automation features where you can control what turns on and off with specified parameters and being able to control it all through a web connection or application.

The price looks right too with power outlet adapters selling for $50 when they’re available in May and motion sensors coming in at just $10 more. This is also a great option for renters who aren’t willing to sock a lot of money into a more permanent solution but who are looking to take advantage of automation.

Cresten is taking the Apple approach of building the hardware and the software to ensure they are getting a quality system that does play nice with each other. While this may be a good fit for those of you with a higher budget, the fun aspect of this is the technology integrates well with Apple’s iOS allowing you to monitor and control the products through an iPhone or iPad app. The company even mentioned in the Macworld article about clients using the system to automate feeding the fish. Granted I can think out hundred of other hobby applications I’d rather automate but the technology is promising.

Either way the market goes, having standards and inter-connectivity of devices and products will make entire home automation a reality and we’re hoping it can be intuitive enough to be able to program and utilize off-the-shelf mainstream technology in a simple way to create a more robust aquarium automation system that won’t break the bank and can all be controlled from your device of choice.

Here is a fun video of what happens when the sky is the limit and you are doing a statement installation at Trump Tower in New York.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Readers also viewed:
CONIC Bio-reactor from CAD lights is a plug and play biopellet mixer

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:45pm CST by Jake Adams
The CONIC Bio-Reactor from CAD Lights is a thoughtfully designed aquarium devices which is a lot more than just a nozzle in a tube. Like the CPR media reactors, the CONIC Bio-Reactor is endowed with a primary forceful flow to aggressively stir the solid carbon dosing biopellets and a secondary rhythmic motion that helps to ensure thorough turnover.

The use of biopellets in aquariums has lost a lot of momentum as reefers realize that it can be somewhat problematic without the right set up but the CONIC Bio-Reactor has some features that address the issues of using biopellets. In addition to the more deliberate mixing of biopellets the CONIC Bio-Reactor is outfitted with a top-mounted outlet which can easily be plumbed to be directed towards the protein skimmer compartment of your pump, or right into the intake of recirculating protein skimmer designs.

The CAD Lights CONIC Bio-Reactor is rated for aquarium setups from 40 to 150 gallons but we feel this is conservative since many biopellet users are leaning towards using a lot less media per volume, especially for reef tanks with low nutrient loads. The CONIC Bio-Reactor is $175 including all fittings and the built-in pump which helps to keep the footprint to a modest six inches square.

Click here to view the embedded video.

*True All-In-One design, where the pump is already built inside of the Bio reactor in the bottom chamber. this feature saves ALOT more space and ease of use the moment you get it. the intake is in the bottom and the outtake is from the top allows for the most efficient flow of only 1 direction.

* Advanced Conic design, makes our Unique “Rhythmic Tumbling Motion” that moves every pellet evenly and prevents clumping. every pellet churns and moves throughout the entire reactor (from top to bottom).

* Self-priming and designed to be ready to use right out of the box and comes with all the pump, fittings, plumbing, union etc. all comes standard.

*Space saving design and energy efficient. no need for an external pump that will take up more space and wasted pump pressure.

* 100% Cell-Cast acrylic and Hand MADE IN USA.

* Completely disassembles easily for maintenance.

* Compatible with a large variety of Bio-pellets.

Readers also viewed:

Marine Aquariums of South Africa

Collecting marine invertebrates

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:29pm CST by Starfish93

Hello everyone!
I have a few questions regarding collecting sea invertebrates and other organisms. about 6-8 months ago I bought a saltwater fish tank for my school biology lab. We did much fundraising and finally had the ability to purchase fish and amaze my fellow peers in the high school!
I recently just returned from my holiday break, and my teacher and I are wishing to display marine invertebrates from along the coast of Cape Town to give student the feel for what amazing creatures we have the ability to see. The only problem is how to start this.
I was wondering if I needed a permit to collect the invertebrates, what invertebrates are best to be kept, and how exactly to collect them? I do have a senior project coming up where I will be presenting the idea of global warming and human impact on the oceans. I thought if I could get some marine invertebrate in for this it would be amazing for my creative element!
Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Reef Builders | The Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog

Hawaii’s aquarium collection ban watch 2012 – four highest bills of concern

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 6:47pm CST by Matt Pedersen
Yes, you know it’s not “fun” news when we lead off with this picture but if you care about yellow & chevron tangs or potters and bandit angelfish, read on.

Reef Builders staff received a very interesting and detailed examination of several Bills of Concern in the Hawaii State Senate and House – many of which are new proposals to outright ban marine aquarium fish collection in the state. We’re received permission to republish excerpts of this email in an effort to expand awareness of the ongoing threats that the aquarium industry is facing in Hawaii.

While we make no claims as to the accuracy of the interpretations, we owe a great thanks to the source (who asked to remain anonymous) – these issues are growing to the point where unless it is a full-time-job, there’s no way any single person can truly stay on top of this. If that’s not a wakeup call to hobbyists and aquarium industry insiders alike, we don’t know what else it’s going to take.

Excerpt Part 1

As we all know, the legislative session began last week. Snorkel Bob & his friends have been busy, and so far there are seven bills and four resolutions that have to do with aquarium fish. At least four of these would effectively kill the aquarium fishery in Hawaii, and need to be stopped.

In the senate, there are three bills that are of serious concern:

SB2042
[www.capitol.hawaii.gov]
- This one is from the Kauai County Council resolution. It calls for a complete ban on the sale of aquarium fish. Going further, it would also prohibit captive breeding and severely restrict fish collection for research.

SB2002
[www.capitol.hawaii.gov]
- This bill would eliminate the state’s ability to regulate the aquarium fishery, and transfer that authority to the county
governments. As we know, the counties do not have the resources or expertise to deal with fishing regulations; either the fishery would be completely unregulated or it would be shut down. In the long run, this bill would effectively lead to the elimination of the aquarium fishery as we know it.

SB2408
[www.capitol.hawaii.gov]
- This bill calls for three things: new marine protected areas on all islands, an increase in the aquarium permit fee to $500, and closing the aquarium fishery during the months of January, April, July, and October. It would also eliminate recreational aquarium permits, so hobbyists would no longer be able to catch their own fish. While the bill doesn’t call for a complete ban, shutting down the fishery for 4 months out of every year has no useful scientific basis and would
drive a number of people out of business. It’s unlikely that most people in the industry could survive if this bill were to pass.

In the house, there is one bill that calls for a ban:

HB1780
[www.capitol.hawaii.gov]
- This bill is the same as SB2042 – also from the Kauai County Council. Again, it’s a complete ban.

Excerpt Part 2

The deadline for bill introductions was yesterday, so these should be all the bills we need to worry about for now. Hearings for these bills could be held any time between now and the end of February. It’s important that everybody is prepared, gets your testimony ready, and is able to drop what you’re doing and attend the hearing if it
occurs.

Excerpt Part 3

Right now, what we can do is to call our legislators’ offices, to say that we’re opposed to the bills, and request that they not be heard. Hopefully, this will reduce the chance that any of them will be scheduled for a hearing. Please note that this is not a substitute for sending testimony to the hearing. Also, it is better to call on the phone than to send e-mail.

In the senate, SB2042, SB2002, and SB2408 will be heard by the Water & Land committee, chaired by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz. The phone number for his office is 808-586-6091. Please call if you have the time, and make sure to state the bill numbers you’re opposed to.

We would encourage anyone who wishes to submit testimony or call a legislator to be considerate and thoughtful in their remarks. So often it seems that emotion and morality are taking the spotlight in this debate, with scientific data being sidetracked.
Readers also viewed:
- No Related

Marine Aquariums of South Africa

CO2 Regulator

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 5:57pm CST by G DP

Hi All

Looking for a good CO2 regulator. Should have needle valve, solenoid and bubble counter if possible.

Thanks

Reef Builders | The Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog

Vectra skimmer cleaner from Vertex featured doing a dry run on video

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 5:45pm CST by Jake Adams
Click here to view the embedded video.

The Vertex Vectra automatic protein skimmer neck cleaner was first unveiled about four months ago at MACNA but now Vertex is just about ready to let them ship. The Vectra skimmer cleaner is made up of a core engine consisting of a motor assembly which can be paired up with skimmer cup lids of varying diameters.

The adjustable squeegee cleaner is turned and pressed by a high torque motor which is quiet and well sealed to protect it from the corrosive nature of seawater. Stay tuned for full release details and pricing for the Vertex Vectra automatic protein skimmer neck cleaner.
Readers also viewed:

Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

"Can you hear me now?" Deep sea fish may make sounds to communicate

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 5:00pm CST by Shane Graber
Click through to see the images.

Could deep-sea fish be using sound to communicate? Rodney Rountree, Francis Juanes and other researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst believe they could be.

Incredibly, very little research has been performed in the area of deep-sea fish vocalizations. There's only been a handful of papers published on the subject as the big problem is (or rather was) the cost of recording equipment that could be deployed to great depths to actually capture the sound. With recent technological advances, inexpensive sound equipment is now available to do exactly this.

What Rountree and Juanes did was repurpose a Nomad Jukebox (an inexpensive digital recorder) and connect it to a couple hydrophones. These electronic components were then sealed inside deep-water trawl floats that had a working depth of almost 2,000 feet which were then deployed in strings of commercial deep-water crab traps along Welkers Canyon which is off the coast southeast of Rhode Island. The devices were then retrieved 24 hours later when the crab traps were hauled back in by the commercial fishing fleet.

"The recording contained a wealth of biological sounds including sounds from fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, pilot whales, Glopicephala spp., and dolphins, Delphinidae, as well as frequent examples of at least 12 unique unidentified sounds that we attribute either to undescribed cetacean or fish sounds" commented Rountree and Juanes. "Most individual biological sound types were infrequent, but several distinct sounds labelled “drumming”, “duck-like”, “unknown 3”, and “unknown 6” occurred throughout the night and early morning hours. Most unidentified sounds that we attributed to biological sources had fundamental frequencies below 1200 Hz, well within the range expected for fishes. However, at this time we have insufficient data to distinguish between fish sounds and undescribed low frequency cetacean sounds."

Rountree and Juanes have placed sound files of many of the sounds they encountered during this study up on their website fishecology.org. Here are a couple of examples of what they recorded:
- Whistle type B and unknown deep-sea sound (mp3)
- Unknown deep sea "duck-like" sound (mp3)
- Unknown deep sea sound (mp3)
"If sound is important to these deep sea fishes, it's a whole area of ecology we need to know about" Rountree says. "One reason is that fishermen are exploring deeper and deeper water to make their catch, and we need to know such things as the baseline populations of food fish, their requirements for spawning, their essential habitat and other key aspects of their lives. We believe passive acoustic monitoring is an important tool in this study. And, it doesn't harm the fish or their habitat."

(via ScienceDaily)

Marine Aquariums of South Africa

New Products-Winter 2012

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 4:33pm CST by Jamie@Vertex

Vertex has some candy for you. Guaranteed low-cal!

Vertex Vectra - Skimmer-Neck Cleaning System

Finally, an affordable solution to keeping your skimmer neck clean. Instead of dismounting your skimmer collection cup every few days, to wipe the slime from the inside of the neck, the Vertex Vectra will swipe through this efficiency reducing coating as often as you wish. Regulated by an aquarium computer or simply placed on a timer, the Vectra will help maintain fullest efficiency from your skimmer, while sparing you the grimy hands.

The Vectra is a two-part product consiting of the Vectra Engine, which is a standard motor used for all skimmer-size variations, plus the Skimmer-Lid, which is ordered seperately and available in various sizes to fit Vertex Alpha Cone Skimmers, as well as other models (Bubble King, etc). We offer 150mm, 160mm, 180mm, 200mm, 250mm, and 300mm diameters, which correspond to the diameter of the acrylic skimmer cup. The size 180 fits the Alpha Cone 170, as example, which has a 180mm cup diameter. The squeegee is adjustable to various neck diameters. Once again, Vertex sets a new standard!

Vertex Polypropylene or Nylon Filter Socks
Smartly packed in a standing carry bag, perfect for check-out display sales, the Vertex Polypropelene and Nylon-Filter socks come is various sizes and filter grades from 100-300 micron. The best quality in pre-filtering.
Available in: Polypropylene: 11cm ring/30cm long, 200µ; 18cm ring/30cm long, 200µ; 20cm x 40cm, drawstring, 100µ; 20cm x 40cm, 200µ; Nylon: 11cm ring/36cm long, 300µ; 18cm/36cm, 300µ.

Vertex Magnetic Probe Holder
Very smart-looking and watersafe. An acrylic holder for up to 3 probes, with titanium screws to fasten the probes in their slots. Nice strong magnets! Slots: 12mm.

Vertex Acrylic Cleaner Magnet
A small cleaner magnet designed for nano or similar sized tanks, made of clear acrylic and stainless steel. Velcro-type cleaning surface. Two sizes: the Simplex is only 1cm x 1cm, while the Duplex is 2cm x 4cm. Same clean and smart aesthetic as the Probe Holder. Nice packaging makes it especially attractive at the check-out.

Vertex Titanium Grounding Poles
Like the name says, these will ground the aquarium from stray voltage. An often overlooked safety feature. Availble with plugs for the UK, Australia and Europe. A highly recommended safety accessory. Simply mount with the included suction cup in sump or/and aquarium (or where ever the electrical items are working in water).
Chaeto

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 3:44pm CST by jesseg

Hey guys/girls,

Anyone know where i can score some chaeto?

thanks...
New Video: Feeding Time

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 3:41pm CST by rakabos

video 2011 12 31 08 21 02

Video: video 2011 12 31 08 21 02
Category: Competition
Uploader: rakabos
Quote:

Originally Posted by rakabos Feeding time and they all know it! :thumbup:
Tunze 6095 special

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 3:39pm CST by Anita

Hi All,
Watch out Monday afternoon for the launch of the new TUNZE 6095 Turbelle Streams,
BIG SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER..........Limited period only..... :thumbup:

Reefkeeping South Africa

Feeds

Recent items

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 9:18am CST by ebrahim sams aquarium

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 8:44am CST by Don Howell

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 8:36am CST by mandarinman

Posted: January 28th, 2012, 8:32am CST by Landu

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:33am CST by Pete

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:05am CST by Yuri

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 4:34am CST by frankie fish

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 12:40am CST by LikesFish

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 11:36pm CST by SteveZi

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 10:20pm CST by Brian Blank

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:45pm CST by Jake Adams

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 7:29pm CST by Starfish93

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 6:47pm CST by Matt Pedersen

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 5:57pm CST by G DP

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 5:45pm CST by Jake Adams

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 5:00pm CST by Shane Graber

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 4:33pm CST by Jamie@Vertex

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 3:44pm CST by jesseg

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 3:41pm CST by rakabos

Posted: January 27th, 2012, 3:39pm CST by Anita