Reef safe?

A new week and a new podcast. This week’s topics include lighting, reef-safe fish, Paul Allen’s yacht, reefer phrases, and cosmetics. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and Christine

Sponsor: Rod’s Food
Rod’s Food website

Paul Allen’s yacht
Paul Allen’s yacht destroys coral reef, Business Insider

Reef speak
Phrases only a Reefer Would Say, CastAway, East Tennessee Reef Club, Reef2Reef

NameEmail *

The post Reef Threads Podcast #260 appeared first on Reefs.com.

If you’ve ever heard a snapping shrimp, you know how loud a crustacean can be. New evidence suggests that the shrimp’s clicks play an important role in reef ecology and may be used to tell how healthy a reef ecosystem is. 

Claws on an alpheid snapping shrimp.
credit: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. Creative Commons

 Snapping shrimps create their eponymous sounds by snapping their mismatched claws together at high speed, in fact it’s one of the fastest movements known in the animal kingdom, though pistol shrimp are a little more impressive. It turns out though, that snapping shrimp clicks and the rest of the noises on a reef (yes they are quite noisy places, full of clicks and crackles) play a role in helping many larval organisms find a reef to settle upon. “We’re not the only ones interested in reef sounds,” said Del Bohnenstiehl, one of the authors of the study “but until now no one had sound samples from more than a couple of days or weeks at a time. If we’re really going to explore the effects of sound on reef habitats and what that means, we need a longer sample.” The team took a year’s worth of audio recordings and found that: “There are seasonal differences in the level of sound, as well as differences between night and day,” says Bohnenstiehl. “In the summertime, we got up to 2,000 snaps per minute — in the winter, it was 100 or fewer. The overall impact in terms of noise emanating from the reef is a difference of 15 decibels between seasons. We also found that the shrimp were more active at night during the summer, but more active during the daytime throughout the winter months.” 

Soft Coral Snapping Shrimp Synalpheus neomeris. Credit: Tony Shih, Creative Commons

   The researchers also found that the shrimp responded very quickly to changes in temperature, and that there was a difference in snap numbers between the summer of 2011 – when they started sampling – and the summer of 2012. “The data raises a lot of questions,” adds Bohnenstiehl. “For instance, some research has proposed that the noise of the reef helps migrating fish navigate. But if the sound really drops off in the winter, does this still work? And could the difference in snap numbers between the summers be affected by water quality as well as temperature?… More:

The post Snapping Shrimp May Play a Key Role in Reef Ecosystems appeared first on Reefs.com.

Top 10 Tips For Keeping a SPS Reef Tank Let’s face it.  Keeping a reef tank is not a simple chore but there are some basic tenants one can follow to optimize the chances for success.  With over 20 years in the hobby I have learned a lot from both my successes and failures.  Below are My Top 10 Tips For Keeping a Successful Reef Tank dominated by SPS.  I will dive deeper into each item on the list in future blog posts so stay tuned. The List Stability – It is critical to have stability for parameters such as salinity, nitrate, magnesium, and calcium. And perhaps most important in my book for SPS is keeping alkalinity at a consistent level. Strong Lighting – I have had a lot of

The post Top 10 Tips For Keeping a SPS Reef Tank appeared first on Reefs.com.

Here’s a recent shot of my 125-gallon reef aquariumQuestionI’m new to saltwater aquarium keeping and struggling to wrap my head around all the different ideas and terminology. For example, what exactly constitutes a reef tank versus a fish-only tank that happens to include a few invertebrates?” – Submitted by Brent M. Answer If you’d asked me to distinguish between these two aquarium types 20 years ago, I’d have a fairly straightforward answer. I’d tell you that a fish-only tank, as the name implies, contains only fish and possibly a few motile invertebrates while a reef aquarium (or “mini-reef,” as this type of system was known back then) puts the focus almost exclusively on corals and other sessile invertebrates, with any fish intentionally limited to small numbers and relatively diminutive species. But since you’re asking this question in 2016, I’d have to say—and, fellow salties, correct me if I’m wrong here—that most marine aquarists don’t fit so neatly into the fish-only or reef aquarium “camps” anymore. Nowadays, the distinction seems to be blurring.

The post What Constitutes a Reef Aquarium? appeared first on Reefs.com.

Although this might look like one, it is not an underwater purple sock, this is a photo of  Xenoturbella profunda, a species of deep sea worm which was discovered by scientists and provides links to very early life forms. Initially scientists believed that the flatworms had evolved from more complex life forms, but this recent study, published in the Journal Nature, indicates that the flatworms are one of the early forms of life. The first specimen was found in Sweden over 60 years ago, but was mistakenly linked to a mollusk using early forms of genetic testing.  “What we’ve shown is that, no, they probably always were simple,” said Nerida Wilson, a research scientist with the Western Australian Museum. “So our little guys are simple because they are one of the early branches of the tree of life.” The flatworm was baffling to scientists since it only has one opening for which food and waste goes in and comes in, and is completely devoid of a brain, gills, eyes, or reproductive organs. Based its on its unusual shape and lack of descriptive factors, it was nicknamed the ‘purple sock’. “That’s kind of what they remind us of, they just look like when you throw your sock at the end of the day, next to the dirty clothes bin, kind of rumpled and flattened and not very special,” Wilson said. MORE… More:

The post Deep Sea ‘Purple Sock’ Provides Clues To Early Life Forms appeared first on Reefs.com.

ABOUT Avid outdoorsman and underwater photographer, Barry Brown has spent the last ten years documenting life above and below water in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. He is currently working with the Smithsonian Institution documenting new Caribbean deep-water species and building a one of a kind database. His underwater images can regularly be seen in Sport Diver, Scuba Diver and on the Ikelite website. His image of a "Collage of Corals" seen under blue-light at night recently placed in the TOP 10 images for the 2014 NANPA (North American Nature Photographers Association) photo contest. General

The post Yellowline Arrow Crab, Stenorhynchus seticomis appeared first on Reefs.com.

It comes as no surprise that corals are under more stress than ever. It is a very troubling problem we hear about day in and day out. Global warming, overfishing, dredging, pollution, human influence and disease outbreaks are all to blame. For example, critically Endangered Elkhorn Caribbean coral has diminished its population by ninety eight percent. Coral conservation needs to be on the forefront of all of our minds.
Luckily, there is some good news too. New research was published recently in the Bulletin of Marine Science which shows that lab generated corals are able to withstand and thrive when placed in the increasingly stressed natural environments. Scientists took fertilized eggs from a Curacao coral reef, brought them back to an offshore lab until they were fully matured. The larger grown corals were then placed back into their natural re, and a year later, were observed releasing eggs and sperm.
“What we’ve done is shown we can help these endangered coral through this delicate step In their life history,” Dirk Petersen, director of SECORE International in Germany, a participant in the stud, said. “We have created new genetic individuals… that can reproduce by themselves and possibly create genetic individuals that can tolerate this environment.” MORE… More:

The post Hope For Coral Reefs In Lab Grown Corals appeared first on Reefs.com.

Actinic lighting was developed and used in other industries before reef aquariumsWe marine aquarists use a variety of tools to help keep our tanks healthy by either changing or removing the waste products of the animals we keep. But did you know virtually all of the devices we use were originally designed for other industries? OzoneFor instance, ozone is a naturally forming gas found in our atmosphere that helps protect us from the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. It was discovered in 1839 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein. Ozone was originally used to purify drinking water and as a health-giving gas. Unfortunately, that health idea produced just the opposite result because the oxidizing effect we can use to purify certain things will also oxidize us, especially our lungs.

The post Aquarium Technologies Borrowed from Other Industries appeared first on Reefs.com.

Good morning friends, we are up at o-dark thirty trying to get ready for yet another very busy day.. Aimee and I leave for Washington this Sunday and I will try to post while I am at the Smithsonian so just hang in there if you don’t hear from us for awhile. Today we have two sub dives, the first starting at 9:00. I’m going to have my young intern shoot a go-pro movie of me photographing the sub today and I will try and post that as soon as I can. I have a KILLER, ultra unusual orange sponge for you all today that we found years ago growing in a small cave. To this date this is the only one of these we have ever seen and we visit it on almost every dive

The post Unusual Orange Sponge: Myripristis jacobus appeared first on Reefs.com.

Return or recirculation pumps have long been a part of the Tunze product offering. This past year Tunze has added a couple of new models.  This article will introduce the new pumps and also offer some general advice on Tunze product applications. Tunze offers 3 lines of recirculation pumps known as the e-Jet, Comline and Silence pumps.  Flow rates range from a nominal 65 gph for small reactors up to 2900 gph for closed loops and large systems. Two of these models are DC controllable pumps. Tunze e-jet Tunze’s earliest line of pumps is the e-Jet series. These pumps are multipurpose and may be used as conventional powerheads, in-sump return pumps, or as quick polishing filters. Most notable for use as return pumps are

The post A Look at the Tunze Recirculation Pumps appeared first on Reefs.com.

The Reef Evangelist solves theater problems with her reef skills.

We’ve returned once again. This week’s topics include magazines we read, Gary’s tank leak, LED replacements for T5 lamps, and the reef hobby in theater. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and Christine

Sponsor: Rod’s Food
Rod’s Food website

LED T5 replacements
Euroquatics E5 LED T5 replacements, Aquanerd

NameEmail *

The post Reef Threads Podcast #261 appeared first on Reefs.com.

juvenile European Lumpsucker in a public aquarium

 Lumpsuckers are either cute and characterful or downright ugly; it’s all in the eye of the beholder. Whatever your view on their appearance, these fascinating fish are being raised to be cleaners for the fish farming industry. The Scottish fish farming industry is enormous and brings in at least £500 million to the economy. It’s an amazing success, and has seen fish production go from effectively zero, to over 150,000 tonnes in just over four decades. As you’d imagine though, like any intensive farming operation, it has its detractors and has been accused of causing pollution in the clear waters of Scotland’s sea lochs. The industry has responded with some quite innovative solutions to reduce over-feeding and disease issues. One of the techniques now in operation is the use of cleaner fish to deal with sea lice. Sea lice are a common pest within fish farming. Fish kept in artificially close quarters easily share disease and parasites, so if you can find a cost-effective solution to dosing with chemicals then everyone wins. 

Ballan Wrasse amidst soft corals in UK waters

 A few years ago, the Ballan Wrasse was being put forward as the solution. The fish were raised and released into the salmon nets. Since they are native and prized by the local fishing community, there seemed to be little to find fault with, especially as the wrasse were being raised in captivity. The Ballan Wrasse is still being used, but researchers are also looking at the Lumpsucker. Lumpsuckers are fascinating animals from the Cyclopteridae family. They are distant cousins of the scorpion fish. There are several species across the Atlantic and all share the same eponymous feature: they have ‘suction cups’; they’re also a bit lumpy and known by many as ‘Lumpfish’.  The fish have modified pelvic fins that allow them to attach to rock as if they had a suction cup on their bellies. This ability allows the fish to resist being battered around by waves in shallow waters when the fish migrate into shallower waters to breed. I’ve caught them in shallow waters while exploring the coast around the north of England, but I’ve also had the chance to photograph captive raised specimens in aquaria. The fish have been seen as a source of caviar for centuries but they are now being considered as another cleaner fish for use in salmon farms across northern Europe and Scandinavia.… More:

The post Meet the Lumpsucker, a Very Useful Fish appeared first on Reefs.com.

In 2003 the marine aquarium world was taken by storm, thanks to the release of the Disney film Finding Nemo. Suddenly the clownfish was forever cemented as a children’s film icon, and kids all over the world wanted a “Nemo” of their own. Sadly, in 2003, the rise of captive bred clownfish hadn’t replaced all wild-caught fish with specimens born and raised in an aquarium. Parent’s rush to satiate their child’s nagging for a pet clownfish led to many specimens kept in inappropriate conditions, and eventually dying. In fact, the theme of the film that suggested fish believed a flush down the toilet led to freedom, generated controversy among aquarists and conservationists. Eventually Disney hired none other than Jean Michelle Cousteau (son of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Yves-Cousteau) to offer a disclaimer video on the film’s DVD release, cautioning both parents and children about the responsibility required when keeping marine fish, and how aquariums effect wild fish populations. Now, 13 years later, Finding Nemo’s upcoming sequel, Finding Dory is expected to stir more youthful interest in marine aquariums. This time though, the hobby and trade are far more prepared than the first time, with 13 years of innovation and methodology that makes owning a marine fish easier than ever. Since the clownfish craze came and went via the first film, it’s likely another marine animal may be on children and parent’s wish list this time around, and that is none other than the seahorse. Since a seahorse is one of the film’s title characters, it’s quite possible this unique and alluring animal will excite movie goers into convincing their parents that a seahorse tank is a must.    To catch up on the current state of keeping seahorses, I reached out to Alyssa Gabriel, owner and founder of Alyssa’s Seahorse Savvy in Salisbury, Maryland. Alyssa and her fiancé Kyle operate Seahorse Savvy, and started breeding various Hippocampus species after graduating from Salisbury University. Both studied animal biology and have a background in aqua-culture, which positioned them perfectly to breed and raise marine animals. After talking with Alyssa, it’s clear that today, even those with no experience in keeping marine aquariums can start and enjoy a seahorse tank. Captive raised seahorses continue a trend toward hearty animals, with bright colors and voracious appetites. If Finding Dory does inspire a seahorse craze, it’s quite possible those who set-up seahorse systems after seeing the film, will realize more success than the amateur clownfish keepers of Nemo’s generation.… More:

The post Preparing for Finding Dory with Alyssa’s Seahorse Savvy appeared first on Reefs.com.

Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis, the diamond-tail fairy wrasse. Photo credit: Lemon TYK.

 Today on epithet etymology, we feature yet another labrid, this time from the genus Cirrhilabrus. Cirrhilabrus are small, colourful fish that are are highly deserving of their colloquial name – “fairy wrasses”. Having extensively discussed about their biogeography and phylogeny elsewhere, we’ll keep this one short and dive right into the etymology behind the name. What makes Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis, Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis?  

The cirri at the tip of each dorsal fin spine can be clearly seen here. Photo credit: Lemon TYK.

 Let’s start with the generic epithet Cirrhilabrus. Cirrhilabrus is a combination of two words, each rooted in a latin background. The prefix “Cirrhi” stems from the latin word cirrus (plural cirri), which means “to curl”. In zoology, cirri are often referred to filamentous tendrils or appendages, often at the terminal ends of physical characteristics. The suffix “labrus” means wrasse, and the word itself is in reference to the latin word “labium”, which means lip (many labrids have fleshy lips). In this regard, all members of Cirrhilabrus possess, at the tip of each dorsal fin spine, a short fleshy appendage, or cirri. The amalgamation of these two words are therefore quite straightforward and descriptive in respects to the morphological attributes of this genus. 

A terminal male Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis displaying its namesake feature rather prominently. Photo credit: Brian D Greene.

 The specific epithet “rhomboidalis” is derived from the geometric shape rhombus, in reference to the distinctive caudal fin of the species. The rhomboidal nature of the tail fin has also earned it its common name of “diamond-tail fairy wrasse”. Over the years of Cirrhilabrus taxonomy, other species with similar tail shapes have been discovered, which makes this feature rather non-exclusive to C. rhomboidalis. However, this regally clad species still holds some authority over this trademark tail shape, immediately coming to mind whenever discussed.  … More:

The post Epithet etymology: Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis, the diamond-tail fairy wrasse appeared first on Reefs.com.

A new study, published in Nature Communications, indicates that noise pollution can be deadly for many species of fish. Noise pollution can be created above or below the water. For example, it can noise made through motorboats, cruise ships, sonar probes and even motor vehicles and planes. The problem comes is  due to the fact that many animals use sound to help locate their food, alert each other to predators and for mating purposes. So with lots of unnatural outside noise present, some animals may not able to function accordingly. Scientists studied damselfish  (very common in saltwater tanks) and discovered that the fish become distressed when affected by the outside noise, noting that the fish consumed 20 to 30 percent more oxygen than when the noise wasn’t present. Increased oxygen consumption is a sign of stress in fish.  Stephen Simpson of the University of Exeter, and other scientists, studied damselfish in the wild and in captivity. Whether the sounds were created in a lab or captured in nature, the results were the same. The scientists discovered that when Damselfish became stressed by overhead noise, their ability to avoid predators becomes reduced. The study demonstrated that the stressed damselfish were six times less likely to evade predators and two times more likely to end up as prey, compared to when they didn’t have the noise. “The combination of stress and poor responses to strikes by predators in why these fish become such easy prey,” said Andy Radford, a co-author of the study and a researcher at the University of Bristol.
The problem of noise polution and aquatic animal health is by no means limited to Damesel fish. Some recent research has shown that pile-driving, seismic surveys and especially heavy traffic along  shipping lanes used by migrating whales have affected their ability to feed and communicate. MORE… More:

The post Noise Pollution Can Be Deadly For Many Species appeared first on Reefs.com.

Large bruisers, such as Miniatus grouper (Cephalopholis miniatus), are best wrangled without the use of a netMoving a marine fish from one tank to another is a straightforward process. You grab a fish net of appropriate size, scoop out the specimen, and release it in its new home. At most, you might have to work with two nets, using the second net to gently herd the fish into the first. Easy peasy, right? Ah, but don’t reach for that ubiquitous green net just yet! For some fish, transfer by net isn’t an ideal alternative. Here are five fish types that are best moved using different means:Type 1: Spiny/spiky and venomous Fish sporting venomous spines, such as lionfishes, scorpionfishes, and rabbitfishes, should never be transferred by net for two very good reasons

The post Spare the Net for These 5 Fish Types appeared first on Reefs.com.

Well folks, I’m wiped out after another day of non-stop diving in freezing Caribbean water, I just want to go to bed!!! I still have my intern for one more day, we both did a long photo dive at 4:00 today and I had to exit early due to freezing hands, I hate this time of year for diving.. I have a little, very delicate Rose Lace coral for you all today that I shot in the mouth of a little cave on our Substation house reef. This hydrocoral form small colonies, with up to 7 cm high by 11 cm wide. If you look closely the polyps have an appearance of hair when extended, but because the corals are so small they are hard to see

The post Delicate Rose Lace Coral appeared first on Reefs.com.

[embedded content] Atoll is a new app available for reef aquarium and diving enthusiasts to download on the iPhone. Atoll is an interactive mobile app which includes a comprehensive database of coral.  Atoll provides vibrant photos and detailed information allowing users to more easily identify coral which they encounter on a dive or purchase as an addition to their aquarium.  This can be critical information especially when dealing with corals which exhibit aggressive behavior and could potentially wreak havoc in your aquarium if placed in close proximity to other species.  Atoll also provides useful information to hobbyists relating to appropriate water temperatures and pH levels for your own aquarium. Atoll also allows users to submit photos of unknown coral for the community to identify. This is

The post Coral Atoll Introduces its new app for Reef Aquarium & Diving Enthusiasts appeared first on Reefs.com.

Good morning all, I have a fun Lionfish portrait for you all today that I shot yesterday with my trusty 105 macro. We still see these beautiful invasive fish on every dive but on some reefs they are really doing a good job at keeping the numbers down. We ended up doing three dives yesterday, two of them were with my intern trying to teach him something about the difficulties of underwater photography, he’s finding out it’s not so easy…. Pretty much everything about the venomous lionfish—its red-and-white zebra stripes, long, showy pectoral fins, and generally cantankerous demeanor—says, “Don’t touch!” The venom of the lionfish, delivered via an array of up to 18 needle-like dorsal fins, is purely defensive. It relies on camouflage and lightning-fast reflexes to capture prey, mainly fish and shrimp.

The post Lionfish: Colorful Invasive Reef Fish appeared first on Reefs.com.

T5 lighting is still very popular among aquarists, with ATI bulbs generally being the number one choice. “What’s the best bulb combo?” is probably the most frequently discussed topic in the T5 world. For the most part it boils down to personal preference, but without purchasing all the bulbs to try over your own tank the decision can seem daunting. Than Thein, owner of Advanced Reef Aquarium and Tidal Gardens, created these phenomenal videos that cover each bulb individually, as well as several bulb combinations, to help you decide prior to purchase. Big thanks to Than for taking the time to make these wonderful videos. Shout out to JW Stewart for bringing them to my attention.… More:

The post ATI T5 Bulb Comparison appeared first on Reefs.com.