Protein skimmers today come in all shapes and sizes. Standard cone skimmers, oval skimmers, column skimmers, you name it. Skimming has changed a lot over-time. I remember the days when a skimmer was a simple acrylic device, powered by a lime wood air stone. In reality, they functioned well and ignited marine aquarist’s first forays into the world of removing solid organic waste from marine water. Skimming is a vital component of a reef system, especially if you intend to mix a decent fish load with corals and invertebrates. There is plenty of argument on what type of skimmer is best, with dedicated fan boys on all sides of the debate. When I decided to upgrade my existing reef to a larger tank, I decided to upgrade the protein skimmer as well, which brings us to this review of the Vertex Omega 150.    My background in skimming:As I mentioned, my start in skimming was with a lime wood air stone powered unit. It was cheap and easy to operate, yet only removed small dark strands of waste. Over the years I’ve encountered many skimmers, from AquaC hang on units, to Reef Octopus in sumps, to Skimz oval skimmers on up to Deltec Cadillacs. I’ve learned a few things about skimmers, one being that simple is better, as less moving parts seem to make life easier during the long haul. Another is that surface area matters, which gives credence to the popularity of oval skimmers. Though one of the main points when judging how a skimmer may, or may not perform is the pump. When you look at all the technology behind skimmers today, the pumps are what often separate the men from the boys. Luckily for Vertex, this is one area where the Omega shines. Construction:The Omega is perhaps the best constructed skimmer I’ve seen, even compared to Deltec units that are nearly double the cost. It’s sort of a skimming work of art, and upon un-boxing it, I was immediately upset that soon this beautiful piece of equipment would be covered in marine muck. What is unique about the Omega, is that the construction is top notch, but overall the skimmer is very simple. Assembly took minutes, only involving installation of a riser tube, a back plate on the pump and sliding an air silencer over top of the output. The Omega is over 90% ready to run, the minute you remove it from the box and Vertex’s manual is actually well written and very helpful.… More:

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Together with an international team of researchers, divers from the University of Southampton, UK, Tel Aviv University and the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences (IUI), Israel have found a colorful range of pigments in coral more than 50 meters below the surface of Red Sea reefs. Since only blue wavelengths from the sun reach coral at depths past 50 meters, the team was surprised to find specimens exhibiting pigments such as red and yellow. Jörg Wiedenmann, Professor of Biological Oceanography and head of the University of Southampton’s Coral Reef Laboratory, explains: “These fluorescent pigments are proteins. When they are illuminated with blue or ultraviolet light, they give back light of longer wavelengths, such as reds or greens.” Dr Cecilia D’Angelo, Senior Research Fellow at Southampton sees a future for coral pigment use in industries such as biomedical adding: “We found, however, that some of the pigments of these corals require violet light to switch from their nascent green color to the red hue of the mature pigment. This is a particularly interesting property to develop markers for advanced microscopic imaging applications. Their optical properties potentially make them important tools for biomedical imaging applications, as their fluorescent glow can be used to highlight living cells or cellular structures of interest under the microscope. They could also be applied to track cancer cells or as tools to screen for new drugs.” Read more here!  … More:

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This amazing video shows a great white shark being rescued after stranding itself on a beach. In light of the recent shark attacks off the North Carolina coast, it is heartening to see people rally to save such a fearsome, beautiful predator.
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  It’s #SharkAwarenessDay! Do you think you know your shark trivia? Jean-Michel Cousteau invites you to try the daily riddles and #SavetheSharks.… More:

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The Brookfield Zoo, in Brookfield, Illinois,. has sadly closed it’s Stingray Bay Exhibit for this season, after 54 Stingrays died in the tank on this past Friday. Oxygen levels in the water  tank suddenly plummeted. The malfunction affected the heating and cooling systems of the 16,000 gallon pool which held the rays. The rays were inside of a popular shallow tank, which allowed visitors to touch and interact the rays.The aquarium officials noticed the rays were acting strange and the monitor which keeps track of oxygen levels went off on Friday around 1:45 pm. The aquarium staff got to work immediately to try and figure out what was wrong, but time was not on their side. Sadly, all of the rays died.This is not the first time a malfunction has occurred in this aquarium. In 2008, many rays died due to a heater unit malfunctioning. The Aquarium is still investigating the cause of Friday’s tragic event. The Aquarium has stated it is devastated by the loss of these majestic animals and the investigation is underway to try and understand what occurred, and prevent it from ever happening again. The exhibit will remain closed the rest of this summer.  MORE… More:

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Hi gang, well we made it through one very busy day yesterday with three sub dives and 12 collage kids from Bonaire, all doing some kind of studies in marine biology. Our ocean is currently super dirty meaning it’s like diving in pea-soup with different species of jellyfish everywhere! We also have had some raging currents flow through here this past week making diving very difficult and I am sure is responsible for much of this cloudy water. For me taking photos of our submersible in this pea-soup nasty water is about as difficult as underwater photography gets and not even Photoshop can this kind of photo look good again.  For my poor neglected dolphin fanatics out there, I have a few fun dolphin facts from our friends at www.sciencekids.com for you all today, read on….

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If you’ve been following the blog you may have noticed our recent unboxing review of Sicce’s new X Stream wave pump. In that piece, we examined the theoretical performance of the unit, it’s key features, and even went as far as to make some initial assessments. Having now had the unit running in a test system for several weeks we’ve been closely monitoring it, getting to know the units unique operational characteristics. In this piece we bring you the results of that study in the form of our operational assessment. Running straight on from the unboxing review, once the pump is unpackaged, it is really simple to install in the aquarium.

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Captive-bred Banggai Cardinalfish are a great example of a beginner fishWhat exactly does it mean when we say that a marine fish is “good for beginners”? After all, it’s not like certain fish species come with training wheels or have a set of care instructions tattooed on their dorsal fins (though I may just have to patent that idea). So what sets a “beginner fish” apart from ones better suited to more experienced hobbyists or even experts? While there are no hard-and-fast rules here, I recommend that hobby newcomers look for the following five traits when shopping for fish: 1) Community compatibleThere are always exceptions, but most novice hobbyists likely want to have an interesting mix of fish species rather than get too specialized. That means that any fish acquired should coexist in relative peace and harmony with its tankmates provided proper order of introduction is observed. Notice the emphasis on “proper order of introduction.” If you ignore the rule of introducing fish in the order of least aggressive to most aggressive, you’ll end up with chaos no matter how beginner-friendly the fish may be otherwise. Of course, some fish—such as clown triggers—become so explosively violent that they have no place in a community tank regardless of when they’re introduced. 2) Hardy and adaptable From time to time, beginners (and quite a few more experienced hobbyists, I might add) are going to make mistakes that negatively impact water quality and chemistry

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Richard Ross and Nathan Hill sat down to discuss the morality of the marine aquarium hobby. I imagine there were aquarists who wondered why any hobby needs “moral justification.” I often say that marine aquarium keeping has an original sin, we have removed an animal from their natural environment and placed them in captivity, for our own enjoyment. At a time when oceans around the world are experiencing untold pollution, loss and destruction, it would seem like trying to morally justify that action is impossible.    20 years ago, nobody was talking about morals, ethics or conservation being tied in with marine aquariums. Not many people kept reef aquariums, and the massive systems installed on shows like Tanked were a rarity. Today there are numerous vendors that specialize in the construction and installation of mega-aquariums, and wealthy fish collectors seek to have a specimen of every piscine jewel of the sea. The same can be said for coral, and a bevy of other marine species. Intelligent animals like octopus are relegated to the confines of an aquarist’s tank, likely one without a small fraction of the knowledge required to properly care for such an incredible animal. There is a strong argument from within the hobby and outside, that many of these animals should be left on the reef. Cleaner wrasse for example serve important roles in wild reef ecosystems, yet often meet an untimely death in the aquarium. Yet, each year thousands are plucked from the reef and sold to aquarists, leaving many wild fish without a cleaning station to rid them of parasites, or aid in washing wounds. Folks like Snorkel Bob, and now Sea Shepherd International brought the moral discussion to our doorstep. Films like Blackfish, and the public perception that marine aquariums of any kind are inherently bad, has propelled the topic right into the halls of congress, with various conservation groups pushing for enhanced regulations on the marine aquarium industry, while others would like to see the hobby dismantled. NOAA has gotten involved, citing aquarium collection as a contributor to threatened status among 20 species of corals. It’s a fair assessment that some form of regulation will be enacted, related to the 20 coral species cited by NOAA. A massive can of worms:The argument that no animal should be removed from a natural habitat for humans to house and enjoy is an easy one to make.… More:

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handprint fish

naturalearthpaint

 Ah, summer! The season when kids can do really messy art projects (like this cool hand- and footprint ocean scene) OUTSIDE and get hosed off before coming back in. I really like the lobster and the jellyfish, and I think a huge school of different-colored fish would be fun to create. If you use newsprint, the artwork can be recycled as wrapping paper! I like to make my own paint or use earth-based pigments like these from Natural Earth Paint, which won’t hurt the grass when it’s time to clean up. And for $10, I buy the 4-foot-wide paper remnants from my local newspaper printer that normally get recycled. Here is a great video about newspaper production and recycling, the host cracks me up!  … More:

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission cited a Jupiter, Florida man for keeping two Loggerhead Sea Turtles in his home aquarium. The man stated he found the turtles in his canal and put them in his aquarium for his daughters to see earlier this year. He stated he grew attached to the turtles, and did not release them. Although one can momentarily understand the excitement this man imagined for his daughters, coming home to see the turtles in their tank, this is a serious offense. The Loggerhead Turtle is classified as an Endangered Species. Federal Law prohibits the taking, selling, harassing or otherwise bothering Loggerheads or their nests.He was given a first degree misdemeanor citation for possessing the two Loggerheads. The turtles were taken by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to Loggerhead Marine Life Sanctuary Center, and the turtles were released back to the wild. Capturing a Loggerhead sea turtle is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1000.00 fine. MORE… More:

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 The Ocean Cleanup was founded in 2013 in the Netherlands by Boyan Slat, and is now the world’s largest cleanup initiatives. Approximately 100 volunteer scientists and engineers have contributed to this project They use long floating barriers to let the ocean current concentrate the plastic itself, and they project that a 62 mile cleanup array, deployed for 10 years, will remove 42% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or 155,029,063 pounds of plastic. And speaking of plastic, since 2007, Matt & Nat has been committed to using linings only made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles; approximately 21 plastic bottles are recycled for every bag they produce. 100% of the purchase price of this cool (vegan) Matt & Nat cross-body bag goes to the charity of your choice, including The Ocean Cleanup.      … More:

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Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis)While many of the butterflyfishes are challenging—if not outright impossible—to maintain in captivity for one reason or another, there are various species that go against the grain and make excellent or reasonably solid aquarium candidates. Among the “reasonably solid” species is the pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis)—a generally hardy, adaptable, not-too-difficult-to-feed, and beautiful chaetodontid from the Indo-Pacific. I wouldn’t rate this species foolproof by any means, but it’s fairly durable as butterflyfishes go. Physical traitsH. polylepis is highly laterally compressed (flattened from side to side—typical of butterflies) with a relatively short snout and small, terminal mouth. Its head is brownish in color, and it has a broad, white pyramid-shaped pattern on its flanks, from which its common name is derived.

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When you think of a large school of sharks swimming close to shore Britain is not the first place that typically comes to mind.  But, this week, a school of dozens of Starry Smooth-Hound Sharks (Mustelus asterias) was filmed gathering in a small inlet in Britain’s Medmerry Nature Reserve to feed. The sight of around 50 protruding fins is pretty cool.… More:

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Publishing their study in the open-access journal ZooKeys, Drs Carole Baldwin and Ross Robertson from the Smithsonian Institution recently described a new species of Goby from the mesophotic zone, some 70-80m below the surface, in the southern Caribbean. Differing from its relatives not only in habitat but also size, the new Goby also exhibits distinctive colours and has been named Coryphopterus curasub in recognition of the Curasub submersible that was used in it’s discovery. These activities are part of the institution’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP). Slightly more catchy, the new goby has been assigned the common name of ‘Yellow-spotted Sand Goby’.

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Credit: Newsday/ Thomas A. Ferrara

 Joe Yaiullo and his world-renowned aquarium and staff got to play host to Newsday’s Jimin Kim this week, and provided the reporter and his photographer, Thomas A. Ferrara, with a myriad of fascinating, behind-the-scenes views of the daily workings.  The media team turned their tour into a photo essay, which you can see here. Jimin asked Joe for insight on running such a huge, successful enterprise:  ” ‘Being humble and flexible is key’, he said. ‘I mop, you mop’ said Yaiullo, recalling what he told an intern about how everyone must chip in. Of the nearly 40 exhibits, he takes special pride in the 20,000-gallon coral reef tank, which houses a plethora of corals and fish — mostly from the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans — and which Yaiullo said is responsible for all his gray hairs.” 

Credit: Newsday/ Thomas A. Ferrara

 The team also took some time to admire ReefGen‘s captive-grown coral, and snapped this shot of their Burger’s Portal Zoanthid.… More:

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Picture of 9 days post hatch larva with Cirolanid isopod attached

Today while checking up on one of my larval rearing tanks, I spotted something unusual. At first, I thought that one of the larvae had consumed something that was too large for it because it looked like its stomach was protruding. I removed the larva to further examine it under a microscope. To my surprise, I discovered that there was an isopod attached to my fine larva. It was a Cirolanid isopod of the order Isopoda. Cirolanids come in many different sizes and have a variety of diets. Most Cirolanids are indeed parasitic. However, it is not uncommon for some species of Cirolanids to be  just scavengers. In this case, this demon-spawn was attached to the bottom jaw of the larva; feeding off its soul. How did this parasitic terrorist get on my larva? It probably entered the rearing vat on the first day when I added the eggs/larva. This rearing vat was more of an experiment, so I wasn’t very cautious on what went in with them.  Fortunately, I was able to surgically remove the isopod and return the larva to the vat. I am not certain if the larva will make it or not; I can only hope. However, I definitely believe that it has a better chance than it did with the giant life-sucking monstrosity attached to its face.… More:

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The story of my Astreopora montiporina colony is an interesting one. If you’re not familiar with this coral don’t worry, it is not commonly known or collected; it was named as a new species in 2011. Back to my story, I purchased a colony of clove polyps four years ago and when I was making some fragments I noticed that the rock the clove polyps were growing on was not a rock but the underside of a browned out coral colony. I removed all of the clove polyps, turned the coral towards the light, and waited to see what would happen. During the following months it slowly started to recover, the color changed from brown to green. After about a year it looked like this. 

Astreopora after about a year of recovery

 I didn’t know what kind of coral it was; the growth characteristics looked like a montipora, but the polyps were very spaced out compared to any montipora I had ever seen. I maintained the colony under T5 lighting for the next few years, it grew slowly and the color continued to improve. This past Spring I posted pictures on one of the reefing forums I participate on; after some discussion a few people suggested that it wasn’t a montipora species but an Astreopora. It has been a long and interesting road for this coral that was saved from obscurity. If there is a moral to this story, always check to make sure a rock is actually a rock. 

Macro showing the large polyps and bleeding color after the polyps.

Encrusting, plating growth formation

Asteropora montiporina fragments

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A Labyrinthula-infected eelgrass frond.

 Sometimes regarded as rare or insignificant, marine fungi are both phylogenetically and ecologically diverse. Like all fungi, marine fungi are heterotrophic. Although a large portion of marine fungi are saprobes – organisms that feed on decaying organic matter, many species of marine fungi form symbiosis with living marine animals. While some of these relationships are best described as parasitism, there are many cases of mutualism as well. One study investigated the secondary metabolites produced by marine fungi participating in symbiotic relationships with sponges. This study revealed that symbiotic marine fungi produce chemicals that may assist their sponge host in staving off pathogens (Höller et al., 2000). Although these species of marine fungi (and many others) facilitate biodiversity, a fungus-like marine protist genus, Labyrinthula, is believed to do the opposite. Labyrinthula have been found to parasitize the fronds of Zostera marina eelgrass. This parasitic relationship has proven to be deadly for eelgrass in what are known as eelgrass wasting epidemics (Bigelow et al., 2005). These wasting epidemics often deprive fish and invertebrates of eelgrass habitats. Simultaneously, marine mammals and sea turtles become stripped of the eel grass that once constituted their diet. Literature Cited Bigelow D. M., M. W. Olsen & R. L. Gilbertson (2005). “Labyrinthula terrestris sp. a new pathogen of turf grass” (PDF). Mycologia 97. Bigelow, D. M., M. W. Olsen, and R. L. Gilbertson. “Labyrinthula terrestris sp. nov., a new pathogen of turf grass.” Mycologia 97.1 (2005): 185-190.… More:

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Doing your aquascaping correctly from the beginning will help avoid hassles in the futureYour long-anticipated live rock shipment has finally arrived at your doorstep, and you can’t wait to get it in your tank and start watching as life emerges from those gnarly chunks. Though you’re understandably eager to forge ahead putting the rocks in place, it’s critical at this stage to give more than passing thought to how you should arrange them. Inappropriate aquascaping now can lead to major headaches—or at least less-than-satisfactory results—down the road. Here are five live rock aquascaping pitfalls you should take pains to avoid:1. Placing your rock structure atop the “shifting sands” If your system will include a substrate of any significant depth, the first layer of rocks should be placed either right on the tank bottom (or a thin cushioning layer of substrate) or atop some type of secure supportive structure (e.g., pilings constructed of PVC pipe, a framework of egg crate material, etc.). If placed directly on top of a deeper substrate, the rockwork can be easily undermined by burrowing/digging/tail-fanning fish or inverts, potentially resulting in a catastrophic rockslide. 2

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