For those who are deciding whether to keep a freshwater planted or marine reef aquarium, maybe this incredible video courtesy of Aqua Design Amano showroom in Japan may aid in your decision making. There is reef aquarium and some nano aquariums featured in the video. Enjoy the water greenery! This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck . Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

Featured this month on FnM Aquarium Blog is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, the World’s Largest Aquarium in Japan. The main gigantic acrylic window tank, measuring 8.2 meters by 22.5 meters with a thickness of 60 centimeters, also known as the ”Kuroshio Tank”, holds 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of sea water. Gigantic whale sharks and manta rays are amongst other many species of fish in the tank. The aquarium is also the first to have a successful birth of a manta pup in captivity. If you have a chance to visit Okinawa, an island surrounded by fascinating seas, this is a must see tourist destination which is located at 424 Ishikawa, Motobu-cho, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa Japan 905-0206. Which country will have the next world’s largest aquarium in the future?

No, a rock itself cannot be alive, and certainly does not move on its own. Live Rock (” LR “) for a marine aquarium by definition, is a mixture of a hard rock made up of calcium carbonate skeletons of long dead corals, or other calcareous organisms, with an assemblage of diverse living micro and macroscopic marine organisms on, in and amongst it. LR plays a primary important role in a marine aquarium, as part of a crucial resource in keeping almost all livestock. LR can act as main biological nitrification base or biological filter in a marine aquarium, while enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the reef aquarium and providing shelters for many inhabitants. LR immediately introduces bacteria, numerous algae, and small invertebrates into an aquarium, contributing to the overall quality of the aquarium water. LR offers more surface area for bacteria to grow than a trickle filter to handle significant bio-load of fishes and invertebrates. Waste products from livestock such as ammonia, nitrate and phosphate are handled by LR in different manners. Ammonia, nitrate and phosphate are readily assimilated by the many species of algaes and photosynthetic corals growing in and on the rock. Ammonia are quickly converted into nitrite and subsequently nitrate by the bacteria. Nitrate will either be absorbed by the algae and corals as their nutrient, or it can be denitrified by denitrifying bacteria in close proximity to the nitrate producing nitrifying bacteria. Despite the wonders that LR can perform, LR should be quarantined in a new reef tank for a period of two to four weeks. This period is known as the “curing period” which allows observation and stabilization in order to reduce any potential pest and parasitic organisms, and to allow good cycling of initial ammonia, nitrite and nitrate spikes. Once the LR is cured, it can be an amazing complex living filter of all kinds. Now, who would want a Dead Rock for their reef aquarium?

In an aquarium, Ammonia (NH3) is produced from the waste of fish and invertebrates and released through diffusion from the gills of fish during osmoregulation as well as from bacterial decomposition of excess food, decaying plant material and decomposing animal material. Ammonia poses huge problem all living organisms in high amounts due to its toxic nature. The effects of continuous exposure to ammonia in fish can be lethal and will cause severe gill damage leading to suffocation, kidney damage due to inability to osmoregulate, and the increased inability to secrete ammonia from the body resulting in metabolic and physiological imbalance. Even at lower levels, ammonia can reduce growth rate and damage to gill filament tissue in a fish, loss of equilibrium, convulsions and then death. Ammonia exists in two forms, namely, un-ionized (NH3) and ionized (NH4+). Both forms are measured together and are referred to as total ammonia. The levels of ammonia in an aquarium can be reduced by a efficient and effective biological filtration. With good filtration, ammonia level should always be kept zero. The aquarium design, number of fish and feeding regime are factors that affects the level of ammonia concentration.

There are all sorts of aquarium sizes that are kept at home, though none as large as can be seen at a public aquarium as far as I know. Successful small aquariums from the very small 10 gallons to the larger 50 gallons, fish only or reef, are very beautiful to look at as a whole, but their main impact is in the detail particularly with a reef. Even in a very small aquarium, provided it is a well aged system, there are growths of different algae, sometimes different corals popping up, existing corals spreading, miniature life such as tiny worms waving around looking for food and tiny shrimps foraging about particularly at night. At night small snails could appear then hide away again when dawn arrives. There’s often more. With larger aquariums the impact is not just the beauty but the eye filling dimensions. I would guess that if asked a marine aquarist would normally advise that a larger aquarium would be on their shopping list ‘if only’. It cannot be denied that a fish only system with many fish and some of them larger species such as angels is a real spectacle. A properly designed and stocked reef system, well, that is truly something. It appears as if the reef has been sliced out of the wild and placed in the aquarium complete with life. It is true of course that any captive reef doesn’t have the diversity of Mother Nature’s own, but let’s not start nit picking. Again, close inspection should reveal all sorts of interesting items as in the previous paragraph but probably more so. Most viewers however wouldn’t be too concerned about small detail; the overall view would be the one to watch. There is a large aquarium that is accepted as one of the best. It belongs to David Saxby and can certainly be described as large. Many marine aquarists are aware of it and have watched the video of the original aquarium, lovely as it was. Was? Yes, the aquarium has been stripped down and re-started so that the livestock could be altered.

A flowerhorn on the cover of TFH ? Love them or hate them, flowerhorns are extremely popular. These beautiful and expensive hybrid fish are nothing if not controversial. Although they are much more an Oriental phenomenon than a Western one (this specimen was photographed in an aquarium in the lobby of the Miracle Grande Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand), they have their proponents—and opponents—everywhere. The controversy surrounding these hybrid cichlids, as large and aggressive as they are ornamental and unusual, is discussed in Tom Lorenz’s article, “Flower Power.” Feature Articles A Caribbean Sea Biotope Aquarium Author: Jeremy J. Gosnell While many aquariums mix a variety of species coming from different oceans and ecosystems, a biotope aquarium is designed to replicate a specific slice of nature. A seasoned scuba diver and aquarist suggests various species for an aquarium that mirrors the beauty of the Caribbean. Adjusting Water Conditions in the Nature Aquarium Author: Takashi Amano Water quality is of utmost importance for the vigorous growth of plants in the Nature Aquarium. The world-renowned aquascaper discusses the effect of pH and hardness in a high-tech planted layout, and how to control and balance these important parameters. Flower Power: Are Flowerhorns Good for the Hobby? Author: Tom Lorenz Dismissed as “Frankenfish” by some and prized as good luck charms by others, one consistent theme surrounding flowerhorns in the aquarium hobby is controversy. A researcher explores some arguments for and against these peculiar-looking—and often astronomically priced—show fish. Jellyfish: Ballerinas of the Sea Author: Liu Pin-Hua Far from your typical aquarium specimens, jellyfish delicately float as if suspended in zero gravity, captivating and relaxing viewers with their carefree, luminous movements. A jellyfish enthusiast describes the biology and care requirements for these incredibly delicate and awe-inspiring creatures. Retailer Spotlight: The Hidden Reef in Levittown, Pennsylvania Author: Rose and Tony Orso Enter the Hidden Reef, an aquarist’s paradise featuring over 450 tanks of fish for sale and countless dry goods. Our roving reporters present the rich history of this massive store, and explain how it gained recognition and fame as one of the area’s premiere destination fish shops. Setting up a Natural Planted Tank Author: Diana Walstad A back-to-basics approach utilizing natural processes instead of high-tech equipment stands in strong contrast to today’s technologically advanced planted aquarium hobby. An aquarist well versed in the natural method offers a step-by-step guide to creating a low-tech underwater aquascape. The African Butterflyfish Pantodon buchholzi Author: Ted Judy Out of the African wilderness comes one oddball fish that will neither outgrow your tank nor kill everything in it

We’ve all heard of dragons haven’t we? When we were children we read or had read to us stories about dragons, big and fearsome creatures that were real monsters of the mind. They could fly and usually could breathe fire. Now we’re adults it’s all fantasy of course, a part of children’s stories or sci-fi movies. As often as not the dragons are the bad guys. We used to have dinosaurs of all sorts, flying, land and sea based ones. They could be small or large – how about that favourite of many, the Tyranosaurus rex? There is a ‘dragon’ in the sea though it isn’t one really it’s a sea horse known as a ‘leafy dragon’. Not what the word ‘dragon’ really intended, nor was the word intended for those ladies who eat people for breakfast! If you went to Romania what would you expect – hmm, how about Dracula, but no, that’s the wrong country. So did they exist at all, dragons? The answer is a maybe – maybe? Have a look at the video and see what you think. Look at the shape, the wings… Just imagine having a peaceful swim and one appeared, what would your reaction be? Here’s the video, you’ll need to wait a few seconds for the advertisement to clear: http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dragons-a-fantsay-made-real-aqua-dragon.html Related Posts Another One Done I maintain my reef aquarium once a week, disregarding feeding, the protein skimmer and anything found needing rectification during the maintenance period. This maintenance is... A Word No, no, I don’t want to whisper any secrets or anything like that. What I’m on about is a word, such as the individual ones... Is This A Courageous Aquarist? There are a few ‘be careful with this’ and ‘avoid doing that’ in the marine hobby.

Long lived the Goldfish ( Carassius auratus )! Goldfish were originally domesticated from the Prussian carp ( Carassius gibelio ), a dark greyish brown carp native to Asia. It is believed to be first kept in captivity in China around 960-1279 A.D., goldfish has been known as the most popular aquarium fish in the world as they have been kept as pets for centuries. Due to selective breeding over a long period of time, goldfish have been developed into many distinct breeds and are now found in various colors, color patterns, forms and sizes, very much different from those of the original domesticated carp. Goldfish are coldwater fish, and can live in water close to freezing temperature, although it prefers water temperature to be between 46 and 64 degrees F or 8 to 18 in degrees Celsius.  A normal goldfish can grow up to about 16 – 20 cm long, but considerably shorter in captive condition in an aquarium. Goldfish may live more than 20 years if kept under good conditions, but most will generally live for less than six to eight years in sub-optimal living conditions such as that in bowls. The oldest goldfish recorded to have lived is 49 years! Goldfish will turn almost grey if they are left in the dark for a period of time. Goldfish have cells called chromatophores that produce pigments which reflects light, and gives coloration. The colour of a goldfish is determined by which pigments are in the cells, how many pigments molecules there are, and whether the pigment is grouped inside the cell or is spaced throughout the cytoplasm. So if a goldfish is kept in the dark it will appear lighter in the morning, and over a long period of time will lose its color. Goldfish are opportunistic feeders. They will eat non-stop at many kinds of food and produce wastes and feces trailing from their cloaca. To prevent excessive production of waste from Goldfish, they should only be fed as much food as they can consume within one to two minutes per feeding, and no more than three times a day. There have been scientific studies conducted on goldfish and demonstrated that they have strong associative learning abilities, as well as social learning skills. Interestingingly, their strong visual acuity allows them to distinguish between specific humans. Goldfish are “friendly” towards each other and they rarely harm each other, even during breeding, although they do compete with each other for food. Breeding usually happens after a significant change in temperature, often in spring. Goldfish lay adhesive eggs that attach to aquatic plants and the eggs hatch within 48 to 72 hours. Dense plants such as Cabomba or Elodea or a spawning mop are usually used to catch the eggs. The eggs should be separated into another tank before the parents eat them. The fry grows fast and begins to look more like a goldfish in shape with metallic brown body colour after about a week but full body colour may take as long as a year to develop. There are fancy varieties of Goldfish which include Black Moor, Bubble eye, Butterfly tail, Calico, Celestial eye, Fantail, Lionchu, Lionhead, Oranda, Panda Moor, Pearlscale, Pompom, Ranchu, Ryukin, Telescope eye, and Veiltail.

To avoid becoming a squishy heap on the ground humans have a skeleton. Quite a good invention really, not having a skeleton would cause quite a few difficult problems. Humans aren’t alone with the possession of a skeleton of course; there are all sorts of life forms that have one too, how about the elephant or man’s best friend the dog as just two examples. Skeletons are not essential to life however; there are creatures that don’t use one at all. As a non-scientist I can say that they use a different method to maintain their body shape, I’m not sure how a scientist would put it. For example a shrimp has a hard outer shell rather than an inner skeleton. Vertebrates, those that have a skeleton, are vastly outnumbered in the world. It is estimated that vertebrates are around 3% of the life forms in the world. It follows that a massive 97% (I just had to demonstrate my mathematical abilities) are invertebrates. There are land dwelling insects such as spiders and worms, examples of well known invertebrates. In the cold sea there are huge numbers of plankton, anemones, sponges etc. The warm seas contain many better known (to the marine aquarist) invertebrate species, including filter feeding worms, shrimps, corals and sometimes very large anemones. It is with some anemones of course that the representatives of the vertebrate/invertebrate world have combined forces to mutual advantage; these are the clown fish with their selected hosts. There are other examples of this life style. Invertebrates are very adaptable as demonstrated by the discovery of volcanic activity deep in the sea well beyond the sun’s light. Scientists used to accept that life basically depends on the availability of light from the sun, an example of which is that plant life uses the sun’s light to photosynthesize and grow, and then the plant life is eaten by a herbivore from which energy is obtained.

I’ve been involved with aquariums for 40 years or more and no, I’m not going to try advising the secret of keeping goldfish in salt water! What I’m going to do is remember, if I may. Over 40 years ago I had nothing to do with fish. What did I do with my time I wonder – well, I had two children, Michael and Peter. As is normal we ended up one day at a fair and yes, there was a goldfish stall, throw a hoop or something similar. My boys must have been good shots because we ended up with a couple of goldfish, the common variety, in a plastic bag. They had instantly joined the family and so a small plastic aquarium was obtained on the same day. Once home into the aquarium they went. Michael and Peter were overjoyed. It must have been at least a whole week before they lost interest! So there they were, these two goldfish, in their small aquarium on a shelf. For a while nothing changed and then I added some gravel as it didn’t look natural. A while later I added a couple of plastic plants. Now things were so much better. The fish seemed to enjoy nosing about in the gravel. Guess who was in charge of cleaning and it wasn’t Michael or Peter! Then I decided – and this I reckon is where I became doomed to my fate – the fish would be happier in a bigger aquarium, so they got one 24″ long. It came off the shelf and stood on a more solid work surface in the kitchen. Then I decided it would be better to have tropical fish (the addiction was getting a grip). I kept standard tropicals for a while and still used plastic plants