AC/DC

AC/DC

Nothing is more infuriating then having  stray voltage in your fish tank and not knowing where it’s coming from! I sometimes get people asking me what the best method is for determining where its coming from. Normally the culprit is a power head or a heater.

To solve the problem:

1. Go to your local radio shack or big-box hardware store and pick up an inexpensive multi-meter. Before you purchase, be sure that the multi-meter can measure AC and DC Voltage current. Before you leave the store, make sure that you have the batteries that you need.

2. Go home, install the batteries, and read through the manual. Take a look at anything that starts with "warning" or "caution". Install your leads. Red to the red socket, and black to the black or "com" socket. Switch your multi-meter to AC Voltage (usually is says something like ACV or AC or has a sign like ~). Go over to the nearest wall outlet and  test the multi-meter, by plugging one lead into one of the vertical sockets in the outlet, and the other into the other vertical socket in the outlet. Make sure you read around 120 volts. If you read something different than this, the multi-meter is not working, or the test leads are not inserted completely into the sockets you are doing it wrong.

3. This step will be easiest with the help of someone else. Make sure ALL of the equipment in your tank is on. Place one lead in the tank water, and the other in the ground socket of the wall receptacle (please make sure that you are in the ground of the outlet, this is the bottom round opening NOT THE VERTICAL SOCKETS). You may be reading a voltage at that point on your multi-meter. Make sure to check for AC and DC voltage in the beginning, and each time a piece of equipment is unplugged. Have your trusty side-kick unplug or turn off ONE piece of equipment at a time (each time checking AC and DC voltage). If the voltage drops significantly when a piece of equipment is turned off, then that is piece of equipment is part of the problem. Make note of which equipment is adding to the voltage until the voltage on the multi-meter reads zero. Repeat these steps in the sump - you will likely get similar reading. If it is easier, begin this procedure in the sump.

4. Replace equipment that is faulty.

5. Pat yourself on the back for being awesome!

If you are ever in doubt and are unsure of how to proceed you can always contact an electrician to assist you.

A New LED Fixture

A New LED Fixture


A few weeks ago we discussed PAR and why its important to understand what it is, and how to measure it.

Understanding PAR

Put simply PAR ( Photosynthetically Active Radiation) is the amount of usable light measured in photons  that falls on a square meter in a second between 400nm and 700nm.

This information is very useful as certain corals, clams and even plants require different amounts of PAR to thrive. Mushrooms and other soft corals for example do well getting PAR around 50-100, whereas certain shallow water SPS species need PAR values of 500. Have you ever wondered why it appears that some corals seem to not grow? They might not be placed in the aquarium properly and may not be getting enough light. 

For these reasons it is important to understand how much PAR is in your aquarium and each animals requirements. Too much or not enough light and your photosynthetic corals and plants will not be happy.

There are a few different PAR meters on the market and they are relatively inexpensive. They are a great investment and easy to use. A meter can help you to acclimate new corals and know where the best placement is for each animal.

We have been working hard on releasing a new LED fixture. When it launches in a week or two we would like to have PAR values handy and accessible for all of our customers!

For these tests we will be using an Apogee quantum flux meter. This meter takes the PAR values and converts it to Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) and is then measured  in μmol m-2 s-1. This gives us the ability to see PAR in simple numbers. We are using a grid and taking measurements every three square inches. We are then taking readings at 12 inches, 18 inches and 24 inches. This should give everyone a good understanding of what they should be able to expect from our fixtures!

Since Luis is being so thorough in taking these readings we should have them available in the next week or two.

Astonishing discovery of 'supergiant' crustaceans made off New Zealand

Astonishing discovery of 'supergiant' crustaceans made off New Zealand

There are ordinary amphipods, known to be mostly tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that thrive in aquatic environments around the world, and now there are "supergiant" amphipods, which are 10 times larger and, frankly, quite freakish-looking (see video and photo).

British scientists made the remarkable discovery by accident while participating in a joint expedition with New Zealand scientists to probe the depths of the Kermadec Trench, north of New Zealand. 

Using a large metal trap outfitted with cameras, they'd hoped to haul up a species of deep-sea snailfish that had not been captured in more than 60 years. Instead they hauled up, from nearly 33,000 feet below, seven milky-white amphipods measuring to about 11 inches, or the size of small lobsters. (Ordinary amphipods barely exceed 1 inch.)

Dr. Alan Jamieson, from the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab, said on the facility's website, "The moment the traps came on deck we were elated at the sight of the snailfish as we have been after these fish for years. However, seconds later, I stopped and thought, 'What on earth is that?' It's a bit like finding a foot-long cockroach.

The mysterious find was not totally unprecedented. The term 'supergiant' was used by American scientists who hauled up unusually large amphipods off Hawaii in the 1980s.

Jamieson added: "The surprising thing is that we have already been to this deep trench twice and had never come across these animals before. In fact a few days after the discovery we deployed all the equipment again on the same site and we didn't photograph or capture a single supergiant; they were there for a day and gone the next."

While they only caught seven of the enormous amphipods, they saw several others, including some that measured about 13 inches.

The seven specimens were being kept in Wellington, New Zealand, until the expedition is concluded.

Reblogged from

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/32622/astonishing+discovery+of+supergiant+crustaceans+made+off+new+zealand/