Aquatic Life, LLC

Lionfish Are Evil- But Have Some Cool Tricks

2012-03-02T09:31:00.000-08:00

Lionfish Are Evil- But Have Some Cool Tricks

My boss Dave Troop loves Lionfish. In fact Ithink he gets super excited about them. So much so that when I came in to worktoday he sent me a picture of a 14 inch lionfish he found at the Global PetShow in Orlando Florida. See how his hand seems to yearn for the poisonoustouch of the giant monster.

Well I am here to tell youthat these things are evil! Aside from being an invasive species to theAtlantic and reproducing like crazy, I think they just don’t personally likeme. A few years ago we bought a little baby lionfish. Perhaps 2 and a-halfinches long it has since grown in size and bloodlust. I would say it is nowaround 6 inches of evil fish. Whenever I put my hand in the tank he quicklyswims towards me to attack! I will admit that it is fun to watchhim feed. He moves slowly yet deliberately towards his prey. Then quick aslightning he swallows his food whole. Sometimes leaving a visible tail wiggling from his hungry mouth. I was always amazed at the ability of thelionfish to swallow his meal face first without the prey fish quickly movingaway. I have since learned that predator fish prefer to eat prey head first asthat will lessen the chance of an escape as well as prevent defense mechanismslike dorsal spikes from being able to deter them.

Well just this week a new study has found thatLionfish can actually blow a jet of water to disorientate their victims!Researchers from Oregon State University and SUNY found lionfish blow pulses ofwater when stalking prey such as gobies, with an average of 18.5 pulses before finallystriking their prey. The jet stream can reach a maximum distance of 9.6cm (3.8inches) with a velocity of 20.4 cm s-1. Doing this allows the lionfish tocompletely confuse the prey fishes lateral line sensory system.

If you want to view the full Scientific articleclick here http://www.int-res.com/articles/feature/m448p001.pdf

AC/DC

2012-02-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

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

2012-02-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

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.

2012-02-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

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/

Plant Auction hosted by : Greater Seattle Aquarium Society

2012-01-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

Plant Auction hosted by : GreaterSeattle Aquarium Society

At Aquatic Life we are alwayssinging the praises of local Reef and Aquarium clubs. If not for the hard workand volunteer hours that members put in, this hobby would not be as popular asit is today. There is no better place for the new hobbyist to go and learn thanfrom these clubs and the experienced members who attend.

Because the clubs are non profit,they depend on member support and club donations to keep the new memberswalking in the door. Aquatic Life was more than happy to donate one of ourSubmersible Pumps http://www.aquaticlife.com/products/371 to the Greater Seattle Aquarium Society for the Plant auctionthat they have planned.

If you live in the Greater Seattlearea check out the clubs website www.gsas.org and snag some plantclippings at the auction. Who knows… perhaps you can win yourself a brand newsubmersible pump while making some new friends!

Check out the snazzy fish themedthank you card below-

Sincerely,

Understanding Lumen & PAR

2012-01-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Understanding Lumen

Lumen is the measure of the total amount ofvisible light emitted by a source. Lamps designed for human use are generallyrated in Lumens because this is the measure of light seen or used in theapplication.

Why does Aquatic Life not rate their aquariumlight fixtures or lamps in Lumens?

Aquarium lamps and LED’s are designed to producespecial spectral outputs (wavelengths) required by the tank inhabitants. Notall of these spectral outputs are seen by the human eye. Since Lumen onlycaptures the visible human spectrum, it’s not a good rating for the trueproperties of an aquarium light. A better measure of light for anaquarium application is Photosynthetically Active Radiation, often abbreviatedPAR. PAR designates the spectral range from 400 to 700 nanometers thatphotosynthetic organisms like corals and plants use in the process ofphotosynthesis.

Understanding PAR

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

This information is very useful as certaincorals, 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 everwondered why it appears that some corals seem to not grow? They might not beplaced in the aquarium properly and may not be getting enough light.

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

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

Sincerely,

2011-12-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

The new year is coming up soon and it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. We here at Aquatic Life would love to make a New Year’s resolution suggestion. Let’s make an effort to protect our environment and recycle used lamps.

Aquatic Life fixtures use lamps such as compact fluorescents, T5HO and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps that contain small amounts of mercury.

The mercury is contained within the lamp and is not exposed to the environment unless the lamp is broken at the end of its life. Usually the mercury is never exposed until someone is swapping out the fixtures lamps and throws the bulbs in the trash causing them to break open. Or if they survive that process they can break open when tossed in the trash truck on the way to the landfill.

While lamps are not a major source of mercury pollution, the improper disposal of large numbers of lamps does add to mercury in the environment. Burning hazardous wastes or incineration of disposed materials can also release mercury into the environment. The greatest source of man-made mercury emissions, at 40%, is from fossil-fuel burning power plants. *

The best way to prevent the release of mercury from lighting is to recycle lamps and not dispose of them in the solid waste stream. Recycling lamps captures the mercury, allowing it to be reused.

A fantastic resource tool is www.lamprecycle.org feel free to look around the site and read some more on the subject. While there you can also determine where your local drop off is. Most Home Depot centers for example have a lamp drop off program.

If you have any thoughts on the subject feel free to let us know in the comments below.

*Statistics taken from www.lamprecycle.org

Sincerely,

KABC: Fish suffocate, die in Redondo Beach marina

2011-03-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Millions of fish were found dead in a Redondo Beach marina early Tuesday morning. Authorities say tests show the fish suffocated.

Boaters woke up to find the small, silvery fish floating around their vessels at King Harbor Marina.

"We believe the sardines were chased in, probably by some other type of predator fish," said Sgt. Phil Keenan of the Redondo Beach Police Department.

Authorities also tested the water for oil and other contaminants.

"There are no signs of oils or chemicals or anything else in the water that shouldn't be," said Andrew Hughan of the state Department of Fish and Game.

Millions were seen dead in the harbor, but millions were still alive and being fed on by sea lions and birds.

"The water content is good," Keenan said. "There are other fish still living. It's just the sardines that died off."

Officials initially said a red tide may have been the cause of the oxygen deprivation, but Keenan said that was not the issue. Red tide is a naturally occurring bloom of toxic algae that can poison fish or starve them of oxygen, according to Staci Gabrielli, a marine coordinator for King Harbor Marina.

"What we're operating under is that there were so many sardines, and sardines consume a lot of oxygen, and there was not enough oxygen in the confined area that they were, so they died of oxygen deprivation," Keenan said. "It's like putting too many fish in a small aquarium."

It was reported that there were millions of dead fish so thick in the marina that in some places, many of the 1,400 boats could not get out of the harbor.

"I've lived in Hermosa Beach since 1963 and I've never seen anything like this," said Bill Lyle, who was surprised to see the massive amounts of belly-up fish.

Crews say they will take the dead fish to a landfill. They had thought about putting the dead fish out in the sea, but officials said it would be impossible to accomplish.

The clean up was expected to take days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Freshwater Planted Tank of Marcel A. Wuethrich PhD

2011-03-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Recently I was able to get to know Dr. Marcel Wuethrich through some email correspondence. He has a 180 gallon system and I was finally able to get see some pictures of it and I was blown away. The system is illuminated with four Aquatic Life 36 inch dual lamps all linked together. As a result of the lighting the plants are in fact growing nicely. The substrate is 10 parts top soil (non-fertilized), 2 parts red flint gravel, 1 part calcined clay ( to bind the minerals so they do not leak into the water columns) and 1 part peat moss. He uses the peat moss to lower his pH as the tap water has a pH of 8 and adding the peat moss to the substrate brings it to pH 7. After placing 1-2 inches of this formula it has been topped off with 2 inches of red flint gravel.

Marcel also breeds Rainbow fish. He reports that his Melanotaenia sp. Aru II are coloring up fantastically in his 180 gallon glass box.

It is tanks like this that continue to inspire us all and push us to create our own wet worlds.

World’s smallest tank

2011-03-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

Recently our own Luis Tapatio (like the hot sauce) voiced his desire for a simple freshwater tank. After seeing this video we thought it would be just perfect for him!

Measuring in at 30x24x14mm we can only hope that the tanks inhabitants were moved to a more suitable sized tank after the video was shot. The tank makes great use of substrate and even some algae molded into the shape of plants to help fill it out.

Recently we at Aquatic Life released our new 20 inch tiny fixtures but I think we may need an even smaller fixture for this bad boy. I can only wonder what kind of power head could be shoved in there for some monster flow!

DFWMAS & Delaware Reef Club -- Donations

2011-02-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

We’re sponsoring The Dallas/Fort Worth Marine Aquarium Society (DFWMAS) and the Delaware Reef Club by donating our submersible pump and t-shirts to each organization for their raffle/fundraiser. Read more about each group below:

The Dallas/Fort Worth Marine Aquarium Society

The Dallas/Fort Worth Marine Aquarium Society (DFWMAS) is the premier metroplex MAS. The DFWMAS is dedicated to promoting public interest in the marine aquarium hobby and the advancement of knowledge in the husbandry of closed marine ecosystems. We welcome hobbyist of all experience levels and their family to join us online or at any of our many meetings to make the most of the hobby. We are a large and friendly bunch who all just want to have fun and enjoy the wonderful saltwater world.

Delaware Reef Club

The Delaware Reef Club hosts some of the following: learn from experts and special guest speakers; Create cost effective DIY projects for your aquarium; Trade coral fragments to limit coral reef harvesting; Get behind-the-scenes looks at local aquariums.

Jason De Caires Taylor

2011-02-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

I must admit that when it comes to art I am not very sophisticated. I much prefer lowbrow artists like The Pizz (ThePizz.com) or Mark Rydan (MarkRyden.com) however I recently stumbled across an amazing artist that I am sure we can all appreciate and covet.

Jason De Caires Taylor (UnderwaterSculpture.com) is a phenomenal sculptor whose artwork is displayed underwater! Once completed, his pieces are placed underwater to become artificial reefs. The look and feel of his work takes your breath away. (Cheesy I know but I couldn’t help myself.) It’s fun to look at the views of some of his pieces as they are slowly covered with coralline algae, coral and other marine life. This natural process allows for his work to remain fresh and new every few months.

Jason believes that the worlds natural reefs are over fished and over visited and suffer as a result. It is his hope that more attention be given to artificial reefs so that natural reefs can recover and flourish. I personally feel that if he continues to create artificial reefs like these, there will be no shortage of visitors hoping to swim among his creations. Jason’s work can be found around the world with the majority in Mexico.

Another Satisfied Customer

2011-01-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

Here at AquaticLife, we're always happy to hear your feedback on our products or customer support, or both! We recently received an email from yet another satisfied customer:

James,

I received the replacement LED bulbs yesterday. So, I dismounted the light, changed the bulb and remounted the light in probably less than 5 minutes, and the light is now again as good as new. I'm very pleased with how functional and practical this light is. And the quickness and quality of the response from customer support. I will not only continue to buy products but also prefer products from Aquaticlife.

thank you again so much

Michael

We're Supporting F.R.A.G.

2011-01-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

We’re sponsoring the Fox Valley Reefers Aquarium Group by donating 2 of our submersible pumps and 6 t-shirts for their raffle/fundraiser. The Fox Valley Reefers Aquarium is a group dedicated to connecting reefing inthusiasts in the west suburbs of Illinois. They share resources, ideas, and experiences during their meetups.

http://www.meetup.com/chicagoreef

We're supporting GSAS & NWAAS

2011-01-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

We are proud to support the Northwest Arkansas Aquarium Society and the Greater Seattle Aquarium Society with our high-head submersible pumps along with some product literature and tee shirts. You can read more about the two groups below:

Northwest Arkansas Aquarium Society

The Northwest Arkansas Aquarium Society is a regional club with members from Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. We promote the fish-keeping hobby through education, conservation and social networking. NWAAS was officially started in June, 2007. We have a Species Maintenance Program, a Breeder Award Program, and a special interest in aquariums in education settings. Our club meets once a month and maintains an online presence with an active forum and weekly chat.

Greater Seattle Aquarium Society

Organized in 1971, the Greater Seattle Aquarium Society is the oldest such society of continuous existence in the Pacific Northwest, and currently has over 150 active members that attend our monthly meetings. We sponsor a variety of activities, including exhibitions, field trips, and special programs with nationally known speakers, fish breeders, aquarium horticulture programs, among other educational activities throughout the year.

The Best of the Best- Chingchai

2011-01-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

Ever since I first laid eyes on it I have been a huge fan of Chingchai’s amazing tank. If you have never seen it then you need to take 10 minutes out of your busy schedule and watch this fantastic video. It shows his 1000+ gallon DSPS tank in all of its glory. The tank is around two years old now and is stocked with some of the finest SPS specimens one could ever hope to see in one place. Coupled with the amazing fish selection to compliment the coral, this tank has no peers in my opinion.

Seeing as how this tank and its creator are in Thailand I don’t think I will get to visit it in person anytime soon but hey perhaps the bossman will read this and send me there for some R&D and goodwill .

This DSPS system has always served as an inspiration to me in terms of what is possible in a man-made reef system. If you keep up with any of the online forums then you know how gracious Chingchai is by always taking the time to answer any and all questions that are asked of him. I hope you enjoy the video as much as I do.

We're supporting SaltGeeks.com

2011-01-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

We’re supporting SaltGeeks.com by donating two of our submersible pumps for them to raffle off to their members. SaltGeeks is a group of Saltwater Hobbyist in and around Dayton, Ohio. Their mission is to "Helping protect the World's Oceans one member at a time through responsible reefkeeping, education, experience, and aquaculture."

From SaltGeeks.com:

"Our goal is to promote awareness of the importance of our oceans and reefs and the delicate balance between these areas that affect our planet. As reef hobbyists we at Salt Geeks seek to ensure the survival of the planet's fish and coral populations through interactive aquaculture among fish and reef enthusiasts. We at Salt Geeks promote education of these resources through use of this site's forums and monthly meetings which are designed for the sole purpose of learning about the animals we keep and sharing our experience and knowledge to bring about a better understanding among all who are interested..."

Continued Support of Hobbyist Groups

2011-01-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

We are proud to support the Long Island Reef Association, Inc. and the Delaware County Aquarium Society with our high-head submersible pumps along with some product literature and tee shirts. You can read more about the two groups below:

Long Island Reef Association, Inc.

Long Island Reef Association, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization comprised of marine aquarium hobbyists from all over Long Island. LIRA promotes interest in and enjoyment of all aspects of the marine aquarium hobby. Through exchanging information with one another we share our collective knowledge on the care and propagation of these fragile ocean animals, while reducing the demand for wild caught specimens and providing an educational platform to promote the beauty and fragility of the worlds natural coral reef.

LIRA also provides resources to the saltwater aquarium enthusiasts in the Long Island and Tri-state area by sponsoring meetings, educational seminars, lectures, online discussions, publications, websites, exhibits and other means and services as a social avenue to connect with other local hobbyists.

Delaware County Aquarium Society

Delaware County Aquarium Society (DCAS), a group of fish‑keeping enthusiasts dedicated to the advancement and support of the aquarium hobby. We have been serving the greater Philadelphia hobbyist community for over 55 years. With over a hundred members, we attract people from four states. DCAS provides educational programs at our monthly meetings (which are regularly attended by our members).

Tanks a lot!

2011-01-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

We're proud to present our dual lamp and RODI systems in use on a 1350g tank. A Canadian gentlemen, by the username "Nineball", is behind this impressive setup. You can read and see some of his process:

"RO/DI producing 200 gallons per day, seemingly endless. The TDS meter is at zero with one and an acceptable 2ppm for the other. I used the in & out probes to do product water measurements for two units instead of measuring RO membrane effluent."

"By a strange twist of fate I had a 30" x 30" steel top frame in my car today, so we tried it on the refugium and it eliminated the bow without losing ground with euro bracing. Now I need to order an aluminum frame or build one out of 80/20 profiles. I also need to make a bracket for the plasma light."

Full details on Reef Centrals forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1811725&page=189 (post #4716)

Children & Our Tanks

2011-01-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

The other day I was having a conversation with someone about how his child ruined his reef tank. The story he explained to me was that the coral in the tank continued to die one by one. He tried everything he could think of but nothing helped and finally everything in his tank perished. Disgusted with the thousands of dollars in livestock he lost he decided to take a break from the hobby. When he broke down his system he discovered a handful of coins that his four year old son had thrown into the sump thinking he had his very own wishing well. Obviously this had led to the demise of his reef tank.

After hearing this story I was reminded of my own folly when I was a child. My father placed a 40 breeder in my room when I was three years old. He stocked it with African Cichlids and took care of it since I obviously was far too young to do so properly on my own. I can still remember the little UFO diving ornament in the aquarium that would rise and fall periodically. I would stare intently for hours as the tank was next to my bed. I loved that tank and its inhabitants. I think I had named every fish inside and felt like they were a part of the Korner family.

One day when I was five, I was staring at the aquarium and the thought occurred to me that the fish may in fact be very dirty since they eat and do other business in the aquarium water. I thought that they would be very appreciative if I were to help them get clean. Inspired by the power of my positive thinking I ran to the bathroom to retrieve my liquid bath soap and poured a generous amount into the tank. I just knew that the fish would enjoy taking a bath and getting clean. Shortly afterwards my parents called me into the other room and informed me that we were going out to dinner. Being five years old and easily distracted I quickly forgot my tank and the African Cichlids inside.

Hours later and full from a tasty meal at a Chinese restaurant, we arrived back home. I will never forget my mother yelling out my father’s name from my bedroom. We both ran in and were greatly surprised by the giant columns of foam rising out from the tank and billowing down to surround the stand. I don’t recall my father’s exact words but I do know that they contained some choice explicative’s. Needless to say none of the animals inside survived.

Now years later my wife and I are expecting our first child. I am very excited about the prospect of sitting in front of our reef tank and sharing the bright colors and movement with our baby when he arrives. I just have to hope that my son won’t try and “clean” our fish as he gets older.

If you have any similar stories with your children please feel free to share them in the comments below.

We support the Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society

2011-01-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

AquaticLife is sponsoring The Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society for the third year. We are helping support the Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society by donating a 20” Dual-Lamp Freshwater fixture, and some of our hip new t-shirts.

The Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society (http://www.PVAS.net)was originally founded in 1948 under the name of the The Tropical Fish Fanciers of New England. In 1952 the name was changed to the Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society. The name of our newsletter has also seen several name changes and is currently known as the Underwater News.

2011-01-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

I ended up calling a week ago later in the day when you guy's were closing and having issues with the weather. I ended up speaking to Dave on my T5-HO 36" freshwater light and an issue with one of the sockets not lighting. I did as he said and switched the blue to red and red to blue leads and also switching the yellow leads too. Not sure why but this not only worked, the lights are brighter and running a lot cooler (around the ballast area on the cover)!!!!! I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time and being so nice when I am sure you had better things to do and get done. Working for customer support at Sony Online Entertainment I wanted to say I was blown away at the support and kindness I received for a year old lite!! You have deffinately kept me as a life time customer and I thank you for that. I hope you all had an awesome holiday and best wishes on the new year!! (now I just need payday to roll around so I can grab another lite from Aquatic Warehouse!!!!).

Thank you once again!

P.S. I attached a .jpeg of my tank (40gal. Breeder, Back may look strange because I have mirrored Mylar to help light output on the back). Still a work in progress but with both bulbs working now, I am sure it will be worth the wait!

~ Phillip R.

Thanks for the compliments Philip!

Year In Review

2010-12-15T21:58:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is fast approaching and what a wild and fun filled year it has been!

We have launched many new products this year like the R7S fixture and the sharp looking light fixture hangers. We value the relationships that we have built throughout the year and as result, our research and development of new products is fueled from suggestions by our customers and friends. We look forward to getting more suggestions in 2011!

We’ve made a lot of friends and have met many great people this year. Aquatic Life has always valued the opportunity to chat with fellow enthusiasts. Sometimes at large scale events like Reef-A-Palooza, where thousands visited our booth every day. Sometimes at smaller more intimate events like the Mountain West Reef Fest where we could really get to know each other.

At the Mountain West Reef Fest, a 16 year old young man named Trenton continued to drag his mother Heidi over to our booth to sell her on our new R7S fixture. He really wanted to upgrade the lighting on his tank. The mother and son team had gotten into reefing two years earlier as a means to spend time together at home. It was obvious from interacting with them that Heidi loved her son very much and enjoyed the hobby as much as her son did. ( Although she left the tank cleaning and skimmer cup emptying to Trenton) I told them that we were in fact raffling off the R7S fixture since mom was insinuating to Trenton that money was a little tight. Trenton ended up getting some raffle tickets and placed them in the box with obvious high hopes and expectations. The rest of the day the Aquatic Life booth was sprinkled with visits from Trenton and his mom to see how many more people had added tickets to the container. As the hours passes hundreds upon hundreds of tickets were thrown in by other hopefuls and Trenton’s worry was clear. However I would not be writing about this if it did not end happily. At the end of the day close to 700 tickets had been collected for this fixture and when they called out Trenton’s winning number his excitement was very evident. He jumped up and exclaimed that he had won and when he shook my hand he nearly shook it off. He had a grin set on face that went from ear to ear!

If you didn’t get a chance to visit with us at an event this year don’t fret! We will be at many more shows in the coming months. If there are no big shows coming up in your area and you still need that reefing fix, then check and see if there are any hobbyist clubs in your area. This year Aquatic Life worked with many clubs by donating items to insure that these non-profit clubs could continue to be self supporting and help foster more interest in this hobby that we all love. Groups like SCRK (Southern California Reef Keepers) in Southern California (SCRK.org) continue to hold monthly meetings and educate their members about responsible reef keeping. Meetings like these are always fun to attend and if you get the chance you should check them out.

A couple of new additions to the Aquatic Life family this year have led to excitement in the office. A few months back, Co-owner Mike introduced us to his new dog—a Shiba Inu named Sweet Pea. Initially Sweet Pea timidly stayed in Mike’s office coming out occasionally to take care of doggy business. In recent weeks, she has been roaming around the office more and settling into office life. Not to be outdone, Co-owner Dave brought in a dog of his own. Lucy is an adorable Shepherd/Retriever mix that still hasn’t quite figured out that nature should call outside and not on the office floor. Whenever we need a quick distraction, Lucy is always there for a belly rub.

Speaking of additions, Aquatic Life continues to grow. In 2010, we were fortunate enough to bring on more exceptional team members and we could not continue to excel the way we have without them. Cruz and Luis keep the warehouse and production running smoothly while at the same time, helping to innovate new products. In the front office, Diane has been instrumental in continuing to insure our customers are happy and always well stocked. We are grateful to have them all with us.

Aside from personally lending a hand in the demise of some Red Planet frags or a turbo snail clogging the drain pipe and flooding Mike’s office with 40 gallons of salt water, 2010 has been a great year for us. We look forward to what 2011 has to bring and would like to thank each of you for supporting Aquatic Life!

Electric Eel Lights a Christmas tree

2010-12-08T23:47:00.000-08:00

Are you not yet feeling that holiday spirit? We here at Aquatic Life want to change that!

Here is a video for your enjoyment from our friends in Japan. For the past five years a Japanese aquarium in Kamakura, south of Tokyo, has put this display on to draw in the crowds and educate about the wonders of the ocean.

The system works by utilizing two aluminum panels inside of the tank to capture the energy released by the eel every time it moves. As a result the six foot tall trees lights are illuminated in short bursts. Eels are amazing creatures whose internal organs basically function like a battery. However instead of using chemicals they use nerve cells and the polarization occurs across their cell membranes.

We hope you enjoy the video and from all of us here at Aquatic Life we wish you Happy Holidays!!!

Razorback Reef Marine Aquarium Society

2010-11-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

Razorback Reef Marine Aquarium Society is a non-profit organization that serves the state of Arkansas as an exclusive community for hobbyists to learn and grow in the hobby.

Razorback Reef’s annual Reef Fest event on November 20th at the Fish Bowl located in Searcy, Arkansas was another success. Attendees participated in lectures and workshops over the course of our one day event. Our primary source of funds for this event and exciting conclusion came from our raffle with items donated by industry leaders in the saltwater community including AquaticLife. Our events have raised money for national speakers, monitors, meters, and other tools our members can use in taking care of the hobby that is so important to us.

We continue to experience a large growth in our club membership due to the regular monthly meetings, the club’s website; which has won the 2010 MASNA Society Website award, workshops, lectures and raffles we have scheduled throughout the year.