The website is:- http://www.outoftheblueaquaculture.co.uk

Anthony the guy who runs the show seems such as nice guy. I ordered a large value amount and as a thank you he even gave me some small frags that are lovely.

Well I have some great news. I brought as a last and final test a FISH R FUN Floating Magnetic Algae Cleaner for Glass Aquariums made by MAG FLOAT.

Cheap when compared to the Tunze glass cleaners but will this be better than my Tunze cleaner?

First impression is that instead of being long and thin it is square, not too heavy so I was not expecting much power from the magent on my thick glass.

It was sold to me as being for 16mm thick glass in the instruction is does state 15mm glass being the maximum.

So I seperated the 2 magents…..I tried to I should add….they were very strong and I then dropped the wet side into the tank and the dry side pulled it to the glass and a very firm connection was made. I was very impressed at this point.

I then cleaned a hard bit of green algae I could not shift in the corner and to my shock it worked. I cleaned the complete tank and after my arms hurt from the power required to move this glass cleaning magnet. The power is amazing, so its a big thumbs up from me.

What is the best Aquarium Glass Cleaner

I have purchased many different brands of magentic types of Aquarium Glass Cleaner and I have to be honest and say that they have all let me down.

The weekend I purchased some pond long arm gloves that are made of rubber and I purchased a manual aquarium glass scrubber with a solid plastic handle.

My arms are killing today but the aquarium looks amazing. The best thing about the gloves is that I was able to clean without the worry of the Trigger drawing blood. My female blue throat trigger attack me and has left marks in my hands. Now with the gloves Ihave the best Aquarium Glass Cleaner available, me!

Little Shark Bite

I have been using Deltec salt for years now and love it. But it also seems I am not the only one: Number 1 UK Salt

H₂Ocean Pro⁺ is a new pro formula aquarium salt – produced by a solar evaporative process which produces a totally natural base salt where all of the main and trace elements are in complete balance as nature intended.

The pure natural salt is then specially enhanced for aquarium use by elevating specific elements that over time become depleted, such as calcium and magnesium which are used by corals and coralline algae for growth.

Free from Nitrate and Phosphate.

D-D Salt Instructions | H2Ocean Salt

I purchased the AquaRay AquaRed Flexi-LED which is a flexible, self-adhesive lighting strip. I have added this with my current lighting for the night viewing and this offers a totally different viewing aspect to a night light. The LED unit can be fitted into an AquaRay MMS rail or fixed to almost any other surface. I have fitted  my LED unit to the back of the tank on the tank strap and this runs across the back of the tank.

TMC say that this can be used for acclimation and colour enhancement (it picks out reds, oranges and pinks) and can also be used on its own as a “night viewing” light allowing you to view the nocturnal behaviour of the tank’s inhabitants.

This 450mm long strip, incorporating red LEDs, is waterproof and low voltage and is suitable for marine and freshwater aquaria.

The AquaRed Flexi-LED is designed to be used as supplementary lighting in conjunction with other forms of lighting such as the AquaBeam 500, 600, 1000 and 1500 and retails for just £29.99.

The results give me faith that my Vodka dosing is doing the aquarium very well indeed.

• Nitrate = 0
• Nitrite = 0
• Ammonia = 0
• Chlorine = 19,160
• Sodium = 10,560
• Magnesium = 900
• Calcium = 440
• Potassium = 390
• Stronium = 8
• Phosphate = 0

 The only think that I can see to worry about if the Magnesium level is very low. I have added some magnesium and will increase the level over a 5 day period and test every other day.

The vodka dosing that I have using that is working very well means that the tank is crystal clear and hassle free

They have been scientifically proven to be of a great benefit to people with skin disorders and Psoriasis. fish can live up to 6 years and the young smaller fish are just as effective as the larger more mature fish. The fish are also very therapeutic gently gliding over your skin. People find the fish produce a pleasurable soothing massage sensation.
All our fish are sourced from reputable suppliers from our long term contacts with foreign fish farms.We have been established since 1997 and so are one of the oldest true aquatic wholesalers.We have supplied many thousands of fish to Aquatic Stores, Garden Centres, Health Spa’s etc around the UK.

Introducing your Garra Rufa

Upon arrival gently open the packaging boxes and float the unopened bags in your spa systems for 15 minutes. This will allow the water in the bags to reach the same temperature as your systems (which should always be between 24C and 28C). While waiting the 15 minutes test your water quality and ensure Ammonia is 0, Nitrite is 0 and your pH is between 6.5 and 7.5. After 15 minutes open the bags carefully and roll down the sides so the bag floats in the water. Add about the same amount of water from your spa as is already in the bag and wait another 5 minutes, this will allow the fish to adapt to any different water conditions. Ensure there is adequate oxygen for the fish while the bags are open (they can suffocate quickly). Finally net the fish out, do not add the water from the bags as the fish may have been travelling in this for some time. Garra Rufa require highly oxygenated water, also ensure the fish are covered for the first 24 hours as they can be very lively and always cover the fish securely at night time but allowing space for oxygen.

Feeding your Garra Rufa

It is not recommended to feed your fish for the first 12 hours after introduction to allow the fish to settle into their new environment. They will then require feeding 2-3
times per day as much as the fish will consume within a few minutes. The more the fish are fed the less active they will be and the more waste they will produce but it is
important they receive enough food. A flake or sinking aquarium tropical fish food is suitable.

Maintaining your Garra Rufa water quality

A daily water change of 10-20% is recommended. You must not add tap water straight to the spa systems. The water must have either stood for 24 hours to allow the Chlorine to evaporate or a suitable dechlorinator added. The water must also be warmed to the same temperature as the fish are held at and circulated to add oxygen.
It is important to test the water quality and ensure the pH remains stable and within the range of 6.5-7.5. You must also test the water daily for Ammonia and Nitrite, these must remain at 0 at all times and will require more regular water changes if they begin to rise, fish will not tolerate any levels of Ammonia or Nitrite for any length of time. Nitrate levels are less important but the lower the better. Newer systems will require more water changes than established filter systems. It is recommended to clean the filter once per week by washing all of the media in water taken from the spa (never use tap water or allow the media to dry out as this will kill the bacteria on your filter media).

It will be a popular attraction throughout the duration of the sharks stay. It is a female measuring only 5 feet 3 and weighing just 80 pounds, but she boasts the classic great white look and manner.

She was obtained off Malibu with the help of a spotter plane and commercial purse seiners and it’s hoped those who visit the aquarium to view the shark will come away with a greater appreciation for the embattled species.

The four previous white sharks, which were viewed by an estimated 2 million people, were tagged and released after stays of various length. Scientists tracked them as part of an ongoing monitoring project that also involves other white sharks that were tagged and released without spending time in captivity.

The last captive shark was released from the aquarium after only 11 days and tracked to the Channel Islands area. The previous shark, released after a five-month stay, was followed for an extended period as it swam to and past Cabo San Lucas, then up into the Sea of Cortez off Baja California, where it remained for weeks before its tag life expired.
I chronicled that journey in an L.A. Times story. Scientists say data from the tagged sharks are providing insight into a species whose travels and habits are still largely a mystery. The Tagging of Pacific Predators program, spearheaded largely by Barbara Block of Stanford University, is helping to clear up some of those mysteries.

It’s not clear how long the shark will remain at the aquarium; it could be weeks or months, depending on how well she adapts to her surroundings in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit. So if you’d like to check her out in person, sooner is probably better.

Planning is the key to success. I spend 10 minutes a day feeding the fish and the rest of the time enjoying them. I have stopped checking the water now as everything is so stable is is a waste of test kits.

Ammonia = 0

Nitrate = 0

Nitrite = 0

Phosphate = 0

Week in week out doing a water change every month.

Please note that I am dosing my special homemade Vodka mix.

So lets start at the bottom and work our way up.  

How do we measure specific gravity

Measuring salinity is a quick process using a Hydrometer orRefractometer.  

Refractometer Measuring Specific Gravity

Twenty five years ago a hyrdometer would have been used by anyone with a salt water aquarium but these are often give false readings. The swing-arm type of hydrometer is very cheap and easy to operate but is prone to degrading and often becoming so inaccurate that I recommend to not even bother buying one to save money.  

Remember how important the measurement of salinity is and that a hydrometer will measure specific gravity (relative density) of liquids and display the ratio of the density of the liquid to the density of water. This is something that should be given a large amount of importance as it can be the difference to success or not.  

Temperature

 
A saltwater fish tank (marine aquarium) will be the home to marine animals from tropical climates. The temperature of these tropical areas around the world will vary and can be between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius (76 – 82 °F).  

Tropical reef tanks and also fish only aquariums will require you to match the temperature of the home environment  of the waters they come from. The most important thing to note is that keeping a temperature stable is one of the most important jobs when setting up. 

Temperature effects salinity so if you get everything right at 24 degrees and then over the course of the day the lights and pumps and ambient temperature raise the aquarium temperature to 28 degrees the salinity will now be totally incorrect.  

If you measure your salinity at 1.023 and the aquarium temperature is at 25 degrees (77°F), the actual specific gravity of your aquarium water is 1.025. Note that minor fluctuations can be the cause of problems for your aquarium inhabitants, if you have leather corals for example that suddenly look like they are dying this can be a quick sign that your salinity is wrong.  

Salinity

 
Salinity is the measurement of the total amount of dissolved salt in seawater. This is measured in parts per thousand (ppt) and the average salinity of the ocean is around 34 to 37 ppt.  

Marine aquariums will be measured in specific gravity. Specific gravity may be defined as the ratio of the density of the liquid to the density of water and the density of liquid varies with temperature and  so does that of specific gravity.  

The specific gravity of seawater at 35 ppt is 1.026. I recommend that for your marine aquarium you aim for the lowest point being 1.021 and the highest 1.026.  

To help get the correct salinity no matter what the temperature is use the chart below as a reference:-  

I hope that this helps you understand how to setup your salinity for your marine aquarium.

The call for action targets loopholes in the current ICCAT ban on shark finning (the wasteful practice of slicing off shark fins and discarding the body at sea) as well as the need for more stringent catch restrictions for species judged at particular risk.

ICCAT currently allows fins adding up to 5 percent of a shark’s weight to be landed. Most species’ fins weigh much less than 5 percent of their whole carcass. Higher ratios mean that many more sharks can be finned without fear of prosecution. Finning also undermines effective data-collection on species.

The Shark Alliance and the EEA call on ICCAT parties to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea, so that enforcement is simplified and identification of sharks is more straightforward.

“The most effective way to prevent shark finning is to require that sharks are landed with their fins naturally attached”, said Nicole Aussedat, Shark Alliance coordinator in France, from the ICCAT meeting. “We cannot wait any longer to enforce robust protection for these important predators, which are so key to the balance of life in the sea.”

Intense global demand for the large, high-value fins of the oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus) has led to significant population declines, particularly in the Northwest and Central Atlantic. An assessment by the SCRS in 2008 ranked the oceanic whitetip in the top five species with the highest vulnerability and is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered in the Northwest and Central Atlantic Ocean and Vulnerable globally.

The fins of porbeagles are frequently found in the global shark fin market, its meat is among the most prized of all sharks and is a highly traded product. Unsustainable fishing has led to the collapse of the North Atlantic porbeagle populations, classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and Endangered in the Northwest Atlantic. The Shark Alliance and the EEA are urging ICCAT parties to adopt a prohibition to fish and retain on board vessels oceanic whitetip and porbeagle sharks in line with recent SCRS recommendations.

“Sharks are exceptionally vulnerable animals. Earlier this year, CITES failed to agree trade restrictions for shark species, including the oceanic whitetip and porbeagle sharks, so it’s up to ICCAT to step up to the mark and put in place the protection they so desperately need’, said Heike Zidowitz, President of the European Elasmobranch Association (EEA).

ICCAT has also identified shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) as a priority concern for over seven years. Female shortfin makos reach maturity at about 18 years of age and only produce on average 4-18 pups per litter during their gestation period, which can last up to 18 months. The Shark Alliance and the European Elasmobranch Association call for concrete, precautionary catch limits that would significantly reduce fishing pressure in the North Atlantic.

For further information or to arrange media interviews or B roll contact:

Sophie Hulme, sophie@communicationsinc.co.uk
Mobile: +44 7973 712 869

Dan Klotz, Communications Officer, Pew Environment Group, dklotz@pewtrusts.org
Mobile: +1 347-307-2866

Notes to editors:
A copy of the Shark Alliance position paper for ICCAT, which includes recommendations on Hammerhead and Thresher sharks as well as the other species above, can be found at: http://www.sharkalliance.org/do_download.asp?did=34262
The Shark Alliance is a coalition of more than 100 conservation, scientific and recreational organisations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving shark conservation policies.
The Shark Alliance was initiated and is coordinated by the Pew Environment Group, the conservation arm of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-government organisation that is working to end overfishing in the world’s oceans.
The European Elasmobranch Association is a non-profit umbrella organisation to co-ordinate the activities of national European organisations dedicated to the study, management or conservation of chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras). The EEA is an association of organisations, currently representing 12 European countries (UK, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, and Switzerland). The EEA is a founding member of the Shark Alliance.
The resolution on RMFO positions of the EU adopted by the Annual General Meeting of the EEA in November 2010 can be found at: http://www.sharkalliance.org/do_download.asp?did=34492

Yellow Surgeonfish | Yellow Hawaiian Tang

Scientific Name: Zebrasoma flavescens (Bennett, 1828). 

Other Common Names: Yellow Surgeonfish, Yellow Hawaiian Tang. 

Distribution:  A species considered endemic to Hawaiian waters, its distribution extends from the Hawaiian area westward through the northern Marshall Islands to Wake, Marcus, Guam, and other Marianas Islands. 

Identification: Yellow oval shaped body with a nocturnal horizontal white stripe at the base of the tail. 

Maximum Size: To 7.5″ to 8″ in the wild (Captive average max size is 5″) 

Characteristics & Compatibility: 

These surgeon fish do very well in the home aquarium. There are mixed experiences with these fish as some tend get along well with other fishes in an aquarium, but it can be aggressive towards other Yellows and Surgeonfshes unless they are introduced into the marine aquarium at the same time and some people find they mix very well and do not fight with other Surgeonfshes. My theory is that the size of aquarium and type of aquarium interior layout is the detemining factor in these cases. If your aquarium size allows you to include several of these fish (I have 6), you will be entertained by their follow the leader patterns in and through live rock. 

Diet & Feeding: 

Yellow Surgeonfish are herbivores and will graze on alga and other plant life. It is best kept in an aquarium that has good algae growth, where in turn they earn their keep by helping to keep the algae growth cropped. Yellow Surgeonfish love Nori (dried or roasted seaweed) and other green vegetable matter and vitamin enriched flakes. My own experiences are that they will also nibble at dried shrimp and other meaty fares as well. 

Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallon. 

Reef Tank Suitable?: Yes.

Wonderful idea and Mr Boffeys dreams of this are coming true.

I will get some of the latest pictures and keep you up-to-date.

This will look amazing when compelted.

Solid State Lighting with 10 x CREE XP-G R+ PowerLEDs driven at 700mA (upgradeable to 1000mA) using a Total Power Consumption of 23W. The Total Luminous Flux (lumens) 700mA-approx 1850 lm and 1000mA-approx 1970 lm with Wide angle lenses. The units are 198 x 198mm so cover a nice area of the aquarium. TMC recommend that the life of the unit is 50,000 hrs/10 yrs which is great.

Advtanges of using this AquaBeam 1000HD unit are the Cool running and low heat transfer to water helps you keep your temperature stable, the unit is Ultra safe and has a silent operation whilst being flexible.

The information from TMC:-

1. AS PRIMARY LIGHTING: Marine fish-only and soft coral aquaria.

2. AS SECONDARY LIGHTING: Marine full-reef aquaria (for best results, use in combination with AquaBeam 1000HD Marine White or Reef White).

• Uses the latest and brightest generation of CREE® XP-G PowerLEDs available, specially selected for AquaRay products.

• Wide angle beam maximises light spread.

• Cool running with low heat transfer to aquarium water.

• Low cost of ownership and environmentally friendly.

• Very compact, measuring just 20 x 20cm, making it suitable for use in nano and other smaller tanks.

• Offers a minimum of 50,000 hours lamp life – 6x standard fluorescent lighting.

• Lowest running costs and highest useable output of light per unit of energy consumed, with all light output being visible and directed towards the aquarium.

• Versatile mounting fixtures included, allowing a wide variety of replacement, retrofit and new install options on all sizes of aquaria.

The D-D Aquablue Plus is specifically designed for reef aquariums mimicking sea water to a depth of one to twenty meters. It can be used for growing SPS corals up to 80cm in the aquarium.

D-D were the first on the market in the UK when we brought out our full range of lamps and tubes for planted, marine and reef aquariums around 2002. In 2005 we started supplying these tubes to Giesemann who now they use them in all of their fixtures and we have now joint branded them in the smart new packaging shown below.

The tubes can be combined with Aqua Flora tubes for freshwater, tropical fish and planted aquaria.

 
Luminous Flux:

• 24W  -1250 lm
• 39W – 2250 lm
• 54W  -3200 lm
• 80W  -4450 lm

Colour temperature :

• 15.000K

Available from all good retail shops.

UK Recommended Price - 

• 24 watt – £19.49
• 39 watt – £ 20.49
• 54 watt – £ 21.49
• 80 watt – £24.99

For more information visit: http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/t5-aquablue-plus-powerchrome-bulbs

The marine aquarium lighting is to provide that same day time lighting as close to the natural light produced by the sun for coral to grow.

The correct level of lighting is also important for providing coral with a specific amount of light to help the coral flourish and grow.

You can choose from flourescent lighting, metal halide, mercury vapour, LED lighting and/or a combination.

Particularly for marine aquarium lighting combinations of metal halide and fluorescent lighting have become popular.

LED lighting has many advantages over Metal Halide and the biggest advance is heat. The life cycle of LED lighting also means that investment at the start means you save later on.

The Australian Port Jackson shark shares her tank with a male and staff were hoping they would start breeding.

But Blue Reef Aquarium’s Anna Etchells said: “We were not expecting her to start laying eggs quite so quickly.”

“Port Jacksons are extremely difficult to get to breed successfully and it would have been incredibly lucky if any of this first batch actually were fertile but we’re hoping that it may augur well for the future.”

Tunze Wavebox Extension

TUNZE® Wavebox 6215 is a patented wave generator for aquariums from 200 to 1.500 litres (52 to 396 USgal.). A special Wavebox pump, which belongs to the family of the Turbelle® stream pumps, is used as an installed pump. The integrated magnet holder permits an uncomplicated attachment at every point of the aquarium with a glass thickness of 19 mm (.74 in.).  

Benefits:-  

Oscillating current with near-nature wave movement and circulation.  

De-sedimentation of the entire aquarium habitat.  

Wave generation at low power consumption, high efficiency and low motor heat.  

Safety extra-low voltage, blocking and run-dry protection.  

The magnetic holder simplifies mounting of components at any position on the aquarium pane; encapsulated construction; requires only seconds for attachment; two models for glass thickness of up to 12 mm (.47 in.) and up to 19 mm (.74 in.).  Up to a glass thickness of 12 mm (.47 in.).  

Tunze Wavebox Extension

In case of aquariums with volumes of over 1,500 litres (396 US gal.), a Wavebox Extension 6215.50 should be added to the existing Wavebox. The Wavebox extension contains the Wavebox 6215, however without Wavecontroller 6091. The combination of Wavebox and Wavebox Extension is suitable for aquariums up to about 3,000 litres (about 792 USgal.). Each additional extension (three maximum) increases the volume recommended by about 1,500 litres (about 396 USgal.). The Waveboxes can be placed beside each other or opposite each other, and a Wavebox Extension 6215.50 can be connected to Wavebox 6215 without any additional accessories. A Y adapter 7092.34 is required only for two or three Wavebox extensions.
The Wavebox extension is also suitable for operation with Multicontroller 7096. 

Tunze Magnet Holder 6080.50

An important things to note, if you are using 2 Tunze Waveboxes and you want them together or aimed at each other you need to follow the instructions to tell the controller the setup you have.  

Jumper – switch options of the display
Setting the functions:
The  mode  of  operation  can  be  set  in  the Wavecontroller 6091.
Disconnect the mains plug !
Remove the cover. Use a fat screw-driver to pull off the rotary knob „Pulse“, and unscrew the two screws on the rear side of the housing.
Set the jumper (red pin) on the PCB.
Warning ! Do not damage the LEDs and the cable.  

„Synchron“  (1)  (factory  setting)  =  the  two  outputs„ Master“  and  „Slave“  drive  two Waveboxes  at  the same  time,  which  means  that  two  Waveboxes or  more  are  located  next  to  each  other  in  the
aquarium.  

„Inverse“ (2) = the two outputs „Master“ and „Slave“ drive two Waveboxes alternately, which means that two Waveboxes are  located  in opposite corners of
the aquarium.  

„Extern“ (3) = the Wavebox is operated with a fow kit and Multicontroller (low and high tide). The „Master“ cable  is  connected  to  the  driver  of  the Wavebox,
and  the  „Slave“  cable  is  connected  to  an  output of  the Multicontroller  (cf.  „Initial operation of  larger systems“).

This is one of the biggest SEA LIFE centre I have been to within the UK. We had a great time and this ended up a great family day instead of a Daddy day

I would recommend if you are in and around Dorset its worth a look. 

If you book online you can £5off EVERY TICKET.

Weymouth Seal Life Centre Facilities:-

• Fantastic indoor/outdoor displays
• 1,000+ creatures including Baby Crocs, Leafy Sea Dragons, and Giant Crabs
• SHARK BREEDING CENTRE! New feature for 2010!
• Penguin, Seal, Otter and Turtle Sanctuaries
• 4 Great kid’s rides, Wet n’ Wild Splash Lagoon & Log Flume Ride
• See the amazing Rockpool Experience – Hold a crab and touch a starfish!
• Walkthrough the underwater tunnel full of sharks, turtles & tropical fish
• Watch the feeding and learn about the creatures in fun demonstrations throughout the day
• Help save the whales by joining our campaign
• Childrens quiz trail and Cafe

 The shark tunnel is amazing:-

My son loved the Star Fish learning area:-

I now only feed the fish and thats it. My water evaporation is topped up automatically, my water changes take 5 minutes to do a 250 litre water change and no carrying water and spilling it. Open a vale and the sump drains, close the valve and then open the water change valve and walk away. The pre-mixed salted water is gravity fed into the tank to the tank level and the float valve closes the supply. I then check all is ok and close the valve as a backup.

The temperature is constant, 25 at morning 26 in the evening.

Nitrate currently is zero and mangroves are growing flower heads so I would say project Bespoke Aquarium has been a success.

He is a bit of monster.

Nothing like Mini-Me

I have been trying to get a photo graph of them for along time and finally got one:-

Years later and the Lipstick Tang is so used to me getting the camera out that it now posses for the shots.

The fish is beautiful in every way possible. The colours are vivid and the personality unique. It is the negotiator in the tank, it sorts out any fish that is a bully and causes no problem.

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

This has been built with a transparent elevator inside.

Located at the Radisson Hoyrl, the aquarium complex opened 5 years ago and cost approximately 12.8 million Euros.

It is filled with 900,000 liters of seawater and houses a total of 2,600 fish of 56 different species.

Cleaning of the aquarium and feeding of the fish is done manually, you can always see a team of divers swimming around performing their duties.

Largest Cylinderical Aquarium

Restaurant Aquarium Idea

This is the strangest aquarium I have ever seen!

I am now planning on a bespoke cooling system. I was looking in the past at buying a chiller but my research led me to think that the chiller will generate heat in the ambient area and also cool the water. So you end up with a warmer room to cool down which I think defeats the object. The chiller could be fitted outside and then you get no problems.

My plan is to integrate a fan setup in the hood and into the cabinet keeping the air flow at a maximum.

• Fans running on a timer along with the lighting.
• Fans regulated by temperature controller to only come on as heat removal is required.
• Thermoelectric chillers
• Refrigerant based chillers

The project took a lot of planning and when you take on a bespoke aquarium projectyou need to be able to visualise the final goal. If you actually achieve hat you set out to achieve without any problems then this give you such a feeling of achievement.

In my view it looks amazing and the attention to detail that Alan work to is impeccable.

Apologies about the dodgy pics, they were taken on the iPhone. I will be taking some better photographs soon.

The first thing I noticed was the attention to detail and how strong the constuction was.

The colour is also perfect as initially at the start of the project I was having Piano White but after much investigation I decided to go with a Ivory White 65% gloss finished.

Alan the bespoke cabinet maker said to me that it is important to make the design look as good on the inside as it does on the outside. I did not truly imagine he was able to produce such a wonderful job and understand his attention to detail.

I cant wait now for next weekend when it is all fitted after Alan makes the finishing touches.

The instructions are simple and the unit controls 2 circuits. You can individually control the 2 circuits timing, dimming, etc.

The next bit was the bit that got me. The storm function, for those of you that missed the bit on page 3 explaining that pressing the “-” in run mode will activate the storm feature, you will be will looking everywhere for this.

In the storm mode it ramps the lights down over 5 minutes and then starts a storm for 30 minutes.The storm is great. TMC have created the ultimate toy for men here! I love it. The wife was not so bothered and could not understand why I was so excited, but what does the wife know!…

The storm seems totally random and looks real, I am sure I heard thunder ….

I have created a really dodgy video to show you, follow the link:-

TMC Multi Controller Storm

OCTOZIN may also be used to treat Whitespot in seawater aquaria where CUPRAZIN cannot be used. OCTOZIN is harmless to invertebrates and algae when used as directed. You will require three separate days of treatment to complete the course.

OCTOZIN is active for up to 3 days after the last day of use. Although internal parasites are destroyed instantly, external signs of improvement to the fish may take up to 7 days.

Suitable for seawater, tropical freshwater and coldwater aquaria.

Available in:
21 tablet (3 day course for 159 litres)
200 tablet (3 day course for 1500 litres)

See bottle / box leaflet for further instructions.

http://chiller.jbjlighting.com/prod_chiller_size.asp

I am looking at buying the DC-2200 Refrigerated Cooler.

DC-2200 Refrigerated Cooler

These photo’s show the aquarium 2 weeks on, but rememeber this is not a new system that is cycling as it is an upgrade and I have brought someone else’s complete aquarium and put all their gravel into the tank, all their sump mirracle mud added to mine and so on. There is 120Kg of live rock in the aquarium and this is all mature (approx 2 years).

Bespoke 7ft Aquarium

Blue Throat Trigger Male

Copper Band Butterfly

Leather Coral

Lipstick Tang

Powder Blue Tang

Purple Tang

Yellow Tang

Everything is settling down and starting to grow again.

Still waiting for the external cabinet to be manufactured to finish off the aquarium.

In the past I brought a spare tank and removed all my rock and then caught the fish and put them into the new tank and fixed 50% then moved them back 6 weeks later. This was years ago.

Well I decided my new plan of attack to remove white spot:-

• Dont Mess! – Keep my hands out!
• Feed every hour small amounts of food with Garlic sprinkled on.
• Turn up my ozone unit to 25mg
• Slow the flow down through my UV steriliser.
• Lower the temperature to 24 degrees

It is now monday and they all look great. I do not know what it is that has made the difference but it has worked and I am so happy.

I will keep my hands out for a week or 2 as I have messed a lot, as you tend to do with a new tank.

White spot removal techique that worked for me might not work for you, but its worth a try.

————————

UPDATE

————————

The White Spot is now under control. I ended up using Octozin and after the course was completed I slightly over dosed the Ozone. And now all is ok.

The difference from the new wide angle lens must be helping also, but the Cheato and Caulerpa love it.

I will post some photos asap.

My eldest son who is only 3 is fascinated by watching the crabs and shrimps and he loves watching the coral move. The fish are brightly coloured and children love bright colours but the fact that a marine aquarium is a complete living ecosystem brings more than just a fish to look at. He has in his room some tropical fish and these are nice but they do not attract the same attention. My other son who is 1 enjoys watching the fish and when he is upset I simply take to the fish tank and he forgets why he was crying and watches the fish swim around. 

Family members and friends also make comments and it seems that everyone is interested in the marine aquarium. Having kept many different types of fish over the years I certainly can see the interest level change when people see a marine aquarium. My discus which were housed in a full planted aquarium that looked like this:- 

Example Discus Aquarium

I have housed 12 large discus in a 5 foot aquarium and even breed them over the years. 

I have also had a beautiful 20” arowana that amazing. 

However nothing has ever been anywhere near as good my marine aquariums. It seems everyone is interested in my marine aquariums and it is so relaxing. My marine aquarium is in the dining room so that we can see it from the living room, dining room and conservatory. It is placed away from any windows which generate algae problems from direct sunlight and is placed in a non busy area along a wall. 

Half the battle with setting up a marine aquarium is getting the tank to be trouble free and with minimum work load involved. I have a view that you should not try and cut costs on marine aquariums. If you buy a protein skimmer that is bigger than what you need, it will cost a little more but will be quieter and not have to work hard to do its job. If you work out you need 90 kg of live rock and you think that the cost is too much, buy a smaller tank. Getting everything as it should be will mean you have more success and with this success comes less work, which means you enjoy keeping a marine aquarium rather than always working on it due to problems. 

If you find yourself testing and adding calcium, testing and adding calcium, testing and adding calcium then buy a calcium reactor, once setup then you can test every now and again. If you buy iodine, always buy the biggest available as this will save you money in the long run. The same with salt. Look for deals on 25 kg buckets and this will save you money. 

Everything I do with my marine aquarium is aimed at making me do less. I want to enjoy the fish not work for them. 

Knowledge is everything and planning is a must. It took 2 months of planning to get my tank on the road and I have experience in keeping a marine aquarium. So if its your first bear this in mind. Also remember the bigger the volume of water in a marine aquarium the easier it will be look after. Many people try keeping marine fish in small tanks and then have problems and think it is too hard. It is much more difficult if your volume of water is small. 

The biggest tip for marine aquarium keeping is don’t buy fish on a whim. You may not get them once they are in your tank. I have had all my rock out the tank to catch a Blue face Angel Fish that I brought as a juvenile even thou i knew deep down when it matures it may nip and coral. It was a hungry coral muncher and so needed to go. I regret this to this day as he eat some lovely coral I had grown for over 12 months and then gone in a minute. 

If you have decided to get a marine aquarium I would seriously consider buying the largest tank you can. And start off with clown fish for a while to get the tank settled and get you into the habit and skill of changing water without altering the chemistry of the water too much.

Had a wonderful conversation with someone from http://www.aquariumledlighting.co.uk with reference to their LED lighting units. 

Having used the TMC Aquaray LED units since they came out it will be interesting to give these new LED lights a testing. These units can get wet, infact they can even go into the water due to the IP rating. This is something that makes me think the life of the unit will be improved.

The video below shows a lighting storm which “I love” and being a bloke “I need”.

 The information that is published on these LED light units are as follows:-  

Marine White: Max 10000k
Cool and intense: a piercing white that will cut through the water to give life and light to your corals. The Marine is ideal for your nano and marine aquariums. It has a Kelvin rating of 10000 and an nm of 450 – 460 peaking sharply to create the perfect brilliant cool white that is so important to reef aquariums. 

To increase the kelvin rating of the light introduce Actinic blue by adding an Ocean tube or a Brilliance Blue. Please note the lumen output of blue is much less than white so ensure the white lighting is correct for viewing purposes.

I have always been a fan of Blue Throat Triggers and when I purchased 2 years ago a male a female pair I could not be more happy.

They look beautiful and both have an individual personality.

Male Blue Throat Trigger - Xanthichthys auromarginatus

I always think that customer service tests a company more than its products actually lasting. If you have confidence in company then the product will always sell.

I have always been a fan of TMC and out of my 12 or so Aquarays I have had only 1 fail intermittently. I contacted TMC about this and they said to send it directly to them and they will investigate the fault with the unit.

I then made a call and they basically TMC said there was a small fault and would send me a new unit out. No questions or issues, which has made me think even more about TMC as a company as I believe that customer service is something most companys lack.

I would have no issue spending a lot of money on TMC products because you know if something ever went wrong you will get the backing from the manufacture.

A large purple tang sometimes called yellow tail tang. Its latin name is Zebrasoma xanthurum.

The purple tang was name by Blyth back in 1852. They live in the Red Sea and the Arabian Peninsula of the Persian Gulf. The live at depths of 7 to 65 feet often in pairs or as schools.

The Purple Tang has a disk like shaped body similar to other surgeonfish, but the purple tang has giant dorsal and anal fins. When the fins of the sailfin tangs are fully extended, the height of these fish is about the same as the length. The Purple Tang has an small extended snout.

The body of the fish is a beautiful dark blue to purple and the caudal fin is a beautiful vivid yellow.

Purple Tang - Zebrasoma xanthurum

The largest scientifically measured Purple tang was 22.0 cm / 8.7 in, the recommended water temperature is around 22-25.5º C. The pH-value should be 8.1-8.4 and the specific gravity 1.020-1.025 which means they do well in most marine aquairums.

Powerful water movements are strongly recommended. The oxygen level must be high if you want your Purple tang to do well.

I have placed it in the tank and now I feel I have enough rock to aquascape my rock.

Pictures to follow.

The fish look so happy in the new environment. Big is definately better.

I have always been a fan of the Miracle Mud Product, below is information I can find related to it:-

filtration system would make use of well known micro-biological and photosynthetic

principles to reduce the concentration of waste products in the water, hence, the name

Ecosystem Filtration System. The task that remained was to test the Ecosystem in the real

world.

I first used my filtration system in 1991 on a 55 gallon fish-only

saltwater aquarium. I was able to keep some twenty fishes

ranging from small to large (although most were medium sized to

large), fed them heavily everyday and did not perform any water

changes. The fish maintained their color and did not develop

lateral line disease. The quality of the water appeared good. I

used Instant Ocean salt and the water quality was tested. The pH

remained stable at 8.0 to 8.3. The test also revealed that there

was trace ammonia and trace nitrites present and that nitrates

remained within a safe range for fish. (less than 40 p.p.m.) It is

important to note that no protein skimmers were used in the

Ecosystem Filtration System at any time!

After the success of the 55 gallon salt water fish-only aquarium, I decided in Feb. 1992 to

test the filter on a 240 gallon reef tank (96″ x 24″ x 24″) which contained a large number

of fish. Unlike the 55 gallon tank, this tank did not have crushed coral nor sand at the

bottom bud did use Instant Ocean salt. The size of the filter was 60″ x 16” x 18″. This filter

differed from the prototype in that it included base live rock and was larger in size. No

water changes were made despite the fact that the fish were fed heavily on a daily basis.

Multivitamins and multi-mineral blocks were added to the tank. The tank consisted of a

mixture of soft corals and large polyp stony corals. The corals and the fish thrived for the

lifetime of the tank, which was moved in Sept. 1993. Water testing revealed that pH was

stable at 8.0 to 8.2. There were trace amounts of ammonia and nitrites, and some nitrates

were present but stayed within a safe range. The level of phosphate was not tested at that

time.

When I opened my tropical fish store in January, 1994 I set up a 600 gallon reef aquarium

(96″ x 48″ x 30″) using the Ecosystem filter. The dimensions of the filter were 72″ x 24″ x

20″ reflecting the size of the aquarium. I used about 600 lbs. of Marshall Island live rock in

the tank and a different type of salt (rich in phosphates as I later discovered). The

aquarium consisted of a mixture of soft corals, large polyp stony corals and small polyp

stony corals known as Acropora. It also housed a large variety of saltwater fish (about fifty

and most of them medium to large-sized) which were fed heavily each day. The fish

retained their color and never developed lateral line disease. Fish with lateral line disease

that were placed into the tank recovered in about 6 to 8 weeks. The soft corals thrived in

the tank while some large polyp stony corals did not survive. Acropora corals also died. The

water of the tank was never changed and thus led to a calcium deficiency which, in turn, led

to he disappearance of coralline algae. Although I added multivitamins and multi mineral

blocks, I could not stimulate stony coral growth. The water of the tank was tested and the

pH level was stable at 8.0 to 8.3. There were trace levels of ammonia and nitrites. Nitrates

remained within the same range, however, phosphates were tested and found to be present

at unusually high levels and were believed to be the cause of poor stony coral growth

(phosphates prevent the calcification of stony corals). The high phosphate levels appear to

be extraneous to the filtration system and may possible be due to the type of salt used. The

tank was disassembled in March 1996 due to our move to a

new location.

A 120 gallon reef tank was set up in July, 1995. Its

dimensions were 48″x24″x24″ and the filter’s dimensions

were 36″x12″x18″. I used reverse osmosis water mixed with

Reef Crystal sea salt. A combination of Marshall Island, Fiji

Island, and Indonesian live rock were used (about 180lbs.

total). Unlike the previous tank, both stony and soft corals

thrived (including the Acropora). The tank was set up bare-bottom for easier siphoning of

detritus and thus involved routine water changes. The tank was also placed so that it could

receive a mixture of natural and artificial light. The water was never tested. This tank was

dismantled in March 1996 and reassembled at a new location on the same day. The corals

and fish are thriving. The siphoning of detritus is done weekly and accounts for about 3.5

gallons of water changed.

In March 1996, another tank, a 400 gallon tank

(66″x48″x30″) , was set up. The Ecosystem filter dimensions

are 60″x16″x18″. This tank was set up solely for growing

small polyp stony corals. Reverse osmosis water mixed with

Reef Crystal sea salt was used. About 400 lbs. of a mixture of

base rock was used as well. A variety of species of SPS corals

were kept and monitored in this tank. They are growing at

their natural growth rate and all fish are very healthy (including a new addition recovering

from lateral line disease).

The Ecosystem Filtration System, when used in conjunction with a good salt and with

moderate water changes, can keep both corals and fish healthy while simultaneously

keeping the levels of nitrates and nitrites very low if they appear at all. Our goal to provide

an effective and nature friendly filtration system has been realized and all that remains to

be done is to fine tune the optimum conditions.

The new tank level raised in the sump but I did not have to take any water out

I just placed the rock in and then moved the sand from the old aquarium.

I then moved all the mirracle mud from the sump into the new sump and all the live rock rubble.

The fish all hid under the filter in the corner.

I have also placed some strips of clear plastic around the base of the egg crate frame to prevent the sand getting under it.

As with tropical tank there is a period of time that the tank must be left before stocking. However if this is an upgrade odviously then you can move the rock from your old tank and into your new tank and then this is going to be perfectly ready and you will probably have fish to move also. No matter how much care is taken, there will normally be a certain amount of die-off, which will provide nutrients for beneficial bacteria to multiply.

Test the water daily:

• pH should be 8.0 – 8.3
• Specific gravity 1.024 – 1.026.
• Temperature 25 degrees.

If you have a new tank and buy live rock there will normally be an ammonia ‘spike’ at first, followed by an increase in nitrite. The nitrate will then be converted into nitrate and the nitrate levels will start to rise. Once these levels begin to fall then the first of the clean-up crew can be introduced.

Cycling may take 28 days or less, depending on the quality of the Live Rrock and how much die-off there has been in the movement of the Live Rock.

Phosphate remover should be added immediately as phosphate will be absorbed by rock and can cause problems if it’s leached back into the water. Also add carbon.

Something that I do that I am not proud of and normally keep this as a secret. If you have a new tank and want to cycle it perfectly and fast because you are impatient then follow the steps below:-

1. Tank in place and cleaned.
2. Check for leaks with normal water.
3. Remove normal water if there are no leaks.
4. Start adding RO water.
5. Add pump to circulate water once the RO level is above the pump size (so as to not break the pump).
6. Add a heater set at 25 degress.
7. Add salt to get the Specific gravity to 1.024 – 1.026.
8. Place Egg crate in chosen places.
9. Place in sand or whatever the base of the tank will be.
10. Drink a pint of water
11. Place in live rock.
12. Ensure no one is around and get on a chair and do a wee into the tank. This is serious.
13. After a few hours check the Ammonia level – off the scale.
14. Check the next day the nitrite level….watch it grow and the ammonia level drop.
15. You will see in a few days a Nitrate spike.
16. And after 7 days it should have cycled and the amount of ammonia the tank has dealt with is huge in comparison to adding a few fish.
17. Add clean up crew and fish slowly.

This process is what I do and do not read this and say that it is wrong and you cant do that, etc, etc. What works for one might not work for another, but I can honestly say it works a treat.

I used to bread discus before keeping marine fish and this is something I did on tropical tank as well.

Egg Crate Stands

The flow around and through each piece of Live Rock should be maximised to allow it to work efficiently as a biological filter.

I have looked across the internet and found many suppliers and then look on ebay and found lots of people selling it at ridiculous prices.

So I am going to find a wholesale supplier and buy this in bulk.

white egg crate

black egg crate

 When I find a supplier I will buy the egg crate in bulk and then offer it at cost price to anyone who wants it.

The loc-line product is:-

If anyone knows where to get this from please email me at: info@bespokeaquarium.co.uk

STEP 1 : Sand 1″ inside of the 1.5″ (male) x1″ (female) slip bushing such that it can
slide over the 1″-in-diameter pipe with considerable resistance. 
A dremel is recommended (but not required) for this step.

 

STEP 2: Press the coupler and bushing together to form bell (aka flow bell).

 

STEP 3: Drill 1/4″ hole in top-center of 1″ end cap and push the air tubing through. 
The air tubing should slide with considerable resistance through the hole.
Drill 5, 1/2″ holes or any assortment of large holes in 1″ pipe. 
Holes need to be roughly positioned as shown below.

 

STEP 4: In picture above, take end cap and push it on 1″ pipe on the side that is about 2″ 
from top of holes).  The end of the air tubing should rest a little bit below the drilled holes.

 

STEP 5: Push together all parts seen in step 3 (and in that orientation) together.

 

Initial Adjustments

The Hofer Gurgle Buster (HGB) requires two initial one-time adjustments:

ADJUSTMENT 1: BACK PRESSURE

Left (first) picture shows unit fully open.  Right (second) picture shows unit fully closed.

First note that water should flow in the bell from top down (i.e. the direction of gravity).  If you have the bell reversed, switch it.  I have tried both orientations and flow from top going down works a lot better in all cases.  In the two pictures above, the leftmost (first) picture shows the flow bell in a position that opens the holes fully.  In the right picture the flow is completely blocked.  Before the pump is turned on, I start with the flow bell in the up position because it is easier to push down on the bell in the tight confines of the Lifereef Slimline overflow (shown in the picture), but you can start at either extreme, open or closed.  Now with the pump on and water flowing, adjust the height of the bell so the unit can handle the flow rate comfortably but not so open as to induce noisy vortices into the bell.  In general you are trying to find the bell height at which the flow is maximized but noise is minimized.
 

ADJUSTMENT 2: AIR INJECTION HEIGHT
The water flowing past the end of the air tubing will draw air into the turbulent water flow inside the core pipe.  This air is very important in order to prevent a strong siphon from forming which would otherwise induce vortices into the bell.  Normally, air should be drawn below the water inlet holes as shown in step 4 above.  If the back pressure adjustment was done properly, one should be running fairly quietly already, but for total silence, the air tube end may need to be slightly tweaked (usually by pushing the air tubing in further).  Very slightly slide the air tubing up and down to hit the “sweet spot,” the height at which all sound should stop or be minimized.  Now cut the top end of the air tubing to the maximal height you would ever allow the water in your overflow.  If for any reason the main holes are partially obstructed (say a large piece of bubble algae gets stuck in there), the water in the overflow will rise to the top of the air tubing, block the air flow into the tubing, and thus induce a strong siphon through the entire unit.  This strong siphon action can be thought of as a backup measure just in case the holes are obstructed.  The strong siphon will be noisy and will indicate there is an obstruction that needs to be cleaned out.

Information taken from: http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/HGB_construction.html

To make life easy for you here are the links:-

http://www.dursostandpipes.com/

http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/standpipe/standpipe-ken_stockman.htm

http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/

I have investigated many different overflow examples and tried and tested different methods.

I have made my own durso standpipe and I found that sticking a pipe of ro tube down the overflow and out the 90 degree bend. The made the overflow directly above my sump silent.

But the overflow at the left hand side of the has not sound other than water trickling but its loud.

I have tried most things on the internet I can find but nothing it working.

I am currently designing and testing my own systems and will put the information on the site later.

This will be able to not only control all 8 lights but also will be able to be reduce plug sockets used as this will control the lot, or so I am to believe.

I want this for light units and will update with information as soon as I have one in my hands.

My setup consists of a 1.5″ tee then a 1.5″ 90 degree bend and then on the top a closed top. I drilled a 3.5mm hole and fitted a small air valve adjuster into it to allow for alterations of the air intake rather than drilled holes.

My problem was that one sump return worked in minutes and this is the return directly above the sump, so this has a straight pipe down to the sump.

The 2nd weir return runs from side of the tank to the other and this must have a lot of air in the pipe work due to the length and there is a back pressure problem as it flushs like a toilet about very 2 minutes.

I drilled a hole in the side wall that was 6mm and then I can add more air as required by turning the pipe cap to align up with the hole in the pipe.

I got this running lovely for 5 minutes and the a flush.

I worked out that the return pipes were too low below the water level of the sump so I shortened them.

But then as the tank started to fill higher and the pressure increased the spray bar started to drip

A grab of containers and a quick drain and then reseal.

Dosing vodka to bring down Nitrates and Phosphates and will give you the advantage of more colourful coral and clearer water.

In my own experimental trials I have used 95% Vodka, 5% White Vinegar and 1 teapsoon of Sugar in a container. I would mix this together and leave it in a sealed container for a few days and shake it every now and again.

Why use Vodka, well Vodka is much purer thank other alchol types such as Whiskey, Gin or Brandy. Adding Vodka feeds bacteria that reduces nitrate and phosphate molecules (NO3 and PO4). Reducing phosphates will also give you enhanced calcification and this will aid in the growth of corals. One of the biggest advantages in lowering Nitrate (NO3) and Phospahte (PO4) will be the reduction in nuisance algae such as bubble algae and hair algae.

The addition of Vodka increases bacterial biomass and this is added to fast you can create a white bacteria bloom in your aquarium. It is important to get the vodka dosing addition at the correct level to aid in bacterial growth at a controlable level. This increased bacteria will create your protein skimmer to go mad and removal of the bacteria will be removing the NO3 and PO4 and over time complete removal of all NO3 and PO4 if you dose correctly.

On my Trigon 350 I started off dosing my Vodka mix solution in this pattern:-

Day 1,2,3,4,5 = 0.1ml

Day 6,7,8,9,10 = 0.2ml

Day 11,12,13,14,15 = 0.4ml

Day 16,17,18,19,20 = 0.8ml

Day 21,22,23,24,25 = 0.16ml

Day 26,27,28,29,30 = 0.30ml

Day 31,32,33,34,35 = 0.50ml

I then had zero nitrates so I stopped at this level and add 0.50ml every day or every other day.

I didnt experience any issues at all and I have Vodka dosed for over 12 months.

I use Ozone and this from what I have read aids in the process and keeps the water crystal clear.

This is my own experimental results so follow this at your own risk.

I used silicon to attach them the the weir box glass.

They fit like a glove, thank you  Reynolds Signs and Plastics.

The Shark Water Film Effected Me In So Many Ways.

Sharks are so beautiful and yet people will eat Shark Fin Soup and not give it a second thought. 

They are so important to the environment that we live in. 

I recommend to buy the film and watch it and then educate others. 

 The biggest enemy to sharks are humans – Absolutely!

That’s why humans must now do all they can to preserve them. 

 

  

 

Education – Shark Finning Facts

What is Shark Finning? 

• Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, the shark slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is eaten alive by other fish.
• Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers have only the fins to transport. Shark meat is considered low value and therefore not worth the cost of transporting the bulky shark bodies to market.
• Any shark is taken-regardless of age, size, or species.
• Longlines, used in shark finning operations, are the most significant cause of losses in shark populations worldwide.
• Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored.
• Shark finning has increased over the past decade due to the increasing demand for shark fins (for shark fin soup and traditional cures), improved fishing technology, and improved market economics.
• Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.
• One pound of dried shark fin can retail for $300 or more. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry.

Impacts of Shark Finning 

• Loss and devastation of shark populations around the world. Experts estimate that within a decade, most species of sharks will be lost because of longlining.
• Unsustainable fishery. The massive quantity of sharks harvested and lack of selection deplete shark populations faster than their reproductive abilities can replenish populations.
• Threatens the stability of marine ecosystems.
• Loss of sharks as a food staple for many developing countries.
• Local waters are invaded by large industrial, foreign fishing vessels that threaten traditional sustainable fisheries.
• Threatens socio-economically important recreational fisheries.
• Obstructs the collection of species-specific data that are essential for monitoring catches and implementing sustainable fisheries management.
• Wasteful of protein and other shark-based products. Up to 99 per cent of the shark is thrown away.

Are there laws against shark finning?  

• Each country with a coastline is responsible for laws and regulations pertaining to fishing in their waters.
• A number of countries have shark-finning legislation. Many stipulate that fins must arrive in a 5 per cent weight ratio of the shark carcasses onboard. Only a few countries demand that sharks arrive in port with fins attached.
• According to the IUCN Shark Specialist group, the easiest way to implement a ban is to require that shark carcasses be landed with fins attached. The possession of fins alone on vessels would thus be illegal.
• Shark finning violates the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
• Shark finning is contrary to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s International Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.
• The United Nations Convention on the Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) lists the whale shark, basking shark, and great white shark as species that could become threatened if trade is not controlled. To date, 169 countries have agreed to be legally bound by CITES.

Websites about sharks and shark finning:

• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
• WildAid
• Shark Trust
• Shark Project
• The Florida Museum of Natural History/ American Elasmobranch Society/ International Shark Attack File
• ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research

Sources:

IUCN Shark Specialist Group. “IUCN Information Paper. Shark Finning.” 2003.
IUCN Shark Specialist Group. “Shark Specialist Group Finning Statement.”
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society – www.seashepherd.org. “Longline Fishing.”
WildAid & Co-Habitat. “Shark Finning.” September 2003. 

Air is drawn in automatically through an air intake adaptor. The rotation of the water/air mixture provides a long contact time with the pollutants resulting in a highly efficient performance. The extremely fine water/air mixture is pumped into the contact tube, where it rises and is collected in a removable cup at the top of the skimmer.

Technical Data

• AP851 Skimmer : Article No. 88010 
• Can be stood either in or beside a sump or beside the aquarium.
• Can be gravity or pump fed (supply pump not supplied).
• Water throughput – 1000 lts/hr, (222 UK gallons/hr).
• Installation kit – item 88052.
• 600 litres of air/hr are produced at the venturi.

Dimensions: 

• L 390mm W 310mm H 800mm (allowing for removal of the cup).
• Hard pipe connections – Supply – 32mm Return – 50mm
• Skimmer body – 200mm diameter
• Riser tube – 90mm diameter

 Stocking:

• Normal Stocking 1500 lts (333 UK gallons)
• Heavy Stocking 1000 lts (222 UK gallons)

Downloadable Files

Instructions AP Skimmers.pdf
AP701-851 Spare Parts List.pdf
Deltec Skimmer Dimensions.pdf

V2ecton UV Sterilisers are suitable for single livestock tanks and for other smaller applications including agriculture, horticulture and hydroponics.

Key Features

• New design, manufactured from impact resistant, translucent polycarbonate.

• Incorporates our unique LITE-SET lamp life timer technology – a tricolour neon lamp life indicator which alerts you to when the UV lamp needs to be changed.

• Supplied complete with a LITE-SET torch to reset the lamp life indicator after changing the UV lamp.

• Opposing inlet and outlet for easy installation and connection to the water supply.

• Four stage hosetails for flexible hose from 1/2″ to 11/4″, held in place with screw on collars for easy removal when servicing and maintaining unit.

• UV shield to prevent direct viewing of the UV lamp.

• Compact, rigid pipe adaptors, for connection to 32mm, 40mm or 1″ rigid pipe, are available.

• 36 month guarantee.

What are the Benefits of a UV Steriliser?

• Reduces bacteria and pathogen levels in the livestock tank.

• Improves water quality for tank inhabitants.

• Significantly reduces the risk of disease spreading in the livestock tank.

• Aids the introduction of new fish into the tank.

• Eliminates the risk of ‘toxic tank syndrome’ caused by bacterial or algal blooms.

• Controls the level of yeast and moulds in the aquarium.

	For aquariums up to approx 200 litres/50 UK gal/60 US gal
	For aquariums up to approx 300 litres/65 UK gal/80 US gal
	For aquariums up to approx 400 litres/90 UK gal/110 US gal
	For aquariums up to approx 600 litres/130 UK gal/160 US gal

Taken from: http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/commercial/v2ecton-uv.asp

http://reef.diesyst.com/volcalc/volcalc.html

Aquarium System Volume Calculator ©
Home
Chemistry Calculator

Version 1.03 ©
Best Viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution
    This page is designed to approximate the water volume for different aquarium shapes and system arrangements. The net water volume considers water displaced by live rock weighted wet and sand weighted dry.
    Make your measurements from the inside to account for the panes thickness.
    If your tank walls are tapered (not vertical) try to measure the width and/or side at the mid distance between the bottom and the water surface.
    Your estimate for water volume inside pipes and purification equipment can be added as other volume.

Many methods are avaialable to create the perfect rock structure. You can even use aquarium silicon sealant.

You can drill it to create small holes in the rock and use pvc plastic pipes to hold the rocks together to make columns and archways.

Do not place your rock on the sand. Place them off the sand using small stands.

I normally cut 1″ Pipe about 1″ and then I have a foot. This is the most cost effective way to build feet for your live rock.

The website: http://www.ro-man.com/

I have then modified mine to have digital TDS monitoring and a booster pump with a resin unit.

I have plumbed this into my loft.

What Is Plastic?

Plastic is made from hydrocarbons derived from petroleum or natural gas. The hydrocarbons are formed into chains called polymers, or plastic resins. By combining hydrocarbon molecules in different ways, different types of plastic can be created.

What Is Food Grade Plastic?

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires that plastics used in food packaging be of greater purity than plastics used for non-food packaging. This is commonly referred to as food grade plastic. Plastics used to package pharmaceuticals are held to an even higher standard than food grade.

Food grade plastic does not contain dyes or recycled plastic deemed harmful to humans. However, this does not mean that food grade plastic cannot contain recycled plastic. The FDA has detailed regulations concerning recycled plastics in food packaging.

Another aspect of food grade plastic is matching the appropriate type of plastic to the food in question. Foods that are highly acidic or that contain alcohol or fats can leach plastic additives from the packaging or container into the food. As a result, you should only use plastic containers that are FDA approved for the particular type of food the plastic will come into contact with.

Finally, it should be noted that a plastic container can no longer be considered food grade if it has been used to store non-food items like chemicals, paint, or detergent.

Types Of Plastic

In the United States, the following codes represent the seven categories of plastic used in nearly all plastic containers and product packaging:

	PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is a clear, tough polymer with exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties. PET’s ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in soft drink bottles.Examples: Soft drink bottles, detergent bottles
	HDPE (high density polyethylene) is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Its chemical resistance properties also make it well suited for items such as containers for household chemicals and detergents. Most five gallon food buckets are made from HDPE.Examples: Milk bottles, shopping bags
	Vinyl (polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) provides excellent clarity, puncture resistance and cling. As a film, vinyl can breathe just the right amount, making it ideal for packaging fresh meats that require oxygen to ensure a bright red surface while maintaining an acceptable shelf life.Examples: Plastic food wrap, shrink wrap, garden hoses, shoe soles
	LDPE (low density polyethylene) offers clarity and flexibility. It is used to make bottles that require flexibility. To take advantage of its strength and toughness in film form, it is used to produce grocery bags and garbage bags, shrink and stretch film, and coating for milk cartons.Examples: Squeeze bottles, dry cleaning bags
	PP (polypropylene) has high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold tightly on to threaded openings. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hot-filled with products designed to cool in bottles, including ketchup and syrup. It is also used for products that need to be incubated, such as yogurt. Many Cambo, Tupperware and Rubbermaid food storage containers are made from PP.Examples: Bottle caps, take-out food containers, drinking straws
	PS (polystyrene), in its crystalline form, is a colorless plastic that can be clear and hard. It can also be foamed to provide exceptional insulation properties. Foamed or expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for products such as meat trays, egg cartons and coffee cups. It is also used for packaging and protecting appliances, electronics and other sensitive products.Examples: Plastic foam, packing peanuts, coat hangers
	Other denotes plastics made from other types of resin or from several resins mixed together. These usually cannot be recycled.

Another important type of plastic is polycarbonate, a clear shatter-resistant material used in restaurant food storage containers and recently in the Rubbermaid Stain Shield line of home food storage containers.

Why do we need different types of plastics, anyway? This excerpt from the American Plastics Council Web site explains it well.

“Copper, silver and aluminum are all metals, yet each has unique properties. You wouldn’t make a car out of silver or a beer can out of copper because the properties of these metals are not chemically or physically able to create the most effective final product. Likewise, while plastics are all related, each resin has attributes that make it best suited to a particular application. Plastics make this possible because as a material family they are so versatile.”

Not All HDPE Containers Are Food Grade

There is a common misconception that all containers made of white plastic or HDPE plastic bearing the symbol are food grade containers. This is not true.

If you are considering the purchase of a container from some place other than a kitchen or restaurant supply store, and the container is not clearly labeled as “food safe” or being made of food grade plastic, then you should assume that it is not food grade and you should not brine in it—unless you line it with a food grade plastic bag.

The water butt that purchased for the water changes is a rain water collecting butt. This is made from 75% recyled materials and this could potentially have toxins that might cause me problems.

I have found that these are fine for RO water storage but when you add salt the salt will pull out the chemicals that may be in the plastic.

I have searched on the forums for information and the information I have found seems to be 50 – 50 split between people using these type of water butts with no problems and then some people saying you should not use them.

I have however not found any evidence that someone has used one and this has caused a problem.

But I would rather be safer than sorry so I will buy a food grade water butt.

These can be obtained from Brewers shops. I have seen in the past an advert on Ebay for containers that were used to transport olives.

The water butts are food grade and salt water can mixed with no problems.

If only life was simple

I have used a company:-

Reynolds Signs and Plastics

 I have supplied a drawing for the weir boxes as below.

I have chosen a matt black finish.

I have brought from B&Q loft boards and placed beams accross the existing beams in my loft and placed the loft boards onto this.

I have then brought from B&Q a 210 litre water butt and this just fitted into my loft hatch.

I have then mounted frame onto the roof beams and mounted my RO unit on the frame.

Ihave broken into the central heating cold water feed with a tee piece and a stop valve and then plumbed my RO unit this feed.

I have purchased float valves that will control the product and waste from the RO unit. The waist will come out of the loft and go straight into the drain pipe from the guttering.

The fun bit now…..I have purchased 21.5mm overflow pipe and fed this all the way from the loft inside the box section that toilet soil pipe runs in. This has a tap in the loft to isolate the supply if required. I have also ran with this an RO pipe.

I have hidden the pipe in the wall and it comes out behind the fish tank and this has a tap on it. The RO pipe is fed directly into the sump using a float valve to control it. This means that the plain RO water that I normally top up with to replace water that has condensated is now fed directly from the RO unit and the level of tank will remain constant.

I will mix salt in the water butt and when required I will drain from my already fitted drain valve which goes into the gutter drain pipe and then fill the tank with the water from the butt in the loft gravity fed.

I am investigating the water butt material to ensure that it will be ok for mixing salt water but if it is not then I will place a huge bag inside will then house the water.

Incase of any problems with the setup I have plumbed an overflow into the central heating overflow pipe using a tee piece which will prevent flooding the loft if the float valve fails.

The water butt information:-

Sankey Standard Waterbutt 1200 210L

Capacity (Litres): 210

Brand: Sankey

Colour: Green

One Planet Home: Save Water

% of recycled content: 75

VOC level: Minimal

Warranty/guarantee: Guarantee

Warranty/guarantee details: Manufacturers 1 year guarantee

Manuf part no: 1200

Material: HDPE

Size : (H) 92cm x (W) 53cm x (L) 53cm

Category: Water Butts & Accessories

Category: Water Butts

Finish: Matt

I spoke to a trusted friend at MG Marines who said they would wait upto 3 weeks before putting water into the aquarium to be sure that the aquarium silicon has gone off.

My bespoke aquarium was built Monday 24th May 2010. So it has been 9 days today since it was built.

RO Auto Shut Off Valve

 I have shopped around and found:- http://www.purewaterproducts.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=92

Reverse Osmosis Float Valve Auto Shut Off Kit

£18.95

http://www.firststopaquatics.co.uk/acatalog/Auto.html

RO Float Valve

PVC Plastic Float Valve

PVC plastic float valve ideal for low flow, automatic level control applications.
Fixed arm is tank mountable with integral bulkhead fitting. 0.093″ orifice with free flow outlet. Estimated flow rate of 1.5 GPM at 40 PSI, the sealing operation has been tested to 100 PSI+.
Valves come complete with jam nut, sealing washer, polyethylene float, and 18-8 stainless steel hardware.

This float valve can be used in conjunction with an auto shutoff valve to stop RO production when a reservoir is full.

It can also be used as an auto top-off device in an aquarium.

All parts are made from NSF approved materials. Replaceable seals are made of long-wearing, chemical resistant Santoprene® rubber.

But I also found:-

Auto Shutoff Kit with Float Valve

RO Auto Float Valve

This kit allows RO units to shut-off or stop producing waste water after the float valve closes.

If using this kit with a booster pump you will need a High Pressure Switch to stop the booster pump when your collection vessel is full.

Parts include:

2 Metres Tubing
Auto Shut Off Pressure Valve
Float Valve
RO Outlet Check valve
Installation Instructions

I normally change around 70 litres at a time and I have in my garage an RO unit with booster pump and inline TDS meter.

I then make up clean RO water into a 100 Litre Water Butt from B&Q with a small eheim pump in it running all the time and then take out water from it for topping the trigon 350 due to condensation.

I then have a 75 litre container from Dunelm and this i mix salt in with RO. This has a heater and pump in.

I drain water from the tirgon 350 into 2 plastic bins which hold 40 litres each and then I know I have taken out 70 litres approx. I then pure the ready salt mixed water back into the tank.

I then pour the dirty water from the tank down the toilet.

Whilst doing this process I generally spill water at all stages and the wife could kill me

With the new aquarium I will be doing much larger water changes so need to improve the process.

I have fitted a tee piece and shut off valve from the water flow from one of the weirs which is carrying water to the spray bar pump setup.

This I have pipe directly into the drain. So now when I need to do a water change I open the valve and drain water out with out any bins or water spillage. This will keep the wife much happier.

But I have the issue for getting water back into the tank.

• Water containter in the loft where I will mix the salt water and gravity to feed to the tank with a shut off valve at the tank.
• Water butt outside with a pump to pump the water into the tank with the plug inside the house for controlling it at the tank.

I am undecided what to do but will be looking at the water ever is easiest.

I used a hose tail convertor to connect into the 1inch pipework that I have used for the return from sump.

The Ocean Runner 3500 needed the outlet to be glued in with resin. I then used flexible hose from the pump to the hard piped hose tail to allow for vibration and movement when the pump will be in use.

Aqua Medic Ocean Runner 3500 or 6500

Eheim 1262 Universal Pump (3400 ltr/hr)

• Pump output: 3400 l/h
• Delivery head: 3,10 m/wat.col. 10 ft. 2 in./wat.col.
• Power consumption: 50 W
• Hose connection (suction side): Ø28mm (1″)
• Hose connection (pressure side): Ø18mm (3/4″)
• Dimensions: 218 x 116 x 161 8.6 x 4.6 x 6.4 in.

One thing you should consider when doing your pipework is think about maintenance, What If something fails and you need to remove it. I have fitted shut off valves at each point to allow me to work on the system.

Also you need to think about non return valves. What if you have a power cut, will the water syphon?

I have designed a frame for them that fit on the straps of the aquarium and used 21.5mm Marley Tube and to construct it.

First Time The Lights Were Switched On

This is very fast at curing and can be used wet or dry so I think it is handy to have.

The tank is now being left to set. . . . Is it ready yet!

 ;-)

This took 4 men to lift in the van and 4 + wife and work bench to get the tank into my home.

To say this was a bigger task than I first thought would be putting it lightly.

After spending the afternoon and evening cutting pipework and checking things It is time to call it a night.

I have made a temp front to stop the kids messing.

Aquarium Cabinet Feet are not going to be cheap.

I have 6 feet, 2 on each end and then 2 in the middle. This spreads the load of the feet and make the aquarium level and the feet can take 6 ton in total.

The water in the tank and glass will mean the weight is approx 1.3 Tons and then the weight of the frame added to this.

 I have used feet from RS.

• RS Stock No. 223-4570
• Manufacturer Nu-Tech Engineering
• Manufacturers Part No. A070/005

Specifications

Below Shows the design drawing I supplied for quotations of the bespoke aquarium:-

The problem is that when you go for a large tank you have thicker glass and and then to make matter worse you then have a double thickness base. So if you have 15mm glass you are talking about a connector with 30mm + seals to deal with.

One point to note on the seals. If you are to run ozone I recommend using silicon and not using seals. The ozone will destroy the seals over time.

I have found that the local plumb center stocks perfect bulk head fittings in ABS plastics and the prices are good.

I have choosen 1.5 inch for the flow to sump fittings and 1 inch fittings for the return from sump.

He came round and looked at the frame and gave some great ideas relating to the design.

I currently have on my Trigon 350 a Deltec MCE500 nad it has served me well. I purchased a Deletec API850 and this stands 30” high from the floor which meant that it fitted perfectly into the frame.