Waterproof Smartphones? What’s next?

Waterproof Smartphones? What’s next?

 

If you’re like me, you probably spend a good chunk of your free time with your hands underwater.  I usually have my phone or a camera nearby, and I’m deathly afraid of the inevitable time when I drop my precious iphone into the tank–and weep for hours at the loss. 

I’ve also always wanted to buy a waterproof camera to take underwater pictures of my fish and coral, but I read the reviews and inevitably people complain of water damage. Looks like those days of fear may be behind us soon enough. Check out this demo of a new waterproofing technology rumored to be included in the iPhone 5.

It seems that a lot of the iPhone rumors don’t hold up, but man do I hope this one does. How cool would it be to use the phone as an underwater camera.The original article I found was on Tech & Trend see for yourself. The coating is apparently applied to the interal components of the phone–providing a protective barrier over the internal electronics so that water flows through the phone–but doesn’t damage the critical parts.
This is soooo cool.  I’m not a nanotechnology buff–so I’m not sure about how it works exactly, but I hope to see it in the iPhone 5 around upgrade time. So cool.

A look back at 2011 and the aquarium hobby

A look back at 2011 and the aquarium hobby

2011 was an interesting year for the saltwater aquarium hobby, and for me personally.  How about you? Even though LED lights have been around for a very long time, 2011 felt like the tipping point for them, as they gained popularity.  Comparisons between LED and MH were popping up on the web and more and more aquarium hobbyists converted. In fact, I regret NOT converting.

My recollections of the beginning of the year are of the countless threads that popped up about having some early difficulty feeding the captive-bred mandarinfish.  The official news and release of captive-bred mandarins was a 2010 occasion, but as more and more reef hobbyists got access to the fish, message boards in 2011 sprang to life with questions about feeding/nutrition.  Hobbyists were hoping for bulletproof fish, which was perhaps an unrealistic expectation of these first generation offspring.

Earlier in the year, ORA released captive-bred variegated sea urchins which had spawned and settled in their tanks, and just a few weeks ago, ORA released some of the first captive bred McCulloch’s clownfish, a species known for its rarity and difficulty to raise in captivity.  

On a personal note, I had some significant gains and losses.  I built, and stocked two four-foot racks of tanks in my basement—the biggest DIY project I have undertaken to date. I raised my first-ever batch of clownfish larvae all the way through the juvenile stage.  I switched my display tank to a 92 gallon corner tank, but I also lost my original spawning pair of clownfish from my display tank—fish who have kept me company for several years now.

Looking forward to 2012, we have to hope for more breakthroughs. Perhaps competition will lower the price of LED lights for the average consumer.  My greatest hope is that aquaculture production of the Banggai Cardinalfish will scale up so that captive-bred Banggais are more common than the less expensive wild-caught specimens. I also hope to see fish, already known to breed in captivity, like the Royal Gramma, become readily available from one of the big aquaculture houses.  Finally, I look towards hobbyist experts like Matthew Wittenrich and Martin Moe to keep blazing the trail to raise new aquarium species in captivity. I can’t wait to read about their successes in 2012. No pressure, guys, and thanks for what you do.

So thanks for looking back with me at 2011 and looking forward to further advancements in 2012. What do you think were the most significant advancements in 2011? What do you look forward to in 2012?

Aquarium cooling fan: Aquacool

Aquarium cooling fan: Aquacool

This summer, I installed an aquarium cooling fan for my display tank.  When the metal halide lamp warms up, my tank and the area around it really warms up.  The cooling fan in the metal halide light is noisy and insufficient, so I decided to try the Aquacool fan from ZooMed Laboratories.  The first thing I noticed (and was surprised about) was how quiet this little fan is. While there is a slight hum from the motor, it is all but inaudible over the other sounds of my tank (the drain to the sump pump and metal halide fan being the two loudest sounds that drown everything else out). 

The fan has a pretty cool design. It hangs over the side of the aquarium–

so the fan motor does not get wet (or at least as the rest of the stuff on top of my tank seem to get. There is also a suction cup where it adheres to the side of the aquarium. In general, I dislike the suction cups, because they seem to fail over time, but I was mildly impressed by this little suction cup. I actually had to repeatedly pull it off and reattach when positioning the fan for the first time–it kept getting stuck by accident. It seems to be a fairly robust little sucker.

 There is an adjustable head on the air outlet so you can direct the air in almost any direction/angle.  I point it so that there is a nice gentle ripple across the water. I previously used an airstone to disrupt the water surface but no longer use that now that I have the Aquacool fan–and as a result I have less splashing and salt creep (salt deposits on the hood and side walls, etc.).

If you have hot lights, if your water temperature runs high, or if you want to create a gentle ripple across the surface of the water, this is a neat, low voltage (the box says 12 volts) tool. From the description (12 volts) I thought this was going to be a battery operated fan, but it’s not. It comes with a black power adaptor to plug right into your powerstrip.

Finding Fish Tanks Online–A post for beginners

Finding fish tanks online–A post for beginners

 

These days, there are fish tanks (aquariums) to suit any room, any budget.  If you have never owned a fish tank before, do a bit of searching online to find out the right option for you.  Once you have identified where you want to keep the fish tank, I recommend you get the biggest tank that fits the space you have dedicated and fits your budget. Traditional local fish stores carry a few items, but for a broader range of fish tanks to choose from, another option is to browse available fish tanks online.  You’re likely to find just the tank.

One of the most difficult parts of selecting a fish tank online is thinking about what type of fish you wish to keep. The reason this is important is that different species of fish may require different living conditions (husbandry). Having a general sense of the type of fish you will keep will allow you to pick the perfect fish tank online, as well as the proper equipment to ensure a happy healthy environment for them.

For example, if you plan to keep freshwater goldfish, just about any light and filter will do–and you don’t even need a heater.  If, on the other hand, you plan to keep fish from warmer, tropical waters, like neon tetras and angelfish, you will need a heater.  If you hope to keep living plants, you will need a tank with an intensive light source. If you want to keep saltwater fish or corals, you will need even more specialized equipment including lights, a heater, protein skimmer and some testing equipment. 

Based on what type of fish or invertebrates (shrimp, crab, etc.) you intend to keep, be sure to read the product descriptions to find out what is included. The list of options and configurations can be confusing. Many of the most appropriate fish tanks for ordering online are plastic or acrylic–which is good because you don’t want to ship a heavy, fragile glass tank. Then, you’ll need to decide whether you are purchasing a cold water tank, to keep coldwater species like goldfish, or a tropical tank with a heater. If you are purchasing the fish tank for a child, look for one with easy access for feeding and a simple filtration system that won’t require much maintenance.  When I was a child, there weren’t as many options, but today many of the fish tanks available for kids have cartoon character or action hero themes. So much fun!!

As you can see, the options, in the digital world we live in today are nearly endless, so take some time to sit back, think about it, and do some planning. If you do, finding fish tanks online should be breeze, and your new underwater habitat will be delivered right to your door before you know it.

Broodstock for Fish Breeding Project

 In my fish room, I now have eight tanks all plumbed to a central sump.  There are four individual ten gallon tanks on the top row and four individual 20 gallon tanks in the bottom row.  I have the following broodstock pairs:

 

1 pair of Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)

1 pair of Black Ocellaris (Amphiprion ocellaris)–these were caramel clowns that have grown into their color

 

1 pair of True Percula clownfish (Amphiprion percula)

 

1 pair of Common Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

1 pair of Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)

 

1 pair of Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus)

 

4 (not yet paired) Engineer Gobies (Pholidichthys leucotaenia)

 

6 (not yet paired) Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kaudernii)–two large females and four juveniles

 

 

 

In my display tank I have a pair of Yellow-headed jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)

The only pair that has mated at this point is the pair of Common Clownfish (amphiprion ocellaris).  They have spawned every ten days for the last 40 days, each clutch larger than the previous. The biggest challenge they pose is that they refuse to lay the eggs in the clay pot anymore and prefer to lay the eggs on the aquarium glass. Using the larval snagger (see previous post) certainly catches the larvae, but with a rather high mortality rate (I suspect from damage done by the bubbling action/current. I need to figure out a way to get them to spawn on a removable substrate, or alternatively snag with less mortality.

DIY Aquarium Rack for Fish Room: Plumbing

DIY Aquarium Rack for Fish Room: Plumbing

Each tank drains through a one-inch vertical standpipe connected to the bulkhead via a 90 degree elbow joint.  The tanks drain into a two-inch diameter PVC drain-line. 

One drain line runs horizontally for each of the two shelves.  The 2-inch pipe drains from left-to-right and connects to a 90-degree run down to the sump.

The sump is a standard 75-gallon glass aquarium.

The return pump is a MAG-12.  The return line is 3/4-inch PVC. The flow for each tank is controlled or restricted with a ball-valve.

DIY Aquarium Rack for Fish Room: Design continued

DIY Aquarium Rack for Fish Room: Design Continued

This is a partial view of what the DIY Aquarium rack looks when complete. To protect the wood from water damage, I used a deck stain/paint.  I’m happy with the wood protection, but do wonder a bit about whether or not it is leaching chemicals.  I have not noticed any ill effects yet, but there have been instances where whater has run off or spilled, subsequently flowing back into the sump.  That has generated more contact with the wood than I would have anticipated. No issues to report, but please use caution if you duplicate this step at home and do your homework to determine if this step is worth the risk.

As mentioned in the last post, I put 4 standard 10-gallon tanks on the top shelf of the aquarium rack and 4 of the 20-gallon high tanks on the lower shelf. The gap between the lower shelf and top shelf is larger than the gap between the top shelf and absolute top of the rack to allow for adequate space for tank maintenance.

For lighting, I used inexpensive ‘under cabinet’ T5 lamps from WalMart (less than $10/each). I have two bulbs mounted on the inside of the horizontal 2×4 stud on each of the two shelves. T5′s are low wattage/high efficiency bulbs, which are ideal for the fish-only tanks that I will keep on this rack. The lights come fully wired and have mounting brackets for easy installation. They also can be ‘daisy-chained’ together, so even though I use 4 fixtures, I only have 2 wires plugging into the electrical socket.  This picture isn’t great (becaues of the brightness of the bulbs and my lack of photographic ability), but you can see where the lights are mounted.

DIY Aquarium Rack for Fish Room: Design Continued

 

DIY Aquarium Rack for Fish Room: Design (continued)

 

This blog post is a continuation of the last entry where I showed you how to build the horizontal shelf for a DIY Aquarium Rack for your fish room. Please note that the horizontal shelf as described in the last post is represented now from the side view in the image to the left in gray. Note the 55 inch length for confirmation.

The rest of the frame for the aquarium rack is constructed with 2 x 4 wall studs, shown in the image in black. You might already know this but 2 x 4 wall studs are actually 1.5 x 3.5 inch. Don’t let that mess up your measurements or calculations. 

• To build the Aquarium Rack upright supports, construct 4 ‘legs’ with wall studs cut to the following lengths: 
  20-inch 
  21-inch
  25-inch
  78-inch

The outside of the leg is the 78-inch length.  Starting at the bottom, screw each 21-inch piece to the 78-inch leg so that the leg stands flush at the bottom. Leave a 4.25-inch gap (enough for the stud plus plywood from the shelf) above the 21-inch piece and screw in your 25-inch pieces.  Leave another 4.25-inch gap and attach the final 20-inch piece.

Once you have assembled each of the four legs this way, you can finalize the DIY Aquarium Rack.  Stand the legs up so that the inside of the 78 inch pieces are 55 inches apart on one side and 24 inches apart on the other. Lift the first shelf unit and place it on top of the 21 inch pieces. Ensure a nice snug fit and screw into place. Repeat again for the top shelf and lid.  I did manage to complete this step without any help in the basement, but I really recommend getting some help with the final assembly if possible.

  This design should allow you to fit 4 x 10 gallon tanks as well as 4 x 20 gallon high tanks, with enough room for plumbing and tank maintenance as well.

Please note: the image shows an outline for 5 standard 10 gallon tanks, but due to the fact that 3 inches of horizontal length are lost because of the inside studs, only 4 will fit. I use the extra space on the top shelf to hold food and other supplies, but please note that you may want to increase the length of your shelving unit by 3-inches to accomodate one more aquarium, as shown.

DIY Aquarium Rack for Fish Room: The design

Over the next few blog entries I will walk through the steps for a DIY (Do-IT-Yourself) aquarium rack for a fish room.  This will allow you to use multiple tanks all linked together to a central filtration and circulation system.  It’s a pretty big rack, so you will need some space or even your own fish room.  If you follow the directions over the next few posts, you should have a plan that will allow you to connect 8 ten or twenty gallon high fish tanks together in a roughly 5 foot x 2.5 foot space.  For materials, you can use 2×4 wall studs and 3/4 inch plywood. 

The first major task is to build the horizontal shelves which will ultimately support the fish tanks. The image to the left shows how the pices fit together if viewed from above.   

The dimensions in the image show 24 inches deep by 55 inches long.  To do this yourself, you will need 2 studs cut to 55 inches and 2 pieces cut to 21 inches (since the studs themselves are 1.5 inches in width). 

For additional strength,cut one more length to 53 inches and use as a brace brace a few inches in from the edge. I chose to put the brace at the spot where the 10 gallon tanks were likely to rest since they were not as long as the 20 gallon tanks.  Finish the shelf with a  3/4 inch thick piece of plywood cut to fit the top of the frame: 55 x24 inches.  I used galvanized deck screws to hold all the pieces together.  

Repeat that process two more times to create 2 shelfs and the top of the rack. 
In the next post I will outline the vertical part of the frame and show how it all fits together.

Breeding The Yellow Headed Jawfish

Here is a movie of the latest addition to my aquarium–a pair of yellow headed jawfish caught off the coast of Florida. I purchased these fish as a mated pair from a reputable eBay merchant. They appear to be somewhat comfortable in their new home, although only time will tell. You can see (what I presume to be) the male in the foreground, and the female in the background. They appear to occupy separate spaces during the day, but sleep in the male’s burrow through the night.

In the video, you can see both the male and female Yellow Headed Jawfish eagerly accepting Spirulina flakes manufactured by ZooMed. I expected them to be picky eaters, but they appear to enjoy the flake food (more so than the resident Banggai Cardinalfish, who is a snob for frozen or live foods).

The flake food works out well because the uneaten flakes get caught in the current better and stay in the feeding column longer (if they last). As a result, all the tank inhabitants, even the shy yell0w headed jawfish have a chance to feed. All my fish love mysis shrimp, but it is harder for these more timid jawfish to get a bite.

While initially very shy–almost to the point of invisibility, these fish are now quite enjoyable to watch as they bob up and down or in and out of their burrows.  The yellow headed jawfish still spook easily–they dart for cover any time the yellow tang comes near–but they appear to be settling in and are eager to take in a good meal.

For now, the goal is to fatten them up in preparation for spawning, as I hope to try and breed these fish. I know that breeding has been reported before, but they don’t appear to be commonly available by any of the commercial shops–that suggests to me unfortunately that they’re harder to rear than would seem to be the case from available information, but there is only one way to find out.