That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

Hi folks, Brandon here.  I recently re-read my article on the Candiru, and their strange relationship with humans reminded me of another strange relationship between two aquatic creatures.  Some of my favorite marine animals are sea cucumbers, a type of echinoderm related to sea stars and sea urchins.  There are varying types of sea cucumbers, some of which sift through the sand, filtering out organics and leaving sand or silt pellets behind.  Others have fan-like structures that protrude from their mouth that they use to filter small particles out of the water for food.  All sea cucumbers share one characteristic in common; they breathe through their anus using respiratory trees to extract oxygen from the water.  They expand and contract their lower intestinal tract, very similar to how our lungs expand and contract, to take in and expel water.  They can even spray water several feet when exposed to air.   Sea cucumbers are fascinating animals any way you look at them.

Another interesting animal that shares a close bond with certain types of sea cucumbers is the pearlfish.  There are many different species of pearlfish, all of which share the same characteristic long, slender body shape.  Pearlfish seek out shelter from sea cucumbers, but instead of sharing the same hiding place like pistol shrimp and gobies, the pearlfish will actually retreat into the anus of the sea cucumber.  It’s very strange to watch, but amazing nontheless.  The pearlfish will back into the sea cucumbers anus tail first where it is then safe from predators.

It is unclear whether this relationship is commensal or parasitic.  Some pearlfish have been known to nip at the respiratory system of the sea cucumber, but it does not seem to affect the host in any way.  Most sea cucumbers will expel what is known as cuvierian tubes (sections of the respiratory tree) when they are stressed to deter predators from eating the cucumber.  These sections of the respiratory system naturally regenerate over time, so the pearlfish’s nipping does not seem to affect them in any way.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this bizarre but fascinating relationship.

Until next time,

Brandon

The possibility of encountering and getting to use new gadgets is definiately one of the coolest perks in working at That Fish Place. Particularly in the aquarium hobby, lots of technology is constantly being developed to make things easier.

The most recent example of this has come in from a new vendor for us: Aquatic Life.

Several of their new aquarium lighting fixtures come with a bulb known as HID, or High Intensity Discharge. Not familiar with this term, I quickly shot an email right to our vendor contact. 

A quick response back told me all I needed to know. Developed by OSRAM GmbH in Germany, The HID lamps are single-ended, G12 base metal halides with output similar to comparible double-ended HQI models. The single-ended design allows Aquatic Life to position the bulbs both horizontally and vertically, depending on the demands of the fixture. The single ended design with a built-in reflector allows the light to be extremely focused for greater lighting power. The technology used is common overseas, but has only recently reached the States. Being metal halide bulbs, you still get the shimmering, dappled effect on the water too. The Aquatic Life website gives viewers access to independant bulb output tests too if you’re interested.

Thanks for your help guys.

Aquatic Life also markets a line of compact fluorescent and T5 lighting fixtures; as well as advanced monitors and RO units.

Feel free to pass along any information you have on this technology or your experience with the Aquatic Life items.

Until Next Time,

Dave

Hey everyone!  Recently I was forwarded this article by a friend that I really found to be a good read.  It almost made me feel like I felt when I read those little paperback serial stories as a kid.  I really can’t wait to hear more about this and see a plethora of photos when they’re available as a continuation about the new things they’ve discovered while compiling the Census of Marine Life.

This short article is another testimony to how big and yet un-explored the oceans of the world still are.  This census is being compiled by more than 2000 scientists from 82 nations and it is to be completed in 2010.  The data will be published in a series of three books after the study has concluded: a survey of sea life, one focusing on the working groups, and a third on biodiversity.  A speck of the newly compiled data on behaviors, new species, and other topics is touched upon by the author of this article and others I’ve seen.  I wanted to make sure the link was blogged so anyone interested can stay tuned for more on the census. 

http://www.coml.org/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/09/tech/main4586743.shtml

The Fish Room has been buzzing lately with all the talk of the new wizziwigs in stock. We’ve set up a new system for the wizziwigs, every shipment is being scrutinized for wizziwigs and wizziwigs have been a big part of the lunchtime conversations. The past few weeks have been all about the wizziwigs.
By now, you may be asking yourself, “what on earth is a wizziwig?!” You aren’t alone. We’ve gotten some pretty confused looks from anyone who’s overheard these conversations.

“Wizziwig” has become the nickname we’ve affectionately given to our newly revamped “Your Choice – What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG)” category. These are special items, corals, frags, fish, and inverts that are set apart from others by showing exceptional color, unusual shape. They may even simply be uncommon offerings in the trade that deserve some special recognition. For example, we’re currently featuring a blue staghorn acro with intense baby blue tips that will really put on a show in a reef display, and a maze brain with neon green valleys and compact maze of sinuous ridges that really draws the eye.

Every one of these items gets its own unique item number and picture on the website so while you are browsing the WYSIWYG section, the picture you see is the exact item you receive. While we do our best across the website to provide pictures that are representative of the fish or coral available, the WYSIWYG pictures represent the specimen you are purchasing.

If you are looking for new, exciting, and collectible pieces for your aquarium, bookmark this page and keep checking in! These pieces are advertised only on our website and are all What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get, so act fast!

Brandon here. Now that pond season is over, lots of aquarists are looking for the opportunity for those aquatic green thumbs to keep busy all winter long. Much of the time planted set-ups are overlooked for the more elaborate (and more expensive) saltwater reef tanks. I personally find a lot of enjoyment in keeping my favorite aquatic plants indoors where I can view them all year long.
This may be old news for some of you, but last month the winners of the 2008 ADA (Aqua Design Amano Co) Aquascaping Contest were announced. These are some serious planted tank people! The tanks are well laid out and must have taken countless hours of planning, planting, and trimming. My personal favorites are second, fourth, and ninth place. Maybe someday I’ll have the time and patience to make my tank look like one of these!
Pictures of the top ten can be viewed at Aquatic Eden, a blog about the planted aquarium. You can also see the top twenty-seven layouts at Aquatic Plant Central, a forum for the planted tank enthusiast. They’re some amazing tanks, so if you have a moment, take a look!http://www.aquatic-eden.com/
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/55958-2008-ada-layout-contest-top-27-a.html