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Aquarist First Aid – Anemone and Jellyfish Stings

Almost every aquarist will feel the sting from a cnidarian (anemones, jellyfish, ect.) at some point or another. For some, it can just be a mild annoyance, but for others it can be downright painful or even dangerous. The correct treatment depends on what you were stung by and how sensitive you are to it.

Cnidaria is a large phylum (one of the broadest scientific classifications) and includes jellyfish, corals, anemones, and hydroids that aquarist might encounter in their tanks. Cnidarians have specialized stinging cells known as “nematocysts” or “cnidocysts”. These cells can be used as defense mechanisms or to catch prey. Some are harmless to people, but effective on the cnidarian’s targeted prey.  Some can be lethal to anything they touch – the Sea Wasp, a type of box jellyfish, is touted as the most venomous marine animal ever and is usually fatal. Different types of nematocysts have different functions and one animal can have more than one type of nematocyst at a time, but all function essentially the same way. Read More »

Schools Aren’t Just For Kids – Schooling Fish for your Aquarium

School of SnappersIt is back to school time for most of America’s children. Backpacks, bright yellow buses, and droves of children gathered on street corners to be carted off to fall classes. Our children gather in schools to learn. Meanwhile, around the globe, millions of fish gather in schools for other reasons. Not big brick building schools, but large, synchronized groups – a fascinating behavior known as “schooling.”   Read More »

Customer Appreciation Event 2010 and Fall Frag Swap

We have combined two of our most popular events; our annual Customer Appreciation Sale, and our NCPARS/TFP frag swap into one weekend. We may be crazy, but that is the way we like it around here. The event weekend is October 2nd and 3rd, the frag swap will be held on saturday October 2nd from 11-5 here in the store, with the same setup as our two past winter frag events.

The Customer Appreciation event is free, and access to all the manufacturers and event sales are open to everyone. The Frag Swap is admission only, $5 dollars for NCPARS members, $10 for non members. All proceeds benefit NCPARS (North Central Pennsylvania Aquarium and Reef Society), a local non-profit aquarium club. There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of frags available inside the swap, and all TFP livestock will be 25% off the entire weekend. For more information and to pre-register for the event visit NCPARS, and check out some of the amazing frags available. You can pre-arrange trades, or browse at the event. pre-registration is not required, you can pay at the event if you just want to show up.

Come on out and join the fun, it is going to be huge!!!!!

Kids and Aquariums – Safely Fostering a Lifelong Addiction

common goldfishOne of my first ever experiences with fishkeeping was with a goldfish won at a carnival – I thought it looked hungry and dumped an entire container of fishfood into the bowl. At a recent family picnic, I found a pretzel in the top of my small freshwater system courtesy of my four-year-old nephew and after a lesson on not feeding Aunt Eileen’s fish when she isn’t in the room, we all realized that the cycle is truly continuing (especially since that particular nephew loves to check my aquarium maintenance skills and point out all of the spots of algae I missed). I can’t wait until he has long enough arms for me to put an algae scrubber in his hand.

So how do we keep the aquarium hobby fun and safe while turning our little “helpers” into future aquarists? Here are a few tips that I’ve come across while working at That Fish Place, in my prior naturalist experience at a South Carolina state park, and with my own two nephews: Read More »

Wreck divers find a diver’s Holy Grail on the Andrea Doria

Andrea Doria
Every SCUBA diver and beachcomber dreams at some point of finding long-lost buried treasure or unearthing some relic lost to the sea. Two Andrea Doria divers recently did just that when they unearthed the bridge bell during their first dive on the wreck. The SS Andrea Doria is a fairly recent wreck. It sunk after it collided with the Swedish ocean liner, the MS Stockholm on July 25, 1956. Even though many of the lifeboats were unuseable once the severely damaged ship started listing to one side, only 46 lives were lost on the Andrea Doria and 5 on the Stockholm. Read More »