Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

New Pico & Nano Aquariums

Picoaquariums.com, a new site that offers custom glass pico and nano aquariums, as well as auto topoff units and cut glass for DIY projects is sending over one of their popular Barracuda all-in-one pico aquariums for review!  I've heard good things about the owner, Chris, and his quality construction on nano-reef.com, so I'm really looking forward to a hands on and subsequent review.  Let you all know what I think in a few weeks!

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Aquarium Spring Cleaning!

I know when winter ends I am the first to start cleaning out my stuffy home, but don't forget  your aquarium!  Here are some great tips on how to freshen up your aquarium for spring!

1.  Keep up with water changes : hopefully you have been consistent with water changes though winter but if that isn't the case you can start right now.  Studies have shown that aquarium fish live longer, healthier lives when their aquarium water is changed consistently and frequently.

2.  Change media and air stones: many hobbyists tend to forget that the media in their filtration systems needs to be switched with new media and that air stones tend to become brittle over time.  It is proper aquarium care to check up on the filter media and air stones to check for deterioration and change appropriately.

Basic Cichlid Care in the Aquarium

Okay, so you may have kept the bettas, goldfish and every possible combination of freshwater fish, and you may have even set up a nature aquarium, so now what?  Many hobbyist have seen cichlids in their LFS or online vendor and wondered about them.  You're usually told "you can't keep them with your current fish" and you may wonder how hard are they to keep?  Well, I have personally asked myself these exact questions and decided to share with other pondering freshwater hobbyist in this two part post.

One Cubic Foot of Ocean Life

National Geographic put up a neat article about the life inside of a cubic foot in various environments, including tropical and temperate ocean environments.  Check it out here!

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Tuna 'Catch' a Break

In an update to my post about critically endangered bluefin tuna, Italy today has decided to start doing the right thing (haha, no, not out of the goodness of their hearts - because they were paid for it by the European Fisheries Fund) and is ceasing all tuna fishing for one year.  Bluefin tuna is currently the most expensive fish (one fish went for $176,000 USD in where else? - Japan) due to extensive overfishing and could be on the verge of extinction.  Now, if only France and Spain would agree to stop...

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Captive Aquatics Aquarium Livestock Spotlight

Captive Aquatics customers have expressed pleasure in the past about our ability to provide (much) higher quality livestock than any local fish store at a price no LFS or online seller can match, thanks in part to our several excellent supply partners, one of which I'd like to feature livestock from today: C-Quest Farms.

Marine Depot Deals

- 20% off All Puratek RO/DI Units and Accessories with code VXF001119
- 20% off All Koralia Circulation Pumps at MarineDepot.com with code HDF001321
- Free Shipping on Orders of $175 and up at MarineDepot.com
- Buy 1 Get 1 Free 4” and 7” 200 Micron Filter Socks (Coupon Code MDF002127)

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Got a Vortech? Getting the battery backup?

EcoTech Marine just announced and released a new and improved battery backup, made in-house, for their popular Vortech line of pumps.  I'm the type of person that uses a computer UPS on at least one pump in every system I own or install, so this will definitely come in handy.  At $165, it's not likely to replace my higher-capacity UPS devices, but its slim size and ability to back up two pumps is nice.  Vortech and other prop-pumps are definitely inferior to closed loop style plumbing, but are much better than powerheads and the like.

Am I the only one that uses a battery backup device?  Comment and let me know! 

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New Biocube 29 HQI Nano Aquarium

As I mentioned in my three step guide to nano reefs, I'm a fan of Oceanic's Biocube series all-in-one nano reef aquariums, hence my excitement about their newly announced Biocube 29 HQI!  The 29 HQI system puts a new spin on the older Biocube line: a large glass-covered opening in the slick-looking outer lid to allow for 150 watts of 14k halide lighting (my favorite!), in addition to some other new features, mainly a refugium compartment with separate lighting, and a protein skimmer (the standard biocube skimmer...sigh).  Very cool, and at MSRP of $550, not horrendously expensive.  Anyway, on to the pics!

Memorial Hermann Chooses Captive Aquatics

"When we wanted to make our patient experience unique at the Memorial Hermann Surgery Center,  we turned to Captive Aquatics™, a North Houston-based aquarium design, service, installation, and consultation company.  The Captive Aquatics staff assisted our office managers with the planning and design of our request for a large saltwater reef aquarium customized for our offices.  A few months later, a beautiful, custom 120 gallon reef display was dazzling patients!  We were so pleased that we purchased a smaller, 'nano' reef aquarium!  Many thanks to the staff of Captive Aquatics and their extraordinary expertise in the planning, design, and installation of our marine aquariums!"  Thanks for the kind words! - Mike