![Picture](/uploads/4/8/1/0/4810798/published/half-bio-brick.jpg?250)
![]() As stated in an earlier post I decided to have a go with one of the Bio Bricks from Brightwell just to give my system a bit of built in redundancy. I think that is the right word. I have added a half brick to the refugium in slow flow as per the instructions. The idea being that should anything change whilst I am away this brick should allow bacteria to develop and grow in response to any event thus, hopefully stopping any spike in ammonia, nitrate, nitrite or phosphates. A bit of an insurance policy really. It fits in with my 'natural' way of keeping my little reef. I will be interested to see if this has any effect on the bio pearl reactor as it is in the second chamber and water will pass through it before reaching the reactor in the third chamber. Perhaps bacteria will grow in the brick and thus lessen the need for bacteria to grow on the bio pearls. Interesting.
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![]() After 3 months my lovely starfish continues to be a real highpoint in my little reef. She is active and generally looks healthy apart from loosing the tip of one leg or arm. I am very concerned with this as I don't know the cause. It might be an injury which she may recover from or it may be some form of disease which could worsen. At the moment all I can do is monitor the situation and hope she improves over time and doesn't deteriorate further. Fingers crossed on this one. ![]() Cyanide fishing is illegal, unregulated, unlicensed and causes massive suffering for the fish involved in capture and the condition of the remaining reef. Fisherman spray cyanide onto the reefs to stun reef fish and make them easier to capture for the marine aquarium and live fish food trades. In the process, all the organisms that live on the reef, even the reef itself, may be compromised, contributing to the decimation of some of the world’s most productive reefs. Sadly this practise is still widespread in the Indo Pacific region. I have written about this practice (Are Wrasse really difficult to keep) and how it may affect the chances of success with the fish we introduce into our reefs at home. For many years people have been looking for a way of detecting fish that have been caught by this method. So far this has been done without success. But recently a new process has been developed which may, eventually prove to be successful. As scientists continue to develop their method and work on a variety of marine fish species, they are moving closer to a solution. The ultimate goal is to develop a simple test that governments and importers can use to check whether fish have been exposed to cyanide. Once a test is available, combating and even eradicating this destructive fishing method could finally became a realistic possibility. This would be a huge step forward in not only helping fish keepers to buy healthy fish but to also protect some of the most diverse reefs in the world. Back on Track Towards Cyanide Detection for Marine Fish 2019 |
AuthorI have always enjoyed keeping fish and began this website when doing the research before setting up my own modest reef. I couldn't find this type of site so decided to make my own. Archives
December 2020
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