The Fluval Edge is clearly meant as a designer aquarium

Hagen’s new Fluval Edge aquarium is due to go on sale next week. It’s a striking design, but I’ve got a few queries about how this fish tank will perform in every day use.

The new six-gallon rimless aquarium is a nearly-sealed tank. The filter and lighting equipment are housed in special boxes above and to the back of the aquarium, and the top of the tank is covered off with glass, too.

Access to the water is via an area concealed beneath the lighting pod.

According to Hagen:

Inspired by architectural styling, the EDGE aquarium, a 23 L three-dimensional water cube, provides a unique visual effect capturing emotion and serenity within a contemporary setting.

Sealed glass top provides high definition viewing and reduces evaporation for less maintenance. Retractable halogen lighting system, suitable for aquatic plants and casts a unique shimmering effect. Removable cover for easy aquarium and filter access. Overhead ventilation grill dissipates lamp heat and avoids moisture. Powerful easy to use EDGE filter with 3 stage filtration to ensure clear water and a healthy environment.

Until the tank arrives it’s unclear how easy it will be to aquascape the tank, let alone catch fish or clean-up algae, but according to Practical Fishkeeping’s preview, special tools will be provided to help keep this unique tank looking trim:

A small range of Edge accessories is available, including specific tools to aid cleaning the aquarium, including a gravel cleaner, algae magnet and a specially shaped net “to ensure it is easy to keep the Edge in pristine condition”.

The Edge aquarium is due to arrive in the UK on April 6th priced £119.00, though I haven’t spotted any for sale online in the UK yet.

I have, however, found a U.S. online retailer, Lots of Pets, offering the tanks for $149.00.

Hagen says the tank is suitable for tropical fish like tetras and rasboras, as well as goldfish. I’d question the latter, and not only because the tank is far too small for coldwater fish with their high oxygen requirements and bigger size, but also because the tank will probably need to be crammed full of plants to keep algae down and reduce what’s likely to be painful maintenance.

It’s clearly not a marine tank out of the box, but no doubt some of the nano reef crowd will pimp the lighting and produce some special Edge tanks. Certainly the top down viewing conditions will appeal to those who love mushroom corals and ricordea, for instance.

Perhaps that sums up the trouble with these little designer tanks (I’d include the BioOrbs and other designer nanos in this bracket). They are okay for keeping a few small guppies or similar in, but the beginners who buy them are the most likely to overstock them, and the least likely to have the skills to keep them in great condition. Looking after a 40-gallon tank is easier than keeping a five-gallon tank healthy, period.

That aside, it’s nice to see Hagen responding to new developments in fishkeeping. A plain, affordable rimless pre-drilled shallow four-foot by two-foot glass tank would be my suggestion for any manufacturer looking for a hot trend to follow next.

Update 5 April 2009: I’ve spotted the Fluval Edge for sale in one UK aquatic chain in London, priced £89.99.

Further reading:

1. How to choose an aquarium heater
2. This FOWLR offers a true slice of a reef
3. DIY aquarium projects: 7 good reasons to make your own equipment

Captive Aquatics is Maddox’s new Texas, U.S.-based aquarium installation and care business:

The staff at Captive Aquatics have over twenty years’ combined experience in the field of aquatic science. We are experts, and are well-renowned in our field. Experience is what sets us apart: anyone can read a book about aquarium keeping, or buy a few animals and hope for the best, but we have vast amounts of experience to draw upon. This isn’t our first time to set up an aquarium: we’ve done this before, and done it well, and can do the same for you.

The company says it will cater for clients of all sizes, from those looking for an expertly set-up home aquarium to a company putting together a collecting station in the Philippines.

Further reading:

1. Zolux and Hobby unite in UK with new joint venture
2. A lovely lost nature aquarium blog
3. Leonardo joins Glassbox-Design blog

Obviously you need to be based in London, and you need to have plenty of experience.

In return you’ll get £21,635 a year and the chance to put your hands in fish tanks all day.

Full details below.

Note that the closing date for applications is Friday 3rd April.

Qualified Keepers – Aquarium

Two qualified keepers are sought for the Aquarium at ZSL London Zoo. Relevant experience and preferably an academic qualification in a subject related to animal management, marine or freshwater biology is required. You should possess the skills and experience required for the successful maintenance of aquaria, life support systems and aquatic organisms. A good knowledge of water quality management, filtration theory and fish and aquatic invertebrate husbandry and health is essential.

The ability to work independently and with a team is required, as well as strong verbal and written communication skills. Applicants must be willing to interact with the public in a friendly manner, answering queries when required. An understanding of the role of the modern Zoo/Aquarium including conservation, education and research should be demonstrated.

Familiarity with basic IT software including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint or similar is essential. Knowledge of record keeping, preferably ARKS is also needed. Practical skills such as plumbing & carpentry are beneficial, but not essential. Applicants should be flexible and able to combine an interest in animal husbandry with physical activity in a demanding environment.

Apply by CV and covering letter to the HR Department, ZSL, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY or email hr@zsl.org

Further reading:

1. The London Aquarium is to get a £5 million makeover
2. Are you celebrating Zoo Keeper Week?
3. The London Aquarium relaunches after a £5 million makeover

You Won’t Be Jacques Cousteau. Are you still here? Well, now you better realize a few other things.  You are not going to be rich or famous.

You will not ride on Zodiacs chasing after charismatic megafauna. You are not likely to spend every day riding around in a sub wearing a red stocking hat. One week per year, one month if you are lucky, you will spend at sea.

How that time will fly by! You will spend the rest of the year analyzing that material.  You will spend most of the remaining year writing. Writing proposals, grants, papers, emails, etc. I hope you like to write.

When you are not writing you will be doing menial and repetitive tasks. Entering numbers into Excel, counting snails, programming, picking absurdly small organisms out of mud, mixing chemicals, these are the tasks that will fill your day.

You will also be spending a lot of time on a computer. Not Facebooking, Ichatting, surfing the web for fun, playing the newest game. O’ no my friend, your computer will be the vessel of menial tasks. Thankfully, those menial tasks may actually produce some sort of scientific product.

That’s just one of eleven points!

If you’ve ever thought your life would be better spent counting corals and tangs off the coast of Fiji, the full post makes sobering (but very helpful) reading.

Back to the desk job I go.

Further reading:

1. Deep sea coral reef found off Tasmania
2. Three new deep water reefs discovered off the coast of Florida
3. Go dive a reef on your Nintendo console

Euro-Reef’s RS Series protein skimmers: aimed at retailers

The marine aquarium equipment maker Euro-Reef sent me a press release a few days ago outlining a few changes in its business model.

To be honest I wasn’t at all familiar with the situation (I’m based in Europe) but sales director Clayton Taylor was kind enough to expand on the news over email.

Clayton responded to my query as follows:

In Nov. 2008 Euro Reef, inc sent out a press release that outlined changes to their business / sales model.  The press release was misinterpreted by many of its customers. Since then, the model has evolved a little bit, and we saw that a new press release be given.

This business model that Euro-Reef has implemented is designed to focus on the bricks-and-mortar retail establishments.  Euro-Reef sells their products on their own web site at MAP price.  This is a Minimum Advertised Price, not a “minimum price”.

Euro-Reef products may not be sold on any other web site.  They may be advertised (at MAP) but not sold. This protects the gross margin for all bricks-and-mortar retailers from cut-rate Internet sellers.  In short: this product is just for them.

The official online options are:

• Euro-Reef’s main site
• Euro-Reef’s nano systems site

As well as a Buy Online button, each site’s product pages also enables you to search for a nearby aquatic dealer that stocks Euro-Reef products via a nifty Buy Locally button (seemingly using the same system as the Local Fish Store Locator website).

Euro-Reef is making an interesting stand regarding local fish stores.

While mail order livestock delivery has come on a very long way – and some local fish stores definitely deserve to go out of business – those of us with experience should remember that nearly everyone starts in fishkeeping at a local fish store.

Blogs and forums can do much of the instruction and hand-holding today, but still: I wonder if the hobby could sustain itself without local fish stores?

More thoughts in the press release from Euro-Reef below:

February 2009
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.euro-reef.com

EURO-REEF, INC. RE-LAUNCHES BRAND IN NORTH AMERICA

Euro-Reef is back and better than ever; poised to regain their seat as the world’s premier manufacturer of saltwater aquarium filtration products. Change- Euro-Reef Sells Only to Bricks & Mortar Retailers…

In 2007 Euro-Reef decided to implement a unique business model that focused on the retail bricks & mortar Local Fish Store (LFS) and pulled their products from all online retailers. The new model also called for the closure of all distributor accounts in North America.

Although their products have remained available to the LFS and qualified aquarium design/service professionals, the exposure of the brand suffered due to some confusion regarding 2008’s January Press Release.

“It was a tough decision, but we knew it was time to make a change and the choice to support the LFS exclusively was a key component of our new model.” says VP Jeff Macaré.

The VP says that they took the time to evaluate where the brand stood in the market place and to determine the best way to provide quality products to the Local Fish Stores.

“Our product belongs in the LFS.” Macaré said, “A potential Euro-Reef customer needs to see the quality of our product first hand. They also need expert advice, and they get that at their LFS.”

The company continues to enforce a Minimum Advertising Price (MAP) policy.

In order to serve hobbyists that cannot buy Euro-Reef products in their area, products may be purchased directly from the new Euro-Reef web site at the MAP.

“This,” Macaré says, “ensures that there is no online competition for our LFS dealers. The product is just for them and no other manufacturer is offering them that.” This philosophy, Jeff Macaré says, is the way of the future for this unique industry.

“The LFS is under more pressure than ever before and as they are the backbone of the entire hobby, it is devastating to see the numbers and rate at which they are going under. We as manufacturers have to take a close look at that and realize that every store that closes takes a lot of potential/future hobbyists with it. I think that manufacturers have been favoring giant PO’s from giant online dealers for far too long and the damaging effects can be seen quite clearly in our industry.”

Further reading:

1. The Reef Tank launches comparison shopping service
2. Londoner grows coral in his own shed
3. Cardinal tetras help conserve the rainforest

A UF team investigated the species at the request of producers, who hope to breed some of the estimated quarter million spotted green puffers sold annually to North American hobbyists and researchers, said Craig Watson, director of UF’s Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory in Ruskin, part of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“The supply has been variable and sometimes quite limited because they’re wild-collected, mostly in Thailand,” Watson said. “So this was a good species for us to investigate.”

Watson has now secured U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to see whether the captive breeding method works in goldfish.

The method, known as ovarian lavage, is a twist on an older approach to breeding commercially valuable fish that won’t spawn naturally in captivity, Watson said.

In the standard approach, breeders inject female fish with a chemical that promotes egg development. The eggs are gently removed and fertilized.

Spotted green puffers aren’t suitable for injection because they have little muscle mass and their skin is unusually elastic. So the UF team used a catheter to introduce the chemical directly to the female’s ovaries. After several trials they reached nearly 100 percent success in egg fertilization and hatching, he said.

Watson and his team have demonstrated the breeding method for several Florida aquaculture specialists.

Further reading:

1. Three new deep water reefs discovered off the coast of Florida
2. Florida may tighten reef life collection rules
3. Blue Reef Aquarium breeds short-snouted seahorse

According to press information received by AquaDaily:

Being both dynamic and innovative, ZOLUX and DOHSE AQUARISTIK are confident that sharing their experiences will allow them to offer the best products and services to British clients.

Both manufactures’ catalogues are very complementary and that synergy in their products will prove to be a welcome enhancement by UK pet stores, aquatic & reptile centres.

With his wealth of experience in the aquatic and pet sectors, Simon Collinson has been appointed as Area Sales Manager to promote ZOLUX HOBBY UK LTD products, under the brands HOBBY-Aquatics, HOBBY-Reptile, DUPLA and ZOLUX.

The joint company’s best known aquarium brand in the UK is probably Hobby’s Dupla range; 20 years ago Dupla was arguably the leading name for planted aquarium enthusiasts in Western Europe.

The German-originated range also includes marine products, like the calcium supplement above,

Zolux, which has its roots in France, offers a wide range of pet supplies.

For more information, including trade contact details, see Zolux Hobby UK Ltd’s web page.

Further reading:

1. Euro-Reef hones its business model in the U.S.
2. Mike Maddox has moved his blog to Captive Aquatics
3. Keeping fish is a responsibility, not a right

Find your nearest fish store with a click of your mouse

Readers based in North America might want to take a look at Local Fish Store Locator, a new website that enables you to find your nearest aquatic crack house retailer.

The site looks a bit unfinished around the edges (the Abous Us page is currently blank, for example) but the central functionality seems pretty operational.

You can search by American states, then drill down into cities within those states to get street level addresses of local fish stores. It’s all cleanly presented, and very easy-to-use.

I can think of other functions Local Fish Store Locator might consider adding in the future:

• A Google maps mash-up, so you can get directions to the store
• Automatic distance information, so you can find the nearest store to you
• More powerful searching tools, enabling you to look for the nearest supplier of coral frags or Malawian cichlids, or whatever you fancy

Obviously the site needs to walk before it can run, though.

Being based in the UK I’ve no way of telling how accurate the fish store information the site supplies is. On that note, I wonder if the owners have any plans to launch their site in Europe or elsewhere?

Further reading:

1. Euro-Reef hones its business model in the U.S.
2. How to write about fish for AquaDaily
3. Londoner grows coral in his own shed

Launched today, the service claims to enable U.S. reefers to find the lowest price for livestock and equipment with one click. It uses a specially designed search engine, tracking over 1,100 products.

We asked Ava from The Reef Tank for a few more details, and she explained that visitors will also be able to compare the specifications of multiple brands and models of particular pieces of equipment, such as protein skimmers. This should hopefully lead to more informed as well as less impoverished aquarists!

Ava also confirmed that The Reef Tank will be making some money from the service by taking affiliate fees or per-click fees from participating stores. That’s quite normal for these sorts of comparison sites, so no biggie in my view. It doesn’t cost you anything as a consumer.

That said, if you have a favourite online store that isn’t in the system yet, you might want to check its prices too before you buy.

We’ve no affiliation with the The Reef Tank, in case you were wondering. We just think it sounds a cool service. You can try it now in a new window.

Further reading:

1. Setting up a reef tank
2. Why add a refugium to your reef tank?
3. Euro-Reef hones its business model in the U.S.

[The shop said] “I can’t sell you the fish today unless you have the tank and filter etc. and get it settled for a week.”

My wife and I looked at each other with disbelief … it’s a bl**dy fish, we said to each other in the car.

Yes, it is a bl**dy fish, which is exactly why it needs proper care and attention. It’s a living thing. Even goldfish need proper aquariums, not goldfish bowls. (Why am I not surprised the writer got his first fish from a fairground?)

I’ll freely admit that at the deep end of the hobby we can get pretty fanatical, spending more on a reef tank or a planted aquarium then we’d spend on a wedding. But at the Joe Public entry-level end, people have a slapdash attitude to fish that they would never have with a puppy or a kitten.

Fish are even more vulnerable, when you think about it, because they are totally reliant on us keeping their environment in a state where it can sustain life. At least a badly-cared for dog isn’t going to get poisoned by the air it breathes.

Full marks for the fish retailer, though. Too often they sell anything to anyone. The writer doesn’t realize how lucky he was to find a decent retailer who cared for its animals.

Further reading:

1. Find retailers with Local Fish Store Locator
2. Aquarists and fish trade must support conservation, says Michigan retailer
3. Chinese selling live goldfish in keyrings as Olympic souvenirs