Thread of the Month is here! Here’s your chance to vote. Each month TeamRC selects three of the best threads for all Reef Central members to vote on. There will be three threads to choose from, and you are only allowed to vote once. We encourage you to follow the links provided below, to read and enjoy these threads. All three are full of information and are each equally worthy.
 

Thread of the Month Poll

This month we are featuring the beautiful 120-gallon mixed reef aquarium of Mark Hallett from Little Britain, Ontario, Canada. Learn how he has created this beautiful system. Read more...

Light is one of the most important tools at the disposal of the reef aquarium hobbyist. Our corals and other photosynthetic livestock require intense light of the correct spectrum to grow and thrive. The methods commonly used today - high output fluorescent or metal halide lamps - are well established and viable sources of light. Their use has become well accepted as a standard approach, despite their shortcomings. LED lighting offers an alternative for people who are interested in a different approach that can address some of those shortcomings, while providing some exciting new advantages. As with many new technologies in the reefkeeping hobby, the DIY community has begun embracing LED lighting. This has created a flurry of questions from people interested in building their own LED fixtures:

• What is LED lighting? What advantages does it have? Can I make my own?
• Which LEDs should I use, and how many do I need?
• How do I power LEDs?
• How do I assemble an LED fixture?
• What creative things can I do with LEDs that might not be possible with other types of lighting?

Coming soon, Reefkeeping Magazine will feature a series of articles to address those questions, and provide a basic point of reference for people interested in building their own LED fixtures. Even if you have no desire to assemble your own LED rig, this series will provide information useful when evaluating commercial LED rigs, or comparing LED lighting to other types of lighting technologies. This series will cover the following topics:

• The first article will cover basic theory of LED lighting: how LEDs work, how they are powered, what the light they produce “looks” like, and how they are fundamentally different from other forms of lighting.
• The second article will present the case for LED lighting - efficiency, spectrum, expected lifetime, comparing LEDs to other lighting technologies, and other concerns specific to applying LEDs to reef aquariums.
• The third article will cover practical application of LED lighting to reef tanks, covering subjects such as selecting LEDs, drivers, optics, and other components that meet your needs and budget.
• The fourth article will provide step by step instructions on assembling a typical DIY LED fixture, including presentation of several DIY fixtures assembled by Reef Central forum members.
• Finally, a fifth article will cover several DIY LED fixtures built and in use by your fellow hobbyists, summing their findings and showing LEDs in action on their reef aquariums.

So, if DIY LEDs have caught your interest, stay tuned to Reefkeeping Magazine!

Written by Nate Enders

Photo courtesy Reef Central member Santoki

So, you dream of the day that you can collect for your own tank? I know many of us do and some of us are luckily enough to do so. You may be asking yourself "How rare is this"? February's Thread of the Month by Lewy will show you how rare this can be. Read more....

Thread of the Month is here! Here’s your chance to vote. Each month TeamRC selects three of the best threads for all Reef Central members to vote on. There will be three threads to choose from, and you are only allowed to vote once. We encourage you to follow the links provided below, to read and enjoy these threads. All three are full of information and are each equally worthy.

Thread of the Month Poll

This month we are featuring the beautiful 180-gallon mixed reef aquarium of Mark Poletti from Sacramento, California. Learn how he has created this beautiful system. Read more...

This month we are featuring the beautiful 160-gallon SPS-dominated reef aquarium of Ferdinando D'Amora. Learn how he has created this beautiful system. Read more...

Wishing that you had the chance to go around the world to see some of the greatest reef tanks? Well, here's your chance - without even leaving the comfort of your home. Check out this month's Thread of the Month winner...

Best tanks from around the world

Thread of the Month is here! Here’s your chance to vote. Each month TeamRC selects three of the best threads for all Reef Central members to vote on. There will be three threads to choose from, and you are only allowed to vote once. We encourage you to follow the links provided below, to read and enjoy these threads. All three are full of information and are each equally worthy.

Thread of the Month Poll

The Marinelife Aquarium Society of Michigan is pleased to announce The MASM Breeder's Workshop! Please join us for an exciting afternoon with two of the brightest stars in the marine breeding realm: Matthew Wittenrich and Matt Pedersen.

Matthew Wittenrich is a marine biologist who has been deeply involved with the aquarium world since the age of 15. He is currently pursuing his doctorate at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne Florida, with research projects centered in the Philippines. Matthew has successfully raised over 56 species of marine fish and shrimp. His research focuses on the development of feeding abilities in early stage larvae of coral reef fishes.

Matt Pedersen currently resides in Duluth, MN, and has been a marine aquarist for 23 years and an aquarist for 28 years. Matt's current area of interest is marine fish breeding. He has currently spawned 17 species of marine fish, successfully raising five of them, including one worldwide first (the Harlequin filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris). Matt Pedersen is credited with starting MOFIB and writes for multiple publications. Matt was awarded "Aquarist of the Year" honors by both IMAC West and MASNA in 2009 in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the marine aquarium hobby.

In an effort to support and encourage captive breeding, MASM has designed a workshop that will both inspire and assist anyone that is interested in captive breeding.

This workshop is part of the larger MASM Breeding Initiative: http://www.masm.org/mForums/tt.aspx?forumid=88

The workshop will begin with presentations relating to the captive breeding of marine organisms by both speakers. After a short break, attendees will have plenty of "one on one" time to ask questions and discuss their own, personal, breeding efforts.

The workshop will be held at the Cranbrook Institute of Science on Saturday, March 13, 2010, starting at 1pm.
Admission is free to MASM members. Non-members can purchase tickets in advance for $5, or at the door for $10

For more information please visit The MASM Breeder's Workshop.

November's Thread of the Month goes to Tswifty. In this thread he discusses his bacteria driven system that started as a curiosity regarding dosing Vodka to reduce nutrient levels. Read more...

Join us by reading and commenting in the current Thread of the Month linked below.

My Bacteria Driven Journey