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Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Occupying SF
"The four hundred richest people in America own more of America in terms of wealth than the bottom 150 million people put together."
-Robert Reich
Ron Swanson Wisdom
I've been missing some protein in my diet lately, so I look to Ron Swanson for help and guidance...
Enough geekery... This is for a good cause, and even more geekery.
Randomly, I was watching some stand up on comedy central, one of my favorite comedians, Daniel Tosh was doing his thing. Since I haven't been keeping up on my favorite comics, I decided to look them up.
One of them is Aziz Ansari and his site is set up like a blog. A friend of his was diagnosed with acute leukemia and is of south asian descent. This hits home as I've had friends, and friends of friends diagnosed with leukemia as well, and for minorities, blood and bone marrow donor matches aren't as common, let alone the pool to select from. This makes the chances of finding a match even less. An old classmate of mine had leukemia, and thankfully, she had a bone marrow match available through her sister.
So I encourage all, to go out and enter them into the blood and bone marrow donor registry.
And that being said, and to tie this all together, Aziz and friends have posted this kick ass video...
One of them is Aziz Ansari and his site is set up like a blog. A friend of his was diagnosed with acute leukemia and is of south asian descent. This hits home as I've had friends, and friends of friends diagnosed with leukemia as well, and for minorities, blood and bone marrow donor matches aren't as common, let alone the pool to select from. This makes the chances of finding a match even less. An old classmate of mine had leukemia, and thankfully, she had a bone marrow match available through her sister.
So I encourage all, to go out and enter them into the blood and bone marrow donor registry.
And that being said, and to tie this all together, Aziz and friends have posted this kick ass video...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thoughts on my tank, tank, tank.
So it's been up for a couple months now and since I've placed the live rock, I've placed things in there exponentially to almost capacity. I think I can place a couple more rocks and corals, but I think I'm in need of a more effective clean up crew. The turbo snails are too big and tend to knock around coral frags and live rock from their places. I should try trading in the the larger of the two turbo snails at my local fish store.
The smaller cerith snails are godsend. The sift in and out of the sand, breaking up diatoms, algae and aerating it, feeding on any detritus. I can only spot 5 of the seven that I originally bought, but they tend to bury themselves a lot so it's hard to keep count.
My red skunk cleaner shrimp has molted three times since I picked him up and he's nice and healthy. I had a hard time acclimating the last one as it died due to salinity shock. Lesson learned. Acclimating crusties are the most difficult.
I've had a couple hitchhikers come in with some of the coral specimens. I've seen a baby brittle star. It has seem to have disappeared, since then. I'm considering getting more to help keep the plant clean. But they go hyper sexual and proliferate quickly and high numbers. They're not the most nice looking stars but they are cool to look at.
I've also spotted 3 additional stars that I can not classify. Two of the three have disappeared, but I'm sure will come up again if they grow larger. After of period of two weeks, I've found one of the stars, greenish in color, scaling the glass. That was pretty cool.
The green anemone was one of the first inverts I have bought and it has grown to take up a quarter of the tank. I'm considering bringing it back, but it's purpose is habitat for the clowns. I would like to get a smaller one. I'm considering trading it, or giving it to my dad for his tank (when he sets it up).
Fish wise, I'm at capacity. The only fatality, was the mandarin goby. Which will always be a favorite, but I'm convinced that it is incredibly difficult to keep in a nano-reef set up. I bought copepod cultures on 3 occasions and he wiped them all out. I thought he was taking in the brine and mysis that I was providing, but true to his nature, he was a picky eater and ultimately starved to death. So until I have a bigger tank, with a refugium for growing copepods, I refuse to by another mandarin.
So the current line up:
Fish:
Diamond Watchman Goby
Gold Head Goby
Blue Neon Goby (Tank Bred)
Ocellaris Clown Fish (Tank Bred)
Black and White Ocellaris Clown Fish (Tank Bred)
Bangai Cardinal
Firefish (2)
Shrimps:
Red Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Snails:
Mexican Turbo Snails (2)
Cerith Snails (2)
Other Inverts:
Green Anemone
Assorted juvenile starfish (3)
Assorted Featherduster Worms (TNTC)
Coral:
Soft:
Blue Sympodium (2)
Taylor's Purple Tree
Kenyan Trees (3)
Evergreen Starburst Polyps
Assorted Mushrooms (Green, Red, Blue)
LPS:
Caulastreum Candy Cane Coral
True Red Flower Pot Coral
Galaxy Tooth Coral (2)
Refugium - Chaeto macroalgae
The smaller cerith snails are godsend. The sift in and out of the sand, breaking up diatoms, algae and aerating it, feeding on any detritus. I can only spot 5 of the seven that I originally bought, but they tend to bury themselves a lot so it's hard to keep count.
My red skunk cleaner shrimp has molted three times since I picked him up and he's nice and healthy. I had a hard time acclimating the last one as it died due to salinity shock. Lesson learned. Acclimating crusties are the most difficult.
I've had a couple hitchhikers come in with some of the coral specimens. I've seen a baby brittle star. It has seem to have disappeared, since then. I'm considering getting more to help keep the plant clean. But they go hyper sexual and proliferate quickly and high numbers. They're not the most nice looking stars but they are cool to look at.
I've also spotted 3 additional stars that I can not classify. Two of the three have disappeared, but I'm sure will come up again if they grow larger. After of period of two weeks, I've found one of the stars, greenish in color, scaling the glass. That was pretty cool.
The green anemone was one of the first inverts I have bought and it has grown to take up a quarter of the tank. I'm considering bringing it back, but it's purpose is habitat for the clowns. I would like to get a smaller one. I'm considering trading it, or giving it to my dad for his tank (when he sets it up).
Fish wise, I'm at capacity. The only fatality, was the mandarin goby. Which will always be a favorite, but I'm convinced that it is incredibly difficult to keep in a nano-reef set up. I bought copepod cultures on 3 occasions and he wiped them all out. I thought he was taking in the brine and mysis that I was providing, but true to his nature, he was a picky eater and ultimately starved to death. So until I have a bigger tank, with a refugium for growing copepods, I refuse to by another mandarin.
So the current line up:
Fish:
Diamond Watchman Goby
Gold Head Goby
Blue Neon Goby (Tank Bred)
Ocellaris Clown Fish (Tank Bred)
Black and White Ocellaris Clown Fish (Tank Bred)
Bangai Cardinal
Firefish (2)
Shrimps:
Red Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Snails:
Mexican Turbo Snails (2)
Cerith Snails (2)
Other Inverts:
Green Anemone
Assorted juvenile starfish (3)
Assorted Featherduster Worms (TNTC)
Coral:
Soft:
Blue Sympodium (2)
Taylor's Purple Tree
Kenyan Trees (3)
Evergreen Starburst Polyps
Assorted Mushrooms (Green, Red, Blue)
LPS:
Caulastreum Candy Cane Coral
True Red Flower Pot Coral
Galaxy Tooth Coral (2)
Refugium - Chaeto macroalgae
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Coral Acclimating Notes
ACCLIMATION STEPS FOR CORAL:
1) The temperature in the shipping bag will be different than the temperature of your aquarium. Remove all outer shipping bags, leaving the last bag housing your coral sealed. Please float in the sealed bag all new specimens for at least 15-20 minutes.
2) Open bag and roll top edge of bag just enough to create an air pocket under the lip of the bag. The bag will float and not sink in the tank. Slowly add a small amount of tank water. Repeat every 4-5 minutes until bag is full. Lift bag out of tank and discard approximately half of the water. Return to tank and add more of tank water, keep adding until bag is full. Never add the shipping water into your aquarium.
3) Recommended: Now for the coral dip. Every coral arriving at our facility is dipped to remove any pathogens so as not to infect my system. We suggest you should do the same as a precaution against transferring possible pathogens into your system and to ensure coral health. Only use iodine on SPS and LPS. Do not use on anemones or clams. Please read the manufacturers instructions on the coral dip bottle for the proper dipping technique. Always remember to give coral a good rinse with tank water before putting in your system.
4) Now is the time to relocate the coral to its new home. Please grab the coral by the base/hard exoskeleton/plug/or disk/ using an aqua glove or similar glove if possible. Avoid touching the polyps or flesh of the coral. The coral may have an excess coating of slime from the shipment; a gentle shaking of the coral while still in the tank water rinse will help remove most of the slime before placing in tank.
5) Highly recommended to place coral on sand bed at this time. No matter what lighting situations too much light can cause coral to “sunburn”, or bleach quickly. Placing the new specimen toward the bottom of the tank under mild current for up to a week and monitoring its condition will help insure a healthy coral. Make sure the coloration and expansion of coral are perceived as good. After this timeline the coral can be placed in its final location in your aquarium. Even then monitor its response and “health.” You might need to find another home better suited to its demands. Observe the coral and all fish, make sure you do not have a tank inhabitant that does not like where your new coral is and picks on it. Also make sure your new coral has room to grow and will not be in a territory battle with another specimen.
INVERTEBRATE ACCLIMATION GUIDE
Crabs, snails, shrimp are typically very sensitive to salinity and pH especially during the acclimation process. They need to be acclimated very slowly using a drip method, over a period of approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Empty specimens and water (if shipped in water) into a bucket. There may not be enough water in the shipping bag to cover bottom of bucket and cover the invertebrate. You may have to place something under one end of the bucket so animals are under water.
Use a drip line to slowly acclimate all inverts at a rate of 2-4 drops per second.
You can use air line tubing to function as the drip line. Simply start a siphon in the air line tubing then tie a simple knot in the tubing to slow the water flow. Tighten the knot to restrict the flow; loosen the knot to increase the flow to achieve desired flow.
A plastic air gang valve used can also be used for a restrictor of water flow.
The process should take at least an hour to an hour and a half. It is best to keep the specimen submerged in water, even when transferring to your aquarium. You could possibly submerge the shipping bag into the bucket. Put the specimen(s) into the bag then place the bag in your aquarium. Carefully remove the specimen(s), and take out the bag. I know I said earlier no shipping water in your aquarium, but this will be highly diluted shipping water. I feel the benefit to the specimen staying in water will outweigh the issue of shipping water being in your aquarium. Make sure the specimens are placed where you can view them and make any necessary corrections. Such as with the astrea snail; if it lands upside down it cannot right itself. If not righted by you the snail will possibly die, or become a meal for an opportunistic crab or other tank mate.
Some invertebrates, especially snails may appear dead or lethargic even hours after they are placed in your aquarium, but will usually revive and thrive when proper acclimation procedures are followed.
Links for Coral Fragging
http://rettalbot.suite101.com/how-to-frag-coral-propagation-a55109
1) The temperature in the shipping bag will be different than the temperature of your aquarium. Remove all outer shipping bags, leaving the last bag housing your coral sealed. Please float in the sealed bag all new specimens for at least 15-20 minutes.
2) Open bag and roll top edge of bag just enough to create an air pocket under the lip of the bag. The bag will float and not sink in the tank. Slowly add a small amount of tank water. Repeat every 4-5 minutes until bag is full. Lift bag out of tank and discard approximately half of the water. Return to tank and add more of tank water, keep adding until bag is full. Never add the shipping water into your aquarium.
3) Recommended: Now for the coral dip. Every coral arriving at our facility is dipped to remove any pathogens so as not to infect my system. We suggest you should do the same as a precaution against transferring possible pathogens into your system and to ensure coral health. Only use iodine on SPS and LPS. Do not use on anemones or clams. Please read the manufacturers instructions on the coral dip bottle for the proper dipping technique. Always remember to give coral a good rinse with tank water before putting in your system.
4) Now is the time to relocate the coral to its new home. Please grab the coral by the base/hard exoskeleton/plug/or disk/ using an aqua glove or similar glove if possible. Avoid touching the polyps or flesh of the coral. The coral may have an excess coating of slime from the shipment; a gentle shaking of the coral while still in the tank water rinse will help remove most of the slime before placing in tank.
5) Highly recommended to place coral on sand bed at this time. No matter what lighting situations too much light can cause coral to “sunburn”, or bleach quickly. Placing the new specimen toward the bottom of the tank under mild current for up to a week and monitoring its condition will help insure a healthy coral. Make sure the coloration and expansion of coral are perceived as good. After this timeline the coral can be placed in its final location in your aquarium. Even then monitor its response and “health.” You might need to find another home better suited to its demands. Observe the coral and all fish, make sure you do not have a tank inhabitant that does not like where your new coral is and picks on it. Also make sure your new coral has room to grow and will not be in a territory battle with another specimen.
INVERTEBRATE ACCLIMATION GUIDE
Crabs, snails, shrimp are typically very sensitive to salinity and pH especially during the acclimation process. They need to be acclimated very slowly using a drip method, over a period of approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Empty specimens and water (if shipped in water) into a bucket. There may not be enough water in the shipping bag to cover bottom of bucket and cover the invertebrate. You may have to place something under one end of the bucket so animals are under water.
Use a drip line to slowly acclimate all inverts at a rate of 2-4 drops per second.
You can use air line tubing to function as the drip line. Simply start a siphon in the air line tubing then tie a simple knot in the tubing to slow the water flow. Tighten the knot to restrict the flow; loosen the knot to increase the flow to achieve desired flow.
A plastic air gang valve used can also be used for a restrictor of water flow.
The process should take at least an hour to an hour and a half. It is best to keep the specimen submerged in water, even when transferring to your aquarium. You could possibly submerge the shipping bag into the bucket. Put the specimen(s) into the bag then place the bag in your aquarium. Carefully remove the specimen(s), and take out the bag. I know I said earlier no shipping water in your aquarium, but this will be highly diluted shipping water. I feel the benefit to the specimen staying in water will outweigh the issue of shipping water being in your aquarium. Make sure the specimens are placed where you can view them and make any necessary corrections. Such as with the astrea snail; if it lands upside down it cannot right itself. If not righted by you the snail will possibly die, or become a meal for an opportunistic crab or other tank mate.
Some invertebrates, especially snails may appear dead or lethargic even hours after they are placed in your aquarium, but will usually revive and thrive when proper acclimation procedures are followed.
Links for Coral Fragging
http://rettalbot.suite101.com/how-to-frag-coral-propagation-a55109
RIP Mr. Jobs
As far back as I can remember, my first personal computer was an Apple IIe. Which at the time was as good as it gets, but compared to coin ops and video game systems, paled in comparison to the latter. Being young, I was more into the graphics and the games. Becoming obsolete, I fell prey to the the atari and nintendo and later sony I converted to the PC and gaming consoles. I've always felt that PC's were superior to Apple products due to their price points and computing capabilities but as I got older I found that pure technological power is nothing without purpose. This is what Apple is good at. So my last two purchases have been Apple products. Granted, I'm still an everyday PC user, but my iPhone and I are joined at the hip and it is what Steve Jobs says, "My Life, in my pocket." My last big computer purchase was a macbook, and I'm not disappointed. I don't use it for games, but other applications and tasks as easy as web surfing. My main purpose was as a laptop computer for my wife, and for me to use with my Serato set up. I know I've just scratched the surface with it, and even though new tech is constantly coming out, as long as it does what I need it to do, I'm happy with it. Plus, the looks of the machines, as most Apple Products are the pinnicle of form and function, plus they all look sleek and sexy.
But enough of the company and more on my thoughts on the man. Sure the guy is a millionaire and super successful even at a young age. Some my hate on that fact alone, but you have to admire his guts. Having the forsight and to see the future, imagine great things and make them reality, and constantly innovate. It's a clear case of evolving or dying. Which is what I equate the iPod device in the digital age of music and opening a digital music store. Pure genius I say.
I'm not going to write a comprehensive bio on the man, because everyone knows who he is. What I am going to do,is post this video below, which is a speech he made at the 2005 Commencement for Stanford. He sums up his life and gives really good advice and then punches you in the face with a reality check. It's inspiring, scary and somewhat comforting. And in turn, I say thank you.
*Also, another important note. No Steve Jobs = No PIXAR. 'nuff said. I think the man was instrumental in a lot of things, happy things for a lot of people. You can't deny that.
But enough of the company and more on my thoughts on the man. Sure the guy is a millionaire and super successful even at a young age. Some my hate on that fact alone, but you have to admire his guts. Having the forsight and to see the future, imagine great things and make them reality, and constantly innovate. It's a clear case of evolving or dying. Which is what I equate the iPod device in the digital age of music and opening a digital music store. Pure genius I say.
I'm not going to write a comprehensive bio on the man, because everyone knows who he is. What I am going to do,is post this video below, which is a speech he made at the 2005 Commencement for Stanford. He sums up his life and gives really good advice and then punches you in the face with a reality check. It's inspiring, scary and somewhat comforting. And in turn, I say thank you.
*Also, another important note. No Steve Jobs = No PIXAR. 'nuff said. I think the man was instrumental in a lot of things, happy things for a lot of people. You can't deny that.
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