Marine LFS in the central or south part of Singapore

There is a few LFS in the central or the south part of Singapore.

AquaMarin:
298 Upper Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 534931

Sea Life

240 Balestier Road, Singapore 329702 - Shfited to Blk 107, Jalan Bukit Merah

Marine Life  
178 West Coast Way, Hong Leong Garden Shopping Centre, Singapore 127086 - shifted to  Blk 354, Clementi Ave 2, #01-203 Singapore 120354

 

Golden Octopus
472 Upper Serangoon Road Singapore 534509

Pictures are countesy of Google maps

Marine Foods

There are many different types of marine fish food available in markets, ranging from Live, frozen, home made recipes, flake, pellet, etc. Each type of foods has its positive attributes in term of nutrition.



Home made recipes
Everyone have its own home made recipes when it comes to feeding their fishes.  One of the most famous home made recipes that are selling in Singapore is the Henry food from Marine Life.



Live foods
I do not in flavour of live foods, this is because live food runs the risk of bringing disease into the marine system. There is always some chances, but I will not take the chance unless I have no other choice.


For me, unless the newly introduced fish is not eating for a few days, then I will try live foods to get the fish eating. Slowly feed it with more and more pellets. Overall, it will be more easy to get the fish to eat  with live foods as it recognises the foods as it is natural especially live mysis shrimps, however live mysis shrimps are difficult to find in Singapore.




Frozen Foods
Frozen foods I used are normally from the brand Hikari mysis shrimp and Brine shrimp. One advantage is it is a natural food that is frozen, so it has almost the same nutrition as the live foods. Therefore, it is the best food to use to feed the newly introduced fish. It is relatively easy to get the new fish to eat using frozen foods. Mandrain fish normally only feeds on frozen foods. Lastly, it is easy to find and buy. 


Although freezing a sea food will kill most larger parasites, flukes, worms, etc. (but not all pathogenic bacteria). So it is important to buy a brand product. Some of the home made recipes may not be purely sterilised as the ingredients are from the seafood market, such as pawn, etc..




Flake and Pellets
This is a processed food that vitamins, wheat, etc are added to make a balance diet and enhance the health of the fish.  The only disadvantage is that it will take some time before the fish start to eat them. But before the fish starts to eat the pellets, the fish dies due to poor health.


Each types of foods has pros and cons, it is advised to feed your fishes will all the different type of foods at different percentage, maybe live foods 5%, seaweed 10%, home recipes15%, frozen foods 20%, pellets/flake 50%. There is no right or wrong percentage, it depends on yourself, as long as the fishes are healthy and thriving (no loss of color), you are on the right path.


Next posting  I will discuss the pellets foods that I feed my fishes.

Product review: Resun Wave maker WAVER-2000

I have used Resun Wave maker 2000 in my pico tank, it is very suitable for pico tank (1 ft cube tank).

Although it stated that the flow rate is 2000l/hr, it does not shown that power, I think the flow rate is around 1000l/hr to 1500l/hr. The manufacturer I believed overstated the flow rate.

It comes with the magnetic clamp and suction cups types. This one I used in my tank is suction cup, I suggest try to get a magnetic clamp type as it will last long in Marine tank. Suction cups should be ok for freshwater tank.

It is vey quiet and there is not much heat been generated from the wave maker.

The best about this waver maker is its size and its power comsumption of 3W. It is also value for money.

Overall, this wave maker desires a good recommendation from me for its features and cost.

My Pico Tank updated as at 29 Jan 2012

Last posted on 6 Dec, the fishes in the tanks are
a) 1x common clownfish
b) 1x Pink skunk clownfish
c) 3x green Chromis
d) 1x yellowtail damsel
e) 1x Banggai Cardinalfish
f) 1x bluelips angel
g) Singapore Angel
h) Green Mandrain
I have added two more fishes (Green Mandarin and Singapore Angel) on  10 Dec after quarantine them for 3 weeks.

Since then, no more fishes is added, all the fishes are stable (with me for more than 2 months) and eating very well both pellets and frozen foods (mysis and brine shrimps). When the angels are grow up, will move them in a bigger tank. Now it is too small to be in the tank with tangs and other fishes.
There are some corals and invertebrates such as cleaner shrimp, snails and fan worm.

Maintenance:
Every week of 50% or more water change. It is very easy as it is a pico tank..... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJbnOkrY6ms

Dangerous Fish to have - Blue Ring Octopus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNxJwCGJtsA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAvA9or1aeo

Dangerous Fish to have - Blue Ring Octopus
Species:
There are two species of blue-ringed octopus:
1. Hapalochlaena lunulata, which is the larger and grows up to 20cm (8 in) across its stretched tentacles.

2. Hapalochlaena maculosa, is small and more common, weighing a mere 28 grams (1 oz). They are found in the shallow coral and rock pools of Australia.

While resting, the Blue Ring Octopus is a pale brown to yellow colour. The blue rings on its body only "light up" as a warning when the animal feels threatened.
Don't pick one up - by the time you see the electric-blue rings, it's too late!

Description:
It starts life the size of a pea and is fully grown at about the size of a golf ball. They have a life span of approx. 2 years.
Carry enough poison to kill 26 adults within minutes.
Distribution:
Southern Western Australia, to southern Qld and northern Tasmania


Camouflage:
The Blue Ring Octopus is not an aggressive animal and when disturbed it flattens out its body to hide and changes its body colour to blend into its surroundings.

General Information:
With a beak that can penetrate a wet-suit, they are one little cute creature to definitely look at BUT Don't touch.

The bite might be painless, but this octopus injects a neuromuscular paralysing venom. The venom contains some maculotoxin, a poison more violent than any found on land animals. The nerve conduction is blocked and neuromuscular paralysis is followed by death. The victim might be saved if artificial respiration starts before marked cyanosis and hypotension develops. The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball but its poison is powerful enough to kill an adult human in minutes. There's no known antidote. The only treatment is hours of heart massage and artificial respiration until the poison has worked its way out of your system.

The venom contains tetrodotoxin, which blocks sodium channels and causes motor paralysis and occasionally respiratory failure. Though with fixed dilated pupils, the senses of the patients are often intact. The victims are aware but unable to respond.

Although the painless bite can kill an adult, injuries have only occurred when an octopus has been picked out of its pool and provoked or stepped on.

SYMPTOMS
Onset of nausea.
Hazy Vision. ( Within seconds you are blind.)
Loss of sense of touch, speech and the ability to swallow.
Within 3 minutes, paralysis sets in and your body goes into respiratory arrest.
The poison is not injected but is contained in the octopus's saliva, which comes from two glands each as big as its brain. Poison from the one is used on its main prey, crabs, and is relatively harmless to humans. Poison from the other gland serves as defense against predators. The blue-ringed octopus either secretes the poison in the vicinity of its prey, waits until it is immobile and then devours it, or it jumps out and envelops the prey in its 8 tentacles and bites it.

First Aid
First aid for blue-ringed octopus bites

Pressure-immobilization is a recommended first aid. Prolonged artificial respiration may also be required. May require supportive treatment including mechanical ventilation until the effects of the toxin disappear. There is no antivenin available in Australia.
Mouth to mouth resuscitation can keep the victim alive and the poison gradually wears off after 24 hrs, apparently leaving no side effects.

Largest Aquarium in the World - Georgia Aquarium (6,3 million gallons)

The Georgia Aquarium in US is the largest aquarium in the world housing more than 100,000 sea creatures. Funded mostly by a $250 million donation from Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, the aquarium opened in November 2005. The Georgia Aquarium is the only institution outside of Asia to house whale sharks. The sharks are kept in a gigantic 24 million liter (6.3 million gallon) tank in the Ocean Voyager exhibit. There has been controversy surrounding the decision of the Georgia Aquarium to house whale sharks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm26kuKPaPg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcHQmrE1hv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjAbHbQVU2w