Fish 'N' Chips
A Monthly Marine Newsletter
September 2002 Issue

Index

From Liz
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/24/02

Johnson Outdoors Inc. Recalls SCUBAPRO/UWATEC(tm) Dive Computer Consoles - 1,700 SCUBAPRO/UWATEC(tm) dive computer consoles are being voluntarily recalled. The U-Line(tm) submersible pressure gauge that is part of the dive consoles can malfunction and display inaccurate pressure readings. Decompression sickness can result when divers using the consoles fail to decompress properly. Four reports have been received but no injuries have been reported. Only U-Line(tm) submersible pressure gauges contained in UWATEC(tm) brand Smart PRO(tm), Pro ULTRA(tm), and Sport PLUS(tm) dive computer consoles are included in the recall. Stop using the product immediately and return the console to the manufacturer for a replacement pressure gauge. The Consumer Product Safety Commission Recall notice, including product photos, can be found at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml02/02205.html. SCUBAPRO/UWATEC (Johnson Outdoors Inc.) can be reached at (800) 382-2211 from 8am to 4:30pm PT Monday to Friday or at http://www.scubapro-uwatec.com/ (updated 10/06/05).

Fishy Links Site List Notice: For those who have sent in Site Submissions and haven't heard from me or seen their site listed yet, here's why. I've been mulling over some changes to my Site List. Well, I've finally decided that I'm going to make them. All that means for you folks is that the Site List won't be updated for a while as I reorganize my data and work on a way to keep it organized and make it easier for me to maintain and update. Keep those Site Submissions coming though as I'm holding onto all of them and will add your sites to the list before it's new version goes live.

More Showcases Needed: Yes, I'm bothering you again for showcase submissions. If I don't get some now there won't be one next month! So, email your tank photos to fishnchips@mindspring.com (visit http://www.marinefiends.com/submittank.html - url dead 03/09/08) with as much or as little tank information as you want published.

Visit This Month's Subscriber's Tank Showcase: Ian Harris' 80 Imp. Gallon Reef Tank is this month's Showcase and can be seen at http://www.marinefiends.com/showcases.html (updated 8/24/04).

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Doin' It Yourself!
Long Heater - Small Sump
By Mauro Bergamaschi, 4/10/02
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan, 9/28/02

How to fit a big long heater in a small foot print sump not deep enough?

This is the case: you have a big tank (500 liters or so), you buy one or two 300w heaters and you want to put them in the sump, but your sump is both too shallow (to permit the heaters to be positioned vertically or to short (or much to "busy")) to allow them to lay horizontally.

The easiest solution is the following: buy a plastic pipe with a inner diameter one centimeter bigger than the outer heater diameter and 5 centimeters longer. Glue the pipe on a flat base (a squared piece of plastic is ok). Put the heater in the pipe and the pipe in the sump standing on its base, derive water from a bypass or using a dedicated small pump to the top of the tube and let it fill it, when the water fills up the tube it simply returns to the sump (heated).

Editor's Comments:
Editing was limited to spelling and grammar corrections and putting into the Fish 'N' Chips format.

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What's Up @ Reefs UK
- http://www.reefsuk.org -
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 9/28/02

9/4/02:

• The Mushroom Propagation article has been updated to provide a more in-depth explanation of how to produce several frags from a single mushroom, including photos to further illustrate this type of propagation.

To join the Reefs UK Mailing List or the Reefs UK Chat (Email Discussion Group),
visit the Reefs UK Website for instructions.

Editor's Comments:
Information in this section covers the latest happenings at Mark T. Taber's Reefs UK Web Site. Mark has given me permission to publish any information from his mailing list that I feel would be of interest to Fish 'N' Chips subscribers. So, the above, although reworded by me, should be credited to Mark or to Derek Scales who works closely with Mark on the running of Reefs UK. The dates in bold coincide with Mark or Derek's mailings and are provided as a reference.

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Caught In The Net
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 9/29/02

New Stuff Found

On Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/:

• Volume 1, Issue 9, September 2002 is now available.

On Reefs.org (http://www.reefs.org/):

• Article: Basement Sumps - Why Do People Do It? by Various Authors
• Article: CO2 Needle Valve Alternatives by Mike Kirda, Wade Lehmann, and Brian Ferguson
• Article: Dehumidifiers: Why can't we use the collected water for our tanks? by Mike Kirda and Aaron
• Article: In the Wall Tank Owners and Fishroom Considerations by Various Authors
• Article: Iron and Seagrasses by Various Authors
• Article: Sand Clumping - the How's and Why's by Mike Kirda and Shane Graber

Insaniquarium
Made by Flying Bear Entertainment, Insaniquarium is an online game best played in Internet Explorer 5 or higher. To quote the site, "...a highly addictive game where you grow and raise a collection of fish." Highly addictive! They ain't kidding. This was a blast! You feed your fish and watch them grow and they reward you with cold hard cash in coin form! Life isn't just a goldfish bowl here folks as you must defend them from fish-munching aliens! A tank to take care of and aliens to zap! What more could a fish-loving gal want? You can find Insaniquarium at http://www.freshpulp.com/fishtank/.

Permission for graphic use was granted by George Fan of Flying Bear Entertainment (Thanks George!).

Marine Aquarium Council Update

• On March 5-7, MAC assisted the German Technical Cooperation agency (GTZ) with a collectors training workshop in Coron, Palawan, Philippines. 26 collectors, mostly from significant collection areas in the Philippines, received specialized training on net collecting and high quality post-harvest handling.
• In Indonesia, MAC is working with AKKII (the Indonesia Coral, Shell and Ornamental Fish Association), Terangi (the Indonesia Coral Reef Conservation organization), Telapak, WWF Indonesia, and others to develop and implement an outreach and training program for collectors and their communities.
• From February 8 to March 7, MAC organized the first 'training-of-trainers' program in Coron, Palawan, Philippines. This will alleviate the lack of qualified trainers in Indonesia.
  • The lessons learned in the Philippines were shared with representatives from the Indonesian marine conservation organizations of Terangi, WWF Indonesia, Telapak, and Bahtera Nusantara.
  • The program participants will become a training resource for Indonesian NGOs and export companies that support net capture, proper post-harvest handling and transport techniques.
  • The training participants spent most of their time in the water learning proper collection, handling, and holding techniques.
  • The training participants also worked on understanding the documentation system for collectors, developing collection area management plans, and other activities associated with MAC Certification of collectors and collection areas.
  • After returning from the Philippines, the participants met with AKKII to begin developing a MAC-AKKII-NGO partnership work plan for training collectors in Indonesia.
• As of the first quarter of 2002, 64 companies have signed the MAC Statement of Commitment. They come from Australia (1); Bahrain (1); Belau (1); Fiji (5); France (1); Holland (1); Indonesia (5); Israel (1); Philippines (19); Spain (1); Solomon Islands (2); United Kingdom (1), and the United States (25).
• Four trade associations have also made public their support for MAC Certification.
• The American Marinelife Dealers Association (AMDA) Board stated in January that they "voted unanimously to support MAC in its goals for the aquarium industry."
• Trade association statement excerpts are available on the MAC website at http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/. Also available is the list of companies that have signed a Statement of Commitment.
• On March 6 in Los Angeles, US companies that have signed the MAC Statement of Commitment were invited to a workshop to consider several issues related to the MAC Standards.
  • Representatives of 16 companies, as well as American Marinelife Dealers Association, attended the workshop.
  • The focus of the workshop was to move towards developing interpretation of the MAC Standards so they can be implemented with a reasonable level of flexibility to meet industry realities.
  • Participants agreed that ongoing consultation on the issues is a constructive way to ensure industry concerns are heard.
  • The MAC Board of Directors will be developing the Terms of Reference for the Unsuitable Species Committee and the criteria and process for selecting its members. The workshop recommended that the committee focus on animals that are deadly to the average human or become too large for the average hobbyist tank and that exceptions should be made for scientific, research, educational and other specific purposes.
  • The workshop considered the issues of acceptable mortality rates, certified organism traceability, documentation requirements, and the certification of facilities.
  • A committee was created to explore interpretive language to ensure that the MAC Standards address these issues in a manner that is practical and applicable. MAC Executive Director Paul Holthus and MAC Certification Coordinator David Vosseler noted that interpretative language having a significant impact on the standards would have to be reviewed by the MAC Board and that any change to the standards would have to undergo a multi-stakeholder and public review process.
  • The attendees discussed the need for considerable efforts to ensure collectors are trained and able to supply certified marine organisms from certified collection areas. Participants agreed to have the committee explore industry support to assist in MAC training.
• MAC Pacific Region Coordinator Michelle Lam and MAC Accreditation Coordinator Peter Scott spent much of March working with the industry and other stakeholders in Fiji.
  • Owners and managers of four companies that have signed the MAC Statement of Commitment, along with representatives from the Fiji Fisheries Department and WWF, participated in the Fiji Certification Development Workshop on March 6.
  • Walt Smith, chair of the Fiji Marine Aquarium Council, spoke about developments between MAC and US importers and the recent suspension of CITES exports from Fiji (which has since been rescinded).
  • Industry members agreed that interpretive manuals for coral and invertebrate collection are needed.
  • Following the workshop, Lam and Scott visited the facilities of all marine ornamentals exporters in Fiji and worked with the companies to ensure they understood the MAC Standards and Certification process and facilitate their efforts to make the changes needed to meet the MAC Standards.
  • The team also spent time with the MAC Board Member organization Friends of the Peoples of the South Pacific, relevant government agencies, WWF South Pacific, and other environmental groups based in Fiji.
• An integral part of the MAC communication strategy is working with public aquariums to educate marine aquarium hobbyists and the general public about the benefits of a sustainable, environmentally sound marine aquarium trade and the role of MAC Certification in achieving this.
  • A first step in this direction involves educating public aquarium personnel on ways they can support MAC through their exhibits, outreach, media relations, and acquisition activities.
  • At the annual meeting of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) during March in Denver, Colorado, MAC Communications Coordinator Sylvia Spalding participated in the Regional Aquatics Workshop. Spalding provided participants with the MAC informational kit for public aquariums, which was created by MAC and SeaWeb.
  • Spalding and Doug Warmolts, the AZA representative on the MAC Board of Directors, convened a group representing 10 US and European public aquariums. The group will work with MAC to draft language for an implementation manual for the MAC Standards regarding the acquisition of marine aquarium organisms by scientific and educational institutions.
• MAC Certification Coordinator David Vosseler participated in the PIDA Pets 2002 show March 16-17 in Orlando, Florida.
• MAC also attended Interzoo 2002, May 9-12 in Nuremberg, Germany, and the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) Trade Show, June 11-13 in Chicago, Illinois.
• Reef Check is a non-profit organization established to promote sustainable management of coral reefs.
  • Reef Check is based at UCLA and runs a volunteer coral reef monitoring program in more than 50 countries.
  • Reef Check and MAC have been working as partners for the past two years.
  • In January, Reef Check released the beta version of MAQTRAC, a new monitoring program specifically designed to track the effects of fish and invertebrate harvesting from reefs.
  • This protocol is now being tested in Fiji, Indonesia, and the Philippines with good initial results.
  • Reef Check believes the marine aquarium trade gives coral reefs economic value that, over the long term, can help protect them. A guiding principle of Reef Check is that private-sector, win-win solutions need to play a much bigger role to ensure the success of future reef conservation and management efforts on a global scale.
  • Reef Check requests the support of home aquarium owners, retailers, wholesalers and others in the global MAC Network. Visit Reef Check at http://www.reefcheck.org/ or contact Reef Check Outreach Coordinator Kelly McGee at rcheck2@ucla.edu.
• MAC wants their website to be as interesting and informative as possible.
  • They need photos for use on the MAC website updates. They will credit the photographers.
  • They are interested in acquiring broadcast quality video footage.
  • They are looking for ways to cross link with websites related to MAC. Their policy is to only link to industry sites of companies that have signed the MAC Statement of Commitment.

Remember to visit the MAC website at http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/ for more information and to subscribe to the newsletter.

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Marine News
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 9/28/02

9/3/02 - Johannesburg, South Africa: The U.S. is preparing to launch a new initiative that aims to protect ocean ecosystems by cleaning up land based sources of pollution. The White Water to Blue Water initiative was announced at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in South Africa. The National Oceanic at Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the new initiative emphasizes a cross sectoral approach to ecosystem management, beginning with upstream pollution sources, and extending through coastal wetlands, mangrove swamps, and coral reefs into the ocean. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-03-06.asp (url dead 8/24/04).

9/5/02 - DC, US: A coalition of environmental groups has written to President Bush, asking him not to challenge existing requirements that the federal government review the environmental effects of its actions at sea. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-05-09.asp#anchor3 (url dead 8/24/04).

9/10/02 - Cambridge, UK: British Antarctic Survey scientists say global warming is changing the life patterns of marine species in Antarctica as fast, if not faster than anyplace on Earth. New research reveals that thousands of Antarctic marine species, adapted to constant temperatures for millions of years, now appear to be uniquely vulnerable in the face of predicted temperature change. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-10-04.asp (url dead 8/24/04).

9/24/02 - DC, US: A new interim report from a federal commission on ocean policies concludes that the world's oceans are in trouble. The midterm report from the congressionally mandated U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy raises more questions than it answers, but it marks the first step toward developing a comprehensive, long range national ocean and coastal policy. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-24-06.asp (url dead 8/24/04).

9/25/02 - Maryland, US: About a half million oysters will be planted on an artificial reef constructed on Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-25-09.asp#anchor8 (url dead 8/24/04).

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Chips...er...Tips
Keep A Fish Book
By Jason and Tera Chavez 7/28/02
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 9/25/02

Many aquarists (like us) keep lots of paper work having to do with our tanks like receipts, instructions, warranties, notes, ads, information printed from the internet, etc., etc. We now use a large three ring binder to organize all of our "fish stuff" and keep it in one place. I never again have to ask my husband "where did we buy that coral?" or "how much of that medication do we use?" because I now have saved all of that information and have it organized in our book.

Editor's Comments:
Editing was limited to spelling and grammar corrections and putting into the Fish 'N' Chips format.

To Submit Your Tip: Send your tip via email to fishnchips@mindspring.com (visit http://www.marinefiends.com/submit.html - updated 10/12/05) and I'll publish it in an upcoming issue of Fish 'N' Chips. I'll write it up for you or you can do it yourself if you are so inclined. Make sure you let me know if I can include your name and email address or if you'd rather go anonymous.

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Upcoming Events
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 9/25/02

To Submit Your Event: Send your event and all the specifics (date, time, location, pricing, contact info, etc.) via email to fishnchips@mindspring.com (visit http://www.marinefiends.com/submit.html - updated 10/12/05) and I'll publish it in all issues of Fish 'N' Chips prior to the event.

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Prove It!, a Bibliography
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 9/29/02

Article: From Liz Recall Notice

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Subscription List (http://www.cpsc.gov)

Article: Marine News

• Environment News Service, http://ens-news.com/

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