Nathan Hill checks out this latest offering from NEWA.

Now, UVs aren’t exactly a new idea. Pond owners have been using them (and often getting them wrong) for decades, and to aquarium owners they’re either loved or hated. 

As a quick recap for those not familiar with UV, it can do one of a couple of things. At low exposure levels, it can help to clarify water from floating algae. At high, powerful exposures, it’ll kill, indiscriminately and effectively. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, whatever. If it’s water-borne and goes past a powerful enough UV, it’s getting nuked. 

The benefit of the NEWA UV is the ease of use. It’s a hang on as opposed to requiring plumbing in, and for a lot of aquarists that’s the kind of difference between a bumper car and a Bentley. 

Hard plumbed UVs can be awkward to work with, and once they’re in place they’re limited to use on one tank. Many are based on designs for pond use, making them messy to work with. Having clambered around in more than one sumped cabinet in my time, trying to change bulbs without cracking quartz sleeves, I’m happy to embrace anything that changes the rules a bit.

The NEWA system runs just like a hang on filter. A lip broaches the top of the tank, and a nozzle and inlet juts down into the water. The working parts of the UV sit outside the tank, on the back or side. 

The design is simple, in a back to front kind of way. Usually, the emphasis in on water passing through a chamber, while the UV bulb resides in a quartz sleeve. NEWA have theirs the other way, with water passing through a horseshoe-shaped quartz pipe, with the UV sat in between the two straight edges. The real genius comes from the use of mirrors (hence the name). Inside the entire UV chamber, there’s a highly reflective aluminium screen, bouncing that UV back into the water where it’s needed. 

Access to the working parts is beyond easy. Three sliding clips — one each side and one on the bottom — open up to let you split the entire unit in half. The pump pushes into place, making extraction and cleaning a doozy. Changing the 9W bulb (the same as used in pond clarifiers the world over) couldn’t be more straightforward. Remove cover, change bulb. You don’t even need a screwdriver, which is nice. 

There’s a control on top that adjusts flow, with the pretence that higher flow will only impact clarity, while slower flow will bring in the sterilising effect. 

As I see it, there are only a couple of downsides. The first, if you haven’t got an open-topped set up, then this isn’t going on the tank. But then, if you’ve got a sump, you can stick it on that instead. 

The only other downside is that it guzzles up plug space. You need one plug for the bulb, plus another for the pump powering it all. It would have been nice to have one plug powering everything, but I guess that wasn’t an option.

Verdict

Excellent if trying to control disease in a fish only set-up, I imagine that detractors will point out that UVs often blight the 'good stuff' in a reef set-up (like microscopic food for corals) and others might be put off by the price. It is steep for what it is, but if I had a £4,000 Clarion angel and was worried about whitespot, I might be thinking otherwise. 

Ease of use:

5/5

Features:

4/5

Value for money:

2/5

Overall score:

3.5/5

Price:

£230

More info:

fintailproducts.co.uk

Yay! A new tank that isn’t a nano! You have no idea how happy this makes me, writes Nathan Hill.

So, where to start? Marina has always (for me) been the slightly budget side of Hagen. But let me be clear about this. I’m not talking budget as in ‘all the chaff from the factory floor sweeping, rehashed into something grotesque’ kind of budget. No, the Marina stuff is just the bare bones, stripped down version of fancier gear. It lacks some finesse, but oh my, is it functional... 

What we have here is a basic 87 l/19 gal set-up with the basics you need. The tank is actually smart, not just a cube of badly siliconed glass. Rather, the front edges are curved 

and seamless, for a smooth viewing transition. 

The hood looks a little bit 'Russian army' if you know what I mean, but it’s practical enough.

There’s a feeding/access flap, and the whole thing pivots easily on hinges. 

On the underside you’ve got an LED strip, incorporating Hagen’s 'soft start' technology, meaning that the lights ramp up slowly instead of just going from dark to bright. In white mode, the light adheres to a plant-friendly 7,500K colour temperature (so it’s nice and white), but there’s also a nocturne mode with just blue diodes running. It’s nice enough, nothing that makes my toes curl, but hey ho. The light’s already fitted, so there’s no faff involved. 

Filtration is a Marina ‘i’ series filter which is easy enough to work with. It’s a basic design, three stage filter with foam, carbon and biomedia, and though it might not be a Fluval U, it does the job to a high standard. Maintaining it is shockingly simple, though.

Heating is included too, all 100W of classic heaterstat. There are smaller models in the range, but note that they don’t have heaters as standard.

Dimensions of the tank are 76cm long, 30.5cm wide, and 46cm tall (30.4 x 12.2 x 18.4in) , and if you fancy it, you can also buy a purpose made and rather pleasing looking cabinet. 

Would I buy one? Yeah, probably. These definitely have a market, and the fishkeeper on a tighter budget shouldn’t rule the Vue 87 out as a balance of looks and affordability. The most diehard aquascapers might be sniffy about its non-optiwhite glass, but for the everyday fishkeeper, it gives you everything you want for a reasonable price. 

Oh, and the version I have came with a Fluval AquaVac included. If that’s standard with all the Vue tanks being sold, then they really are the bargain of the year!

Verdict

Much better than it might look at first glance. Perfect first community tank for a newbie. 

Ease of use:

5/5

Features:

5/5

Value for money:

5/5

Price:

Currently selling for around £125.

Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See 

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version.     

These plush suckermouthed catfish have proved a real hit here in the PFK office, and Nathan Hill can hardly contain himself over this latest batch...

If you saw the review of the first batch of these I had in the office a few months back, then you’ll remember how great they were.

Original Plecostomus plush toys from GreenPleco are teddy bear catfish with lifelike and anatomically correct features and suckers for mouths and since I reviewed them last time everyone has gone mad for them, which is understandable because they really are awesome. There.

So what’s new? Brace yourself. Two of these catfish glow. You heard me right. The Green phantom and the Blue phantom designs are glow in the dark, and I don’t mean the feeble, 1980s disappointing glow in the dark stuff that lasted three seconds. Flick off the lights and they glare, bright green. I got the photographer into a dark room with them and he was even more thrilled than I.

There’s also a white (albino?) longfin bristlenose plec. You’ll love this — it has fluffy bristles all around the mouth.

GreenPleco has also produced a Crimson (red?) bristlenose, and a Sapphire plec (not sure which one that’s meant to be, but it doesn’t really matter).

So that’s what’s new. Fresh designs, and glowing (glowing!) catfish. The only problem you’ll face now is whittling down exactly which ones to select out of the range.

I lie, of course you won’t. You’ll just do what the rest of us sensible folk are doing and buy the whole lot as a package.

The only downside is that they’re in North America, so buying just the one is pretty heavy on freight. Club together with a few friends and get a big box full — it’ll be totally worth it.

Verdict

So much love. I’m taking a pair of glowers home to stick up in my bedroom, and when the lights go off I’m going to squeal like an upset piggy.

Price: Sapphire or Crimson plec $11.99 each (note dollars, not pounds); longfin plec $12.99, Glow in the dark Green or Blue phantom $19.99 each, plus postage. You’ll need to contact GreenPleco directly to establish freight prices pending numbers ordered.

More info: www.greenpleco.com

Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See 

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version. 

Nathan Hill checks out this new nutrient dosing device for aquarium plants.

Oh, this is clever. A slow release dosing mechanism for nutrients that doesn’t rely on a cumbersome peristaltic pump. 

How does it work? Science! There’s a semi-permeable membrane at the bottom of the device, through which water slowly seeps, pushing the water/nutrient mix up and out into the tank via a tiny spout. There are no moving parts as such, but you do have a syringe action on the dosing part of the device. 

Using it is simple. Add liquid — either Dennerle S7 VitaMix or V30 Complete (in accordance with the instructions) and away you go. 

Well, I lie. First of all you need to prepare the membranes according to dosage and ingredient.

You have a selection of options from 50-250 l for both liquids, and you need to get this part right — mess it up and you’ve ruined your membrane. It is as nerve wracking as defusing a nuclear bomb in a building full of newborns. 

Then with the right membrane in place, you add your liquid, push the plunger/nozzle in so that there’s no air and the liquid is partway up the spout, and then place the unit in the tank, about 1cm above the water level. After 12 hours your solution should be (incredibly) slowly dripping in to the tank. 

On the one hand, I’m thinking this is the product that nobody really asked for, which seems a tad more awkward than just making up an EI mix and belting it in daily. On the other hand, it’s early days, and it may turn out that a steady, slow dose of nutrients might be better than fluctuations and help to reduce algae even further. We shall see, I suppose. 

Does it have a market? Yeah, why not? For those who prefer a softly-softly approach to the gung-ho bucket science of EI this will be a great relief. I’ll be especially keen to see how the product develops for other chemical uses too. I imagine that if it behaves the same with glutaraldehyde, acid and base solutions or fish medications then it’ll really end up going places. 

Verdict

Early signs are promising but I’ve not had one running long enough to be conclusive. Could be great, could be a donkey. Tough to say at this stage. It is fiddly for what it is, I must confess, and I imagine the novelty of frequent refills will soon wear off. 

Ease of use:

2/5

Features:

4/5

Value for money:

4/5

Overall score:

3/5

Price:

RRP £9.85.

Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See 

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version.   

Nathan Hill loves this latest internal filter from Eden, but warns that it's not a product for lazy fishkeepers.

The last time I held anything this nice, security guards were on to me in seconds. After years of disdainfully seeing the 'Henry Ford' approach to cheapening canister filters and the slight decline in build qualities (and not to mention innovation), a filter I’ve never handled before has come along and moved all the goalposts. 

The Eden 328 reminds me of the golden age of filter innovations, when the likes of VisiJet were tossing the competition aside with funky details that nobody had asked for but everyone wanted. It looks different, it behaves different, and it is different to pretty much all other canisters. 

First impressions were that I thought I’d broken the thing in seconds. I got it out of the box, went to twist the outflow, heard a ping and then it all went limp. I had to open it up, which revealed layer upon layer of well-sealed, snugly-fitting parts. Then I found my 'broken' piece — a tiny metal pin that had pinged out as a failsafe against heavy-handed thugs like me. 

The impeller is solid, and spins like a well-trained ballerina. Tiny rubber rings keep it in place, making it quiet when running. 

The outlet has the most ingenious yet simple swivelling nozzle. Gears and pinions inside mean that as the unit flows, the nozzle swings back and forth across a 120° field. A wheel-type controller on the flank allows you to adjust flow up and down. You can ping the included venturi kit on the spout, too, if you’re the kind of aquarist who likes fine bubbles and a filter that sounds like a pig with a sinus infection. 

The filter chamber is an exercise in basic innovation, some so obvious that it’s amazing it has taken this long. The flow of water is channelled through grilles on either side of the unit, up and over and into the filter body proper. Inside it is not just a single large foam, but two close foams, each sat on an individual strainer. It means you get lashings of extra mechanical surface area for no extra physical presence.

Directly behind the strainers, in a darkened compartment, is space for your carbon (included), which feeds to another darkened chamber into which you can place your sintered glass biomedia (like mini biomax, also included). 

There are downsides. The main downside is that a lot of aquarists are lazy when it comes to filter maintenance. If that’s you, then you won’t like it. There are lots of parts to clean, and regularly if you want it running optimally. The clear casing for the foams will get grubby fast, undermining the aesthetic quality of it all. 

The 328 has a flow rate of 200 lph set at its lowest, and 1000 lph at full pelt. It’s rated by the manufacturers for a tank up to 300 l/66 gal, which I feel might be stretching it, based on how many fish I know people will cram into a typical Rio 300. I reckon 200 l/44 gal myself, but I could be surprised. 

Verdict

Outrageously good. I love this, and think you will too. You get a lot for your loot, and the whole thing looks and feels quality. 

Ease of use:

3/5

Features:

5/5

Value for money:

4/5

Overall score:

4/5

Price:

RRP £75.99, but most stores selling it at around £37.99.

Did you know that you can now buy the latest issue of Practical Fishkeeping online and have it delivered to your door the next day — and you don't even have to pay the postage charge!Click here to find out more! 

Or why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See 

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version. 

Nathan Hill takes a look at this new range of fish foods from the brand that used be known as New Era.

If you’ve just woken up from a coma, you should know that the really good New Era food you used to buy has now gone, except it hasn’t really gone. It has just changed name and is now marketed as Vitalis. 

New Era had a rep for being the best food out there, and without endorsing it in any way that someone might try to sue me for, I can say that for me personally, it really was the best food out there.

Anyway, forget the old name, it’s not coming back. Instead, focus on Vitalis foods, because they are the new amazing. I went to the factory once, and they showed me the ingredients. They were better than the foods I keep in my own fridge. 

The XS part of the name (itself a small icon on the packaging) refers to the granule size. They are very small, too, very much like the 'hundreds and thousands' toppings we used to get on iced cakes. Only a lot fishier.

What I really love about Vitalis pellets is the texture. They’re not quite dry, but not quite wet. Think of them as a squishy soft food. If you like, you can roll them together to make a larger lump. I like to ball them up and push them on to something like a rock, so the fish can slowly graze away. The manufacturers describe the food as a 'soft crumb' of 1mm size. That sums it up pretty well.

The Vitalis XS range includes Tropical, Catfish, Cichlid, Shrimp, Goldfish, Algae, Marine and Platinum marine pellets. I’m not 100% sure what the difference between Marine and Platinum marine is, except that standard Marine has a higher protein content and contains astaxanthin (a beneficial carotenoid for colour and immunity boosting). Aside that, the ingredients look pretty much identical. 

I invite you to open a tub of any and have a sniff, and immediately you can smell the quality of manufacture. You can pick out undertones of fish, shrimp and chlorophyll easily, to the point where you’ll wonder why you’re salivating. 

Pricing is competitive, ingredients sustainably sourced, and even a peaceful Otocinclus will try to tear your face off to get to it. Fish love this stuff, which is probably why so many public aquaria rely on it as a staple food. 

Verdict

There’s only so many ways I can say 'best food ever' so I’ll stop trying. Go buy some, you’ll love it. 

Ease of use:

5/5

Features

: 5/5

Value for money:

5/5

Overall score:

5/5

Price:

TBC (around £5.69 for 60g).

More info: 

worldfeeds.uk

Did you know that you can now buy the latest issue of Practical Fishkeeping online and have it delivered to your door the next day — and you don't even have to pay the postage charge!

Click here to find out more! 

Or why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See 

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version. 

With shrimp continuing to increase their presence across the globe, and with an ardent fanbase prepared to spend what they need to keep them happy, it’s a surprise that a product as core as shrimp salts didn’t become popular sooner, says Nathan Hill.

There are three distinct salts in the Dennerle range, each corresponding to a different 'clan' of shrimp: Bee, Sulawesi and 'generic'. Unsurprisingly, despite the rather cavalier attitude of many buyers and sellers, it turns out that shrimp from different regions require different water chemistries too. 

The generic salt is aimed at Neocaridina species of shrimp, including Sakura and White pearl types, as well as Caridina Tiger shrimp. A standard dose creates a pH of around 7.0 to 7.5, with a total hardness of 6–8°H. The Bee salt, aimed at Crystal and Bumblebee types, creates a softer, more acidic balance, with a pH around 6.0 to 6.5, and a hardness down around 5°H. The Sulawesi salt, designed for those alkalophile (yet not really that hardwater) crustaceans lifts the pH to around 7.8 to 8.5, with a corresponding hardness of 6 to 7°H. 

Now I know what you’re thinking. How does a measure of salt alter your tapwater to a pH of 6.5, or whatever? Well, it doesn’t. This stuff is designed to go into RO water. If you’re adding to water from any other source, then you’ll need to factor in the existing pH and hardness to get things just right. You can’t just tip a load into your existing hardwater supply and expect it to soften things down and drop the pH. 

Dosage in RO works out at one measure (approx. 6g) from the supplied spoon into 20 litres of water. The tubs I have are 200g each, meaning that they’ll treat over 1,300 l. You mix the salt into a container of water away from the main tank and then add it along with a water change refill. Any bits of residue are apparently also safe and should be added. 

As well as bolstering GH and KH, there are other, unspecified ingredients involved, with the packaging claiming 'valuable minerals, trace elements (including iodine) and vitamins,' so it’s not a product that can be compared like-for-like with a bog-standard off-the-shelf GH/KH additive. 

Verdict

Well, this makes shrimping a whole lot easier. I just wish I’d had access to these when I’d first started my shrimp exploits. 

Ease of use:

4/5

Features:

3/5

Value for money:

3/5

Overall score:

3/5

Price:

Around £12.39 for 200g.

Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See 

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version.    

An internal canister filter for just over a tenner? Nathan Hill checks out this new budget offering from All Pond Solutions.

All Pond Solutions has delighted me in the past with affordable gear for aquarists on a shoestring. I’ve fallen in love with lights, external canisters and old-school, air-driven internal foam filters. But I’m oddly ambivalent about this canister. 

At time of writing, the pump is reduced down to just over £10, which for a 600 lph canister in today’s market, is pretty damned awesome. However, in this instance, I’m not immediately wooed. 

All the basics are there. The unit feels sturdy, and it has enough physical presence to inspire confidence. It looks big enough to cope with a 60cm/24in or even 80cm/32in tank with ease. It stands just under 22cm/8.8in tall, and is weighty, as I’ve come to expect of competent internals. 

There are also a couple of nozzle options, allowing the addition of a venturi if you want, or a smallish hosetail if you fancy using it to power something else. It’s gutsy enough to cope with something like a small UV on the back of the tank at a real push. 

The bracket holding it in place is sucker-based only, and having seen this kind of sucker before, I’d give them maybe eight months in a hardwater area before they start to scale up. That’s actually not too bad a run.

Inside the canister the media is foam based. You could probably improvise if you wanted, squeezing in some biomedia or carbon, but you may end up impairing the function. Primarily, it’s designed with that dual mechanical/biological foam in mind, I suspect. The only problem there is that the compartment housing the foam is clear, and anyone who knows their nitrifying bacteria will tell you that light and biological bacteria aren’t a good match. 

Getting to the media for maintenance involves either pulling the whole unit out of the water, or detaching the filter compartments in the tank and removing just those. Whichever you choose is straightforward, and the foams are easy to access. 

What I don’t like is the flow controller and impeller. Both seem brittle, but the former is just outright precarious — a piece of thin plastic that bevels on an equally brittle holder. In fact, I just opened my sample model again to have a look at it, and the controller has fallen out, like it does every time. Only now it’s somewhere in a pile of junk by my desk and the device has no flow control. That’s what I don’t like — one mistake and you’re stuck up the creek.

Either way, if you’re in the market for a cheap, gutsy canister, or need a quick, inexpensive temporary replacement, then this is your model right here. Just open it like you’re opening the tomb of a long dead Pharaoh, and watch eagle-eyed for anything that drops out.

Verdict

Cheap as chips, functional and full of flow. I just wish I still had the working parts of mine. 

Ease of use:

3/5

Features:

2/5

Value for money:

4/5

Overall score:

3/5

Price:

Usually £11.99, but £10.19 at time of review.

Did you know that you can now buy the latest issue of Practical Fishkeeping online and have it delivered to your door the next day — and you don't even have to pay the postage charge!

Click here to find out more! 

Or why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See 

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version. 

If you're dead set in your mind that you don't like lifestyle tanks, you'll hate this. But I implore you to remain open if you're on the fence, as the Norrom has novelty mileage, says Nathan Hill. Unlike many tanks from non-aquatic companies, this one has been thought through.

Let me reinforce the point above. In the comprehensive and concise instruction manual come some 'do not' points. They include' do not overstock your aquarium — the total length of fish should not exceed 20cm; do not overfeed your fish — a hungry fish is a healthy fish; do not replace the sponge, carbon pellets of ceramic rings at the same time as each other — it can cause a lethal chemical imbalance'. Furthermore, Norrom 'strongly recommend cycling your aquarium before adding any fish, in order to ensure that the water quality is habitable...' Yes, that’s right. An aquarium company is actually suggesting cycling before you add fish. There’s even a link to a webpage to talk you through it. 

The Norrom is a 40 l, upright cylinder made from some of the nicest acrylic I’ve seen. The top and bottom trim, in a selection of finishes, is easy to remove and swap (should the urge take you) and if you’re the kind of person who has a 3D printer knocking about, you can download a template to make your own replacements at will. 

The filter runs on an uplift principle, and the tube screws into place with an unrivalled precision — there’s no shaky push-fit affair here. In the filter chamber sits a foam mechanical filter into which there is a clear cut trench for carbon (or other resin media, if you so choose), while biomedia sits around the outside. On top of that you can place your decorative stones, which come as either white or black cobbles (supplied, and you choose which you want). 

What’s very clever is what you don’t see, not what you do. The air pump sits under the tank, with a non-return valve feeding through to the base of the uplift, and — brace yourself — the light is also down there. I was initially thrown by that as well, but yes, the lighting, a cluster of LEDs arranged in a ring, are fixed to the base of the tank, meaning there are absolutely no cables running up the height of the aquarium. It is truly standalone.

The lighting beams directly up, and then bounces off a mirror built into the inside of the hood. Now, some of you will likely want to shout at me about how 'unnatural' or stressful for the fish it might be. Well, unless you’re sat on a perfect biotope replica for your own fish, with rainfall, sunrise and sunset patterns, and seasonal changes, then you’ll excuse my rather pronounced throat clearing. Maybe some fish won’t get on with this lighting set-up, but it’s no worse than the flickering fluorescents I see all too often.

The light is controlled with a dimmer switch, though I don’t know how easy it’ll be to change or repair in the event of a fault. Is it any good for plants? Maybe, but the substrate system won’t be, so it’s all a bit academic.

The stumbling block for many will be the lack of heating. You could probably add one, but at the risk of ruining the cable-free appearance. Otherwise, you’ve a choice of temperate fish, of which Norrom suggests a few such as Zebra danio, WCMM, and — temperature consistency pending — Neon tetra. What’s wonderful is that there’s no mention of goldfish. I’ve been all over the website, manual, packaging — everywhere. I hope other manufacturers are seeing this, because it is what we want. 

In its standard form, this will appeal to a certain subset of IKEA shoppers, and it should come as little surprise that Norrom is a Swedish design (though it is built in the UK). The limited range of substrates and fish mean that it will for the best part be relegated to being an attractive ornament in stylish homes. But that’s not to say it’s without potential. 

As a nano reef with bright zoanthids, some tinkering with additional lights, and a couple of tiny gobies, it could be the project of the year. As an aquascape with some alterations to the filter system, it could be a tube of green heaven, crawling with shrimps. I even think I could make it work short term with a handful of young shiners and some plastic plants. 

The price might put some off, but for a small-batch, one off design of this standard, it’s about right. 

I opened it up in an office of hundreds of people, and not a single one had a bad thing to say about it. I’m already bored of telling people they can’t have it. 

Verdict

A new venture done right, Norrom has researched the market and understood what it needs to do to be a part of it. When it’s bumping out better advice than some major manufacturers, it’s worth taking note. If you fancy making some tweaks and personalising one, I doubt you’ll be disappointed. I can’t wait to experiment with mine. 

Ease of use:

4/5

Features

4/5

Value for money:

4.5/5

Overall:

4.5/5

Price:

From £279 to £329 pending trim finish.

Did you know that you can now buy the latest issue of Practical Fishkeeping online and have it delivered to your door the next day — and you don't even have to pay the postage charge!Click here to find out more! 

Or why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version. 

We asked PFK reader Michael Hughes to take a look at this latest retrofit lighting offering from iQuatics.

My immediate thought when opening the Aqualumi light bar was how heavy the unit was when compared to my existing Juwel counterpart. It’s only upon more vigorous inspection that you realise the unit consists of a complete metal frame, as opposed to a plastic frame on the Juwel design.

The design is simple but effective, for those who aren’t particularly tech savvy, and installation is so straightforward that I doubt you’d even need to refer to the included instructions when putting the unit together. Each tube slots into the lighting extension arms, where there are waterproofing seals and screw caps to ensure it’s a tight, safe fit.

Once each arm has been completed, inserting them on to the main unit can be a little tricky. Overall it took less than 30 minutes to remove the old lighting unit, build the Iquatics Aqualumi and fit it to my tank.

The unit consists of two plugs, with one plug operating the middle two tubes and the second plug operating the outer two tubes. 

Note that there is no switch on any part of the lighting unit, which I think could be frustrating if you don’t use timers like me. That said, because there are two separate power inputs, you get great flexibility on the lighting intensity and duration.

Once in place I was duly impressed at how smoothly the standard Juwel cover flaps integrate into the unit. 

Fitted to the tank, the four-tube light unit takes up most of the top of the tank, which means that there’s less arm space for manual work within the aquarium. For maintenance purposes, I have to remove the unit or balance on the side of the tank.

I was moving from the standard (twin tube) Juwel T5 HiLite tubes, offering a total of 56W of light, compared to the double output of the four-tube Aqualumi which is a total of 112W plus reflectors. To avoid melting my plants or causing an algae explosion, I initially set 
up the lights on a staggered on/off cycle.

My outer two tubes with reflectors would come on for three hours, followed by the inner two tubes (minus reflectors) for the last hour. The next few weeks involved monitoring the plants and slowly increasing the lighting intensity and duration. 

The sudden boost of light is something that planted aquarium owners will want to keep in mind.

Pros

• Well-built unit.
• Simple and easy to use.
• Fits existing Juwel covers and integrates seamlessly.
• Two plugs offer greater flexibility to lighting set up.

Cons

• No individual switch for the lights, so if you don’t use timers, turning the lights off will mean unplugging them.
• Once the unit is place, there is little room to get your hands into the aquarium for cleaning and maintenance
• Currently only one tube type for tropical.

Verdict

The Aqualumi is a great unit which has really transformed my plants and my overall viewing of the fish, but it’s up against stiff competition, as for a similar price I could buy an LED set-up. This gives the space I need to access the tank and doesn’t produce the heat of the T5 bulbs.

However, if your existing Juwel lights do break, or don’t produce a high enough light intensity, and you’re not looking for LED, then I can highly recommend this unit.

Ireland's KoralSea has branched out into live phyto- and zooplankton in the form of K-Zoo, K-Phyto and K-Fuzz. Dave Wolfenden tries them out.

K-Zoo

At first glance, you might be thinking you’ve mainly bought water. However, look closely, and you’ll see the bottle is actually populated with numerous copepods. Look even closer, and you’ll see it’s teeming with tiny rotifers. Together, these little beasties make a great addition to the reef aquarium in a sort of zooplankton cocktail. 

The copepods include two species: firstly a harpacticoid (Tigriopus), which is primarily a substrate-hugging benthic ’pod. These will happily graze away at biofilm and detritus on any substrate in the aquarium, acting as a miniature clean-up crew; they’re also superb food for small fish species, notably mandarins. Secondly, Parvocalanus is included, which is a midwater swimmer and great food for fish, as well as SPS corals and various other invertebrates. Copepods are a good source of HUFAs (highly unsaturated fatty acids) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), so nutritionally you’re onto a winner with these.

Rotifers are even smaller than copepods, and make an ideal food for some filter feeders as well as larval fish such as clownfish. Not only that, they’re highly efficient at processing detritus and bacteria from the water, so adding them to your reef is a no-brainer.

KoralSea suggests a dosage of 50ml per 100 l at least once a month, but I suspect more might be necessary in practice. To get the most out of K-Zoo, regular additions to the aquarium will keep populations of ’pods and rotifers topped up, and using it in conjunction with phytoplankton (such as KoralSea’s K-Phyto) will help, as this feeds the zooplankton. ’Pods and rotifers will reproduce in the aquarium, especially if a refugium is available, but they may be snaffled quicker than they can breed.

K-Zoo is ideal for seeding a sand bed/macroalgae refugium, but additions directly to the aquarium will also be very beneficial. If adding with the intent of establishing healthy populations rather than as an immediate food source, acclimating the little critters by slowly bringing the temperature and salinity in line with the aquarium is a good idea. As far as shelf life goes, you’ll get a good few weeks out of a refrigerated bottle.

Ease of use:

5/5

Value for money:

5/5

Overall:

5/5

Price: 

250ml RRP £12.00; 30ml 'shot' bottles RRP £2.00.

K-Phyto

K-Phyto contains four species of live phytoplankton with sizes ranging from 5 to 20 microns. This product will be of interest to anyone wishing to directly feed clams and soft corals, and it’s also going to be helpful in potentially boosting zooplankton populations, perhaps in tandem with K-Zoo. 

KoralSea’s method of preparing K-Phyto for storage involves separating the algae from the culture medium (F2/Guillard’s nutrients), with a claimed 99% survival rate. They’re not giving much away on what method is used exactly, presumably for proprietary reasons, which is fair enough. The reasoning for separating the algae out is that F2 actually contains things that we don’t really want to be adding to the reef aquarium, such as phosphate and heavy metals. Dump a batch of regular phyto in its medium into the system, and you’re also adding those nutrients, so this approach offers a ‘cleaner’ culture. The trade-off is that K-Phyto has a shorter shelf-life than some commercially-available phytos, although it will keep for a reasonable while in the fridge (as with all of the products here, ‘best before’ dates are included on each bottle).

The bottle needs a good shake before use, as the algae can settle out in storage, but once agitated, it turns a nice dark green, suggesting a concentrated solution. A dosage rate of 5ml per 100 l daily is suggested, so a 250ml bottle is sufficient for ten days in 500 l aquarium. But you can go crazy with the stuff if you want, as it’s difficult to overdose.

Ease of use:

5/5

Value for money:

5/5

Overall:

5/5

Price:

250ml RRP £12.00; 30ml ‘shot’ bottles RRP £2.00.

K-Fuzz

The niftily-named K-Fuzz is a live temperate macroalga from the genus Acrochaetium, and as such it needs to be kept refrigerated, otherwise it’ll rapidly go off. It also won’t survive in the tropical marine aquarium, so this is strictly for immediate consumption by the fish. The alga takes the form of little filamentous pieces in pink-coloured water which has a strong, pungent 'seaside' aroma. Shake the bottle, and simply add as much as required. It appears a little messy, and the fish take a little getting used to it, but for aquaria containing damsels, tangs, angels, etc., K-Fuzz could make for a good ‘treat’ food. It’s claimed to have vitamins not contained in nori sheets, but I’d have liked some info on its nutritional profile, and perhaps a direct comparison with nori. But variety is the spice of life, so at least using it as a supplementary feed makes sense.

I asked KoralSea where the Acrochaetium is sourced from, and they state that it’s cultured, which means it’s pathogen-free and you can be sure it’s from a controlled environment, and will be of a consistent quality — which is good to know.

Ease of use:

5/5

Value for money:

4/5

Overall:

4/5

Price:

250ml RRP £12.00; 30ml ‘shot’ bottles RRP £2.00. 

More info:

www.koralsea.com

Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version. 

Nathan Hill plays with this latest lighting offering from Rolf C. Hagen.

Let me start off with a recap of how I felt about the last lot of Fluval LED lights. I was simultaneously overjoyed and underwhelmed, all in one package. I loved the shape of the bars, I loved the price and I loved how they were, for the best part, bulletproof. I hated the anaemic look of the light they emitted, and hated the way corals just looked ‘meh’ underneath them. And then I noticed that corals loved the ‘meh’ light and grew like Jack’s giant beanstalk underneath the things. 

What you couldn’t do before was put them on a timer, because of the annoying button activation, and you couldn’t alter the spectrum. 

In steps Fluval’s LED Mk II. Here’s the formal Fluval commentary on it: "Pairing bright White and RGB LEDs, Aquasky offers infinite colour blends and 11 exciting sky effects for a customised environment that can be controlled from the palm of your hand."

Let me unpackage some of that. The first claim, that there’s a mix of white and RGB diodes is entirely true. They’re punchy, too, at 16W for a roughly 55cm long light bar. Does Aquasky offer infinite colour blends? They’re in tricky territory there, because there are only so many colours in the universe. 

Eleven exciting sky effects? Sort of. There’s blue, less blue, and less blue again (shades of moon), cloudy, cloudier, even cloudier and cloudiest, and then there are three storm settings (dark and flashy, darker and flashy, and just flashy). I’m not sure about the 11th effect — I press the button and not much seems to happen. 

The effects I really am not fussed about, though. It’s like when somebody puts a storm setting on a £5,000 light. I take one look, think to myself 'never going to use that' and feel sorry for the poor soul who wasted his life putting it in. The effects for me are not the clincher for this deal, but then I do get out of my house quite regularly. The only part of the ‘gimmicky’ side of the light that makes me smile is the sunrise and sunset effects. Read that as fade on and fade off, and you get the idea.

Controlled from the palm of your hand? Oh yes. Ohhhhh yes. A snazzy remote, with a layout so simple and obvious it could have been designed by Fisher-Price, takes care of everything. Here’s where the action starts. 

You’ve got six colour pre-sets on the remote, but not the kind of garish, all out colour varieties that I have come to hate. No, press blue, and you get a subtle shift in spectrum. Likewise violet, white, orange and yellow. It’s nice. 

From there, you can alter colours to suit yourself, boosting individual channels in the RGB or just the white, and then you can save four of these tailored combinations. Controllability at last! The packaging says that you have a spectral spread from 3000 to 25,000K, but although I can easily pick out the high end, I’m not sure how to get things as low as 3000K. Or I might just be being stupid. 

The light is made up from a mixture of 28 6500K, and 14 RGB diodes (42 total) and it belts out a claimed 1100 lumens. 

The Aquasky doesn’t stop there. Got a canopy on your tank with fitted T5 or T8 lights? Can’t remove them without spoiling the look of the tank? Fluval has this covered. On the ends of the extendable mounting arms, you can add mounting brackets that fit straight in to your fluorescent ballasts. 

The issue of remote timing is now taken care of courtesy of the inline controller (sold separately) which can run up to two lights independently (it’s a bit of a chore to program each in, but it’s no biggie). 

The spread of light is nice and wide at 120° from each LED, meaning you avoid that annoying spotlighting effect in the tank, with some areas of scorched earth next to abyssal dark. It also means you can have the light set much closer to the water than many other brands, which in turn means more energy spent illuminating your tank, and less energy lighting the whole room with light spill. 

The Aquasky is suited for both fresh and marine tanks, but there’s no specific mention of coral growth. At this stage I honestly have no clue how it’ll compare with the original models, but given how much I was surprised first time around, I hope I’ll be equally pleased by the new offering. 

If it’s anything like its predecessor, it’ll stand up to the occasional accidental dunking. I drowned a few of the old lights, and though I panicked every time, I never had a strip light die that way on me. 

There are four sizes to choose from: 12W, 38–61cm; 16W, 53–83cm; 25W, 83.5–106.5cm; and 30W, 99–130cm. Extra peace of mind should come with the three-year warranty Fluval is offering, but diode life is expected to be around 50,000 hours upwards.

Digital double lamp timer

Instead of having to switch on and off lights manually, this light can be controlled with the in-line timer, which includes a sunrise and sunset function. Timer price around £20 to £25 in stores.

Verdict

I like lots, feel indifferent about the effects, and dislike the little remote sensor that needs to be stuck on to the tank/lid/wherever in order for the buttons to work. Other than that, this light is going places. 

Ease of use:

4/5

Features:

4/5

Value for money:

4/5

Overall:

4/5

Price:

£99.99 RRP, on sale around £79.99.

Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See

our latest subscription offer.

Don't forget PFK is also available in digital format. 

Click here

for more information on the iPad or iPhone version.

Alternatively, 

click here

 for details of the Android version. 

Nathan Hill plays with a real bruiser of a pump from EcoTech Marine.

It’s been a while since I played with anything for big set-ups, so I tracked this down and now I’ve got nothing large enough to connect it to. Typical, huh?

The Vectra L1 is a beautiful brute that can run as a sump pump, or an inline external pump. That in itself may not be too exciting, but I promise you it gets better.

What makes the L1 unique is that it’s the first EcoTech sump pump to run on a DC current, as opposed to the usual AC lumps we’re all used to. AC pumps are great, and all, but their Achilles heel is controllability. If you have an AC under your tank, you need to rig up inline taps and valves, and purge valves if you want to avoid a build-up of pressure/leaks/explosions. And if you’ve got an AC set up and want to have funky features like surges and gyre effects — forget about it!

EcoTech Marine are safely established as the kings of controllability. Pretty much everything they have comes with the ability to be connected up to a phone or tablet, at which point you get so many options that EcoTech only just stop at making their devices self-aware and able to think about the downfall of humanity. The Vectra L1 continues along this proud line of absolute manipulation at your fingertips. 

Physically, the L1 punches at a weight that belies its smallish stature. At peak it’ll consume 130W of energy, and for that it can pass through 11,500lph of flow (head level pending). With a maximum head level of 6.5m, this is not some trickling powerhead to stick on a 60cm tank. 

Mine measures in at just under 18cm from rubber feet to the the top of the threaded connection, just shy of 20cm long, and around 12cm wide. You get options of pipe sizing in and out (rigid only) of either 50mm (threaded) or 38mm (quick coupling) on the inlet, and 38mm (threaded) or 25mm (quick coupling) on the outlet. 

Accessing the internal parts involves an Allen key and four nuts (they drop out, so don’t lose them) at which point you expose a beefy impeller which just pulls out of its well. EcoTech advises six-monthly thorough cleans of the impeller, but with no kind of strainer or protection ahead of it, I’d be more frequent than this, especially in a typically sandy, mucky sump.

Now, that controllability. If you’re looking at an EcoTech pump, there’s a chance you already know about the existence of EcoSmart Live and ReefLink. If not, you really need to look up these two names, but in a nutshell what we have is a whole range of gear that runs on Wifi, through a wireless bridge (ReefLink) and into EcoSmart Live, which is a cloud based control for all things EcoTech. 

Assuming you have spent the last few years in a cave, on the moon, with no internet access, and no reading material, we can safely say you might not know of EcoSmart Live, in which case you can play with the Vectra driver (the physical controller for it). 

There are two ways of running the Vectra L1 — as either a return pump in a sump (the default setting of the device) or in a closed loop pattern (piped in/piped out of the tank). In return pump mode you get pretty limited control.

There’s a constant speed selection, which involves turning a dial and watching what happens. I’d advise keeping the driver well out of reach of roaming hands if you’re going to use that one. You also have a speed lock facility, which is a way of setting the flow you want and then deactivating the dial — safer if you have kids with exploring fingers. There’s also a feed mode, which is just a ten-minute 'go slow'. 

Calibrate the device for closed loop running, and you get more options, including 'lagoonal' which amounts to low energy turbulence; 'reef crest' which is high energy turbulence, and 'gyre' which is on on/off surge you set to whichever power and frequency you like. 

But this is all very basic compared to what you can do once you’re rigged up to EcoSmart Live. At that point, you can start planning peaks and troughs, ramping up and down of flow, changes of effects, the whole shebang, and over a 24-hour cycle, so you can time it in synch with lights and any other EcoTech Marine products you might have.

Although there’s not one presently available from the manufacturers, there’s even a port for a float switch in the driver, so the future hints at the potential of more controllability and safety. 

Are there any drawbacks? The big criticism of DC pumps is that they run hot, but I’m not in a position to currently see how much heat mine welts out. Historically, DC pumps have a bad reputation for unreliability, but given that this model has been out for coming up to ten months, and it isn’t plagued with pages of online frothing and forum beastings, I’m going to have to guess that either it’s pretty reliable, or nobody has bought one. But then I know people have been buying them.

There’s some noise made about the size of the fittings for rigid pipe, which is predictable with anything that uses rigid fittings. The thread, assuming you want to screw something straight on, is in British Standard Thread size, so you’ll need to shop carefully for that. Also, it’s noted that because the fittings on the Vectra L1 are made from ABS plastic, you’ll need different cement to usual when connecting to PVC pipe. 

Oh, and there’s the option to connect up an emergency EcoTech battery backup. Get a powercut? Pump can still run.

Verdict

Reefkeepers with big systems looking for hefty flows and controllability will be clawing the windows of their local retailer already. For big projects this is where it’s at, and freshwater keepers looking to put together the ultimate crashing river biotope will want to have a look as well. If you already own other EcoTech Marine products and have the chance to put everything under one controlling umbrella, I can’t see why you’d even look elsewhere.

Ease of use: 4/5
Features: 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Price: £399.00.

Describing something as the 'Rolls-Royce' of its kind, tends to conjure up images of obsessive attention to detail, impeccable build quality, tons of features — and an eye-watering price tag! On that basis, Dave Wolfenden brings us the 'Rolls-Royce of aquarium pumps'…

According to Alexander Grah (co-founder of German company, Venotec), the objective when designing their Abyzz range was to produce the most efficient and sustainable pump possible, without worrying about the end cost as a constraint. Their approach was to redesign the aquarium pump from the ground up — and hang the expense.

Abyzz pumps are fast gaining popularity with reefkeepers, but they’re suitable for freshwater systems too, with the larger models even capable of running stuff like bead filters on Koi ponds. There are three pumps currently in the Abyzz 'A' Series range: the A100, A200 and A400 (named according to their maximum wattage). 

I got my sticky mitts on an A200 to see what all the fuss is about.

What’s in the box?

There are two parts to the package — the pump itself and the so-called 'Abyzz Super Silent Driver' (the pump won’t run as a stand-alone unit). 

The pump feels solid, chunky and heavy, although it’s compact considering the output (the A200 is approximately 12 x 17.5 x 17cm high). The impeller housing has four substantial Allen bolts holding it onto the pump body (no fragile clips). The ABS impeller itself is an impressive orange affair — more akin in terms of design to the substantial impellers seen on pool pumps. The overall impression is one of a professional-standard piece of equipment. The inlet and outlet of the A200 will accept 50mm and 40mm fittings. As the pump body is made of ABS, you’ll need to use a 'transitional cement' if using PVC fittings to ensure proper bonding and fusion.

The Driver is basically a very sophisticated inverter, a gizmo that allows the pump to run at variable speed as a three-phase unit on 240V mains electricity. This is a masterstroke, as three-phase pumps are super-reliable, more energy-efficient and much more controllable compared to their single-phase counterparts. 

This thing is just class — dig deep into the specs and you’ll understand why it’s pricey. The magnets alone are extremely strong, very expensive, and encased in titanium to provide unparalleled protection. The power cable (available in either 3m or 10m lengths) is sheathed in submarine-grade polyurethane (rather than mere PVC), and the impeller shaft is a specific titanium alloy to ensure a long life. Bearings are silicon carbide rather than ceramic, which reduces wear from sand or other debris that may work its way inside. So in terms of expense, it’s worth thinking about the materials themselves, as well as the labour involved — and just think of the R&D costs for these things alone!

In use

The Driver has a simple control interface, with four buttons and a backlit screen. The pump connects in securely via a dedicated plug that’s bolted in place, and the Driver is then connected to the mains. There are 'master' and 'slave' D-sub ports for linking pumps to the Abyzz Control System (ACS) — available separately, and used to coordinate the activity of multiple pumps through one interface. A large heat sink forms the rear part of the housing (inverters tend to generate some warmth), and the Driver can be screwed to the wall — choose somewhere with adequate ventilation. Mount it somewhere it won’t get splashed or be subject to salt creep or humidity — it’s rated IP30 (obviously the pump itself can be used fully submerged or plumbed in on the dry side).

Plug the Driver in and switch on, and the unit beeps, the display letting you know the current status of the pump; a blinking LED lets you know the unit is running even when the display is off (a press of any button illuminates the display, which shuts off after a few minutes to save power).

An optional 'boost' setting can be dialled in to give an additional burst of flow at programmed intervals. The Driver’s display scrolls through various key snippets of information every few seconds the display is lit, including its temperature, the current mode, the pump’s current output, wattage consumed, and the length of time the unit has been running for. 

Programming the Driver is reasonably straightforward — for example, to change the mode, press the 'M' button, scroll to 'Mode', then press 'Start/Stop' to begin editing. You can then adjust the settings accordingly, using ‘Start/Stop’ to confirm at each stage, and then store the programme. The Driver protects itself and the pump by preventing dry running and it won’t work if it’s overheated for whatever reason.

The A200 can chuck out water at the rate of 14,500 lph, and has a maximum head height of 9m. But the real beauty is its programmability. Tap into the potential of the Driver, and you’ll be creating wave and surge effects you wouldn’t have believed possible. 

An advantage of running an uber-controllable three-phase pump through an inverter is being able to exactly match the flow to your requirements. Reducing the output of a regular pump typically involves closing valves to create an artificial head — the pump’s power use remains the same, so in effect this wastes energy. The Abyzz pumps, however, allow the pump’s power draw to be reduced by tweaking the speed of the motor, for a more energy-efficient approach. Abyzz calculates that reducing the pump’s flow rate to half the maximum capacity makes for an energy saving of over 75%.

Pump noise is literally non-existent (although there’s still noise from the movement of water); the instructions suggest that new pumps may be slightly noisy at first as the bearings bed in, but my test model had already seen some action, so was silent from the get-go. The pump isn’t self-priming, so it will need to be placed below the water level.

Pretty much the only maintenance is periodically cleaning the impeller (this involves unbolting the pump head — not difficult, but not a five second job). I was a little concerned at the lack of a strainer or guard on the inlet side, but this won’t worry most folks — in any case, Abyzz produces a stainless steel mesh guard for submersible use, or alternatively, a nifty inline strainer for dry side plumbing (both available separately).

Four operating modes

'Permanent' mode sees the pump run continuously at a set speed (the speed being set on a percentage basis).

In 'wave' mode, the pump’s speed can be set at an upper and lower level, and the time interval between these programmed.

Additionally, there are two 'random' modes – in the first of these the upper and lower speed levels are set, and the output randomly changes between these within a programmed time interval; in the second of these modes, the time interval itself is randomised. 

Running costs

In terms of running costs, there are some significant savings to be made over other pumps — but you’ll need to take the long view when calculating at which point you’ll break even, on account of the high costs of the Abyzz pumps themselves. 

I made some calculations, and the break-even point when replacing other pumps varies, but in most cases, an Abyzz will effectively pay for itself after a few years. For example, a 700W pool pump running a Koi pond filter costs nearly a grand a year to run.  Replacing this with an A400 means a saving of almost £400 a year in running costs — taking the initial purchase of each pump into account, the Abyzz’s break-even point is just under five years. After that you’re effectively saving yourself cash.

And that’s based on current electricity prices, which are likely to go up, and assuming the Abyzz is being used on maximum draw 24/7. Running it in reduced speed/energy modes will make potential savings even greater.

The Driver software can be subject to periodic optional upgrades — in such cases Venotec will pimp your Driver for a small nominal fee if you wish. 

A final point worth mentioning is Venotec’s 'lifetime' (10-year) warranty — you’ll need to activate this shortly after purchase to extend the standard one-year warranty, but it’s free. Abyzz is confident the pumps will last well over a decade, suggesting that in most cases impellers might simply need replacing to make them as good as new after this period. Alternatively, the company will repair and refurbish pumps (for a charge) past the extended warranty. 

Verdict

You have to take your hat off to Venotec for producing such beautifully-made and uncompromising pumps. Sure, you’ll pay top dollar, but many fishkeepers will see them as a worthwhile long-term investment, with the potential to save energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint. In this respect, I’d suggest that the 'value for money' rating below should be viewed on a subjective basis according to your own wallet. There are other very good pumps out there that are more affordable, but in view of their superb build quality, unequalled efficiency and the aftercare offered by Venotec, the Abyzz might seriously be the only pump you’ll ever need to buy. Heck, I think this thing might even outlive me…

Ease of use: 4.5/5
Features: 5/5
Value for money: 3.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Price: Abyzz A100 £941.06; A200 £1,287.28 (3m lead), £1,319.77 (10m lead); A400 £1,740.94 (3m lead), £1,773.28 (10m lead). All prices RRP. 

More info: www.abyzz.de or contact Seneye on 01223 911075.

Both of the Hugo Kamishi aquascaping kits are shown here — the rock kit is standalone from the plant kit. Either will work individually, but we'd recommend you splash out and buy both.

Nathan Hill plays with a clever new approach to aquascaping for those of us who lack the skills to do it ourselves.

Do you completely suck at aquascaping? You’re not alone. My own efforts involve lots of work for very little gain, and then I just hope that the plants will overgrow everything and compensate. Which they don’t. 

But you might not be able to grow plants and hide things anyway, in which case this Hugo Kamishi bundle, while not exactly the cheapest way to fill a tank, could be your way of saving face if you’ve got all the artistic skills of a blind potato.

The skills required for assembly are those you’d need to put together a child’s puzzle. If you can construct a Hello Kitty face from ten jigsaw pieces, then you can definitely do this and make your tank look the absolute business.

To make things real easy, there’s a pictorial guide included in the package. The artificial rock hardscape comes in seven parts, mainly big pieces but also a couple of small ones, while there are… lots of plants. Forgive me for not counting, but the bags are bulging and I’ve only just scooped them all up and put them back. The pictures should give you an idea. 

Assemble the rock layout according to the annotated pictures that come provided, and then just add the plants as advised, and you have a heaving plastic aquascape (plasquascape?) that outshines a lot of natural efforts. 

Or don’t! You have freedom with this kit to do whatever you like. Hugo gives a few suggestions with the included paperwork, but you could lose days just trying out different combinations of rock and plant. And given the quick play that I had, I think you’d struggle to make any combo look bad. I’d just advise leaving some access to all the decor with a toothbrush, because I worry that a little algae could ruin the effect.

Assembly time is in the region of five to ten minutes, but maintenance may be high. If you get strands of algae in your tank, you might be pulling plants back out and rinsing them off. Still, it might still be quicker than a weekly plant trim. 

The size recommendation is open to some interpretation. The kit is pitched at 80–100cm/32–40in tanks, but I think there’s easily enough to do two 60cm/24in set-ups, and if you don’t like maximalism then you could stretch even to a 150cm/60in tank without it looking too sparse. 

I can’t say at this stage whether the colours will eventually bleach under aquarium lighting (an all too common problem with ornaments), but I can say there are no sharp edges on mine, and there are no visible cracks, splits, deformities, warping or obvious weak spots. 

As construction goes, it’s very good. The only drawback is that some of the rocks have been designed to interlock, and so left exposed in a different configuration you might find yourself looking at a curious notch. A couple of well-placed plants (you’ll easily have enough spare) will sort this out.

Note that the two parts come separately; the rock kit is standalone from the plant kit. Either will work individually, but in seriousness, you are robbing yourself if you don’t go for both. 

Verdict

Hugo Kamishi’s finest hour, maybe, with this piece of kit. Consider it a layout equaliser, because for the first time, I can say without irony that anyone from the most entry level, flying-blind aquarist can have a spectacular layout. It isn’t so cheap, but on some mental maths, it’s still cheaper than the equivalent in real rock and plants, by a long, long way. 

Ease of use: 4/5
Features: 4/5
Value for money: 3/5
Overall: 4/5
Prices: Hugo Rock Display £89.99, Hugo plant display £69.99.
. 

The new Fluval U Series of filters may look the same, but there have been several tweaks to improve the design.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Except in the case of the Fluval U range of internal filters. They’ve changed, and they’ve gotten a bit better, says Nathan Hill.

Fluval's new Fluval U4 filter.

As Paul Trott (Hagen’s UK marketing manager) puts it, “this is evolution, not revolution.” He’s hit the nail on the head too, as the upgraded designs, subtle though they are, give the U range slightly more edge in the development race between filters. It’s also nice to see a company persevere with a good design, too. All too often, I find a product with just a couple of minor teething issues, and instead of addressing them, the parent company will just drop the whole line and release something new — which then turns out to have glitches of its own.

So what’s changed? The first ‘tweak’ appears minor, but is actually essential. A tag on the front of the filters, as soon as you extract them from their boxes, shows you how to remove the impeller and give it a clean. If the pictures are confusing, then you can always scan the QR code instead, and watch a video about it. 

Accessing the impeller for maintenance is a doddle.

That might seem a pretty minor advance, but knowing the history, it isn’t. Impellers breaking through dirt and lack of maintenance are the single biggest cause of returned pumps. If you think about it, that also means that they’re the biggest cause of tanks going from mature and filtered to suddenly crashing. Anything that can highlight the importance of impeller cleaning to newcomers is just fine by me.

A nitrate and phosphate removing insert can now be added with the new Fluval U filters.

The second difference is the ‘media offer’. Remember that middle chamber with the loose biohoops that would rattle like maracas in your hand? It’s had a rejiggy so that you can now fit in a new media pouch, specifically designed to drag out nitrate and phosphate (so maybe not the choice for budding aquascapers). The biomedia still lives in there, alongside the new pouch, but it’s a tight fit, and you don’t feel like you’re losing out. That new media pouch can be used with the Fluval U1, too, courtesy of a cut out compartment in the foams. 

Filter cases now retain loose waste instead of dropping it back into the tank.

The third change is the media container, and this one might be my personal favourite. Pretty much every filter I’ve owned, and Fluval were no exception, has had this habit of spilling its contents back into the tank as I remove it. You’ve probably experienced this, trying to lift the filter out as gently as possible, like it’s the trigger for a nuclear bomb that’s rigged up in a puppy orphanage, only to let it slip 5° over and witness it pouring rich, brown sludge right back into the water. 

To counter this, there’s been a redesign in the chambers that hold the filter foams. Now, instead of little bits of waste accruing all around the gills of each chamber, there’s a blank panel in the bottom half of it. This retains any loose waste as you lift the filter up, and keeps it in there until you can get the filter to a bucket. I can’t tell you how effective it actually is, as I’ve not had one running long enough yet. 

The last tweak involves accessing the motor — which is now the same shade of blue as the internal filter chambers, indicating that it can be removed. Where the old motor was restricted by the power cable that ran up the rear of the filter, the newer design allows for the cable to be pulled from its moorings, freeing everything up. 

Aside that, the filters look the same (apart from now having blue motors), the flow rates appear the same, they have the same functions, you still get into the media through the flip-top lid, and you can still change things while the filter is running (though technically, you should turn off all electrical equipment before putting your hands into the tank). 

Verdict

The X-Men would be happy to see these evolutionary mutations, and so am I. The inclusion of features that add to the design can only be a good thing, and I hope to see this line of thinking stretched to encompass more products. Evolution and not revolution indeed!

Ease of use: 4/5
Features: 5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Prices: RRPs U1 £31.49, U2 £46.99, U3 £61.99, U4 £76.99, Clean & Clear Cartridge (two packs) £6.99.
 

Not a fan of black? Simply buy a different trim for your jellyfish tank, pull it off and replace...

Nathan Hill plays with this new aquarium from Cubic, designed for jellies.

The last time I reviewed a jellyfish tank is going back a few years now, and I loved the thing. That was also a Cubic model, the much larger Pulse 80, and at that time the only reservations I had were the price, and the ease with which the tank could be scratched. 

The Orbit 20 is smaller, sleeker, and wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Tron. I’d say it has smooth lines, but pretty much everything is curved in a gloriously circular design. 

It’s rounded for a reason, and that reason is flow and circulation. Jellyfish break easily, especially when they collide with anything, and so for decades the desired outcome by designers has been a tank in which the inhabitants contact nothing. To do this, they employ the ‘kreisel’ system, a German word that translates as ‘carousel’. The kreisel is a method rather than a particular product, and involves pushing water around a drum design, sometimes perforated, sometimes not. The idea here is that as the water rotates, multiple vortices or inflows at the edges keep the jellyfish pushed away from them. The inhabitants end up suspended in the central parts of the water column, while water flows in, around, out and through a filter. It’s a simple design that’s a beast to fine tune and get just right.

Providing the flow for this purpose is one of the dinkiest pumps you’ll ever witness — it’s not even 4cm across the longest stretch, and connects up to a tube that feeds a single spraybar. That doesn’t mean you can see the pump, because it’s hidden between the ‘inner circle’ where the jellyfish go (the clear bit) and the ‘outer ring’ where the hardware lives. 

The Orbit 20 requires some input from the owner. With the pump in place, you need to tweak the inline valve until you have the desired flow. Be advised that this will involve some faff, but it’s a necessary evil. Too slow and your jellies will bounce around the edges like a bad game of air hockey. Too fast and they might as well be in a blender. 

Filtration is entirely hidden from view in the outer ring. You’re supplied a mixture of porous biomedia that looks like lemon bonbons, and a chunky doorstep of mechanical foam. How often you’ll be cleaning these will depend on stocking density. Jellies are messy creatures, with their demands for repeated plankton-sized feeds, and as the efficiency of the set-up relies on controlled, constant flow, you’d do well to keep on top of that foam. Getting the biomedia back out should you need to is ‘awkward’ if you want to keep the tank running, because it falls to the bottom of the circular design. If you happen to have bones like most humans, you might find them somewhat prohibitive during retrieval. 

You need to top the tank up regularly anyway, so get used to looking at the filter when you do. If the water level drops, you lose your overflow, and by extension pretty much everything else. 

The LED lighting above the tank offers a spread of colours.

Lighting is incorporated, in the form of a controllable LED grid built into a removable hood. You can have white if you want white, but otherwise you can select from a range of red, green, blue and yellow options using the supplied remote control. You can go full party mode with strobes and all sorts, if that’s your gig. The jellies won’t really notice, what with their lack of advanced eyes. 

One pleasant feature is that you can change the ring trim on the front and back. Mine came with black as standard, but for £24.99 you can also get a red or a white option. On the downside, the magnets embedded in my trim weren’t sealed 100% and with a little rough handling became dislodged, needing gluing back into place. 

Rough handling is something to avoid if you want longevity. The construction is acrylic throughout, and that means that even a surly bumblebee could possibly scratch it if it wanted to. Small scratches can be rubbed out — I used to do it all the time with Brasso — but a big gash would be trickier. Be gentle. 

A whole host of extras are included: remote control for lighting, feeding baster, hydrometer, pump and adaptor.

You also get some sundry bits in the package, including a hydrometer. Sites selling the tank suggest you get a swing-arm type, but my own was a good old fashioned, bobbing beer-style hydrometer (which I prefer). Getting specific gravity right is essential, as it affects jellyfish buoyancy. Too low and they’ll sink like the Titanic. Too high and they’ll each bob like a Portuguese man o’ war. 

There’s also a feeding baster (think turkey baster), so you can target feed your copepods/Artemia/whatever, as well as a siphon tube with hand-powered starting pump. It’s a small bore, which means you’ll not be dragging your jellies out in seconds, and you might be using it frequently — the minimalist nature of the design will be quickly ruined by a smattering of decaying ‘ook’ on the bottom. 

A heater doesn’t come as standard, but there are two discrete ports at the base of the tank — an inflow and outflow — that you can connect up to whatever you like. If you want to plump for your own filtration, connect something up and away you go. Get a pump and an inline heater and you can go full blown tropical. Splash out on a chiller, and you can keep some delicate species happy. 

At 23 l capacity (including the outer ring), you should choose jellies to fit. The usual Moon jellies will soon overgrow, while the lighting — as pretty as it is — isn’t likely to sustain the demanding photosynthetic species. To be fair, it’s not exactly feasible to be cruel to a jellyfish in any traditional sense, so even if you did just stick whatever species in and it didn’t fare too well, the only thing that would suffer would be your bank account. 

But where on earth do you get jellies from in the first place? It’s not exactly something you see in your everyday aquatic store. As luck has it, more and more retailers are taking the plunge, and Cubic can direct you to any local to you. Or you can just get online. Stores like glass-ocean.co.uk specialise in selling squishy spineless lumps. 

Verdict

Look about your room right now. Is there anywhere that a lava lamp would look cool? If there is, then one of these would look a total treat there. 

You get a fair bit for your money, and insofar as it’s possible with jellyfish, the set-up is pretty ‘hands off’. Construction is sturdy enough for peace of mind, and unlike glass tanks, you’ll struggle to break this in a topple. 

Even non-fishkeepers will be all over this — plenty of them have already been sniffing around my sample model in the office. 

Ease of use: 4/5
Features: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Overall 4/5
Price: Cubic Orbit 20 £249.99, extra trim rings £24.99.
More info: cubicaquarium.com

C'mon retailers — let's see this fish acclimation kit in the UK!

A simple design constructed well can be a wonderful thing, and this kit is definitely one of those things. If only we could purchase these direct in the UK, I’d be delighted, says Nathan Hill.

So how do you spruce up what is essentially a very thin syphon? Aquarium Münster found a way. First of all, there’s the shepherd’s crook, a rigid, bent walking stick of tube with a foam strainer on the end. Yup, a strainer. There’ll be no stray bits of leaf suddenly plugging up this nozzle and ruining everything. 

Then there’s the manual starter. Just below the walking stick resides a bulbous, squeezable bubble of plastic. Pinch it a few times and the water flow begins.

Towards the delivery end of the syphon, there’s the flow controller. Rather than a traditional clamp or valve, there’s a rolling ‘mangle’ design that turns out to be a quadrillion times better for fine tuning than it looks. 

Finishing it off is another, fine filter, and a sucker to hold the outflow in place. For something that’s just designed to transport droplets of water, it’s comprehensive. 

The final touch, the flourish of the kit, is the tiny 10ml bottle of stress-protect. Think dechlorinator with aloe vera, iodine and vitamins added, and you’ll be close. A few drops in the transport water helps to shore up any mucus lost in transit, in turn boosting the fish’s own defences. 

Verdict

Does everything right and takes the frustration out of acclimating fish. Essential buying for anyone who collects delicate species. 
Ease of use: 5/5
Features: 5/5
Value for money: 3/5
Overall: 4/5
Price: €12.80
More info: www.aquarium-munster.com/en/

The new Ciano Emotions Nature Pro aquarium is a glorious package for an exceptional price!

A few months back, I lamented the lack of variety in the tank and cabinet world. With hindsight, I was being a little hasty, and some absolute gems are appearing, says Nathan Hill.

The Emotions Nature Pro range from Portuguese manufacturers Ciano has filled a gap for a smart, affordable set-up. I’m deadly serious about the affordable part, too. I went out on a bit of a mission, looking at comparable product lines and the prices they were retailing at. I saw far inferior looking packages in some stores going for £100 more.

The cabinet is as smart as it gets. My test sample is clean white, neither reflective or tacky, and it goes together a lot more easily than the assortment of parts would suggest. We had ours built inside of half an hour, and once we’d put it into place and filled the tank, there was no wobble, no movement, no play. The only mistake I made — possibly something innate in my genes, as it’s the same mistake I’ve made with every cabinet I’ve built, ever — was putting the door hinges on back to front and needing to rectify them. The doors didn’t even take much adjusting in order to sit flush. I’ve lost the best part of half a day in the past on that job alone. 

The tank comes with a fixed trim and tidy corners, and reeks of attention to detail during construction. Everything aligns nicely — these tanks aren’t rushed out. The dimensions are 102 x 40 x 61cm, making it stand tall, but without looking too thin. Some tanks have a gangly, ‘undernourished’ feel about them, but this isn’t one of them. The cabinet stands slightly taller, at 83cm. For those reaching for a calculator, I’ll beat you to it — there’s a volume of 197 l/43.8 gal in there.

The backing of the tank will make aquascapers squeal with delight. The rear pane comes frosted as standard, and you need no other backing on there. Any wall blemishes are gobbled up, and the lighting in the tank illuminates it nicely. Pro aquascapers pay a premium for frosted backs, and here’s Ciano giving it away as standard…

The lighting (included) is an LED strip of 30W, with fierce output. My PAR meter has gone awol, but anecdotally speaking, it looks punchy as anything, in a crisp, clean 9000 Kelvin looking temperature. It’s sharp white, not yellowed, violet or blue. 

The filtration is snazzy looking, but a little breathless for my liking, which is a shame. Don’t get me wrong, it’s capable enough for everyday stocking, but as a fishkeeper who has been blessed with years of filters that belt out flows like tsunamis, the 550lph (claimed) from the Ciano CFBIO250 filter is rather limp. Physically the pump is a bit of a tiddler.

The filter can be accessed in situ.

The filtration comes in several stages. The unit itself is a big box, with limited places to be rigged up inside the tank — it hangs on pre-fixed hooks. There’s a dedicated space inside it for the included 200W heater, and then there are three stages of media. The first is a large (genuinely large) long foam mechanical filter. Then there is a curious slatted ‘rack’ into which you place filter ‘capsules’, two filled with biological media, two with chemical resins. 

When you initially set everything up, you can also install an app onto your smartphone, which will notify you of which media need changing, and when. You can also get a ‘stop algae’ insert to replace the chemical resins if needed. Prices for inserts start at £5.29 for one medium Water Clear (chemical), through £5.69 for one medium Bio-Bact or Stop-Algae respectively, to £5.69 for the foam. The chemical inserts need replacing on a 30-day interval, the foams at 90-day intervals, while the biomedia is changed every 140 days — I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but I’m wary of changing biomedia willy-nilly, and I might ignore that replacement suggestion. 

There are two things I don’t like about the tank, and both are relatively trivial. The first is the shortness of cables. The filter and heater come with some of the stingiest power cables I’ve met, and without an extension you’ll not reach your plugs. 

The other is that the two holes at the rear of the tank (to allow the cables out) are set just a shade too low when the tank is filled. Pop a bag of fish in there, or even put your arm in for a routine algae wipe, and the water sloshes out, straight down the back of the tank, meaning that after every bit of maintenance so far, I’ve had to follow up with squeezing my arms into the crevice at the rear of the set-up, clutching kitchen towel and swearing my head off. 

Verdict
Heaps of tank for your money, with one of the smartest designs going, and a frosted backing that is literally like icing. I’m actually upset that I put this tank in someone else’s house in order to review it. I want it back. 
Ease of use: 4/5
Features: 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Price: £399.00
More info: http://ciano.pt/en/produto/emotions-pro-100

Small and bright: the new Nano Eco LED aquarium light from Fluval.

Hagen has gone the whole hog with its Fluval LED range, and the nano model compliments the offering at the smallest end of the scale, says Nathan Hill. 

Running at just 6.5W, and churning out 9000K, clean white light from a cluster of 14 diodes, the ECO Nano is a scorcher of a light for the budding pico aquascaper, or micro-reefer.

This light is dual purpose – it’ll work on either a freshwater or a marine set up. The lens allows for a 120° spread, so you’ll not end up with a spotlight effect, laserbeam of light shooting straight down.

Hagen claims the light features C.O.B. technology (meaning chip on board), which it suggests leads to heightened efficiency and output. To my eyes, it looks like a punchy LED. 

Installation, just as with the other Fluval nano LED designs, is a sore point. The fixing has to be adhered to the glass, and once it’s on, it’s on. If you break your tank, or move to an upgrade, you’re stuck. It annoys the heck out of me, because I get through lots of tanks, and want the option to switch it about. 

The other thing with the adhesive sticker is that on really hot days, it loses its stick. I’ve come home before and found mine laid back at a casual 30° angle, peeling itself away. Worse still, when you do initially stick it to the glass, you need to wait 24 hours before adding the light. I’m way too impatient for that jazz. And seeing as I can’t establish how to extract the cable during the curing period, it’s just hindrance after hindrance. 

With the holder in place, you need to screw the light on to it. Three screws are involved, and there’s an included tool for the job. Avoid cross threading at all costs — easier said than done. Then, once in place, you can swivel it out of the way for maintenance. 

You get around 50,000 hours of light (proposed) but I’ve not had mine anywhere near long enough to comment. 

Verdict
If you’re not planning on changing it, this is a great light. If Hagen made a screw-fix, removable holder, it’d be a billion times better. 
Ease of use: 2/5
Features: 2/5
Value for money: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
Price: £64.99
More info: uk.hagen.com