Substrate

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:33:15 +0000

To be able to create a realistic marine habitat right in the comforts of the living room, the hobbyist should choose the proper substrate for his aquarium tank. A good choice of substrate primarily brings out the aquarium’s aesthetic appeal. But there are a lot of advantages other than being decorative. Substrate affects the health of aquarium fishes. This is because good quality substrate improves water chemistry, filtration and the well-being of the aquarium and its fishes. Dark colored substrate are considered to be better for aquarium fishes, as they will display more colorfully and are less likely to be timid and shy. Substrate made of crushed coral and coral sand both contain calcium carbonate, which will raise the carbonate hardness and buffer the pH. Substrate made from peat may be used in some aquaria to mimic some soft water habitats.
Suburban Reef.com, the leading online aquarium and accessories shop has a wide range of aquarium tank substrate that are not only aesthetically pleasing. These work wonders for aquarium fishes and their artificial world. There are substrates available for aquarium tank and refugium use.
Substrates for aquarium tank use include reef sand and crushed coral. Sand Substrate is recommended for certain species such as fish species which tend to bury themselves in the sand. Sand substrates available are Caribsea Seaflor Reef Sand No. 15 and Caribsea Seafloor Reef Sand No. 40. Coral Substrates improve water quality because calcium carbonate, the primary component of these substrates, increases water hardness and pH. This type is recommended if the aquarium hosts hard water species like saltwater fish and invertebrates.

There are also substrates specifically for refugium tanks. This type of substrates should promote denitrification, nutrient export, plankton production, circulation, surface agitation, and oxygenation aside from bringing aesthetic value. Refugium substrates available are KoraLagoon Refugium Substrate 1.4 G and KoraLagoon Refugium Substrate 5.4 G.

Antique Beer Steins

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:59:41 +0000

What’s on tap? For the beer drinker, that’s an important question. It also led to the birth of a whole industry around containers that serve beer. The Germans realized early in the 16th century that drinking vessels needed a lid to keep the flies out and nowadays most historians credit the Germans with inventing german beer steins, as we know it. The early stoneware and pottery steins of the 17th century were handmade in a variety of shapes and sizes but they were usually plain, a natural brown clay hand-painted in a series of colors. By the 18th century, raised designs appeared with more color. People liked the innovation and production increased throughout Europe. By the mid-19th century, the production of steins was raised to an art form with the etched Mettlach steins made by the German firm of Villeroy and Boch. Today, collectors focus on the high quality and workmanship of their chromolith process that involved the inlaying of colorful mosaic designs into the body of the ware. Later on, underglaze printing from copper plates was used. Most examples are marked with an incised castle and the name ‘Mettlach.’ The castle represents a chapel built by the monks in the 10th century A.D. People cherish the expressions of the character steins, the smiling monk, the drunken monkey, the melancholy radish, and the bemused child. Mettlach steins show people doing everything from dancing and singing, to bowling, hunting and drinking.

Aquarium Supplies

Substrate

Antique Beer Steins