AAP Million Air Pump for Aquarium; Only Authorized Seller

American Aquarium Products of Grants Pass (AAP) are the original online seller of the Million Air Pump & one of only a couple of AUTHORIZED online sellers.
Amazon nor other discounters ARE NOT!
So keep this in mind if you need help with your purchase or need warranty help. Our AAP/Via Aqua Million Air Pumps are simply the best pump for your dollar. Superior design and state of the art technology creates a strong, reliable, safe and quiet yet economical air pump that lasts as long as many pumps triple their cost.

Only place to purchase your Authroized AAP Million Air Pump:
Million Air Pumps from AAP

In fact with the Million Air Pump, our aquarium maintenance company has been using these for over 25 years with results comparable or even better than pumps that often sell for much more such as the Hagen, Aqueon, & Whisper line of aquarium air pumps.
What is noteworthy, is our aquarium maintenance company provided free return visits to contract customers if equipment was purchased from the service, so if equipment had problems our maintenance company would have to go out for free to fix/replace and equipment problems. What this meant is our company would not have been too profitable with air pumps that caused regular issues and these "Million Air" pumps were among the most reliable at any price! In fact we have found longevity of often well over a decade when many comparable pumps last a few years and often cost 25% more!!

In fact these pumps are so low in cost when compared to their durability, the cost of repair parts (& your valuable time spent repairing the pump) makes these pumps more economical to dispose of when they finally wear out in a few years.

Be assured when you buy a Million Air Pump from American Aquarium you are getting it from a company that actually uses and services this product, not a company that simply sells over stock with no product experience or customer service after the sale!!

*The ORIGINAL AAP/Via Aqua Million Air Pump, NOT the Chinese knock off.
Why purchase from a company in China when you can purchase the original product? (from Via Aqua of California, USA

*Simple installation
*Easy to maintain
*Compare to Whisper, Hagen & others in quality
*As quiet as Whisper pumps, but a better value

*In tests we have performed; ALL these pumps maintained good aeration down to 48 inches with a four inch air stone attached and only one outlet used in the case of dual outlet air pumps!

Aquarium & Pond UV Replacement Bulbs/Lamps from AAP

UV Bulbs from AAP | UVC Replacement Germicidal Lamp | Aquarium & Pond

Recommended Compact G23, G7, G11 & G24 'H' Series, PLL & PLS Base UV-C Replacement Lamps/ Light Bulbs for Sterilizer, Clarifier, More from "American Aquarium Products".

These are NOT the "LOW-END" Medium Pressure UV Lamps (often with as 7% UVC or in other words 76% less UVC output) sold elsewhere at prices less than the cost to produce the Hot Cathode, Low Pressure Mercury, Highest Output Germicidal UVC Lamps/Bulbs we sell!!!
So when you purchase a 9 watt UV replacement bulb via eBay/Amazon for $10 or less instead of AAP, you just reduced the output of your UV device by 75%, making it a pretty blue clarification at best device!!

True Optimum 254nm High Output UV-C Low Pressure, Hot Cathode Quartz Germicidal Bulb/Lamps; 4 TIMES the UVC output of those typically sold by discounters!
Including Patented Low Heat/HO Technology NOT Sold Elsewhere.
Premium Germicidal Ultra-violet-C Replacements for sale AT Competitive Prices;
Guaranteed 6 Months!!

Why purchase from a discounter via Amazon or Ebay and get a low output UV lamps with only 25% of the UVC energy as these UV Bulbs from "American Aquarium Products" (AAP)?

More about high output UV lamps/bulbs:
Actual UV-C Emission from a UV Bulb

Aquarium, Pond UV Replacement Lamps from AAP

Wonder Shell Aquarium Mineral Block

Genuine Aquarium Wonder Shell Aquarium Mineral Blocks - from AAP | Disease Preventative

Patent Pending Medicated Version By "American Aquarium Products". Exclusive Aquarium and Pond Water Conditioner.

AAP is THE ONLY Online seller with In Depth Aquarium Chemistry Information and 4 Decades Hands on Experience Using the Wonder Shell, both regular and medicated versions.

Why purchase from parasite retailers including Amazon and get incorrect usage information (the packaging is INCORRECT), as well as possibly less fresh product (which loses its Cation charge over time), inability to get the full line including the Medicated version, and MOST IMPORTANTLY why not support the ONLY seller that has true professional experience and brought this product to market and has done all the "leg work" and without whom, 99% of persons would not know that this product even exists!
Of course this exclusive seller that any honest person should be purchasing from is "American Aquarium Products"

More from the American Aquarium Products (AAP/Weco) Selling Page:
EXCLUSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT WONDER SHELLS
(may not be used without permission from AAP)

• Useful for Important Mineralization/Electrolytes, Calcium Carbonate, Water Hardness Control, & more.
Our FRESH Regular AAP/Weco Wonder Shells Contains Calcium Carbonate/CaCO3+ cations (a VERY important element for proper Osmotic Function in fish as well as Redox Balance™, more important to fish health than parameters such as exact pH!).
ALL minor and trace elements in the exact ratio (with the exception of calcium) as found in the ocean.

A few other elements found in minor & trace amounts include: Magnesium, Chloride, Sodium, Sulfate, Potassium, Bicarbonate, Bromide, Borate, Strontium, Fluoride.
Based on our extensive experience with 1000s of aquarium in our decades of professional aquarium maintenance, the use of AAP Wonder Shells (often at only fractional doses) is superior to other methods of minor & trace element/GH maintenance including over SeaChem Equilibrium (which is still an excellent product, it simply does not provide the continuous mineral Cations to battle oxidative stress)!

Calcium and magnesium have been proven to help fish (and humans) during stress and to help prevent disease due to acid buildup in the brain/body. Important for the prevention (& treatment) of Columnaris and Saprolegnia/Fish Fungus.
These positive mineral ions play a part in prevention of Columnaris by lowering oxidative stress and improving osmoregulation.

Can aid in prevention and treatment of Livebearers/Molly Disease such as "shimmies" and "wasting away" (not from Fish TB) whose general cause is the lack of these important elements.

USA Made Aquarium Sponge Filters

Aquarium Sponge Filter | AAP-ATI | Replacement Hydro Sponges

COMPLETE Line of THE BEST, Patented HydroSponge Filters (Originally from Lustar) Superior to ALL OTHERS for Biological and Mechanical Aquarium Filtration.

AAP is THE Online seller with In Depth Sponge Filter Information and 3 Decades Hands on Experience Using these Filters.

Why purchase Chinese made rip offs of this sponge filter often sold under different names and often without the full line when you can purchase the ORIGINAL USA made AAP Hydro Sponge Filter?
Sadly, may of these rip offs only come in one type, often the coarse sponge which in 2/3s of aquariums is the wrong choice over the regular/fine sponge (often both is best).

It is also unfortunate that social media along Google/YouTube promote information/videos that make the claim "all you need to know about sponge filters" where by these videos & articles clearly have no long term practical experience with actual sponge filter use, otherwise they would note that most aquariums are served by a mix of coarse and fine and if it comes down to one or the other, again fine is more often than not the better choice.
As well these same videos promote the inferior Chinese know offs over the USA made AAP Hydro sponge filters that come in vastly more options!!

Best Aquarium & Pond Fish Products, Grants Pass Oregon

 

Looking for the best aquarium supplies/products anywhere in the world, that are available right here in Grants Pass & Southern Oregon?
Look no further than American Aquarium Products!

With decades of experience and research AAP (American Aquarium Products) has the largest research/experience based library of information found anywhere in the world.
With this research comes unique products such as one of the few businesses still selling professional grade true UV Sterilizers for your pond or aquarium that are light years ahead in ability and longevity over the more commonly sold Chinese models.

Resources:
World's Largest Aquarium/Pond Information Library
AAP/TMC Vecton/Advantage True Level One UV Sterilizers

AAP also sell the unique Wonder Shell, both medicated and regular version which helps fish longevity and health via addressing the Redox Balance of your aquarium. Redox is a process often only advanced aquarium keepers think about, but really all aquarium (& pond keepers) should be aware of this process and products that can help with this.

Resources:
The Importance of Aquarium Redox
Unique AAP Wonder Shells

As well AAP sell the BEST processed fish food in the world as per the science of fish nutrition. This is Clay Neighbor's AAP Custom Fish Food Crumbles.

Resource: Clay Neighbor's Ultra Premium Fish Food

Another product line of note is our medication/treatment line which beside the Medicated Wonder Shells, includes the AAP Aquatronics line such as Wound Control and Spectrogram. These are just two of the products you cannot find anywhere else in the world but for AAP.

Resources:
Aquarium Medications, In Depth Information; Part 1
Unique AAP Aquatronics Aquarium Medications/Treatments

How to purchase?
AAP has these orders available online or more popularly via our Cash & Carry service where by customers purchase online than pick up at our warehouse and have any shipping refunded.
AAP also sells products from our Fish Food to our top notch LED lighting line via local retailers for those who prefer the hands on experience of a brick & mortar local aquarium store. Simply ask if they sell AAP products here in Grants Pass and they can quickly get these products.

Southern Oregon Aquarium & Pond

New pond and aquarium specialist company in the Southern Oregon area! From pond building to the long-term maintenance… Aquarium care and disease prevention.

Devon Trigg owner of Southern Oregon Aquarium and Pond (SOAP) established in 2016, is an expert in aquatic care with health and prevention being his focus. License and insured!

Trained from life time professionals in the industry. Helps run completely online aquatic business educating hobbyist about the importance of professional grade equipment, the use of UVc clarifiers/sterilizers, quality fish diets, quality light sources for aquatic plants and corals. Has experience working with retailers, wholesalers, corporations, and universities. Involved with research and testing, which has been used to influence both the hobby and industry. Also has YouTube channel used as platform to help visually teach.

For ponds, uses actual pond building and maintaining skills that have been passed down from life time pond workers, Different than many landscaping and pool companies. Advanced aquarium skills are used to keep water perfectly balances for any type of thieving aquarium. Fish only to advanced reef… Simple freshwater to high tech planted aquariums.

Now servicing all of Southern Oregon for maintenance and build help. Also offering help to all local fish stores. Involved with developing high grade premium fish food made from the smartest minds in fish health. Not just fish breeders or aquaculture food developers meant to grow fish fast and large, which can harm long term health.

Appointment consultations can be scheduled. Time can also be scheduled at the local warehouse base where business is done from. Discuss planning and explore professional techniques and products.

Information Resource

YouTube Resource

Product Resource

Lionfish found at sunken ship off the coast of Florida

Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) found at sunken ship 300 feet below surface off the coast of Florida

 



From
*http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/07/15/lionfish-found-at-sunken-ship-300-feet-below-water-surface-wreaking-havoc/
*Stephanie Green, of Oregon State University

Researchers say they found the venomous invader thriving around a sunken ship at 300 feet below the water's surface.

Oregon State University researcher Stephanie Green stated:
"We expected some populations of lionfish at that depth, but their numbers and size were a surprise"

Last month, Green and colleagues investigated the seafloor near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in a deep-diving Antipodes sub.
At 300 feet deep, the team witnessed a large number of the spiny fish near the intentionally sunken Bill Boyd cargo ship, an artificial reef created in 1986.

While lionfish are typically between 12 and 15 inches long, the Oregon State researchers say they saw unusually large specimens as big as 16 inches long.



Stephanie Green noted: "This was kind of an 'Ah hah!' moment.
It was immediately clear that this is a new frontier in the lionfish crisis, and that something is going to have to be done about it. Seeing it up-close really brought home the nature of the problem."

Native to tropical Indo-Pacific waters, lionfish were introduced to the Atlantic by humans in the 1990s, likely through the exotic pet trade. Now found in reefs from North Carolina to South America, the rapidly reproducing invasive fish have voracious appetites, gobbling up native fish and competing with other species for food resources.

Worse, lionfish have no natural enemies in Atlantic waters, except spear gun-toting humans.
Another study, detailed online July 11 in the journal PLOS ONE, found that not even sharks can curb red lionfish populations in Caribbean reefs.

Researchers are trying to figure out what is keeping lionfish in check in the Pacific so that they might stem the Atlantic invasion, which thus far has looked to be unstoppable. Prepared correctly, lionfish are said to make a tasty meal, but one prick from the fish's venomous spine can cause excruciating pain. Lionfish derbies to bring in big catches of the predator have been held in Florida and the Caribbean.

Stephanie Green also noted: "A lionfish will eat almost any fish smaller than it is. Regarding the large fish we observed in the submersible dives, a real concern is that they could migrate to shallower depths as well and eat many of the fish there. And the control measures we're using at shallower depths — catch them and let people eat them — are not as practical at great depth."

Lionfish also can produce far more offspring when they are large. A big, mature female in some species can have up to 10 times as many offspring as a female that's half its size, researchers say.

---

COMMENTARY

Not too much I can say here other than as a person who has kept many Lionfish (& have been stung by them), in particular this species, one needs to be aware of the native waters and what can live or not by dumping your fish in the ocean, rivers, lakes, etc.

Obviously in the case of these tropical Lionfish, these would not survive even a short while in the waters off the coast of Oregon due to the temperature of our coastal water, but even then dumping these fish would still be a cruel way to dispose of your unwanted pets.

Other Credits, Resources:
*http://www.livescience.com/11295-freaky-fish.html
*Saltwater Aquarium Care; Complete Information & Resources
*Red Lionfish Care

Other Recommended Aquarium Keeping Products:
*Aquarium LED Reef Lighting
*Reef Aquarium UV Sterilizers
*Aquarium Sponge Filters

Tsunami Fish, Striped Beakfish in Washington

A small skiff was found washed ashore near Long Beach, Washington in March 2013. This skiff contained 5 knifejaw or striped beak fish, a palm-sized fish tropical fish. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife euthanized most of them, out of likely misguided fears that the fish would become an invasive species (these are a TROPICAL fish, unlike the ocean waters of Washington State).

However one of the black-and-white striped fish was taken to the Long Beach City Hall where employees there in turn called the Seaside Aquarium, which came to the rescue.

This fish now resides at the Seaside Aquarium in Oregon:
200 North Prom, Seaside, Oregon 97138 Tel: (503) 738-6211.

This skiff was possibly lost in the Japanese tsunami in March of 2011, the boat reportedly has a registration number from a region where the tsunami hit (not as yet confirmed by the Japanese government).

The boat also contained several other forms of sea life including marine worms, crabs, scallops, a sea cucumber and marine algae, making it a reasonable substainable miniature ecosystem for the fish but for the temperature.

Considering the stripes on this particular rescued striped beak fish, it is likely this fish is immature. Mature beakfish turn a charcoal grey, and are considered a prized food fish in Japan.

A few Specifics:

Scientific Name: Oplegnathus fasciatus
Size; 80.0 cm, 31 inches.
Weight; at maturity 6.4 kg, 14 lbs.
Habitat; Inhabits tropical coastal rocky reefs
Diet; shelled invertebrates
Distribution; Northwest Pacific: Japan, Korea, Taiwan. Eastern Central Pacific: Hawaii.

References:

*Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
*Striped beakfish spearfishing in Japan

Other Useful Resources:

*Aquarium Information
*Saltwater Aquarium Care; Basics to Advanced
*Freshwater Aquarium Care; Basics to Advanced
*UV Sterilization; Aquarium UV Sterilizer Information, use
*Aquarium Power Head Pumps
*Aquarium Lighting; Complete Information from Freshwater to Reef

Grants Pass Oregon Aquarium Secret

Grants Pass Best Kept Aquarium Supply and Information Secret

While this weblog has long carried links to resources from American Aquarium Products and others, I have not posted an updated article/blog post about what many who keep fish (pond or aquarium) in Grants Pass are missing.



"American Aquarium Products" along with its sister site "Aquarium & Pond Answers" have grown into one of the leaders in cutting edge aquarium products (& some pond too).

As examples, American Aquarium Products is the largest seller of High End Aquarium LED Lights as well as T2 Aquarium/Multi-purpose lights in North America!

American Aquarium Products is also the leader and information about the use of Sponge Filters in aquariums & ponds. Although these are not new filters, the sponge filter fell out of popularity due to a lot of misinformation put forth by big box pet stores and disingenuous online retailers and aquatic forums. However the Sponge Filtration article proved how the the sponge filter beat out many popular power filters such as the Bio Wheel in bio capacity

Another unique product that American Aquarium has led the way in use, researched tests, & internet promoting are the Wonder Shells Aquarium mineral blocks. AAP has been using these unique mineral blocks that have been shown to improve essential positive mineral ion levels for 30 years, yet many right here in Grants Pass are not even familiar with this product.


As well these websites have the most researched aquatic articles found ANYWHERE on the Internet.
Many of these articles such as Aquarium Lighting and Aquarium/Redox Balance have received acclaim from around the world (often from researchers outside the anecdotal aquarium/pond keeping industry).

There are many more affiliates now of American Aquarium/Aquarium Answers, especially in their other field of expertise; UV Sterilization!
American Aquarium Products is an industry leader in both knowledge of UV Sterilizers, Clarifiers as well as having one of the deepest inventories of Premium UV Replacement Bulbs found anywhere (many clients hail from as far away as Australia).

UV Bulbs
UV-C Replacement Bulbs from the experts in UV Sterilization since 1979; ONLY quality UV Replacement Bulbs at competitive prices such as the popular 9 Watt UV Bulb

What is sad, despite the many research experts, visitors of sponsored forums, and regular clients of American Aquarium Products and Aquarium Answers, these websites are still not well known in their home town of Grants Pass Oregon, but for a few rude emails challenging information contained in the researched articles only to buy products from less than reputable sellers such as DR. F & S (which is well known inside the aquarium industry for their less than honest business practices).
It does not help when the local paper (the Grants Pass Courier, AKA the "Daily Discourager") ignores their home town aquatic experts when doing a story about poisonous fish a few years back only to get their facts wrong (of course the media nationwide are on a downhill slide).

Hopefully many aquarium/pond keepers will wake up to the internet leader in aquatic information/products in their own back yard before they are lured away (offers have already come in from New Jersey and Texas)to move these internet business base of operations to these states.

Here are a few other popular articles:

Aquarium Information
Basic to in-depth aquarium and pond articles.


Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
The most accurate, researched, updated article on the subject of the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle and cycling found anywhere on the Internet!

Freshwater Fish Care, Basics
Sound basic freshwater keeping information from someone with decades of aquarium keeping experience with links to more in depth information for those looking to step up in their aquarium keeping knowledge.

Aquarium Medications
the MOST in depth and accurate source of information about aquarium treatments, from antibiotics, chemical, to organic treatments and most importantly how to properly use them!

Gone Fishing Aquaculture Project; Klamath County Oregon

“The Gone Fishing" Aquaculture Project in Klamath County Oregon

I was recently researching Aquaculture projects in Oregon and I stumbled across this gem here in Southern Oregon (not far from the California border) that I feel my readers would be interested in. This aquaculture farm is used to raise 85 varieties of Cichlids from Lake Malawi in Africa’s Great Rift Valley as well as some from Central America.
“Gone Fishing” sells 250,000 of the fish annually to tropical fish wholesalers from Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA; shipped weekly by truck to Sacramento, and then by air to the various other outlets.

The “Gone Fishing” aquaculture project is located about 10 miles south of Klamath Falls, Oregon, near Merrill in the Lower Klamath Valley adjacent to the Klamath Hills.
The original ponds at this facility were constructed in 1984 and have seen limited use. Ron Barnes started the current facility in 1990 using the effluent from a geothermal greenhouse operation on the Liskey Ranch located on Lower Klamath Lake Road.

Geology/Logistics:
The geology of this part of Southern Oregon in Klamath County consists of large normal fault blocks, typical of the Basin and Range province. The Klamath Hills are typical of these fault blocks, allowing geothermal waters that circulate at depth, and move to the surface in shallow aquifers that are easily tapped for the Gone Fishing Aquaculture Farm.

At the original location, a greenhouse complex consisting of four 6,000 square-foot buildings are heated using a peak of 400 gpm from six geothermal wells ranging in temperature from 80F to 200F and all are around 100 feet deep.
The newer set of ponds are provide geothermal water from a 460-foot deep well that pumps up to 300 gpm of 210F water. The water surface in the newer well is at 120 feet and the line shaft pump bowls are set at 190 feet.

The water from the wells is alkaline with a pH of 8.8 out of the wells, but the chemical composition of the pond liners (diatomaceous earth) and soil surrounding the ponds reduce the pH to about 7.5 as the water flows through the system. The water is primarily a sodium-sulfate type of about 600 ppm that can be used directly in the ponds without harm to the fish. This is about the same chemical composition as the water of Lake Malawi.

The average annual sunshine in this part of Oregon is also quite high (as even winter cloud cover is not as continuous as western parts of Oregon due to the blocking affects of the Cascade Mountains). This also allows for some duplication of Africa’s Rift Lake areas high amount of sunshine, although the lower winter sun here at this latitude does substantially lower beneficial light energy such as UVA as well as PAR light wave lengths (UVB is not considered necessary for fish, while UVC although useful for UV Sterilization as found in UVC Bulbs does not even reach the Earths surface even in tropical latitudes). This may slow the growth of plant material grown in the ponds for these generally omnivorous fish.

A Little History
In 1998, Ron Barnes purchased 80 acres of land just north of the greenhouses on the opposite side of the road. The operation has grown to 37 ponds located on the Liskey Ranch and 35 at the new “Gone Fishing” location.
Future plans (that may already have been accomplished) are to raise food grade Tilapia here as well.

For further information, please see these sites:
*http://geoheat.oit.edu/bulletin/bull23-3/art2.pdf
*http://www.geothermal.org/articles/fish.pdf
*http://geoheat.oit.edu/bulletin/bull24-2/art3.pdf

For more Aquarium Keeping Information/Resources:
Aquarium Information

Oregon Shark Cam; Also Wobbegong Shark Tanks

Shark Cam brings Coast Aquarium to life on the Web

From www.kgw.com/news-local/stories

By FRANK MUNGEAM, Kgw.com Staff

The KGW "Shark Cam" is a partnership with the Oregon Coast Aquarium, providing a fish-eye view into the Aquarium's "Passages of the Deep" exhibit.

Web visitors to KGW.com can now enjoy the same experience as Visitors to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, who are immersed in Keiko’s former home through acrylic tunnels surrounded by several feet of sea water. "Passages of the Deep" gives visitors an experience almost like walking into the open ocean.

Visitors get to come face to face with large sharks, rockfish and bat rays swimming above and below. Waves surging against the tunnel give visitors the impression they are beneath the ocean. And the Oregon shipwreck resting on the bottom increases the feeling of being early undersea explorers.

Now viewers of the KGW "Shark Cam" can enjoy that same experience: an up-close view of sharks, rockfish and bat rays swimming across the desktop of their computer!

Comment
This is a really cool place to visit, and now you can visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium from your home via the Shark Cam!!

For Home Shark Tanks

Here are a few points from my Experience:
*Make sure your aquarium is large enough for the shark to easily swim around, often this means a saltwater aquarium in excess of 200 gallons
*Consider temperature; a popular shark sold for the aquarium hobby, the Leopard Shark, is a cool water fish (under 70F) and this along with the fact these will eventually outgrow most aquariums.
*Consider Feeding Requirements; large meaty foods like small pieces of fish, squid, shrimp, and live goldfish (although I have found disabling the goldfish with a cut just behind the head will both attract the shark and allow the shark which has trouble tracking scent trails in a boxed in aquarium is strongly suggested)
*Consider the Tasselled wobbegong (48 inch max) or Northern wobbegong (30 inch max), as these sharks do not obtain the larger sizes of many sharks sold for aquarium keeping PLUS these sharks prefer the warmer waters of the average home or office aquarium (over 75F)



View Shark Cam:
Shark Cam

Earthquakes off the Oregon Coast

Possible Volcanic Earthquakes off the Oregon Coast, the week of April 12, 2008

From this article:
Unusual earthquakes measured off Oregon coast
By Jeff Barnard, Associated Press Writer.

I know this is not really an Aquarium or Pond related story, however since it involves the local ocean waters of Oregon and I find this interesting, I thought I would post this.

“GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Scientists listening to underwater microphones have detected an unusual swarm of earthquakes off central Oregon, something that often happens before a volcanic eruption — except there are no volcanoes in the area.

Scientists don't know exactly what the earthquakes mean, but they could be the result of molten rock rumbling away from the recognized earthquake faults off Oregon, said Robert Dziak, a geophysicist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Oregon State University.

There have been more than 600 quakes over the past 10 days in a basin 150 miles southwest of Newport. The biggest was magnitude 5.4, and two others were more than magnitude 5.0, OSU reported.

On the hydrophones, the quakes sound like low thunder and are unlike anything scientists have heard in 17 years of listening, Dziak said. Some of the quakes have also been detected by earthquake instruments on land.

The hydrophones are left over from a network the Navy used to listen for submarines during the Cold War. They routinely detect passing ships, earthquakes on the ocean bottom and whales calling to one another.

Scientists hope to send out an OSU research ship to take water samples, looking for evidence that sediment has been stirred up and chemicals that would indicate magma is moving up through the Juan de Fuca Plate, Dziak said.

The quakes have not followed the typical pattern of a major shock followed by a series of diminishing aftershocks, and few have been strong enough to be felt on shore.

The Earth's crust is made up of plates that rest on molten rock, which are rubbing together. When the molten rock, or magma, erupts through the crust, it creates volcanoes.

That can happen in the middle of a plate. When the plates lurch against each other, they create earthquakes along the edges.

In this case, the Juan de Fuca Plate is a small piece of crust being crushed between the Pacific Plate and North America, Dziak said.”

Fish Virus of Oregon Coast

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia ; Deadly fish virus lurks off Oregon Coast

Updated 6/28/09

Initial Article From : Henry Miller; Statesman Journal (edited)
Expanded

“Officials in the Pacific Northwest are worried that a fish virus that causes fish kills in the Great Lakes could get here.
In a sense, it's already here and has been for quite a while. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia, better known as VHS, has been found in ocean fish (mostly salmonids) from Coos Bay north to the Gulf of Alaska.

The seagoing strain of the virus, which does not affect humans, has devastated herring schools in Puget Sound near Seattle and Prince William Sound. And an apparently new mutated freshwater strain has done the same in the Great Lakes, killing fish from minnows to muskies.
"What seems to be the case is these marine strains don't seem to come ashore very readily. And they've had plenty of opportunity with migrating salmon," said Jim Winton, the chief of the Fish Health Section of the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center in Seattle."We occasionally find the marine strain of VHS in a spawning salmon, mostly coho," he added. "But it doesn't seem to have spread to freshwater species."
The species that VHS infects that are shared by the Great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest include yellow perch, small mouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie, lake trout, steelhead and Chinook salmon.

It takes a week to 15 days of incubation in infected fish. Symptoms can range from no outward appearance to pale gills, bulging eyes, bleeding around the eyes, fins and sides of the head and behavioral changes such as swimming in a spiral.
Internally, the liver, spleen and intestines can be clotted with bleeding sores, the signs of which can include a bloated-looking, fluid-filled abdomen. It kills in days. And fish that survive become viral carriers for the rest of their lives. Stress is one factor that can trigger outbreaks, which is why hatchery, net-pen and fish-transport crowding can accelerate the spread.

Identification;

Fish (most commonly salmonids such as Salmon & Trout) that become infected will often be anorexic and show hemorrhaging of their internal organs, skin, and muscle; however they may be no external symptoms, while other fish show signs of infection that include bulging eyes, bloated abdomens, bruised-looking reddish tints to the eyes, skin, gills and fins. External signs may include dark coloration, “pop eye” (exophthalmia), pale or red-dotted gills, sunken eyes, and bleeding around the eye sockets and at base of fins

While still alive, fish with Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) may appear listless or limp, hang just beneath the surface, or swim very abnormally, such as constant flashing circling due to the growth or turning movement (tropism) of the virus in the brain.

COMMENT

Septicemia is a symptom of different pathogens with basically the same result: a poisoning of the blood. It is common in aquariums where the usual cause is the very common anaerobic gram negative bacteria, Aeromonas. In aquariums and pond Septicemia is more common when conditions are poor with overabundance of decomposition and decay along with poor circulation, low oxygen levels and low GH/electrolyte levels

Reference:
* Viral hemorrhagic septicemia; pdf

Other Resources:
*Freshwater Aquarium Care, Information
*Aquarium Medications; How they Work

Oregon Aquarium, Rogue Beer

Rogue Beer has created a special series of bottles for The Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Three Arch Rock, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife refuge. A portion of the proceeds goes to the programs.

Roy W. Lowe, project leader for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Oregon Coast NWR Complex, Brett Joyce, president of Rogue, and Dale Schmidt, president and CEO of the Oregon Coast Aquarium, toast recent donations from the Rogue Foundation to the respective agencies. (Photo by Elizabeth Chapman)

Here is an excerpt from the story:
Cheers to that: Rogue beer benefits causes
By Elizabeth Chapman of the News-Times


The Rogue Foundation donated $5,000 to Oregon Coast Aquarium and $1,500 to Three Arch Rock, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife refuge, on Monday, Dec. 10 at the Brewer's on the Bay in South Beach. Rogue created a special series of bottles for both organizations and a portion of the proceeds goes to the programs.

The aquarium series includes: Sea Otter beer, spiny lump sucker T-shirts, Wolf Eel Ale, and Shark Tooth Ale. Three Arch Refuge has a specialty beer, the Puffin Pale Ale, which also provides the history of the refuge that was established during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency due to encouragement from conservationists William L. Finley and Herman Bohlman.

Roy W. Lowe, Project Leader for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Oregon Coast NWR Complex, said, "We're very appreciative that this gets the message out on the refuge," and he added the grant monies will help fund education programs for the refuge.


Dale Schmidt, president and CEO of Oregon Coast Aquarium, said through their partnership with Rogue over the years, the aquarium has received $17,000 which helps fund the new, changing exhibits.

Brett Joyce, president of Rogue, stated the products will be sold at various retail stores across Oregon.

Winter Pond Care

As winter approaches it is important to prepare you pond for this seasonal change in conditions (depending on your climate zone). In the warmer western areas of Oregon ice is not an issue as much as in the higher elevations of Eastern Oregon.

However leaves that have accumulated from the many deciduous trees that grow in many of the western valleys are a problem.
Leaves that fall to the bottom of the pond decompose adding to ammonia, lowering ph and KH to dangerous levels and sometimes releasing toxic Hydrogen Sulfide. The pond keeper needs to either cover the pond with netting or remove leaves before winter sets in.
Also as temperatures fall below 60 F (15 C) in the pond I feed every other day or less, depending on fish feeding habits. Below 50 F (10 C), I do not generally feed as fish become much less active as their metabolism slows down.
It should also be noted that the protein content of the food should decrease as well while wheat and wheat germ content increase.

Here is a recent news article from Salem Oregon about preparing for winter:
Owners of koi prepare the hardy, colorful fish and their ponds for winter

In regions where icing will occur it is important in winter to keep at least a small section of your pond open for proper exchange of gasses (O2, CO2), if water can still flow into the pond through a water or aeration device, that will work. A minimum depth of 24” will provide enough water space under the ice for fish to hibernate.
An aeration device or pump placed about midway from the surface/bottom that circulates upward generally will keep an area of the pond surface free of ice and allow proper gas exchange. In deep ponds over 5-6 feet (1.75 -2 meters), thermal layering, called thermoclines, may exist. This acts as sort of an “inversion layer” similar to how smog gets trapped in the air in Los Angeles. This traps CO2 and Hydrogen Sulfide near the bottom which is dangerous to fish and in this case you need to add water pumps or aeration devices at the bottom.

For more pond information including Winter Care as well as more resource links as well, please visit this site:

A Clear Pond; Pond Information

Shark washes up on Oregon Coast

Dolphin, shark, other 'oddities' wash up along Oregon Coast

By ANTONIA GIEDWOYN, kgw.com Staff

Last week’s stormy weather at the Oregon Coast led to some unusual finds on the beach over the weekend, Seaside Aquarium staff said Tuesday.

Beachcombers found a dolphin, a porpoise, a shark and a rare fish.

“All died recently, and thanks to enormous west winds, blew up onshore with the storms,” said aquarium spokeswoman Tiffany Boothe.

The long-beaked dolphin was the first dolphin that aquarium staff have ever seen wash up in the area, even though they are common to Oregon coastal waters, Boothe said. It measured about 5 and 1/2 feet long.


The salmon shark was only about 3 and 1/2 feet long and is a type of shark often mistaken for great whites, although great whites are larger by a foot or more in length.

Someone also reported finding a mola mola -- ocean sun fish -- which are rarely spotted on the north coast.

The washed-up porpoise measured about 2 and 1/2 feet long.

Another beachcomber, Terry Morse of Newport, found a bunch of odd jellyfish, some of which were still alive, he discovered, when he took them back home and put them in a petri dish to study them under a microscope. They began swimming again when put in sea water.


COMMENTS:

Not much I can say here except for this is a sad but interesting story

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Male fish gives birth at Oregon Aquarium

Unusual male fish gives birth at Oregon Aquarium

By TERESA BELL / kgw.com

SEASIDE, Oregon – At the Seaside Aquarium, dozens of fish have been born from what many would consider quite an unlikely source: a male fish.


A baby pipefish.
Pipefish are long, rounded creatures related to the sea horse, that have an unusual life process. The female pipefish has the eggs originally, but transfers them to the male. He fertilizes them, and then he is the one responsible during the remaining gestation period.

"We are not sure how long the baby pipefish will be on display," said Tiffany Boothe, an education specialist with the Seaside Aquarium. "The aquarium has had pipefish in the past give birth, but because of their size and fragility when born, we have had no luck keeping them alive. We are going to try a slightly new tactic, though we are not too optimistic that it will work. Because of this we also plan on releasing some of the babies into a local estuary."


The new tactics involve leaving them where they are this time, Boothe said. In the past, they've tried a variety of approaches to help these babies survive, mostly involving taking them out of the tank and putting them in another by themselves. They've tried variations on that theme, such as a tank with filtered water, without filtered water, and other combinations.

"Instead of putting them in another tank, we'll just do nothing," Boothe said. "We'll leave them in there, because that tank is a lot like the environment they come from, with its fauna and so on. It's also got raw water pumping in there, so there's lots of phytoplankton."


In natural habitat, pipefish live in shallow water among eelgrass, algae, and other types of vegetation in estuaries and bays.


Boothe said they're expecting even more babies. With the eggs of as many as three females involved, it could mean there are dozens more waiting to be born, all inside the male in various stages of gestation.


"Spawning for pipefish begins in May when the female pipefish passes her eggs to the male," Boothe said. "The courtship between the male and female tends to be an elaborately choreographed display, where female and male entangle themselves around each other over and over again. They look as if they are dancing. The male may receive eggs from two to three different females and can carry up to 225 eggs."


COMMENT: I have kept Pipefish, however I have never bred them (I have bred their cousins the seahorse). These are interesting although delicate fish to keep in an aquarium. I only recommend them in a non-competitive reef or nano-reef aquarium as most fish will out compete them for food and make them nervous. I have generally fed Brine Shrimp and Mysis Shrimp and have also kept them in tanks with a lot of hiding places including live rock and caulerpa algae.
"Marine Aquarium Basics" can provide more information and links to keeping these and other marine/saltwater fish.

Rare Ratfish, Oregon

Rare Ratfish found on Oregon Shores dies -

Associated Press and KGW.com Staff


SEASIDE, Ore. - A rare fish from the deep that had the Seaside Aquarium buzzing today has died.

The ratfish, described as both cute and bizarre, and usually lives too deep in the ocean to show up on land.

But a group of kids from Oregon City brought in a three-foot-long Spotted Ratfish over the weekend. They had found it on the southern cove area of Seaside -- still alive.

Aquarium spokeswoman Tiffany Boothe says the spotted ratfish's technical name is 'Hydrolagus colliei,' and is named ratfish for its rat-like appearance.

Scientists were not sure if the fish would survive the night. It had a sore on it's right fin that was making life difficult. Boothe said "at one point, it got stuck upside down and couldn't right itself."

On Monday Boothe said the fish didn't make it through the night. She said "the fact that he was already washed up on shore was not a good sign to begin with."

The aquarium was keeping the fish in a freezer in case a local school wanted to disect it to try and figure out how it died.

The ratfish exists between southeast Alaska and Baha, California. But sometimes it is found in shallower waters off the Oregon coast.

The aquarium says sometimes fishermen bring the ratfish when they accidentally catch them. But Boothe says it's really very rare they wash up on the beach.

Pet Food Recall Ingredient Found In Fish Feed

Pet Food Recall Ingredient Found In Fish Feed - SALEM, Ore. -- The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that a chemical that caused thousands of pets to become sick has been found in fish feed in Oregon.

Melamine was found in fish feed at the Marion Forks Hatchery in Idanha, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The feed is used as a starter diet for juvenile salmon and trout, the ODFW said. The distributors of the feed had also sent it to the Willamette, Gnat Creek, Big Creek, Cole Rivers, Butte Falls and Leaburg hatcheries, according to the ODFW.

For the full article, please click above.




Comment:
Melamine is an organic base with the chemical formula C3H6N6. Melamine in wheat gluten added to mass-produced dog and cat foods has been associated with renal failure, which could be explained by the ammonia that may result from the digestion of the melamine.
The addition of "melamine scrap" into fish and livestock feed to give the false appearance of a higher level of protein (which is due to the urea contained there in), was an "open secret" in many parts of China, reporting that this melamine scrap was being produced at at least one plant processing coal into melamine.

Most fish foods do not use much Wheat Gluten and obtain their Gluten from within the USA. The amounts of potential contamination of most foods is low as the better fish foods have Wheat Gluten very low on their list of ingredients (unlike many pet foods), that even with contamination, the risks are very low. In fact the main food I feed is Spirulina 20 which has a small amount of Wheat Gluten and I have a VERY healthy tank(s).

I recommend reading this article about fish nutrition and being more concerned with the VERY poor quality of ingredients that go into many of the popular fish foods such as TetraMin rather than the Melamine scare: Quality Fish Food (Proper Aquatic Nutrition); What ingredients are needed for proper fish nutrition, growth and health.


Carl

Steelhead will test the waters

Steelhead will test the waters -A half century after the dams, a reintroduction comes to fruition
By Kate Ramsayer / The Bulletin
Published: April 14. 2007 5:00AM PST

The pioneers now lie in trays in a hatchery north of Maupin, little more than a big eye and a yolk. But in a few weeks, once these summer steelhead eggs have hatched into tiny fry and used up the energy from the yolk, they'll be trucked to Whychus Creek downstream of Sisters and released. As they settle into the slow-moving side channels and backwaters of the creek, they will be the first steelhead to swim above Lake Billy Chinook since the Pelton Round Butte dam complex was constructed about half a century ago.

And they'll be the first test of whether more than a decade of planning by numerous agencies will enable ocean-going fish to migrate from and return to the Upper Deschutes Basin.

"We're certainly really, really excited about the reintroduction on all fronts," said Steven Marx, interim Deschutes District watershed manager with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"The big thing is it's been 50 years since waters upstream from Pelton Dam have seen summer steelhead."




For the full article, please click above.

Comment: this an interesting article, well worth reading in its entirety.
Carl