If you’re reading this site you’ve likely heard his name before–John Coppolino, or Copps, is a top notch aquarists with a knack for landing some of the rarest fish available and for growing some impeccably colored corals. He’s also the biggest angelfish lover in the industry and a good friend of mine.

A few weeks back I got to see John’s reef in person, along with his scores of other tanks (easily one of the most impressive private rare fish collections in the world). It’s easy to see why Julian Sprung added John’s angel dominated reef to the French release of Kiyoshi Endoh’s Angelfishes of the World. Copps’ reef is equal parts Acropora display and equal parts Angelfish display. If its not the trio of Regal Angels catching your eye, it’s the Collin’s pair, or maybe the large Blueline. But then there is also that fiery red trio of Hawaiian Flame Angels, or those Semis’… oh yeah, and the Joculators!

While there I had the chance to briefly capture John’s main reef display tank with photos and video. The tank is not at its former greatness, as it was when Julian photographed it for Les Poissons-Anges. Since Julians photos, John ripped out many large coral colonies to allow fresh growth. In no time it will be better than ever. Enjoy.

Watch the video in a larger format here.

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Today he finds his work removed from aquariums, but devoted to animals as he manages a large exotic biological facility working with marsupials. When not at work or writing for GBD, Jeremy is often in front of his 240g Reef Tank that has a habit of housing numerous rare and exotic fish species. Keep an eye out for more of Jeremy’s insightful articles in the near future.

If you’ve spent any measurable amount of time in this “hobby” you’ve certainly wandered upon the perplexing dilemma of nomenclature. Particularly in the realm of taxonomic nomenclature vs. common nomenclature. Rather than be a “which side of the fence should I stand on?” issue, there is far more that can be learned, utilized, and applied by everyday hobbyists. Ultimately this will effect how we function (and talk) in our own little microcosm of this industry.

The Pintail Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cf. lanceolatus) is a striking fish that has yet to be properly identified.

A big thanks to Kevin Kohen for the photo.

Do you confer? It’s a somewhat frequently encountered term, which many simply glance over, but definitely should not. That is the term “cf”. While shopping online, particularly for fish, especially in certain genera of fish, it wouldn’t be uncommon to come across a taxonomic name in the format of “Genus cf. species”. All too often that “cf” is subconsciously discarded, and the fish is perceived to be “Genus species”. In systematics, there is occasionally an “aff” used also, but we, as aquarists don’t see this as much. So, what does this mean, and why does it matter to aquarists?

The term “cf” stands for “confer”, and loosely interpreted, means “looks like”. When it is placed in between the “Genus” and “species”, it is implying “this fish looks like “Genus species”, but aside from that, it has not been “identified”. This may be for a number of reasons.  Perhaps because the collectors/wholesaler hasn’t bothered to ID it, or it has not been scientifically identified yet (whether by the collection region, meristics, gross appearance, other, or any combination of these). All things considered, of these two reasons, the former is not as likely, given most collectors and wholesalers would rather assign an ID to make a sale, rather than be accurate (in my humble opinion), whereas, the latter is certainly FAR more conceivable.

So, back to the original question- how does this effect aquarists. Well, in most cases, it wont effect the core bottom line husbandry concerns. Two fish, so closely similar that there would be difficulty telling them apart will likely not have two different husbandry techniques. However, for rare fish aficionados, like myself, it can be of critical importance. Take a look at Surgeonfishes, Rabbitfishes and their Relatives. A Comprehensive Guide to Acanthuroidei, by Rudy Kuiter and Helmut Debelius. Around the Powder Blue Tangs (Acanthurus luecosternon), you will see some unusual fish, and an even more unusual and quizzical name (given current opinions).

What appears to be a blatant hybrid of a Powder blue (Acanthurus luecosternon) and a Powder Brown (Acanthurus nigricans), is instead labeled as “Acanthurus cf. leucosternon”. At the time of publication, this uniquely colored fish was unknown to the scientific community, and while speculations could be made, it was determined to be an “unknown”. Since that time, I can only assume that it has been since “confirmed” to be a hybrid, as no scientific taxonomic name has been give to it. It, however, sheds light on the process of fish taxonomy. Of the current fish, which are still be labeled with Genus cf species (ie- Cirrhilabrus cf. lanceolatus), what will become of these fish? Will they ultimately become a new species? Or will they become a variant species? Or will they be known as a hybrid? Or will it always remain as a “looks like”? Only time will tell.

Next time you see “cf” stop and think. The implications and use of this two letter abbreviation are not something to glance over.

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The 12″ module we received will retail for $629. A considerable sum, but if 75w is really the new 250w… it may just pay for itself. We’ll have to see ourselves. Expect to see these hitting fine retailers such as Premium Aquatics and Aquarium Specialty in the coming days.

Upon opening it my first reaction was that’s a big shipping box. In truth it was primarily bubble wrap. Hiding underneath all the protective wrap is  a relatively small, simple, attractive and well designed box. On the back the full stats are listed–see the condensed version below.

Module Dimensions

• Length: 11.875″
• Height: 2.35″
• Width 5.375″

Power Supply

• Power Output: 72w
• Universal Input Range: 100 – 240 VAC / 50-60Hz
• Dimensions: 4.6 x 2.1 x 1.25″

The heatsink is anodized for an almost brushed metal look, while being more polished and less distracting to the overall fixture than bare metal. Below you can see the power and data inputs. The nice thing with this fixture, is that there is no ballast or large external driver. A lightweight 36v adapter is all that stands between the fixture and the wall outlet.

The Serial number has been appropriately blurred out…  it was one of the early ones.

On the underside of the fixture, the first feature to catch your eyes are AI’s custom designed optics for the Cree XP-G and XP-E series LEDs. They also opted for a clear shield across which gives owners a glimpse at the PCB and internal circuitry.

The controller is incredibly simple to use. I spent a good amount of time using the interface and adjusting the manual controls and sunrise / sunset features. The programming ability is powerful, yet intuitive.

As a teaser, here’s what the 72w LED light is capable of: even spread and high intensity. Soon we’ll see just how intense the newly redesigned Aqua Illumination LED is and how this fixture stacks up against the competition.

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This is just the second ATB cone skimmer to feature the molded body, the first being the HOB Multi Use Cone. These changes offer no performance upgrades over the previous 840 line… it just looks a bit better.

Stats:

• Footprint: 8″ x 14″  footprint
  • 8″ Base Diameter
• Height: 21″ (0.5″+ needed for cup removal)
• Pump: Sicce PSK 2500 based Mini Airstar
  • 17-21w (25+ scfh) depending on pinwheel / mesh used 

There has  been confusion over the white color that the majority of the new 840 v1.5s  are sporting. All ATB Skimmers are available in white upon special request. The stock ATB colors are red in the USA. If you fancy white, let them know before you pull the trigger. 

Double click images to enlarge

Base attached with stainless steel screws. Complete access to bubble plate & body.

Collection cup is a “slip fit”. Just lift upwards to remove.

The green dots aid in adjusting the water level via a wedge pipe output.

Users can choose between the small and large purple pinwheel for 25 or 29.6 scfh intake

A new ‘sandwich’ meshwheel design is also being experimented with…

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Hideki & Tetsuo report that the fish is extremely healthy and in very good condition. I was then asked, Eric have you seen Paracentropyge boylei?  Which I sadly informed them that I had not seen this beautiful fish in person. Often times we make each other laugh because we forget about the differences in the hobby here in the United States and there in Japan. For example, they can’t believe how much money we pay for “Limited Edition Corals”! Fortunately during their trip to Nagoya, Hideki snapped some great photos of this stunning fish for the site.

Paracentropyge boylei is a deepwater dwarf angelfish that is endemic to the Cook Islands where Chip Boyle’s outfit does collecting. I have yet to hear of any collected recently, making the fish shown above the only known Peppermint Angelfish alive in captivity. Be sure to check out a video of this same fish here and another video of the fish feeding here.

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3. Peppermint Angelfish Video II – Feeding The last video was hit across the forums so here...