Reed Mariculture introduces a new product line, and wants you to name it!

Reed Mariculture is well-known around here, both for their aquarium hobby line of products (Reef Nutrition), but also for their commercial aquaculture products generally sold under the Reed Mariculture umbrella. Seeing their large-scale aquaculture products being used in smaller-scale applications (Public Aquariums, Research Labs and Marine Ornamental Fish & Invertebrate Breeders), Reed has realized there’s a growing inbetween market that until now, wasn’t being properly addressed. This new product line “bridges the gap”.

This new product line packs a big punch but lacks one critical component – a name! Reed Mariculture has launched the RM-Ideas website to announce this new line, but also to run a contest to name it! The best part? Everyone who enters “wins” something!

Here’s a brief rundown highlighting our picks of the most interesting new products being initially launched in this line:

Calanoid copepod cultures, specifically Parvocalanus crassirostris. This is one of two copepods known to work as a first food for larval Pygmy Angelfish (Centropyge spp.). Who knows what else you might be able to do with it! We’re a step closer to hobbyist-bred Centropyge too!
A new top-dressed Otohime larval feed. Otohime is well-known among clownfish breeders for producing superior growth rates and actually being a viable 2nd food option (allowing breeders to bypass the use of baby brine shrimp). Standard Otohime was NOT known for producing good coloration, which led hobbyists to come up with various methods of incorporating pigments into the feed to fix this shortcoming. Obviously, Reed took a cue from ornamental breeders and is now offering an “enriched” Otohime formulation; top-dressed with astaxanthin, natural feed stimulants, a natural immune-stimulant and more.
Buffered and Liquid CloramX – this product has been found useful in controlling organic pollution in early larval culture scenarios but until now, CloramX was only accessible to breeders in a $40+ powdered form that you had to mix yourself. Soon available as a liquid, and pH buffered.
Rotifer Diet PLUS – Rotifer Diet has been a staple of rotifer culturing for years. This refined “plus” version rethinks the standard liquid rotifer culture feed. Rotifer Diet Plus has been described as liquid RotiGrow Plus with the addition of ammonia control to the bottle. Not only is the ammonia control a convenience, but since this new Rotifer Diet is based on RotiGrow Plus, DHA levels have been dramatically improved. This is truly a no brainer…aquarists used to buy Rotifer Diet and CloramX powder. Or you bought frozen RotiGrow Plus and again, bought CloramX powder. Now you get them all-in-one, with the proper ratio of phytoplankton and ammonia control for truly “super-easy” rotifer culturing and an improved nutritional profile as well. I have a feeling this is a home-run type of product, especially for anyone who is just learning to culture rotifers for the first time. Let me put this clearly – given what this product is, it should drastically reduce the occurrence of culture crashes for the new or casual rotifer culturist, and it makes the rotifers you raise more nutritious too.
Many more new products, and more convenient sizes on existing products that were only available in sizes deemed “too large” and thus too expensive, or too small and thus uneconomical to utilize!

Matt Pedersen

Matt Pedersen is an interactive software developer and part-time fly fishing guide originally from Chicago, IL and current living in Duluth, MN, USA. Additionally, Matt has experience as a professional orchid breeder and certified fly rod builder. Matt has been a marine aquarist for 23 years, and an aquarist for 28+. After spending time on every side of the aquarium industry (retail, commercial and private maintenance & installation, wholesale, hatchery), he currently considers himself a "professional hobbyist". Most recently, Matt has currently spawned 22 species of marine fish, successfully raising 8 of them to date including one worldwide first (the Harlequin Filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris), as well as attempted another 6 invertebrate species to date. Most all of this was accomplished with less than 100 gallons of total working capacity, and all in closed culture. In 2010, Matt Pedersen was selected as the breeder of choice to work with the now famous "PNG Lightning Maroon Clownfish" from the SEASMART program, and chronicles the efforts to propagate this one-of-a-kind fish online at The Lightning Project. Matt Pedersen is credited with starting MOFIB (Marine Ornamental Fish & Invertebrate Breeder's Association) and writing for multiple publications including Coral, Koralle, Practical Fish Keeping, Reef Hobbyist Magazine and Reef Builders. Matt has spoken at numerous aquarium clubs and events from coast to coast. He currently sits on the MBI (Marine Breeding Initiative) Council, a project dedicated to bringing the concept of a unified Marine Breeder's Award Program to hobbyist organizations across the country and around the globe. In 2009, Matt was awarded "Aquarist of the Year" honors by both IMAC West and MASNA in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the marine aquarium hobby. Last updated October, 2010.