JLW
CCA Members
Hey Folks,
It is time again for another great purchase from Cobalt and Brightwell. Orders will be available for pickup at the May meeting of PVAS, CCA, and/or GWAPA. We can also always ship to you, and if it's dry goods, a shipping will generally cost $5-10 (unless you're ordering heavy or large things).
The two lists can be found at:
http://www.batfishaquatics.com/docs/brightwell.xls
or
http://www.batfishaquatics.com/docs/cobalt.xls
This will download a Microsoft Excel sheet. Google docs (free) should be able to open it for you, too. Please fill in your quantities in the last column, save the file as Brightwell-YourName.xls or Cobalt-YourName.xls, and e-mail it to me at BatfishAquatics@gmail.com. Orders must be received by the 27th. You will then receive an invoice, and it must be paid by the 29th. Orders received sooner are better... and as an awesome incentive, check out:
www.batfishaquatics.com/coupon.php
(Please note that if the XLS document does not work for you, change the link XLS part to HTML, and a webpage will work. Just e-mail me a list).
So, what the heck are all these products and what's the big deal?
Cobalt
Cobalt is one of the best manufacturers of aquarium fish foods in the industry. They are the only large-scale producer of aquarium foods with beneficial probiotics. Along with the addition of high quality vitamins and minerals to the fish food, these probiotics ensure healthier aquarium fish and better digestion. Fish fed these foods produce less waste and experience less disease problems.
In addition to fish food, Cobalt produces a number of great aquarium products. The Neo-Therm heater is, hands down, the best aquarium heater on the market. These heaters are made of a thermal plastic that is absolutely shatter proof -- it won't break. You can whack these thing with a hammer, and they're still good (disclaimer: don't do that). Not only that, but the Neo-Therm heaters lack a traditional thermostat, instead using high tech circuitry to control the aquarium temperature. No thermostat means they'll never get stuck on. No fish soup.
Two newer products are the Oxy-Pro Air Pump and the micro phantom pump. The Oxy Pro is an incredibly powerful beast on par with a Luft pump. But, unlike the luft pump, it is absolutely silent. They've effectively put the air pump on a suspension system, eliminating most of the noise. On the other side of the spectrum, the little tiny Phantom is the ideal pump for a small aquarium. Using almost no electricity, it is powerful enough to aerate a 25-g aquarium, or a 2.5-gallon aquarium. Like the Oxy Pro, they've put a lot of thought into making these little guys S-I-L-E-N-T.
Brightwell
For years, aquarists have used numerous aquarium chemicals that were iffy, at best. Brightwell uses only food quality or better chemicals in their products, creating superior fertilisers and additives for the aquarium. Additionally, Brightwell produces some of the most incredibly novel and user-friendly filter substrates. For the planted aquarium, they carry a unique volcanic substrate, which grows plants better than any other substrate I've ever seen. One big caveat with it -- it looks incredibly expensive. However, it is far lighter than most gravels, so you need 50% less than you would, say, Fluorite. A single 25-# bag can actually take care of a 55-gallon aquarium (though, I'd add another 10#s myself).
Finally, Brightwell carries the best aquarium scrapers on the market. Made of a single piece of moulded plastic, there's no joints to break. These are the industry standard for professional aquarists, including public aquariums. I use them, and so should you.
It is time again for another great purchase from Cobalt and Brightwell. Orders will be available for pickup at the May meeting of PVAS, CCA, and/or GWAPA. We can also always ship to you, and if it's dry goods, a shipping will generally cost $5-10 (unless you're ordering heavy or large things).
The two lists can be found at:
http://www.batfishaquatics.com/docs/brightwell.xls
or
http://www.batfishaquatics.com/docs/cobalt.xls
This will download a Microsoft Excel sheet. Google docs (free) should be able to open it for you, too. Please fill in your quantities in the last column, save the file as Brightwell-YourName.xls or Cobalt-YourName.xls, and e-mail it to me at BatfishAquatics@gmail.com. Orders must be received by the 27th. You will then receive an invoice, and it must be paid by the 29th. Orders received sooner are better... and as an awesome incentive, check out:
www.batfishaquatics.com/coupon.php
(Please note that if the XLS document does not work for you, change the link XLS part to HTML, and a webpage will work. Just e-mail me a list).
So, what the heck are all these products and what's the big deal?
Cobalt
Cobalt is one of the best manufacturers of aquarium fish foods in the industry. They are the only large-scale producer of aquarium foods with beneficial probiotics. Along with the addition of high quality vitamins and minerals to the fish food, these probiotics ensure healthier aquarium fish and better digestion. Fish fed these foods produce less waste and experience less disease problems.
In addition to fish food, Cobalt produces a number of great aquarium products. The Neo-Therm heater is, hands down, the best aquarium heater on the market. These heaters are made of a thermal plastic that is absolutely shatter proof -- it won't break. You can whack these thing with a hammer, and they're still good (disclaimer: don't do that). Not only that, but the Neo-Therm heaters lack a traditional thermostat, instead using high tech circuitry to control the aquarium temperature. No thermostat means they'll never get stuck on. No fish soup.
Two newer products are the Oxy-Pro Air Pump and the micro phantom pump. The Oxy Pro is an incredibly powerful beast on par with a Luft pump. But, unlike the luft pump, it is absolutely silent. They've effectively put the air pump on a suspension system, eliminating most of the noise. On the other side of the spectrum, the little tiny Phantom is the ideal pump for a small aquarium. Using almost no electricity, it is powerful enough to aerate a 25-g aquarium, or a 2.5-gallon aquarium. Like the Oxy Pro, they've put a lot of thought into making these little guys S-I-L-E-N-T.
Brightwell
For years, aquarists have used numerous aquarium chemicals that were iffy, at best. Brightwell uses only food quality or better chemicals in their products, creating superior fertilisers and additives for the aquarium. Additionally, Brightwell produces some of the most incredibly novel and user-friendly filter substrates. For the planted aquarium, they carry a unique volcanic substrate, which grows plants better than any other substrate I've ever seen. One big caveat with it -- it looks incredibly expensive. However, it is far lighter than most gravels, so you need 50% less than you would, say, Fluorite. A single 25-# bag can actually take care of a 55-gallon aquarium (though, I'd add another 10#s myself).
Finally, Brightwell carries the best aquarium scrapers on the market. Made of a single piece of moulded plastic, there's no joints to break. These are the industry standard for professional aquarists, including public aquariums. I use them, and so should you.
