Feb 082014
 

Original story by Fiona Hudson, Herald Sun

A GIANT $350,000-plus aquarium installed at racing identity Sean Buckley’s luxury Toorak mansion has sparked tank warfare, amid swirling claims of leaks, fish deaths and unpaid bills.

The aquarium, complete with a battleship. Source: HeraldSun

The aquarium, complete with a battleship. Source: HeraldSun

The 30,000-litre faux lagoon – believed to be the largest private aquarium in Australia – is modelled on a famous World War II battle site.

It contains a 6-metre replica shipwreck and a 2-metre replica plane. Designers described the tricky build in Mr Buckley’s billiard room as “much like a military operation”.

But the battle really began when water was added, with claims and counterclaims flowing freely between contractors and Ultra Tune boss Mr Buckley.

One dispute recently washed up in the Magistrates’ Court, with a contractor filing civil action against Mr Buckley over an allegedly unpaid $40,000 invoice.

The legal action – launched by Vogue Pools & Spas Pty Ltd, who installed the walls and viewing panes – was settled in December for an undisclosed sum.

Ultra Tune corporate solicitor Albert Chong claimed payments were kept from Vogue Pools & Spas – and also aquarium designer Reefscape Australia – because the tank had sprung a leak and, he alleged, exotic fish worth $60,000 had died.

Reefscape Australia chief executive Craig Stuart confirmed a small payment was held back over some disputed workmanship and material costs. He said Mr Buckley had not informed him of any dead fish.

Cox Plate winning racehorse owner Mr Buckley bought the half-built French Provincial-style mansion on one of Toorak’s best streets in 2009 for $7 million at a mortgagee’s auction and has spent millions completing it.

The company that oversaw most of the elaborate building works, Hocking Build & Construct Pty Ltd, recently went into liquidation.

Mr Buckley is among alleged debtors, with claims he owes up to $20,000. The lawyer acting for Mr Buckley in that matter, Gaspare Sirianni, said he was unsure what the alleged debt was for and had sought further details from the liquidator.

Pool builder Geoff Burke – whose tilers created a massive mosaic depicting horse-lover Mr Buckley’s steeds – said Mr Buckley had paid all his invoices promptly and was “a great client”.

fiona.hudson@news.com.au

Feb 042014
 

 

The goldfish test that can change your behaviour

Original story by Miriam Sullivan, University of Western Australia at The Conversation

The average Australian spends more than five hours watching YouTube every month.

With such high viewership, it’s no surprise that interest groups are reaching out with YouTube to try to change people’s behaviour, including well known campaigns such as Beyond Blue’s Man Therapy and Tourism Australia’s Best Jobs in the World. But how successful are they?

One memorable goldfish. Photo: Flickr/ Benson Kua

One memorable goldfish. Photo: Flickr/ Benson Kua

What influence?

It’s well established that television and movies can influence audience behaviour. For example, medical dramas can increase the number of people signing up for organ donation and encourage women to get breast cancer screenings, while movies that feature smoking increase the number of teenagers taking up smoking.

There’s even a Hollywood charity dedicated to using television and films for promoting public health messages. However, YouTube videos are much shorter than television shows or movies, meaning that people have less time to become involved and persuaded to change their behaviour.

In our study we looked at whether a single viewing of a YouYube video could influence a person’s behaviour a month later. More specifically, we looked at whether watching a 50-second YouTube clip could encourage pet fish owners to regularly clean out their aquariums.

The experiment

Why pet fish? In many behavioural studies results can be biased by outside influences. If we studied exercise or smoking the participants would have been exposed to similar advertising campaigns elsewhere and might be tempted to lie about their behaviour to feel better about themselves. We were fairly confident that fish owners wouldn’t come across any other videos on cleaning fish tanks.

Fish are also the forgotten family pet. Just like cats and dogs, fish are intelligent, long-lived and can feel pain, but you would never flush your dead cat down a toilet or win puppies at carnivals.

With 1.5 billion pet fish sold globally every year, it’s time we started taking better care of them and regularly cleaning out an aquarium is one of the most effective ways to keep your fish healthy.

Nearly 200 fish owners took part in our online experiment. After answering a few short questions about keeping fish and how often they cleaned their tank, they were randomly assigned to one of three groups.

Goldfish survey video: the sad version.

Two of the groups were shown different videos designed to improve their tank cleaning habits, either a sad video about pets dying or a funny video of fish pooing. The remaining control group were shown no video at all.

Goldfish survey video: the funny version.

One month later, they were asked again how often they cleaned their tanks and what they remembered about the video.

What they remembered

Initially, it looked as if watching the YouTube video made no difference to their behaviour. About a third of people cleaned their tank more often after the experiment, a third less often and a third stayed the same.

However, a closer examination revealed that the results were slightly more complex. People who watched a video but did not improve were already doing the right thing and cleaning out their aquariums regularly.

So, rather then being unaffected by the video, they simply didn’t have room for improvement. But for the one-quarter of respondents who agreed they needed to improve, the videos made a big difference.

The group of owners who said they needed to improve but did not see either YouTube video actually got worse over the following month. Half cleaned their tank the same number of times and the other half cleaned their tank less often. None of the participants in this group improved their habits.

By comparison, 60% of fish owners who intended to improve and watched a YouTube video started cleaning out their tanks more often. Only 6% cleaned their tank less after watching the video.

Make ‘em laugh to remember

When it comes to remembering the message, comedy appears to beat tragedy, with 88% of people who saw the funny video recalling it after one month compared to 60% who recalled the sad video.

Our results suggest that YouTube videos can affect a person’s behaviour, if only by reinforcing what you already intended to do. For example, a YouTube video encouraging people to quit smoking won’t help people who don’t smoke, and won’t stop determined smokers. But it could help people who were thinking about quitting to start taking action.

So for people thinking of making a YouTube video there is some evidence to suggest that a funny video will be remembered better, which is possibly why Melbourne’s Metro Trains Dumb Ways to Die was a YouTube hit despite dealing with a serious topic.

Dumb Ways to Die

Our results, while promising, represent a small sample and may not apply to all topics or all groups of people. YouTube is an important feature of modern life and more research needs to be done to determine its full potential to influence our behaviour.

This is an edited version of Miriam Sullivan’s presentation “Can we change behaviour using YouTube?”, delivered today at the Australian Science Communicators national conference in Brisbane.

With thanks to co-researchers Professor Nancy Longnecker and Associate Professor Dominique Blache. No animals were harmed in the making of the films; they were all willing volunteers in return for treats.The Conversation

This article was originally published at The Conversation.
Read the original article.

Jan 162014
 

ABC NewsOriginal story by Anne Maria Nicholson, ABC News

It is a recipe cooked up to become one of the biggest international shows to be performed at an Australian arts festival.
Dido and Aeneas, performed in a giant water tank. Photo: Sydney Festival.

Dido and Aeneas, performed in a giant water tank. Photo: Sydney Festival.

Take a giant water tank, dunk in half a dozen dancers and add a stage full of singers and musicians.

That is Dido and Aeneas, a choreographed opera transported from Germany to become the centerpiece of the Sydney Festival.

It was a logistical challenge installing the tank, filling it with 7,000 litres of chlorinated water, and installing it front of the stage at the Lyric Theatre.

Six dancers swirl around the pool for the first act of this tale that has its origins in Greco-Roman mythology and is designed around the 17th-century Henry Purcell opera.

“On the one side it’s very playful, I’m trying to create a contemporary baroque opera and at the same time it’s a tragic piece,” the show’s German choreographer Sasha Waltz said.

“It has a storyline that relates to our life at the moment, even though it’s an ancient story.”

Waltz believes the story is eternal, blending performance with the elements of water, fire and air.

“This is a story about the conflict between love and loyalty for society and it has a very tragic ending,” she said.

Waltz first presented the show in Luxembourg in 2005 and has brought many of the original cast to Australia.

All up, there is a team of 60 performers and technicians, making it by far the most expensive festival event.

The orchestra is from the Akademie fur Alte Musik in Berlin and, in addition to the opera, will perform separate concerts at the Sydney Recital Hall.

Festival director Lieven Bertels first secured Waltz’s opera for a festival in Holland in 2011.

He was so taken with it that he grabbed the chance to bring it to Australia as the headliner of his second festival here.

In the lead roles are English-born singer Reuben Willcox as Aeneas and Paris-based Aurore Ugolin as Dido.

They have been with the show since its inception and believe it would be difficult for new performers to step in as the roles are so physical and the singers are intertwined with the dancers.

“We singers tend to be concerned about our voice and how it would work musically and we were thrown into a much more physical situation where all kinds of normal routines were abandoned,” Willcox said.

Ugolin says adding the singing and movement together is quite a challenge, but worthwhile.

“In fact it was a pleasure to build this piece all together with the dancing to the singing,” she said.

Dido and Aeneas is at the Sydney Lyric from January 16 to 21.

Nov 182013
 
Australian Fisheries Statistics 2012

Australian Fisheries Statistics 2012

Original story at Enviroinfo

Australia’s aquaculture industry now accounts for almost half of the nation’s fish production.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Australian fisheries statistics 2012 annual report shows aquaculture has increased its share of fishery product earnings from 30 per cent to 46 per cent over the last decade.

Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Richard Colbeck, said most of the increase could be attributed to the fast-growing farmed fish sector.

“Farmed salmonids became the largest species group produced and increased earnings by 20 per cent in 2011-12. It remains Australia’s highest earning fisheries product at a value of $513 million.”

Senator Colbeck said the growth in the aquaculture industry vindicated the government’s plan to work with industry to develop a national aquaculture strategy.

“We want to further develop the aquaculture industry in Australia because there are huge opportunities to be had.

“The fisheries sector is vital to regional economies and the tens of thousands of people employed in the industry. Our national aquaculture strategy will create employment in regional areas and support the sector so it continues to grow into the future.”

Senator Colbeck said the report showed the total gross value of production of Australian fisheries increased three per cent to reach $2.3 billion.

Nov 122013
 

Original story by Manika Dadson, The Examiner

TASMANIA’S biosecurity could be at risk  from  people importing marine fish and other objects into the state and, in some cases, reselling them without a licence.
Petland owner Brent Worsley is concerned that people are buying aquarium fish online from interstate and bypassing quarantine regulations. Photo: Paul Scambler

Petland owner Brent Worsley is concerned that people are buying aquarium fish online from interstate and bypassing quarantine regulations. Photo: Paul Scambler

Pet shop owners across the state have raised concerns about the increasing number of people buying marine fish, coral, insects and seahorses from interstate stores or online.

The creatures or coral are being sent via Australia Post in packages containing a small amount of water, with some buyers not paying quarantine or licensing fees.

Some marine fish are also being resold or traded via a Facebook page.

The Pet Connection owner Natalie Vermey said she had known about people importing and selling for about a year.

“People have come into my store and said they are getting things into the state and bypassing quarantine,” Ms Vermey said.

“It’s unfair that we have to pay for licensing and quarantine when others don’t.”

Launceston Petland owner Brent Worsley said his business had also been affected by people buying online from interstate.

A Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment spokesman said that one-off marine species that met all biosecurity requirements were not charged a quarantine inspection fee.

“Pet stores, fish breeders and aquarium shops are charged a fee for the service,” the spokesman said.

For detailed and lengthy inspections, items held in quarantine for identification  or a documentation check attract a fee, which for air freight is $25.30 and sea freight   $56.91.

The spokesman said that Quarantine Tasmania conducted inspections at all freight centres, including mail centres.

“Australia Post staff help with the sorting and setting aside any plants and plant products, seeds, fish and fish products, animals or animal products for Quarantine inspections,” the spokesman said.

Pictures on the Marine Aquariums Tasmania Facebook page indicate many parcels coming into the state with live animals and coral inside look just like any other package, with some just marked “fragile, handle with care”.

An Australia Post spokeswoman said the company requires all senders to ensure their lodgements meet state and territory quarantine regulations, as sending prohibited goods is a criminal offence and offenders may be liable to prosecution.

“Customers are reminded to refer to Australia Post’s Post Guide on Dangerous and Prohibited Goods and Packaging, which shows the main prohibitions and restrictions on the movement of fish and wildlife within and between states and territories,” she said.

Nov 092013
 

Don't flush the fishOriginal story by Daisy Smith, Rebecca Brewin, ABC Goldfields

It has long been the method to flush unwanted goldfish down the toilet, but flushing or releasing fish into the wild ‘Free Willy’ style can do more harm than good.
Dispose of your fish responsibly Photo: Brett Williamson, ABC Adelaide

Dispose of your fish responsibly Photo: Brett Williamson, ABC Adelaide

The Department of Fisheries is urging pet owners to dispose of their fish responsibly through their new campaign Don’t Dump That Fish.

“This campaign is all about helping people to do the right thing and stopping their much beloved pet becoming a pest in our waterways,” Biosecurity Team Leader with the Department of Fisheries Victor Aitken said.

“Around the world, aquarium fish are a major source of potential pests and that’s definitely the case here in WA, so we’re trying to prevent people releasing fish and those fish becoming pests later on.”

Ms Aitken said fish in and outside the home can cause major problems.

“Any fish that people are keeping, so it might be typically pet fish like goldfish and tropical fish, but it could also be backyard pond koi carp or a small aquaponics system someone has in their backyards, really anything that people are keeping and might release.

“That also include the plants, gravel and water because plants can become pests, snails and the water and gravel can carry diseases that can harm native fish.”

Ms Aitken said some may think they are doing the right thing by releasing fish into a natural environment.

Pet owners need to avoid cleaning out fish tanks where the dirty water and plants can run into a natural waterway such as a creek or into a drain, and releasing fish that are no longer wanted.

“If that (dirty tank or pond) water doesn’t go to a proper treatment plant, those fish, plants and diseases could all make it into our rivers and lakes.

“There’s a variety of impacts, things like goldfish and carp which are a very common problem, like to stir up mud at the bottom of the river and that changes the environment so that other native fish and plants can’t live there anymore.

“It also reduces the water quality.”

Ms Aitken said owners of healthy fish should try to re-home their pet with a friend or community group if they can no longer care for it.

Sick fish can be disposed of humanely, Ms Aitken said, by adding clove oil to the tank water which is an anaesthetic for fish.

The RSPCA website has up to date information on how to humanely dispose of fish.

Oct 232013
 

QFASThis Saturday (October 26th) at the Bar Jai Hall (178 Alexandra Road Clayfield) QFAS, the Queensland Federation of Aquarium Societies, is holding its first ever Market Day.

QFAS has been running combined clubs fish auctions for as long as most of us can remember, and while the fast pace of the auctions is tons of fun, most of us that have been to a few can remember back to at least one purchase that makes us question what we were thinking when we put up our hand to bid – and I know I usually have a pretty slow Sunday after an auction that’s run into the wee small hours of the morning.

So for the first time QFAS is slowing down the pace and not keeping us up all night. At this Saturday’s market day you’ll be able to take your time to peruse the fish and aquarium wares on offer, and meet the sellers – most of whom are breeders, hobbyists, and/or suppliers. It shaping up to be a great day out for novices and seasoned aquarists alike – and for a change it’s an event that’s family friendly, so bring the kids along.

Click here for the QFAS calendar

Oct 202013
 

Original story at The Telegraph

Aquarium shop workers investigating the disappearance of dozens of fish found the culprit – a terrifying three-and-a-half-foot sea worm hidden in a tank for ten years.
The sea worm is thought to have arrived as a stowaway around ten years ago in a rock, and buried itself in the floor of the tank.  Photo: BPM MEDIA

The sea worm is thought to have arrived as a stowaway around ten years ago in a rock, and buried itself in the floor of the tank. Photo: BPM MEDIA

The creepy Bobbit Worm – usually found at in the ocean at depths up to 150ft – was discovered preying on fish in the 200 gallon tank.

Staff at Maidenhead Aquatics in Woking, Surrey, had noticed many of its fish going missing.

But they only found the culprit when they emptied a massive leaky tank – and found the Bobbit Worm.

The sea worm is thought to have arrived as a stowaway around ten years ago in a rock, and buried itself in the floor of the tank.

Store manager John Penny said: “The worm was found when we were breaking down our big display, because it was leaking.

“The worm was three-and-a-half feet long, we really struggled to get the rock out of there, because it was so heavy. It was so creepy.

“It split into three sections. The tail end died within a few days. The other two sections are still alive.

“They are from tropical waters and do have very large pincers that can nip, especially if you touch them.”

The worm, which is a couple of inches thick, was discovered on October 7, when the 12-year-old tank was emptied to carry out essential maintenance.

“We have been trying to do some research on them,” Mr Penny said. “It has been reported that they can get up to four metres in length. They are from tropical waters.

“They do have very large pincers that can nip, especially if you touch them. They also release a slime that can irritate the skin.

“I have had one in my home aquarium. This is the first time we have had one of three-and-a-half-feet in the shop.

“They are not common, to be honest. They come through now and again. Only in an established tank would you find one getting up to this size.”

The Bobbit worm, which is in two pieces, is currently in a tank on the counter at Maidenhead Aquatics Woking, where staff are keeping a close eye on it.

The Bobbit Worm. Photo: BPM MEDIA

The Bobbit Worm. Photo: BPM MEDIA

Mr Penny, from Maybury Hill, said the ends of the section that broke off have healed over and they are waiting to see if a new head grows.

“We are just waiting to see what happens,” he added.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Eww…! Where did that come from?’ Marine customers are more likely to say, ‘Wow that’s amazing’.”

Oct 182013
 

The ConversationOriginal story by Shireen Chan, The Conversation

Rainbowfish embryos – at only four days old – can smell predators such as goldfish. Photo: Benson Kua

Rainbowfish embryos – at only four days old – can smell predators such as goldfish. Photo: Benson Kua

Rainbowfish embryos, as young as only four days after fertilisation, are able to smell potential predatory threats, a new study by Australian researchers has found.

Published today, the findings show these embryos use olfactory cues to determine and differentiate between predatory threats – while still in the developing egg.

Researchers bred rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi) in a clinic aquarium and harvested the eggs. After letting the eggs develop for four days, they placed them in a water-filled petri dish and added different smelling compounds to it.

According to Culum Brown, associate professor at Macquarie University and one of the authors of the study, the “predator smells” were simply water taken from a fish tank containing a goldfish and a spangled perch, which are an introduced and native predator respectively.

Under a microscope, they observed for changes in the heart rate by counting the time taken for 100 heart beats. Because an increase in heart rate is a primary stress response that provides increased oxygen to the body, researchers can gauge how stressful the embryos find various experiences based on such changes.

A four-day-old rainbowfish embryo. The eyes are very heavily pigmented and the tail is wrapped around the front of the head. Image: Macquarie University

A four-day-old rainbowfish embryo. The eyes are very heavily pigmented and the tail is wrapped around the front of the head. Image: Macquarie University

The results showed that when embryos detected danger their heart rate increased, just as it would if you were frightened. This meant that their chemosensory system, which is required to detect and respond to chemical cues, is already developed well enough to allow them to differentiate between various smells just four days after fertilisation.

“As behavioural ecologists, we tend to think of anything an animal does as being a trade-off between predation and behaviours involved in foraging, courtship and territorial defence,” said Grant Brown, professor and associate dean at Concordia University. “These results show that the basis for these trade-offs may occur much earlier than previously thought.”

Jennifer Kelley, a scientist with the University of Western Australia, explains that predator recognition is required at such an early age because responding to predator cues is absolutely crucial for early survival. For example, detection of “alarm cues” suggests that other fish in the vicinity have been attacked by predators.

“Although fishes can fine-tune their skills at later life stages through experience with predators and their cues such as odours, the findings show that the response of the embryos was innate because the fish were kept without predators for many generations,” she said.

Crimson Spotted Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi, the rainbowfish species used in this study. Photo: Eileen Kortright/Roan Art

Crimson Spotted Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi, the rainbowfish species used in this study. Photo: Eileen Kortright/Roan Art

Associate Professor Brown agreed, saying it was likely the response referred to a genetic template. The “predator smell” permeates the egg membrane and the embryos detect it using their nose. If the smell matches the template for danger, they initiate a fight-or-flight response which includes increasing the heart rate.

According to Dr Kelley, the fact that the embryos showed a graded response to predators, even before hatching, suggests that they may be able to modify their development and behaviour in an adaptive way. Such flexibility allows animals to display skills that are specific to their environment.

“It is important to understand this adaptability, particularly for native fishes such as rainbowfish. Freshwater ecosystems are facing increasing threats, for example from the introduction of exotic predatory species.

“This work contributes towards understanding how Australia’s native aquatic fauna will respond to such threats,” she said.

The Conversation

This article was originally published at The Conversation.
Read the original article.

Oct 172013
 

Media release from DAFF

Aquarium enthusiasts are being urged to take care when collecting or buying fish for their aquarium.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) officer Philippa Newton said QBFP have noted an increase in the number of recreational fishers catching illegal fish for their aquariums.

“All regulated fish must comply with size and possession limits regardless of whether they are kept for consumption or to keep in an aquarium,” she said.

“Some fish, such as declared noxious fish and no-take species, cannot be taken and kept in aquariums.

“There are restrictions on the types of recreational fishing gear that can be used when collecting fish for aquariums.

“The most popular gear to use is a scoop net, which must not exceed 2m in any dimension, have a handle not longer than 2.5m and a minimum 25mm mesh size.

“It’s also important to remember that you cannot collect aquarium fish to sell unless you have the appropriate licence.

“Collecting aquarium fish to sell without the appropriate licence could land you an $1100 on-the-spot fine or a maximum penalty of $110,000.”

Ms Newton warned aquarium enthusiasts to also take care when purchasing aquarium fish, especially through online classifieds.

“People need to ensure the fish they purchase for their tank is legal.

“If buying a fish, check if the species is regulated and whether it has a size limit. If a size limit applies, ensure the fish meets the requirements.

“Always request a receipt to assist in identifying the source and legitimate sale of the fish.

“A $220 on-the-spot fine or a maximum penalty of $110,000 applies to people found in possession of an undersize fish.”

“If anyone suspects that fish is being sold illegally, for example an undersize fish from Queensland waters or a noxious fish, report it immediately to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.

For more information on size and possession limits or collecting fish for aquariums, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.

Follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook and Twitter (@FisheriesQld).

Media contact: Jodana Anglesey, 3087 8601