When I received this dying Homophyllia bowerbanki coral, I had no idea what was happening to it, but it was obviously rotting. Most of the tissue had come off in the bag, and the coral stunk extremely bad. I had absolutely no hope for its rehabilitation, but, I couldn’t give up on it either. (8 January 2012)
*Note – Acanthastrea hillae was recently recategorized as Homophyllia bowerbanki.
Coral Quarantine:
By 27 January 2012, the coral had stopped rotting and started to heal.
This is half of the remaining coral, as of 6 February 2012.
Fully Rehabilitated:
Nine months later (7 October 2012), the previously dying Homophyllia bowerbanki coral was fully rehabilitated. One half of the coral is shown. This coral, more than any other, reminded me to keep hope.
I believe this is a Physogyra coral (closely related to Plerogyra), and I received it on 8 February 2020 in quite bad condition. Most of the tissue was rotting along the edges, and the skeleton was exposed.
By 9 May 2020, the coral was no longer receding, had polyp expansion, and was starting to regrow over its old skeleton.
Here the coral is fluorescing under actinic lighting.
Only three months later, and this Physogyra was well on its way to full recovery!
For our anniversary, my husband and I decided to revisit our honeymoon location: Curacao. It was also where we got our PADI Open Water scuba certification with Ocean Encounters and tried to catch the coral spawnings (with no luck). So of course, this time around, we couldn’t sit still and just enjoy the island. We had to get involved!! Coral restoration in Curacao seemed like the best way to volunteer while on vacation.
My husband totally embraces my obsession with rehabilitating corals, so when he came across the PADI Coral Restoration certification offered by Coral Restoration Curacao, he signed both of us up! Previously, my favorite dive of all time was working with Project Aware to clean up a small fishing island off the coast of Honduras, so this seemed to fit right in.
Coral Restoration Classroom Training:
The certification class required classwork, three dives, and an exam (which wasn’t difficult… I thought I was just joking around that the first question would be “what is a coral…” Whoops.)
The class started off with our instructor, Vivianna, going over coral anatomy, coral pests, and the mission of Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF). I felt so bad for the instructors because we asked a million questions and derailed all of the training!
The training materials included 3D-printed coral models to show their internal structure.
Coral Restoration Nursery and Outplant Familiarization:
Then, we went on our first dive. We toured the Nursery and Outplant areas to get a feel of the area. During our tour, our instructor pointed out the growth of various “frags” over time, pests, diseases, and other things we learned during class. Here are some Elkhorn coral outplants.
Our instructor showed us areas of fireworm damage, along with how to use a drinking bottle as a trap.
We also visited diseased coral, so we can help identify areas of concern.
Next, we went to the Nursery. We were assigned a tree to clean. Our task was to use steel wool pads and scotch-brite pads to remove all the algae and fire coral from the tree. That’s it.
Cleaning the Coral Nursery:
Ok, I really had no idea how hard that was going to be, especially with the ban on gloves. Two people scrubbing a suspended tree, in some fairly strong surge, around critically endangered coral… and oh by the way… scrubbing fire coral just means the nematocysts get suspended in the water all around you. That pretty much took up our entire dive… one tree cleaning… and there were LOTS of trees.
Here, I am cleaning the coral tree, with steel wool and no gloves. Needless to say, FIRE CORAL HURTS!!!!
Eventually, our dive was over, and our tree was sufficiently clean for the coral to thrive. Time for a surface interval and more training!
On our way back to the beach, this lovely barracuda greeted us. What a great way to end a successful dive!
This dying coral (Homophyllia bowerbanki) was found injured at a local fish store on 10 February 2013. A fish had been nipping at it, which made diagnosis easy. This was a low risk rescue for me, and Homophyllia bowerbanki is my favorite species of coral – a win!
By 31 March 2013, the coral was recovering nicely.
The coral recovered after four months (15 June 2013).
As the coral flourished, so did its colors (2 November 2013). Never did I expect a stunner like this!!
As someone who has made a few glass aquarium sumps and one fully customized acrylic sump (along with owning pre-manufactured ones), I don’t understand the excitement over acrylic sumps. Glass aquarium sumps are cheaper, easier to build, and hold up to abuse better than acrylic for the average user. I buy non-reef-ready aquariums at the local pet store “$1/gallon sale,” design the sump, and then get some glass cut. This is how I made a 40g glass sump for $65. (Or, if the idea of getting glass cut is too daunting or time-consuming, consider these pre-cut baffle kits!)
Supplies List:
This is a list of what I actually used to build my glass aquarium sump, along with estimated prices as of the published date. I’ve included links to the products (or similar) (please note, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.)
Designing the setup may be the most challenging aspect of this project, and I highly recommend that you research various designs prior to starting. Consider skimmer footprints, algae reactors, probes, return pump size, and sizes/ locations of all the other equipment you’ll need or may want in the future. As you’ll see below, sump design really deserves its own post (or multiple!)
The Footprint:
Design needs/desires lead to determining your equipment requirements. If, for example, the skimmer has a footprint of 10 inches by 10 inches and requires a water depth of 8 inches, then the sump will be quite sizeable. Start drawing out the footprint design on the graph paper, following a similar train of thought for the water height. I like to stay simple with sump designs. The water drains into a filter sock, into a skimmer, through some baffles (to help minimize the bubbles from the skimmer), slowly over a refugium, slowly over a deep sand bed, through more baffles, to the return pump, and out.
The Height:
Next, you’ll need to account for the water that overflows from the main display aquarium and drains into the sump. Leave enough space for that water plus a few extra gallons just to be on the safe side. For instance, if your display tank water level drops by two inches when the pumps are off, then you can multiply that by the tank’s length and depth to have an estimate of the water volume (in cubic inches) draining to the sump. Convert the cubic inches to gallons (there are plenty of easy calculators online), and that will be the water volume going to the sump. This is a safety margin, which must be added to the planned water level height. Personally, I like to oversize my sump (another 50-100% more) just in case anything happens (e.g., tank continues to drain). This will also help to account for water volume that was above the water line in an operational skimmer, in the case of a power outage.
The Volume:
With the water footprint and height set, once again, calculate the volume required (length x width x height, converted volume to gallons). This is the tank size you will need to purchase, if not larger for a greater safety margin. I used a 40 gallon breeder aquarium for this project.
40 Gallon Glass Aquarium Selected for my Sump
Once the basic footprint is complete, it is time to design the baffles. The depth is just the inside depth of the empty aquarium, and the height is the running water level height (not the overflowed water). Placing some at staggered heights can cause the water to move above and below them, thus removing some bubbles. Play around with the design, and try to visualize water moving through your sump design.
Step 2: Cutting the Glass Baffles
Once the design is complete, measure the pieces of glass you’ll need. If your local glass shop will let you (and if the tank is small), take the tank with you so the glass company can custom-fit the glass to the tank. Tank sides are rarely truly parallel, so the baffles may need trimming. I also recommend having the glass shop sand the edges of the glass to prevent injury during installation. My local glass shop only charged me $20 for the glass, cutting/polishing, and sizing. They were amazing!
Glass Baffles for Aquarium Sump
Step 3: Installing the Baffles
Use a high-quality silicone made for aquarium use. I chose black for the sump, but it is also readily available in clear. Do NOT use bathtub silicone as it frequently contains an anti-mildew chemical in it that can foul an aquarium. Home improvement stores often carry the proper silicone, and local fish stores often do as well. Use only in a well-ventilated area as the fumes are not pleasant and may cause health problems. It didn’t take much; I only used half of the tube shown.
Aquarium Silicone
Use a measuring tape and right angles to place the first baffle. Work the smallest areas to the largest areas to prevent areas that are difficult to seal. I worked on the left, right, then center.
Installing Glass Baffles in a Sump
Layout Angles Holding Glass Baffles
I use duct tape to hold the baffles in place while it dries. Let each area sit for an hour or two before moving to the next section. This helps prevent silicone slips.
Duct Tape Holding Baffles in Place
Step 4: Adding a Filter Sock Holder
If you decide to add a filter sock holder, there are lots of designs available. Just make sure yours has a bracket that will fit onto the side of the aquarium sump. I’ve added bonded acrylic ones before (shown in the photo below), but it is challenging to make a good bond between glass and acrylic. After a couple years (if you’re lucky), they will likely require resealing. Using glass filter sock holders is just too dangerous, in my opinion.
Glass Aquarium Sump Curing
Step 5: Curing
Once the build is complete, let it cure according to the silicone manufacturer’s instructions (this is typically 24 hours, although 48 hours is likely better). If possible, continue to let it sit in a well-ventilated area. After the silicone has cured, remove the duct tape and layout angles. Remove any silicone drips or other debris.
Step 6: Test it Out!
With the build complete, it is time to test the sump! Fill the sump to the running water level (lowest baffle height). All baffles should hold, with no flexing or leaking (if it does, just drain, dry, reseal, and retest). If all looks good, then you’re all finished! It’s time to install it on the tank! Mine is shown below, with the tank draining into the left, flowing through a skimmer and live rock, under and over baffles, over a lighted refugium area with baffle, over a flex-use area with baffle, then down, under, and over baffles into the return section.
Completed DIY Glass Aquarium Sump
Glass Aquarium Sump Conclusion:
Glass aquarium sumps are easy to build, customizable, inexpensive, and can last quite a long time. They’re even easier to maintain than acrylic. Out of my multiple sumps (including one pre-manufactured acrylic sump), the DIY glass sumps are still my favorite.
Scuba diving in Blue Lake, Utah (United States), is fun, but it’s not for everyone! This is pretty much a lake made by divers for divers. In other words, this is probably not the best location to bring non-diving spouses, children, or friends.
Blue Lake, Utah
Getting There:
First off, this lake is out in the middle of nowhere in western Utah (circle with the arrow). Approaching Wendover from the East will require entering Nevada (the casinos will have to wait) and doubling back into Utah. Make sure to bring everything you’ll need, including spares, as there’s nothing nearby. I’d also pack plenty of snacks and water since food is a ways away (Wendover, Utah is the closest city last I was there, underlined in the photo). (Map credit goes to Apple Maps.)
Arrival:
Did I mention there’s nothing around??
A several hundred feet walk through horseflies, sand, and snakes separates the sandy parking lot from the lake. Thankfully, some kind souls installed a board walk across the sand and over the snakes, but that doesn’t help keep the horseflies away.
The Lake:
Back when I dove here, the “dock” was a soggy algae-covered carpet along the shore (toward the mid-left in the photo), but I’ve heard there have been some great improvements! Although this probably sounds awful to non-divers, this is a near paradise for land-locked Utah divers.
The water is partially geo-thermally heated (see the photo with the hot springs), so it’s a bit warm. I wore a 3-5-3 wetsuit in September and was very comfortable.
I recommend arriving as early as possible so visibility is good before newbies join the fun and stir up all the silt. The bottom is very easy to disturb, so stay a few feet up to keep the lake nice for everyone (especially if you’re still learning proper buoyancy control). Visibility is usually about 10-30′, but be cautious as visibility can quickly drop to zero.
There are several dive platforms for safety stops and classes (as shown in the photo, with a fish tail photobomb), a few fish, and plenty of sunken treasures. Rope lines go from the platforms to the main attractions (sunken boat, praying mantis sculpture, turtle, etc.) Keep an eye out for road signs, a grocery cart, a shark, and other surprises…
Story Time…
So there we were (four of us), in the middle of our dive, when our visibility went to zero thanks to a class of new divers that caused a silt-out up near the dock. The four of us knew this would likely happen and had pre-communicated and decided to practice no-visibility navigation if this situation arose, rather than surfacing. We linked arms/equipment, checked our equipment the best we could, confirmed everyone was ready, released arms (maintained link via equipment), and then started trying to individually navigate back to shore.
After a few peaceful moments of sensory deprivation (I could only see brown silt and my bubbles ahead of me), I was deep in automated movement – just counting kicks and watching my equipment. Then, staring at me, within inches of my face, was another face. It was a dead, rotten, algae-covered head with unseeing eyes. I screamed. I won’t lie. I screamed.
Once I gained composure, I realized some pranksters had tied a mannequin’s head to a string anchored to the lake’s floor. I wouldn’t have to call the police, after all.
Conclusion:
For a desert-based lake, Blue Lake, Utah is warm, unique, and is full of surprises for the avid scuba diver. If you’re looking for new places (on the cheap and local), this one isn’t bad. Go fully prepped with low expectations, and it’ll probably be a good day in the water. After the scuba diving in Blue Lake, Utah, head over to the nearest city of Wendover for some food – and clean clothes!
If you’ve seen improvements (or challenges) with the area lately, let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to check out our other scuba diving adventures as well!
