Reef aquarium close up’s with the D-D NanoScope

Ever wanted to get up real close and personal with your corals? Maybe you need to ID that little tiny spec that might be eating your prized SPS coral?

D-D NanoScope © D-D Aquarium Solutions

Well, the guys over and D-D Aquarium Solutions have recently announced the D-D NanoScope. Having read through the specs etc of this little aquarium magnifier, I can’t help but think about the Ogles Mesoscope…

The NanoScope allows the hobbyist to venture into this hidden world and observe tiny marine creatures and natural feeding behaviours of corals. This can give better understanding of long term coral care and how micro fauna can influence the over all health of our systems.

Within the last few years hobbyists have also been made aware of various coral pests that can plague a reef tank and quickly decimate coral stocks. These tiny creatures are often no more than the size of a pin head and are easily missed resulting in misdiagnosis and the hobbyist blaming the losses on their own husbandry.

When armed with the D-D Nanoscope, hobbyists can identify coral predators such as:

• SPS Red bugs
• Montipora eating Nudibranch
• Zoanthid Spiders
• Clam eating Pyramid snails
• Zoanthid eating Sundial snails
• Soft coral eating Nudibranch
• SPS eating Flatworms

to name but a few.

The NanoScope can also be used to diagnose early symptoms of disease in corals that can initiate Necrotic loss of tissue.

With careful use images and video can also be taken through the NanoScope using a mobile phone capable of auto focus. The images can be invaluable for online diagnosis or identification of unknown creatures.

[via D-D Aquarium Solutions - see the D-D NanoScope page]

Check out this acropora sp. close up filmed with an iPhone through the NanoScope:

Pricing on the D-D NanScope along with it’s availability is to be confirmed, but if it’s cheaper than the Ogles -- I’m sure more of us will be getting a lot closer to our reef tank inhabitants very soon.