Reef Hobbyist Magazine Q2 2012 by Reef Hobbyist Magazine

thrIVE Manage, Record and Share Your Tank www.ThriveAquatics.com

features

A Piscine Perspective Tal Sweet is a council member of the MBI and the VP of the Marine Aquarium Society of Michigan. What do the marine aquarium hobby and your fish and corals mean to you? Tal shares his perspective in light of some recent discussions on the ethics and morality of marine aquarium keeping.

Fish Traps – They Really Work! Richard Ross is a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences – Steinhart Aquarium and a cuttlefish breeder. Every reef keeper will eventually need to remove a fish from their display. Before you destroy your aquascape chasing that fish, read this article for valuable tips to keep you and your fish from stressing out.

Tasia’s Nano: 9 Gallons of Dedication Joseph Peck is an avowed SPS nut who has been in the hobby for over a decade. In this tank spotlight, Joe shows us an unusually stocked nano tank that continues to thrive as a result of careful planning and a strict maintenance regimen.

announcements • Reef Hobbyist Magazine has partnered with Reef.hk to publish new issues in Chinese for our fellow reef keepers in Asia. If Chinese is your preferred language, please visit www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com.hk. • Your MASNA registered club can receive new magazines direct from RHM for your meetings. Find out how to get sponsored now! (info@rhmag.com) • Have an event coming up in the next six months? Contact us to get sponsored and we’ll help you get the word out and ship you magazines for your attendees. (info@rhmag.com)

RHM Sponsored events (latest issues available at these events) • ReefSMART: May 20, Raleigh, NC – sustainablereef.com/reefsmart • SaltGeeks Frag Swap: June 9, Fairborn, OH – saltgeeks.com • Space Coast Reef Conference: July 21, Melbourne, FL – spacecoastreefclub.com/wordpress • MBI Workshop 2012: July 28, Bloomfield Hills, MI – mbiworkshop.com • MACNA 2012: September 28-30, Dallas, TX – dfwmacna.com • Reef-A-Palooza: October 20-21, Costa Mesa, CA – reefapaloozashow.org

FREE Online Subscription Sign-up

22 on the cover

Initial Successes Cohabitating Holacanthus Angels Matthew Pedersen was the 2009 MASNA Aquarist of the Year and is one of the most accomplished fish breeders in the U.S. In this final installment of his two part series, Matt reveals how he successfully paired both Queen and Rock Beauty Angelfish juveniles and some of the challenges he encountered. Image by Sabine Penisson. (aquareefphoto.com)

Mucking About with Mindy: The Detritus Wars Mindy van Leur has been a reef hobbyist for almost 20 years and currently keeps a 90 gallon SPS dominant reef. In this article, Mindy details a number of maintenance procedures to help you win your own war with detritus.

Be the first to know when a new issue is released online! Scan this QR code to sign up for our online subscription and you’ll receive an alert with article previews, new product releases, and a link to the latest issue as soon as it’s online!

WANT RHM IN YOUR STORE? Increase your store’s foot traffic and sales by offering Reef Hobbyist Magazine to your valued customers! We help you educate your customers even when they’re not in your store. Plus, we never publish etailer ads! Contact one of our distributors below or email us at retailer@rhmag.com to get stocked. It’s free! • A&M Aquatics – www.amaquatics.com • All Seas Marine – www.allseaslax.com • Exotic Reef Imports – www.exoticreefimports.com • Pacific Aqua Farms – www.pacificaquafarms.com • Quality Marine – www.qualitymarine.com • Reef Nutrition – www.reefnutrition.com • Segrest Farms – www.segrestfarms.com Regional or national distribution: distribution@rhmag.com

Come visit us online www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com

The Global Coral Repository: Cryogenic Coral Preservation Justin Credabel Grabel is the Director of Aquaculture at Exotic Reef Imports and an author and public speaker in the marine aquarium hobby. In this article, Justin introduces The Global Coral Repository, an effort to preserve today’s corals through cryopreservation so that these species are available to be restored in the future.

Unsung Treasures from the Deep: A Compendium of Lesser Seen Corals There are some corals that, for various reasons, are rarely seen in the hobby. Many of these have arrived as hitchhikers and been carefully nurtured into full colonies. Over the next several issues, we’ll be taking a look at some of these obscure beauties.

RHM Staff

•

Enter the RHM photo contest to win awesome prizes! Find full access to RHM archives. Download any issue in PDF for your PC or iPad. Sign up for a FREE online subscription. Read our “exclusively online” articles.

www.facebook.com/reefhobbyistmag www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com.hk (Chinese)

President Harry Tung Executive Editor Jim Adelberg Director of Photography Greg Rothschild Advertising@rhmag.com

Art Director & Graphic Designer Tamara Cho Graphic Designer II David Tran

comments or suggestions? comments@rhmag.com

editorial

A Piscine Perspective

editorial by Tal Sweet

here has been a lot of discussion lately about the ethical and moral issues surrounding the keeping of marine animals in captivity by what is commonly known as the marine aquarium “hobby.” I’m not going to delve into the multiple Pros and Cons of this issue. Instead, I’m simply going to share my personal experiences. I was fi rst introduced to keeping marine aquaria in the mid-1980’s while still in high school. At that time, the practice seemed to be quite “cutting edge.” Looking back though, it was really in its infancy. Back then, the technology was just beginning to come into its own and be taken seriously. Water chemistry, lighting, fi ltration and a captive reef’s nutritional requirements were all just starting to be understood. Keeping fi sh alive wasn’t nearly as diffi cult as keeping corals alive. In those early days, aquariums were “decorated” with coral skeletons and rocks. The concept of “live” rock was just starting to be understood and experimented with as a means of biological fi ltration. Protein skimmers were still very basic and extremely expensive. various corals that were difficult to maintain in the past are now fairly easy.

enter our photo contest to win a Macna 2012 full conference pass! see page 8 for details.

I grew up on a lake in southeastern lower Michigan where I was always near the water and I loved it. Then in 1986, I was lucky enough to visit the Hawaiian Islands. My first trip to Hawaii gave me an entirely new aquatic perspective. The diversity and beauty of marine life was completely different than what I was used to. I spent many hours snorkeling in this wonderful and unique environment. It was truly amazing and gave me a new appreciation for the majesty of the oceans. It was at the end of my visit that I caught a small Lunare Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) in a tide pool during low tide. I took the fish to a local store to be bagged with oxygen for the flight back to Michigan. When I arrived in Michigan, I acclimated the fish to my aquarium, and it lived for a few years afterward. As often happens with people of that age, I became distracted with other aspects of life and ended up taking the tank down. Keep in mind that in the 1980’s, marine fish were routinely kept in captivity with decent success. Corals, on the other hand, were not. Corals were showing up at local aquarium stores but the survival rates were pretty low. Fast forward to early 2006 – I was working at a local nightclub that was being sold and realized I would need something to keep me occupied when I was unemployed. I ended up removing everything in my bedroom to paint, and it was at that time the idea of getting an aquarium came to mind. “Hmmm,” I thought, “why not set up a tank at the end of the bed?” At first, I was thinking of a 30 gallon – of course I ended up with a 75 gallon. Then in March of 2006, I attended my first aquarium conference. It was the Midwest Marine Aquarium Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it was here that I first met Eric Borneman, Scott Michael and Steven Pro. I immediately became inspired by what these speakers had to say. The myriad of new advances that had been made while I had been away were amazing to a “newbie” such as myself. I continued my research and eventually got to the point of wanting to set up my main reef tank. I took the time to make sure the fish and corals I wanted to keep would be compatible. It is unfortunate when people get into this hobby and don’t take the time to learn about the animals they wish to keep. I can’t stress strongly enough the need to take the time to research before making a purchase. There is so much information available on most of these animals that it’s easy to make informed choices.

A close-up of one of my favorite corals, Euphyllia ancora, or Anchor coral.

I was amazed at the success people were having with keeping corals alive. I hopped on the “fragging” bandwagon and got busy growing and propagating corals. This held my interest for a couple of years, but something seemed to be lacking for me. I now refer to fragging, lovingly, as “cut and paste” propagation. I have nothing against it, but I get much more satisfaction out of propagating fish, as you’ll see. In 2008, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Frank Marini speak about captive breeding. He spoke about Banggai cardinalfish and the need for more people to become involved in breeding them. One of his messages was, “It’s not rocket science; you can do Acanthastrea sp., a highly sought after coral in the aquarium community.

editorial

some of my captive bred a. ocellaris juveniles.

a trio of my captive bred a. percula picasso juveniles.

WINNERS

Photo Contest Current Topic:

“Angelfishes” 1

Simon Tan

David Masse

Tomas Diaz

MACNA Conference Pass

Next Topic: PRIZES

“Wrasses” Wrasses” Submit original photographs of your WRASSES for a chance to win a MACNA pass! MACNA 2012 Full Conference Pass

For rules, details, and entry, go to www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com.

MACNA 2012 Full Conference Pass

To sponsor a RHM Photo Contest, email an inquiry to info@rhmag.com.

don’t miss rHM sponsored Macna 2012 in dallas, texas, september 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)

it.” He neglected to inform me that it was “marine science,” but that’s another story. After several months of research, I began to assemble my own breeding system. It took a lot of time, but it was worth it in the long run. I now have a functional breeding system and provide a variety of captive bred fish species to my local fish stores. While doing research on captive breeding, I eventually ran into Matthew Pedersen and Dr. Matthew Wittenrich. I’m honored to be able to call these two exceptional gentlemen friends of mine. They have both given me so much encouragement and support over the years, and I can’t thank them enough. It was with their support that I was able to refine my system, create my own captive breeding website (www.fishtalpropagations.com) and help put together the Marine Breeding Initiative to encourage the captive propagation of marine species. You might be wondering where this is leading. I wanted to give you a little background before I told you how I actually feel about my pets. Yes, I refer to my fish as pets, just like my two cats. While it is true that one can’t interact with a fish as one would a cat or dog, I believe that they are more than just pretty things. In my experience, fish have their own distinct personalities. As a breeder, I spend a lot of time observing my fish and this is quite obvious. I may be anthropomorphizing a bit but I do believe that they recognize me when I walk in the room at feeding time. They react differently if someone else approaches the tanks.

a choice between living in an environment where I was constantly searching for food, avoiding being eaten and worrying about my environment being destroyed, or living in a clean environment with no predators and plenty of good food, well…it’s a no brainer for me. Keep in mind that some fish will do much better in captive environments than others. Larger fish will need more space. Smaller fish will often disappear if placed in a large aquarium. Plan accordingly. Spend some time observing these wonderful animals and appreciate their beauty and complex relationships. I’m happy to report that the vast majority of fish I started with over five years ago are still alive and thriving, including a Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) that was acquired from a collector in Hawaii. I’m also proud to say that I have been able to raise hundreds of juvenile fish that have been sold to local fish stores and helped, in a small way, to reduce the need for wild caught specimens. Maintaining an aquarium is a wonderful experience that can lead to a greater appreciation of the natural world. Aquariums also serve to inspire the next generation of potential marine biologists and expose people that may live hundreds of miles away from an ocean to care about something they may never see. I can honestly say that I truly love caring for and watching all of the fish I have in my various aquariums. With responsible choices and proper husbandry, caring for an aquarium can be something very special.

I think the disconnect some people have with aquatic animals is due to the fact that they inhabit a different environment than we do as humans. Not being able to interact with our aquatic pets as we do with our furry pets makes them seem alien in some way. Of course, some fish have more personality than others. You’re not going to notice much from your average damselfish other than it being cranky. Other fish, such as some pufferfishes, triggerfishes, sharks and rays, can be quite playful. Octopuses are very intelligent animals as well. Getting back to the issue of whether keeping aquatic animals in captivity is somehow morally wrong, I challenge each of you to take the time to research your choices before making a purchase. Find out if the animals you want to have are compatible, and don’t treat them as disposable objects. Ask for animals that are either sustainably collected or captive bred and are healthy. People against keeping marine animals sometimes use inflated statistics about fish life expectancy in captivity that I find perplexing. As a general hobbyist, I personally have fish in my tanks that are over six years old and know of others that have had fish for much longer. As a breeder, I have seen how many offspring can be produced in a single batch. In the wild, the survival rates would be very low compared to what can be achieved in captivity. Predation in the wild is very high; hence the need for fishes to produce a large number of fry each year. If I was a fish and given

editorial

tank tips & tricks

Fish Traps

Richard Ross

Th ey r eally wor k!

t some point, every reef keeper will need to catch a fish out of their display tank. A fish may be ill and need treatment in a hospital tank. A fish may need to be relocated due to aggression issues or because it develops an appetite for corals. A pair of fish may be breeding, and moving them to their very own love shack may increase the chances of successful spawns, larvae collection, and rearing. Whatever the reason for relocating a fish, the goal is the same: safe capture with minimal stress to the animal and reef keeper and with minimal impact to the display tank. In this article, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll explore some methods and strategies for removing fish from fully stocked displays while keeping both fish and reef keeper from stressing out. The one fish we were trying to catch, the Kleinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Butterfly, is outside of the trap laughing at us.

Enter our photo contest to win a MACNA 2012 full conference pass! See page 8 for details.

I like to use a fish trap whenever possible because all the other options are more of a hassle. A net is a poor choice in a stocked display tank because it stresses the animals and in the chase, you are almost guaranteed to knock over or break something. Trying to remove the fish while it’s sleeping is not going to work unless you are very lucky because sleeping spots are so numerous and invariably, the fish picks a spot at the bottom of the tank in a totally inaccessible, rear corner. Removing the aquascape will work but it isn’t something most of us want to do because it takes so long to get everything in the right place and growing. A fish hook with the barb removed can work, but it’s often hard to get the fish you want to catch to take the bait before other fish take it (This method is no joke; I actually have a mini fishing pole in my tank kit!). That leaves what I consider the most useful method for catching a fish from a display tank – some sort of trap. The basic idea is simple. You have some sort of container that has an open door with a way to manually close that door, usually a string. You bait the trap and then watch and wait. When the fish swims into the container, you pull the string, closing the door and trapping the fish. Voila. I have used several kinds of traps, and it’s important to make sure that the trap is big enough to contain the fish you are trying to catch. In the 212,000 gallon reef tank in the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences, we have used metal crab traps to catch large Lunare Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) and Klein’s Butterflies (Chaetodon kleinii) with great success. Plus, it’s great fun to stand at the top of the tank holding a string to pull the trap door closed for 30 minutes at a time while explaining to guests that you are fishing! For smaller tanks, my favorite device is a modified, commercially available, acrylic fish trap with a weighted door that is held open by a piece of monofilament with a suction cup on the end. This

particular kind of trap also has another piece of monofilament that you can pull to slam the door closed quickly instead of simply relying on gravity to shut the trap’s door. The speed at which you close the door can be the critical difference between catching the fish and not catching the fish.

Various fish swarm in and out of the modified crab trap in Steinhart’s 212,000 gallon reef tank.

Tank tips & tricks

A Critical Modification

Part of the reason people are hesitant to use this kind of fish trap is because putting it in the tank often causes damage to corals and the aquascape – especially if you need to leave it in the tank over time and it gets blown around by the water motion. To make the trap more useful, I modify it by using electrical tape to attach one part of a cleaning magnet to the outside of the trap. Using the other side of the magnet on the outside of the tank, just like I was cleaning the glass, allows me to place the trap almost anywhere in the tank where it will be stable over time and where it won’t or can’t damage any of the corals or aquascape. Leaving the trap in the tank over time makes it more likely that fish will go into the trap sooner. Once the trap is placed where you want it, practice closing the door. Make sure the lines that hold the door open are easy to grab so you can reach them quickly when the time comes. Nothing is more annoying than getting the fish into the trap and botching the catch because the door sticks or the lines tangle. I usually drape the lines over the lip of the tank, using the suction cup on the line that holds the door open. Some people stand on a stool so that they are above the tank, providing a more direct path to pull the lines. Experiment and see what works best for you.

Patience. Really. Lots of It.

The two most important concepts to keep in mind while planning to catch a fish and during the catching process are patience and compassion. Remember that the fish does not want to be caught, and by avoiding attempts of capture, the fish is doing its best to

The baited fish trap waits. The fishing line on the right holds the trap door open; the airline on the left (tied to fishing line on the trap door) is used to close the trap door. This modification helps you know which line to pull in which direction during the excitement of the catch.

get away from what it perceives as a threat. Millions of years of evolution have instilled the desire to get away from threats into fish, and a scary plastic thing in the tank is often perceived as a threat. You need to make the fish feel like it is safe to go into the trap, and that can take time. The fish you want to catch is probably not going to go into the trap for several days (but almost every other fish will), and the fish is not doing it to spite you; it’s doing that to stay safe. Try not to blame the fish, feel contempt for it, or be in a

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, California, October 20-21. (reefapaloozashow.org)

hurry as it tries not to be caught. These negative emotions will only get in the way of catching the fish and will lead to mistakes that will prolong the process and potentially wreck your display. Before you start trying to catch a fish, have a plan and set aside time for your attempts. If you don’t have the time, don’t make the attempt.

Setting the Trap

I usually position the trap in the tank near an area where the fish I want to catch normally hangs out to make it more likely the fish will explore the trap. I also try not to disturb the fish by cleaning the algae off the glass or doing any maintenance in that area of the tank. The only feeding the tank gets is in the trap so the fish learn that food comes from the trap. Sometimes the traps come with food holders, but I don’t use them because they tend to hold the food deep in the trap where the fish doesn’t want to go at first. Some people think that if you make the fish hungry, it will go into the trap, but I find the opposite is true – making the fish associate the trap with food brings faster and less stressful success. I use a turkey baster to squirt the fish’s favorite foods into the trap, initially just at the entrance to the trap. Make sure to either position the trap away from flow or turn off pumps pushing water into the trap because you want to keep the food around or just inside the trap so the fish gets used to eating near and eventually in it. Turning off the water pumps can also help cue the fish that it’s feeding time. Feed in the trap many times a day, and over the course of several days, you can start squirting the food deeper into the trap. What usually happens is that every fish in the tank, except the one you want to catch, will go deep into the trap. This is a good thing. Food in the trap and other fish feeding on that food in the trap make it more likely that the fish you want to catch will join the feeding frenzy inside the trap.

Success! The juvenile Regal Angel is trapped and ready to be relocated.

Be Bold When it’s Time

When the fish starts to go into the trap, don’t jump the gun. You don’t want to pull the door down and scare the fish out of the trap, making it less likely it will go in again. Take the time to get the fish deep in the trap. If you are having trouble getting the fish to go deep into the trap, get some live brine shrimp and squirt it way down in there. Once the fish goes all the way in, hold the lines that trigger the trap without dropping the door, and see if that activity scares the fish out. If it does, bait the trap and hold the lines several times until the fish is going into the trap boldly, and then pull the door shut with authority. This by no means covers every trick for catching fish with a trap, but it should give you a good leg up on the process. Remember that patience is the most important factor in successful fish trapping – be sure to use it liberally.

Fish Trap Videos!

This is a video of a fish trap used to successfully catch a Lunare Wrasse in a crowded reef display. Video by Glen Gardiner.

This is a video of the author feeding his fish by squirting food into the trap, hoping to lure his Regal Angel inside. Video by author.

tank tips & tricks

nano tanks Joseph Peck

Tasia’s Nano:

9 Gallons of Dedication

n the fall of 2010, 19-year-old Tasia Frescia started a

so small a package?”

which comes with an LED light as standard. But just as listening to the advice of others was important to her initial success, Tasia’s willingness to try new things has proven to be critical as well. Tasia felt that the Eheim-supplied LED light was too white in color for her liking and decided to look around for an alternate light fixture. Luckily for her, she found that Aqua Illumination had just come out with a new LED fixture specifically designed for nanos which had a broader range of color options. Now that she had the combination of tank, stand, and lighting picked out, the rest was all about what corals and fish to put in the tank. Here again, she had plenty of help in learning what kinds of corals and fish were best suited to nano life. But what is special about this nano is how Tasia has managed to put together such a spectacular visual display in such a tiny space.

Part of Tasia’s success as a beginner stems from her willingness to listen to all the great advice she’s gotten from her co-workers in the fish store. Based on her research, she knew enough to pick a tank that had some of the latest lighting technology. The new generation of LED lights available today are great for nanos because they can provide adequate amounts of light for virtually any light-loving coral while not causing any of the heat related issues common to traditional light sources like fluorescents and metal halides. For that very reason, she picked the new Eheim 9 gallon aquarium

At first glance, everyone’s eyes are drawn to the centerpiece, which is a beautiful specimen of Scolymia australis, or Button Coral. With its striking coloration mixing hints of purple with neon green and orange, every coral fanatic gets excited when they first see it. It is a stellar choice for a nano with LEDs. It is easily target fed, does not need high flow, and definitely loves the new LED light wavelengths. The Button Coral saves its best feature for the evening when the lights turn eerily blue and the coral glows brilliantly with neon colors. The next specimen that stands out is the Stichodactyla

new job at a local fish store in Riverside, Connecticut. As part of her training, her new boss, Jason Edward,

encouraged her to set up her own saltwater show tank in the store. She chose to create a nano reef, and much to

everyone’s surprise, Tasia’s first tank has turned out to be a beautiful, yet unique nano reef that has left onlookers scratching their heads. The question now is, “How did a saltwater beginner succeed in making such a wonder in

Enter our photo contest to win a MACNA 2012 full conference pass! See page 8 for details.

Scolymia australis

Cyphastrea sp.

tapetum, or Maxi-mini Carpet Anemone. With a maximum size of about 5 inches and the ability to be target fed, this too is a stand out choice for the nano-sized aquarium. These diminutive gems were virtually nonexistent in the hobby a few years ago. Luckily for the aquarium community, they are now available from quality retailers on a regular basis and can be found in stunning color forms. Neither of these inhabitants would be considered unusual to find in a nano. However, what most nano tank owners would never dare try is to mix such species with SPS (Small Polyped Stony) corals in a nano aquarium, but that is exactly what Tasia did. Much to everyone’s surprise, the SPS are doing well. In fact, one might say they are

Acropora efflorescens

thriving. So what SPS does she have? First, there is a tiny piece of Acropora efflorescens, or Efflo, from a mother colony which had been growing poorly in a full-sized reef tank. In Tasia’s nano, however, it is simply radiant. The color has changed from brown to purple and green, and the base is showing healthy growth after only 5 weeks. Right across from the Efflo stand two other SPS corals: a small cut piece, or frag, of neon-green Seriatopora and a similarly sized frag of ORA Red Planet, which is another member of the Acropora genus. In most cases, Acropora and Seriatopora do not do well in tanks of this size and usually require large amounts of water movement and intense lighting. But mysteriously, they are growing well in this nano. Tasia’s selection of additional corals adds to the feel of a much larger reef.

nano tanks

■

Fish

Kenya Tree (Capnella sp.)

Redeye Gobies (Bryaninops natans)

chalice (Echinophyllia sp.)

chromis (Chromis viridis)

■

Invertebrates

clove polyps (Clavularia sp.)

acans (Acanthastrea sp.)

zoas (Zoanthus sp.)

Meteor Shower (Cyphastrea ocellina)

Blue-striped Cave Gobies (Trimma tevegae)

mushrooms (Actinodiscus sp.)

Efflo (Acropora efflorescens)

Rainford’s Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi)

ORA Red Planet (Acropora sp.)

Hi Fin Red Banded Goby

Seriatopora sp.

(Stonogobiops nematodes)

Banggai cardinals (Pterapogon kauderni)

Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)

feather dusters (Sabellidae)

rics (Ricordea sp.)

clam (Tridacna maxima)

disc coral (Fungia sp.)

Pom Pom Crab (Lybia tessellata)

Micromussa sp.

Blood Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)

yellow polyps

yellow sea cucumber

Goniopora sp.

orange starfish

Altogether, the corals make for one beautiful slice of ocean. But what would a reef be without some active inhabitants? Here again, Tasia was careful to listen to the advice of more experienced reefers in her selections. But at the same time she has been willing to try housing more than most might consider prudent. The effect is visually stunning, but the extra work in keeping the water clean may not be something the average aquarist can duplicate. Very few folks have a small nano reef with 13 fish. The truth is, several of these fish are juveniles and will ultimately outgrow this

Tasia’s nano

Fungia sp.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, California, October 20-21. (reefapaloozashow.org)

Redeye Goby (Bryaninops natans)

Blue-striped Cave Goby (Trimma tevegae)

environment. But since this tank is in a commercial fish store, it is not such a problem. If one were to try this at home, catching and returning fish after 3 months might not be so easy. Most impressive amongst the group of fishes are the Redeye Gobies. They hang out in a school of three, and with a maximum adult size under an inch, they are the perfect nano inhabitants. There is also a pair of Blue-striped Cave Gobies, a Rainford’s Goby, a Hi Fin Red Banded Goby, two diminutive juvenile Banggai cardinals (bred and raised in the author’s own aquarium), and some chromis. To keep this small community of fish company, there is a Pom Pom Crab, Blood Shrimp, yellow sea cucumber, maxima clam, and an orange starfish. Who would believe a 9 gallon aquarium could sustain such a large diversity of corals and critters? What’s her secret? The equipment used in making this piece of art and biological wonder could not be simpler: an Aqua Illumination Nano LED and the included Eheim filter, no powerhead, no external filter, nothing else. The filter moves enough water to keep oxygen levels up, but not so much as to disturb the sand. The LED fixture provides adequate light with virtually no heat and is hooked up to a controller which provides nearly endless variation in lighting color and intensity. The controller simulates eight light periods per day with 14 hours of total illumination and a peak illumination span of 5.5 hours. This peak is limited slightly with the LED array burning 80% power on the white LEDs, 100% power on the blues, and 100% on the royal blues. Of course, all the technology in the world won’t make a tank thrive without the care of a loving aquarist to keep life healthy and fruitful.

Enter our photo contest to win a MACNA 2012 full conference pass! See page 8 for details.

Hi Fin Red Banded Goby (Stonogobiops nematodes)

Rainfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi)

Clavularia sp.

nano tanks

Tridacnid clam

Fungia sp.

Tasia says it takes 20 minutes a day to upkeep her nano. The maintenance includes all the basics: cleaning the glass, checking the salinity, and weekly water changes. In addition, Tasia changes the media type in the filter on a weekly basis. She rotates between Seachem SeaGel, Seachem Matrix Carbon, and a Poly-Filter pad from Poly-Bio-Marine, Inc. She uses reef water from the store’s reef system for her weekly water changes which average about 2 gallons. For the real truth on how much effort is involved, I asked her co-workers how much time they thought Tasia was spending on the nano. According to some folks, she is absolutely obsessed with her tank and spends upwards of 45 minutes a day touching, wiping, adjusting, checking, and testing her creation. Obviously, there is no substitute for being able to attend to the tank 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. With no automated top-off to maintain a stable salinity, the fact that someone is there daily to add some clean freshwater cannot be underestimated. Feeding is equally important in a tank so heavily stocked. But rather than dumping in one kind of food once or twice daily, this reef is fed tiny amounts of many different kinds of food all day long. The damsels can have a couple of mysis and the zoas get some RotiRich plankton, all because the food and free time to feed are readily available in a store dedicated to keeping aquaria. What it all adds up to is a tall order for the average aquarist to mimic if they ever hope to recreate such a gem in their home or office. The tank stays a chilly 72 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which is considerably lower than most reefers consider optimal, and everyone seems to like it just fine. Perhaps the cool temperature helps lower the metabolic rate of the inhabitants which minimizes the waste they create and the amount of food they need. Or perhaps the overall levels of dissolved oxygen are increased and

that helps keep everyone healthier. Maybe algae growth is inhibited by the cooler conditions. Certainly the temperature in the tank is a couple degrees less than the 77 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit average temperature found in the waters from which many of the inhabitants originate. The truth is, all we can say for sure is that this tank is unlike most other nano aquariums yet is still doing well. Can you keep a nano filled with an incredible diversity of hard and soft corals and plenty of fish? Perhaps you can, but you should be prepared to spend plenty of time learning everything you can about the creatures you hope to keep and the work that will be involved in maintaining a healthy environment for them. And stocking a tank to this level should only be done very carefully. Even if you don’t have the time to create and maintain such a marvelous reef yourself, you can always stop by Greenwich Aquaria and enjoy Tasia’s special nano in person.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, California, October 20-21. (reefapaloozashow.org)

Captive breeding

Initial Successes Cohabitating Holacanthus Angels Part 2 of a 2 part series

Matt pedersen

chose the word cohabitating to use in this articleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title because at this point, all three Holacanthus pairs that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve formed consist of sexually immature fi sh. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pleased to say that this was not nearly the stressful endeavor I thought it would be. Three attempts with three initial successes are defi nitely worth sharing. While I focused my efforts initially on the Rock Beauty, I wound up augmenting the 92 gallon display tank with a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank in the basement and a planned 55 gallon intermediate sump. This will ultimately allow the 300 gallon to be run as a saltwater pond, with the actual 92 gallon display being another satellite tank in the larger system. This reconfi guration gave me a very affordable, large space to play. Because of this space, I felt more comfortable adding the Queen Angelfi sh pair to my project, knowing that if they became too large or aggressive for the upstairs Caribbean reef tank display, they could be moved to the 300 gallon pond below!

enter our photo contest to win a Macna 2012 full conference pass! see page 8 for details.

Sourcing Fish

As a breeder, you have to find a retailer who is willing to meet specific requests for sizes and quantities, and with the Holacanthus project, that was particularly important. Living in the frozen tundra that is Duluth, Minnesota, I had no choice but to use two vendors that weren’t local to source my fish. The upside to this is that I had good relationships with both and knew I could get exactly what I needed. Getting fish direct also shortened the chain of custody dramatically. Ultimately, I acquired five Rock Beauties and two Queen Angelfish, suffering one Rock Beauty casualty that was dead-on-arrival.

Acclimation and Quarantine

Every angelfish was initially housed separately. The Rock Beauties ranged in size from under 2" to just over 3". Despite their short journeys, they still proved to be somewhat fussy fish, though nowhere near as challenging as the Foureye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus), another species I’m working with. The Rock Beauties typically shunned food for the first day or two and then started picking at frozen foods such as mysis, brine shrimp, Nutramar Ova, and Rod’s Food. Within a week or two, all were eating Spectrum Thera A pellet foods, and these days they take anything I offer. I had far better luck with the two Queen Angelfish I received, again having a good size difference coming in at just under 2" and 3.5". Both were feeding on frozen food within 24 hours, and pellet acceptance came pretty quickly.

The Theory Behind Cohabitation

I should remind you that all marine angelfish are believed to be protogynous hermaphrodites, starting life as females, with only the largest and most dominant transforming into males. As with other sequential hermaphrodites, the general trick to creating pairs is simply finding two young fish of fairly disparate sizes. If you’re trying to create a trio or a harem (in a species that will naturally exist that way), you simply find multiple smaller fish and one larger fish. You can often simply place these fish together with a good chance of success.

A single Rock Beauty, still in quarantine.

The fish were treated with Prazi-Pro to deworm them, and during their time in the QT system, an outbreak of Cryptocaryonosis (Marine Ich) occurred. This was treated with Cupramine following the manufacturer’s instructions with regular testing of copper levels to ensure a full treatment. Only two of the Rock Beauties ever showed symptoms, and all fish tolerated the treatment well. Angelfish expert John Coppolino makes a really good point that quarantine is for more than just disease prevention. Holacanthus Angelfish are, in John’s experience, the most aggressive genus. Allowing fish to settle into captivity and build up healthy reserves makes them better prepared to handle any initial abuse they experience during the cohabitation process.

The theory that drives this tactic is based on the notion that fish don’t really want to fight. Fighting has many risks (and as we know, in the marine world, that risk is often death to the loser). If we choose young fish, we stand a good chance that none are sexually mature yet. We choose fish with a wide size difference to form pairs because the size difference eliminates the need for each fish to question which role it will play. Basically, we stack the deck. We ensure that the larger fish is secure in its social dominance because the other fish is too small to be a viable threat; as a result, it doesn’t overly exert itself in harassing or bullying the smaller fish of the same species. Conversely, we ensure the smaller fish has no aspirations or hope of actually becoming the dominant fish, and thus, it has no reason to fight and will instantly behave submissively, which further appeases the large fish we’ve placed in the dominant social standing. In the angelfish world, this can often work out remarkably well. While there is certainly some aggression, it is largely bluff, and it serves to reinforce the social hierarchy as the fish mature. The end result is generally a compatible male and female pair, trio, or harem.

captive breeding

An acrylic cube system provided a good space for quarantine and initial conditioning and allowed the fish to visually interact without any risk of physical harm.

Putting Theory into Practice – The First Pairing

Hindsight makes me chuckle because I realize now that I completely over-engineered the entire process of pairing up juvenile Holacanthus. Before physical introductions were made, the four Rock Beauties were placed in an acrylic “cube” section. In this setting, fish can see each other but are unable to interact. My ultimate goal was to continue the “look but don’t touch” interactions in a larger setting, so an egg crate divider was created to partition a 16 gallon black, round tub into four equal parts, later dubbed the angelfish condo. Each partition had a terra cotta flowerpot for shelter, and one partition was also loaded with sections of larger diameter PVC fittings. The tub itself is one of several tubs on a central filtration system. The angelfish condo is made of egg crate dividers placed into a 16 gallon muck bucket, initially designed to allow for visual interaction without physical conflict.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2012 in Dallas, Texas, September 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)

I had four Rock Beauties on hand for two reasons; I had hoped to possibly create a trio (one male, two females), and for many reasons, I’ve learned that having “spare fish” is often required in breeding. I knew I wouldn’t have much trouble finding a home for any ungrouped fish. Once my angelfish condo was assembled, I started adding the Rock Beauties. Almost immediately, I realized that something wasn’t right because there were empty partitions! While the divider was a tight fit in a dry tub, once filled with water, the tub’s bottom sagged, creating a gap underneath each egg crate wall. All four Rock Beauties were slipping underneath the divider, and all were fighting. The fighting wasn’t serious, but the smallest one in the group was being chased by all the others and couldn’t find any place to call its own. I attempted to fix this problem by placing slices of blue filter pad underneath the dividers to fill the gaps, and this worked overnight. But later the following morning, once again, the intrepid angels had found a way to get into each other’s partitions.

The gaps were filled with blue bonded filter pad, but in the end, the fish still found a way around the barriers.

Ultimately I removed the smallest and second largest Rock Beauties and placed them back in adjacent acrylic cubes. I removed the blue pads from the angelfish condo and watched. The remaining two Rock Beauties seemed to figure it out. The largest one was clearly dominant; if it entered the partition where the smaller one was hanging out, the smaller one had three distinct options for retreat if bullied. The smaller one would often show submissive behavior, clamping its dorsal and anal fins and changing posture in the water, not unlike how a male clownfish appeases a larger female. So it turned out that this angelfish condo did work to create a compatible Holacanthus pair in only 15 gallons of water. There

The angelfish condo in action.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, California, October 20-21. (reefapaloozashow.org)

was never even a split fin on the smaller Rock Beauty, and both fish would enter the same partition at feeding time and consume pellets side-by-side. The fish resided like this for many weeks, but only two days before they were planned to be moved to the main display tank, the smaller fish jumped. Yes, it cleared several inches of plastic rim and wound up on the floor.

The Second Pairing

After the heartbreak of losing a pair to an accidental suicide, I looked at the three remaining Rock Beauties and wondered what to do with them. Do I try to create a trio? Do I risk placing another Rock Beauty in the condo where it might jump? Eventually, I opted to take the other two Rock Beauties and just place them directly into the display tank rather than risk another jump from the open top condo. It was a pleasant surprise to see the two fish briefly interact in the 92 gallon, the smallest one immediately going into submissive behavior. After that, the two Rock Beauties proved almost inseparable, simply roaming the tank together, almost never more than a foot apart. Was it really that easy? Did I really over-think the whole angelfish condo scenario? Could it really be as simple as housing a potential pair in a divided, but visible, setting for a few weeks and then placing them into the main tank at the same time?

This is a hard reminder of why covers are important; the desiccated remains of the female from the first pairing of Rock Beauties.

The Third Pairing - The Queens

During this time, I still had my potential pair of Queen Angelfish on hand, also residing in adjacent acrylic cubes. I had tried an experiment when they arrived, drip acclimating them in the same bucket. I had learned years earlier that with Centropyge argi, we could introduce them to each other even in a half-gallon specimen cup and they would either immediately start fighting or would barely react. I observed hardcore aggression between two similarly sized Centropyge bicolor juveniles when I attempted to pair them up, so I thought that I might have a similar immediate feedback with the Queens. Indeed, the Queens were surprisingly well behaved when they first met in a 5 gallon bucket – while there was definite aggression, it wasn’t as extreme as I knew it could have been. So the real question was whether the Queens could be introduced to the main display as I had done with the second Rock Beauty pair.

The second pairing of Rock Beauties went well.

The Answer Is Yes

The two Queen Angelfish were introduced to the 92 gallon display and largely behaved just like the two Rock Beauties. The only difference I’ve noticed is that they are not as chummy with each other as the Rock Beauties – the larger Queen is more vigorous when chasing the smaller one, but still this is only infrequent. I was even more surprised that the Queens and Rock Beauties basically ignore each other. It really is just that easy – keeping two Holacanthus of dissimilar sizes in a situation that allows visual interaction for the weeks prior to physical introduction seems to result in easy cohabitation.

Gauging the aggressiveness of a future pair of Queen Angelfish juveniles by allowing them to interact during drip acclimation.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2012 in Dallas, Texas, September 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)

Initial Success

So it’s come to pass that I have not one, but two juvenile pairs of Floridian Holacanthus Angelfishes all cohabitating in a 92 gallon corner aquarium and a straggler Rock Beauty still in the basement. I don’t know if this arrangement will work in the long term. I could find that once the fish hit sexual maturity, their aggression levels increase and the males will no longer tolerate the females in such a small space. On the flipside, the cohabitation as juveniles might habituate the fish to each other, and having settled all their differences when young, the adults might grow into very peaceful, mature pairs.

Closing Caveats

The smaller juvenile Queen Angelfish.

The larger juvenile Queen Angelfish.

For anyone wishing to recreate these pairings, realize that this is still only three successes out of three attempts. I could come to find that I try this three more times and they’re utter failures. Pairing required having fish of solidly disparate sizes (size differences of 1 inch or more), and it required having many tanks to house the fish singly if needed. I would not recommend simply buying two Holacanthus of disparate sizes and introducing them directly to a display tank either. Quarantine is essential too – as I write this now, despite quarantining all the fish, I am still dealing with a new outbreak of Cryptocaryon in the main display (so clearly, I screwed up along the way and am now paying the price). The bottom line is that I certainly do not recommend this project as a beginner’s endeavor – I would leave the attempted cohabitation of Holacanthus to aquarists with the experience and the resources to deal with a project that could quickly become problematic or an outright failure. That said, we very much need to revisit species that have fallen out of mainstream popularity, and we need to continue to reexamine the conventional wisdom about cohabitation of our marine fish. Only then can we start working on the real challenge of breeding a new marine species at home. Perhaps sometime in the future, there will be a “Part 3” to append to this “2 part series.” References: -http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fishstats/commercial-fisheries/marinelife-tropical-ornamentals/ -http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fishstats/commercial-fisheries/landingsin-florida/ -http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/8/fish -http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/holacanthus/ciliaris.htm -http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/holacanthus/tricolor.htm -http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1668368 – in a SPS tank -http://www.masna.org/Blog/tabid/430/EntryId/18/Increasing-Yellow-TangAbundance-in-West-Hawai-i-and-Resolution-130s-Relationship-with-theData.aspx -Straughan, Robert P. L. “The Salt-Water Aquarium In the Home”. 4th edition, revised. 1976, A.S. Barnes and Company, Inc. Page 212, 313 -Endoh, Kiyoshi. “Angelifshes of the World”. 2007, Ricordea Publishing. -Fenner, Robert M. “The Conscientious Marine Aquarist”. 2nd edition, revised. 2008, T.F.H. Publications, Inc.

Pairs of Holacanthus tricolor, H. ciliaris, and even the Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus), in a recently established 92 gallon Caribbean biotope reef tank.

captive breeding

MaintenanCe

Mucking about with Mindy: the Detritus wars

Mindy van leur image by darryl vanacker

healthy reef tank relies on thorough and consistent maintenance. Good maintenance practices help keep algae at bay by preventing nutrient buildup. Low nutrients translate to a healthy, colorful, happy reef! In order to accomplish this effi ciently, we want to export organics before they have the time to break down and dissolve into nutrients. In this article, I will discuss a number of important aspects of my maintenance regimen that will help you keep your reef tank pristine, including cleaning powerheads and pumps, siphoning detritus buildup, changing media and resins, and of course, doing water changes! mechaNical FilTraTioN Mechanical fi ltration is a great way to remove organic particles before they break down, but we have to keep these fi lters clean. otherwise, the trapped organics will break down and add to the nutrient load of the tank. Many have heard the term “nitrate factory.” A nitrate factory is any media that traps organics and allows them to be processed into nitrate via nitrifying bacteria in the system water itself. Since controlling nitrate is one of the keys to a successful reef tank, we want to prevent organics from being biologically processed by removing the physical organics from the system right off the bat. Filter socks and fi lter pads are two of the most commonly used forms of mechanical fi ltration in reef tanks. Water exiting the display will fl ow through the socks or pads as it enters the sump; this is the fi rst stage of mechanical fi ltration. Socks or pads in the water

path before the protein skimmer will remove the largest organic particles, making less work for the protein skimmer. Socks and pads should be changed out at least one to two times per week; otherwise, they will become nitrate factories. Remember, the point is to remove the particles before they break down. Filter socks are great because they are so easy to clean. You simply turn them inside out, give them a quick rinse, and toss them in the washing machine with some bleach (do not use commercial soaps or detergents to wash fi lter pads or socks). You can then air dry them or put them in the dryer. If you buy a few socks, you can rotate clean ones in while others are being washed and dried. Filter pads are usually cut to size. Look for machine washable pads so you can reuse them! Changing these pads out one to two times per week makes for a lot of waste so the reusable, machine washable types obviously have economic and environmental advantages. Filter socks and fi lter pads often have a micron rating listed on them which is the size of particle that can be trapped. A 100 micron sock will let particles less than 100 microns through the sock, but particles over 100 microns will be trapped. 100-200 micron is typical, but 50 micron is also available. The lower the micron rating, the quicker they will clog up, so some experimenting may be required to fi nd the most suitable sock or pad for your tank’s needs. Most reef tanks also employ a protein skimmer, another form of mechanical fi ltration. When a protein skimmer creates air bubbles, organic compounds in the water get stuck to the surface of the bubbles and are carried up into the collection cup where the bubbles collapse and the organic sludge concentrates. A protein skimmer is the most powerful piece of fi ltration equipment you can use, so hopefully you have a good quality skimmer in your tank. To make the most of any protein skimmer, you should empty the collection cup at least twice per week. When you get a buildup of gunk in the neck of the skimmer, the skimmer’s effi ciency becomes

enter our photo contest to win a Macna 2012 full conference pass! see page 8 for details.

compromised. The skimmer body also needs to be cleaned regularly (usually once per month is suffi cient). While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at it, clean the skimmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pump(s) at the same time!

WaTer movemeNT Powerheads are important in reef tanks, and one of their most important jobs is to provide fl ow around the tank to keep detritus from settling. If you can keep detritus suspended, it will overfl ow into the sump where it can be fi ltered out with your mechanical fi ltration. If you notice areas in the tank where detritus often

filter socks polish the water by trapping detritus and waste from fish. left too long without being cleaned, they can cause nitrate issues.

settles, try to adjust your powerheads to correct this. It is imperative that powerheads are kept clean so that their fl ow is not restricted. Cleaning of pumps and powerheads is best achieved by an overnight soak in undiluted, plain white vinegar. This will remove all the calcium deposits with minimal scrubbing. Muriatic acid is also offered at some reef stores which is a stronger acid than vinegar. Muriatic acid works quicker and more thoroughly, but care must be taken as it can burn you. Powerheads should be cleaned whenever they start getting any buildup on them (at least once every 2-3 months). Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d recommend cleaning your return pump just as frequently.

this protein skimmer is ready for a cleaning. note the brown film in the neck of the collection cup.

this powerhead badly needs cleaning. algal growth has severely impeded pump efficiency and flow volume.

MaintenanCe

to penetrate through the water to the corals. Carbon also plays an important role in adsorbing toxins released by corals due to allelopathy. Just like GFo, carbon can be placed in a media bag in a high fl ow area of the sump or used in a reactor and should be fl ushed or shaken once a week. Carbon and GFo can be used at the same time, although you should not replace them both at the same time. It can be a little tricky to fi gure out when to change your carbon as there is no real test. Some signals you should look for would include a slight yellowing of the water and corals showing signs of allelopathy.

GFo/Gac There are a myriad of granular resins, binders, and adsorbents/ absorbents on the market these days that are quite useful! Granular ferric oxide (GFo) is a commonly used material that helps bind phosphate for removal from the reef. GFo is used in a media bag or preferably in a reactor where it is more effective. once a week, the GFo should be fl ushed either by shaking the media bag or opening the valve on the reactor to dislodge any detritus and rearrange the GFo to eliminate any tunneling. You will learn when the GFo needs to be replaced by watching the fi lm of diatom algae on the front glass of the tank. When the fi lm starts growing back faster, it’s time to change your GFo media. You can also use test kits to watch for a rise in phosphate.

allelopaThy aND physical WarFare

a reactor with granular ferric oxide (gfO) in it dramatically reduces the phosphate level in the water column.

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is another media commonly used in reef tanks. Carbon does a great job of removing compounds that yellow the water so clarity is increased; this allows more light

Allelopathy is chemical warfare between corals and is a serious offense in a reef tank! GAC will help by adsorbing a great deal of these toxins. Some corals will release toxins into the water column which will irritate neighboring corals while some corals will physically “reach out” the curly white mesenterial filaments protrudfrom this brain coral (trachyphyllia sp.) are a to sting adjacent tank ing good example of an allelopathic response. mates. Some corals that are known to be highly allelopathic include many soft corals and gorgonians (including Green Star Polyps, Briarium sp.). Many algae and algae-like nuisances are also allelopathic. LPS corals and Acropora will try to reach out and sting their neighbors. Corals from the Euphyllia genus as well as many brain corals are also well known for their aggressive actions and will produce mesenterial fi laments or offensive sweeper tentacles that can measure 12 inches or more in length! These sweeper tentacles will try to sting anything they touch, but can also be extended as a response to feeding. With LPS corals, these fi laments can also look like little, white, curly cues on the corals’ tissue surfaces which make it look like the coral is spewing its guts. The mesenterial fi laments of Acropora corals are much more conservative, normally measuring only an inch or two at most, but still capable of causing great damage! Allelopathy can be a defense mechanism when one coral irritates another, triggering an allelopathic response. However, allelopathy can also be offensive, as some corals are just plain aggressive. If you see any of these signs, you should replace the carbon in your tank and watch for improvement.

WaTer chaNGes I think a lot of people underestimate the power of good water change practices. Water changes are not as simple as removing some saltwater and adding some new saltwater. Let’s start with the water source. In my opinion, all reef tanks should start with Ro/dI (reverse osmosis de-ionized) water with zero TdS (Total dissolved Solids). Without Ro/dI water, you could be adding all sorts of nasty things to your reef, including nitrate, phosphate, and ammonia! Before you add your salt mix to the Ro/dI water, roll your

don’t miss rHM sponsored Macna 2012 in dallas, texas, september 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)

Begin your water change by correcting the salinity in the system if needed; don’t try to offset high system salinity with a low salinity water change. Add your salt mix to the Ro/dI water (don’t add the water on top of the dry salt – it’s not the same) and allow the water time to mix thoroughly. You can then test and adjust any parameters in the newly mixed saltwater before you use it for a water change. Make sure you closely match temperature and salinity before use as well; don’t just assume that they will be the same. All of this ensures a more stable environment in your reef tank.

and is generally dirty, you may need to look at re-stocking some of the appropriate animals that may have declined over time. Cerith snails, for example, are true detrivores and can really help to keep your sand bed clean. Shallower sand beds will not sustain enough fauna to keep themselves clean, so you can use a gravel vacuum to gently siphon detritus and loose algae off the surface and the top 1/2" of the sand bed. If you have a very shallow sand bed of 1/2" or less, you can clean it thoroughly by pushing the vacuum down into it. do not shove the vacuum down into sand that is deeper than 1/2" as deeper sand will have anaerobic areas. Vacuuming anaerobic areas will cause them to go aerobic, killing the bacteria and possibly causing a spike in ammonia. The trick to vacuuming sand is to pinch the hose when the sand gets up too high in the gravel vacuum tube which will allow the sand to settle back to the bottom. Coarse sand is much easier to vacuum than sugar-fi ne sand. After you clean up the sand bed, use the siphon hose (with vacuum removed) to siphon out any nuisance algae you see. Next, take a look at the overfl ow box and the sump, and siphon out any detritus that has settled there as well. If your sump is at ground level, you can use a turkey baster to remove the detritus that accumulates there.

saND beD maiNTeNaNce

TesTiNG

If you have a deep sand bed (dSB) that is well stocked and properly maintained, you should not disturb it, and it should stay quite clean on its own. If you have a dSB that collects detritus

After performing a water change, it is a good idea to again check “the big three” with a set of good quality test kits and adjust as needed. With test kits, you get what you pay for, with cheap kits

bucket of salt around on the fl oor to mix the salt well before using it. When you add your salt mix to the water, you should let it mix for 24 hours with a powerhead and a heater to be sure that all the particles are well dissolved, the pH has risen and stabilized, and the temperature matches that of the display tank. For reef tanks, pay attention to “the big three” parameters: calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. Small Polyped Stony (SPS) coral keepers may also be interested in supplementing potassium. Many salt mixes on the market are lacking in one or more of these important parameters, and I would suggest that you test every new bucket of salt on the fi rst batch of saltwater you make from it.

don’t miss rHM sponsored reef-a-palooza in costa Mesa, california, October 20-21. (reefapaloozashow.org)

often being less accurate. occasional testing for phosphate and nitrate are also a good idea so you can monitor the cleanliness of your tank. I like to use a swing arm hydrometer for day to day salinity testing (it is cheaper to replace a dropped and broken hydrometer than refractometer!), but there is no substitute for a good quality refractometer for hydrometer calibration. I have several hydrometers of different brands and they are all inaccurate from 0.003 to 0.009 which is quite signifi cant! With a refractometer, you can mark the correct readings on the hydrometer. don’t forget that refractometers need to be calibrated as well. There are several different brands of calibration solution that cost only a few dollars. digital TdS meters for the Ro/dI system also need to be calibrated occasionally, and there are calibration solutions for these as well, although I have had good results calibrating TdS meters with distilled water. I don’t like pH test kits or dip strips and much prefer to use a digital pH meter if there is a need to test pH. of course, pH meters also have their own set of calibration solutions. PH meters are most accurate if calibrated per manufacturer’s instructions with two solutions: pH 7.0 and pH 10.0. I like to calibrate all these various measuring devices at least once every 3 months. You may have noticed, reading through this article, that I mention detritus often. detritus is that powdery gray/brown colored stuff that collects in sumps, overfl ows, and in areas of the tank where there is less circulation. detritus is, for the most part, an accumulation of organic waste solids. In a reef tank, we want to remove as many organics as possible to prevent the buildup of nutrients. Supplement good reef “housekeeping” practices with accurate testing and dosing, and you will have a cleaner, healthier, more colorful reef tank in no time! Happy reefi ng!

detritus left in the sump will dissolve into the water column and increase dissolved nutrients. this should be siphoned out regularly.

these beneficial tubeworms are often found in areas where detritus accumulates.

MaintenanCe

coral science

The Global Coral Repository: Cryogenic Coral Preservation Justin Credabel Images by Dr. Craig Downs

s all of us in the marine aquarium hobby are aware, our oceans and the animals in them are facing various downward pressures due to human activity. We have seen the warning signs: reduced coral cover, increased bleaching events, and less fish. Over the last two decades, we have even seen a 90-95% reduction in abundance in Acropora palmata, formerly the Caribbean’s most dominant reef building coral at depths from 1 to 5 meters. There are areas of Caribbean reef now known as “Zombie Reefs.” These reefs have some coral, but not in enough density to ensure breeding and larval recruitment. As coral are surrounded by less and less coral, they release less sperm and eggs into the water during mass spawning events. These reefs slowly fade away as coral die and are not replaced by new recruits. In these cases, one way to restore the reef to a healthy and productive ecosystem is through direct intervention by humans. The technology developed by Dr. Craig Downs of the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory allows him to take tiny biopsies of coral tissue (called explants) from a healthy colony and cryogenically freeze them. Later, the tissue can be thawed and then grown into a full coral colony. One colony can easily generate thousands of explants, which in turn can be grown into full colonies and later returned to the reefs. Along with successfully cryogenically freezing and thawing coral tissue, the process also preserves the symbiotic zooxanthellae. Making sure each coral has the proper zooxanthellate symbionts is a fundamental issue in regards to restoration efforts. As we know, the relationship between the coral and its algal symbionts is critical to its survival, and depending on

A dental laser is used to ablate off the tissue from the coral skeleton one polyp at a time.

which clades (genetic strains) of zooxanthellae the coral contains, the coral may be more prone to bleaching or grow at different rates. This has important implications for reef restoration. Which coral and zooxanthellae combinations are native to a given area and how these combinations perform under specific environmental conditions (i.e. tolerance to bleaching in high temperatures) are critical information. The Global Coral Repository (TGCR) is a partnership between Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, the Zoological Society of London, and the University of Oxford, and it will be opening regional repositories with local partners in coral reef hot spots around the world. Each regional repository will work with local stakeholders to develop a plan for cryopreservation, determine stresses to the coral reefs in the area, and develop a restoration strategy for the area. Samples of coral for a given area will be held at each local repository while two more sets are sent to comprehensive global repositories in Virginia at Haereticus Environmental Laboratory and the United Kingdom at the University of Oxford. If a catastrophe happens at any of the local repositories or at one of the comprehensive global repositories, samples can be redistributed from the stock in the remaining two repositories. TGCR will eventually have hundreds of local and regional repositories that will each hold cryogenic samples of coral for that particular area.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2012 in Dallas, Texas, September 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)

The threats facing coral are manyfold. Rising ocean temperatures and a decrease in marine pH (due to carbon dioxide dissolving in the ocean and creating carbonic acid) are examples of large scale global effects. But what is happening around a coral reef locally is often what is critical in tipping the scale in either direction, towards healthy productive reefs or just a lump of algae covered rocks. Local impacts include siltation from on-shore development, excess nutrients from farm runoff, heavy metals and industrial pollutants from mining operations, and in some areas, even harvesting of live coral to make cement to build houses. Local fishing practices have huge implications on the health of the reef. Bombing and dynamiting are still used as fishing methods around reefs, and the overfishing of top predators, including shark and grouper, have been shown to throw the reef environment off balance, leading to less coral growth and fish abundance. Each region’s problems will be different in terms of how to best ensure coral reef health, which often goes hand in hand with the health and well being of local stakeholders. Another exciting feature of TGCR and the work carried out by its partners is the genetic analysis of each coral species and genotype. This will allow the development of DNA fingerprinting that will aid in determining geographic area of origin and species identification, and it may possibly help reclassify species based on new genetic data. This will also help on the law enforcement side where, with a simple test, law enforcement agents can determine if certain corals are allowed to be sold. Current methods to positively indentify coral species require examination of skeletal features. Unfortunately, this requires that the coral be dead. This new test will lead to a much more efficient, less time consuming process that won’t require the destruction of living coral.

Palythoa explants with red, yellow and green fluorescent protein.

Xenia explant day 4, day 8, and day 14.

While it is a daunting challenge, the price we all pay if we can’t succeed in saving our world’s most precious resources is very steep. Coral reefs provide food, protection from natural disasters such as tsunamis and hurricanes, and life saving medications. We all lose if we fail. The more than 5,000 coral species we have now are a true gift, a gift with value that is only now beginning to be fully understood. The website for The Global Coral Repository is www.coralrepository.org. Fungia explant growth through a 6 week period.

coral science

coral

Unsung Treasures from the Deep: A Compendium

of Lesser Seen Corals

here are some corals that for various reasons are rarely seen in the hobby. Many of these have arrived as hitchhikers and been carefully nurtured into full colonies. Over the next several issues, we’ll be taking a look at some of these obscure beauties.

Episode 1: It Could Be a Mesophotic Leptoseris! The coral species from the genus Leptoseris, of the family Agariciidae, are collected sporadically at best. Their usually muted colors keep them from being heavily targeted by collectors, and like many in this family, their true beauty is only revealed at the colony level where their swooping and whorling morphology becomes evident. Even more unlikely would be any collection for this type of coral at depths of greater than 30 meters. This is the area where mesophotic reefs are found and is believed to be the original home for this specimen. Mesophotic corals are light dependent corals that occur between approximately 30 and 150 meters. These ultra low light corals exist in the bottom half of the photic zone and receive only a very small amount of sunlight. This coral came in as a hitchhiker on the side of a polyp rock in a shipment from Indonesia. It was received in late 2011 by Carson Tropical Fish of Hawaiian Gardens, California. The coral generally is brown on top with long striations going from the center of the coral (mouth) to the edge of the coral. This plating coral has a white rim that glows blue under aquarium lighting. The brown area within the white edge turns reddish/magenta when the tank is fed with phytoplankton and some small tentacles sometimes emerge from between the septa. While several hobbyists and marine biologists have guessed that this interesting little coral is a mesophotic Leptoseris, a definitive answer still evades us. For more information on mesophotic reefs, please read “Studying Mesophotic Reefs” in RHM Volume 5, Issue 2, Pg. 28. In the issues to come, we’ll be bringing you more stories of rare corals, and we’d like to encourage you to join us. If you have a coral that you feel is rare or unusual and would like to share it with the world, email us at info@rhmag.com!

Stick with Sprung

Julian Sprung introduced AquaStik™ coralline red epoxy putty to the aquarium hobby more than 15 years ago. Since then aquarists all over the world have bonded with us. Now you can use our stone grey or coralline red epoxies, in 2 or 4 oz sizes. Create amazing aquascapes with AquaStik and our CorAffix™ viscous cyanoacrylate, or attach frags to plugs with our CorAffix gel.

Two Little Fishies Inc. 1007 Park Centre Blvd. Miami Gardens, FL 33169 USA www.twolittlefishies.com

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, California, October 20-21. (reefapaloozashow.org)