f i Aauarium Svstems 1 i

Manufacturer d Instant & x d ~

FREE- r

Volume 12 Winter 1995

W b i i a q u a h ~ hun't h e n anmctcd by the sh~w k u i y of a ~ ~ h o m m n g rmm ont d IO d m ? That's he rcasou why n k w ~ a g o I b @ t m y f i m t & m c n d

F M.Ktepinminddm~it isaf i i m t a n ~ b r a t e ~ a n d t h a i i t c i n ~ a

k'J"" of h u t 25 c m ~ ~ (m), or 10 ~ .Thi iq&wishcmommnmmw.a- ~ h t k M o - M i ~ , w h c m ~ ~

aad a l p - Color mries m brown, ~ h i t q y&wp

w i g hntaaic a n i d s dwn'l nt any qdd * x long a5 yon

cia w d m m pd pickrim T h y n w t Ix in an aquarium with minimal watcr m o m e n t a d many to a i d to s d ~ as d b m c l B . f p p h % w ~ ~ m

~ ' * m ~ d E & h I m ~ ~ ~ ~ a d

-the norm for roosi hob- (he risk afçuc~todieuuoub6001afttheprevious

~~atioatd atHaiians i6 red To evaluate the benefits of the

Millennimaerationfeatureweranawrief ofteststocompareihrratttd andgasewbgcbetween a ba=ck didaotprovideextraaeration andone that did.

In the Gnt trial wiflt freshwater aqw+m, IckDilcal29yllà ¥;! tirr] aquariums were up A tslefilting hood* and MjJIennunnC 2660 f h .

n WM chemically removed fsam =[using cadmium catalyzed hydrogen sulfbe, a sun(bud method for evaluating aerating equipment). The two units were turned on, one with ventun aeration engaged and the other without, rctyina on surface agitation for gas axchange. Graph lconu>are~theretura~)xattirationdoxyi- genexpressedasperceatmutfarionover *ev<eral boar*. It ctear that the aerated tank returned to a aafe level much faster

ium h[W-mwmdw venturiwdwwasopenonthefitteron lanklanddotedonthefittermlank2-Oxygen wasmonitored for this test.

Theo activityintheaquarium*wasthe respiration 2 the fish and the circulation pro- vided by the filler. By the next day, the aerated tank had 95% Assofvwt oxygen J I d a I4 of8.22whitethewo-aeratcd had&2%80 dpHof8.13.Intbeniormtigcach tankwa* fed 2.5 p p m (1 cube) of Formula I frozen fish food. Graph D compares the per cent saturahn ofDOlor the twotanks.Aa cç b e m , the DO remained higher in the & aerated lank. By the second momin with no more feedings, thew parameters &rebounded.

Oathenextday,afterawrylawfeeding, 3 c u b per tank, the in oxygen and pH became even more cri 27' for the tank without venturi aeration. The drop from 99% to 70%, although not acutely life-threatening in thn set- up,certainlyBrowfultotheanimate,asitthe

0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 ~ Time in Hours

The American Aquariti Society is a nation- illy-based, Don-pfofil colpomtion rçublÈh to

I^^Jathcr,e,aiddbscnibialeinformaiioaonih~ moral,ethical,andlegalkswlacingiheaquarium hobby.

Your support M vital to aquarium h interests, both nationally and in your region % Amtncan Aquorut Society bclicwi that aquwristf mud h a w a amngrr voke in decisions (hat afiect both ihf bobbyM's y u n u andjimtic lik.

Federal ai we I u M M ~ It ation must be

lowered causedbyabuild-upofcarbon<tiox- ide.Sai^rtciulumacobuinedwhenaenuion was witched offm Tank l and on in Tank 2.

Thià trialclearly demonstrate* dx p- rialforJifethreaiiauognri~*inhtadyloadedor overfed aquarium MI withsome means tp aerate water ES ouoidc- air. HobbyoiamutttakethercMKMuibffityu>cniure that the mix of ipmcnt maafled m their aquarium*roeeuiheneed*danil-provide*a ~ ~ t h ~ ~ A

Ñl

uarium water. T h e r e k d carbon dioxide iaput t~f ishtodeep,~nl ikemanmiah,a~ - expOtcd 10 high carbon dioxide will breathe dowerandsloweruntilitomina.

Excesscarbondioxideals6causesadrop it^ ~ I I I OMIC W ~ T . or- w w - the but in a crowded aquarium u can have another effect. Meat nitrifying bacteria do not wit well to low pH. Ifthe pHdrops low enough, below 7.8 m marine *was, (hoc hac- ~eria will stop functioning. The result is a

&$PVf ammoniaaadpoaaArnitrite-Ins&- aquariurothaiarcwdl-buficredthismay

notbetoocriricalunulthebuflerBexhausted. T h e vioouf cycle &uc; when a -1st rtalhaa that &pH is low and rio to correct ihc

.Thisleadstoa

m,mmh h e a r n i n g acute wen. Thischamofeventscanofcount be

a d b v - p - *- *up^wpmeni. designing the illenni aquarium filter, an externalpower~filter,theneedformaa- iinizing w r a h was taken mto account. In addition to incorporating a water ducharge chutethatcreamripplesacfonthesuriaceto

aenuiofit an integral venturi wit : d w o u a t e a i r d k i n M c u d d i r c c d y into the water. For mailer

(be oily (OUTCC of Gloadon. On larger tank; and ~ q ~ t b q m ~ u d a a supplemental filters providing mechanical, chemical activated carbon), and aome of the w L S i n c e d o x - f i u x w - a i becoming the norm for most bobbyias, ibe risk dftrcsi to theanimalsfromd (he previously

~~k~ To evaluate (he bentfits of tfat

MiBniniaerationfeanircwersulaiwics ofiesctocomparetheraicsof and gat exchange bwvten a back= (fidnotprowkextrawsahnandonethat AL

In the Erst trial with freshwater aqw@ms, Y c n M @I I+) aquanm were setup *fitting hood* and Milteunium* &O@ filter*.

was chemically removed Ssm %(using cadmium catalyzed hydrogen sdfite, a standard method for evaluating aerating quipOTWM). The two unit* were turned on, one with ventun' aeration engaged and the other without, relying ott wrfact agitatkm for gaa exchange. Graph compare*thereturntouturatxxiofoxy-

seve idaipercenttatumion01 h o w It a dear that the aerated tank returned to a çaf level much faner

hat fS4iwtw WansusSus) waà placed in each aquar- iuro. Theventurivalvewasopenan the Gkeron unkiandcioÈcdoothcfiltçroa(ank2.0xy8 was monitored far this (ex.

Theonlyactivityindieaquarium*wasAc iraikui of the foh and the d m pro- by the ~lier. B~ the nexi day, the aerated

)Mikhad95%dB3olwd 0 4 d8.22 while ihi J l a n k kri 92%g and pH of 8.13. In tb( mornim; each lank was fed 2.5 gram (1 cube) of Formula I frozen MI food.GraphIIcoflipares(hepercentsaiunoon ofDOhthetwolanhs.Ascanbe~een,theDO remainedhigherinihcvtutairiaeratedlimitBy the second umning, with no more reedincs, Acse p a r a i n e i ~ ~ s had rebounded.

lhe next day, alter a very large 3cubesperlank,the u i o x y g e n ~ d p became even IIKXC

tote afar the tank without veuturi a d n . The drop from 89% to 70%,

The American Aquaria Society is A nation- +bated, -profit coiporah eilsbliihed to

oqpmk, and dincniinaic information on ihc -rn4ethical, and legal iwuct facing the aquarium

hobby. Your tupport k vital w aquarium hobb ' I

inicrcm, boih nationally and in your region. The American Aquarist Society believes that aquarim must haw a ~rongcr voice in deckikini that affect boththehobbyia'i \mnanda~iaticliTt.

f-& as X W X *ale legis7nhn mwt h

monitored and influenced if we hope tocontinue to enjoy our hobby. A hued and united effort, in an mtaUahd and recognized manner, M (he only cor' rect and eBecdve mesas ddnting unth govennueni legHlauon.

Annual monbcnhi duel are S2U fat individ- e f x u a a ~ d addrex). Fy %!'if,E2ZL8m: 4-

Society, Inc., Box 100,3901 Hawh Blvd., Sheffield, AL 35660, Phone: 205 386-7687, Rw: 205 386-7615. A

lowered caiaedbyawdciubotidiox- ii-aJ" route were obtained when a& WM twitched off in Tank l and on in Tank 2

This trial dcariy dcinoiulratci the poten- lid for life threatening*ue~inheavily loadedor ddaqmbmsm ¥ns with some means to aerate water wi . ouuide air. Hobbyiasmustlaketheropoiuibibtyuct~ire (hatthemixof uinuaUed0ntheir aquariums m e e t s y needs of and provides a siicifrficeoivuxKunaufor(herpeu. A

At die reef aquarium hobby has evolved over(belastlwoskcades,xvdinethoAhave beenusedtornajnuuiicalciumhdshmarinc &aquariums. One method ha* been to makc rqnilar wattr exchanges with sea. water made fromacalciumenrichedteasaltmchasRctf Crystab*. Marry hobbyisti have opted lor another mihod, using calcium çipplcmcn to main& a high calcium level in the range of 4fl0 to 450parti per million (ppm). Two producu arc commonly u d lor this purpose, calcium hydroxide hi the form ofk&+tvw sad calcium dhloride. Each has it*tupporte , although (he ass ofauthor;favor~beuseofkaDcwauer

as pan of the &@'evaporation replace- menu-.

Oneofthfftheorieswhycalciumhydroxide might produce better restilts than caldum c h b ndc ha> been lhat ihc big^ pH and high calcium in a samraicd calchun hydtavdc d u h n cuue pre+aim of phoqitial'e Enoirn the ftedi water, dimmating thia algae fertilizer from wlutKm. How this effect n achieved has not been

develop at the point where the in, and tht> material could contain phosphate. However, by (hi? linw iht phmp& n already in (he tank and wobabiv win le l t l t out on sand and rock sitria& whe& i t might be ulilixed benthic algae. Other aiggcswiM have been that phofphatekleft in ibcMdimcMin thekaUcwR er mixing bucket. This sounds plausible, and we deaded10tcsiihehypothaii-

We mixed two 1 liter baicfie* of dutiBed water with phofphatc sod. solution to a mccn- tmbn ofapproximately t.Ornilligriinispcrlilcr (me/)) pbotphaie. We then dissolved 1.5 grams (gm) calcium hydroxide into one batch and allowed both batches to A. Wexynpkd bodi rohirinntdaffy for~lcwedc.Graph 1 Aows the resuh*ofthesetetti.Aicmbe*een,tfaeyhw' phate level dropped less than 50% in 2 liays. Ii took 5 day* (a remove 90% d die phwphaie. ThaaudytMtifinnedtwo(aiticraudioAo* averydowdropinpboffihwinkaH(waÈcr Ttroairkdkwanerkmadeupawlwed

pumpdintodietank. Asideieueitwht todotnththeicdiment

\ Flowm

c ftlphon Intake tube easily adjust* to

I -

--:A7<

' <

- Mechanichem" filtration cartridge combines mechanical a d chernl- cal flHration. As water passes through the filter, the fabric traps solid waste particles. Because of the revolutionary new baffle sys- tem design, water makes contact with more activated carbon. Thà results are cleaner, clearer aquar- lum water -a healthier aquarhirti for all its inhabitants.

Ill 1

fi

'4 Bitted on t h ~ c test*, it appears itmt ualy

lirniitd mnoval or phwphate occurs in kalk- waaer that b mixed and wed witbib 2 dap If the we of calcium hydroxide is in fact superior lo h e use of calcium chloride, e- other reason r n W k & 3 & d d & r

Aquarium Systems Manufacturer of Instant Ocearft A

L i v e d w a s a k e y c o i ~ p e r x a i t o f miniature reef ' i m ~ when thcy came taw & h h a L % k d h - m yeni later. It did IW take long fhr etmnHunemal

wuidbethenexttarget. In 1992 the State of Florida impwd a

landingbanforrockharvestedhnfederal waters- Ttwban took& in March 1993 but wasquicUychallengedincourta*notbang

Mexicoancf'ihetipperAtlanticregion*were dosedwuDdSascfy.

Aquactdiurehm- man alternative munx oflive rocfc. ,1991 the Florida Department d Natural Rocwoea hottedaworkshoponliverod;(iquacuitwe.

Several group) are c rimenting with uariurn (crown live rock.There are i r v d

& t a p m III! mthd. FW rany licclucs or permits are required. Pests such as bristle worms, pale anemones (Aifiasw i/>.), and mnnted&pcanbeavoided.Thereisnothreat of heft or itonn ION, and boating msia and

cfuaed by weather are eliminaud E L .Finally, Don is not critical. Culture can be

placed anywhere, near the prime market, near an airpott.~~yourbadcyard.

Disadvimw include greatly reduced d w . Only orgaoisim (faa~ have b u n seeded andreproduceinthesystemwillgrow.The~~~~ dsctting up the operation and roaipiainiii~ wder

b q u a l i t y and, in panicular tern ralure, can be enormous. To ovetcwie limited volume and high cute, sonic companies arc planning to fell retaflorpoÈaMvwhoieÈaleinabcalareasolh

- Volume 12 Spring 1995

Of aE the d s inhabitants, now can match(hebeautyandnrjcityofibcangtifchct.

didcolonandgracefuldi I I ~ *r by u=g

hotograpkn and marine a u a h alike. In Lswe are i d y h w m to h e by ihex beautiful MI, Howewr,

bttiuty does n&i come without a price. Some or these jijtb can be difficult lo reed, xgoinaiw lowgrd their tfinloTialia, and ~~~icumb qudy to disease. Therefore, it k im t for h e potential angelliih owner to knowlomhing about their biology, behavior, and cute requiitmciw so that they are Td, equipped 10 render appropriate cart n thu article wewill(bciixonmtdthemost exquisite group*ofangeffistwa.the~ * ( ~ ! i ~ ~ ( . à ˆ à ‡ i < A - t à ˆ i

ten medium saed spcdts, the h g m t of which auainiatoiall~of25cciitimelcn(crn)or 10 inches. All o r t k species occur in (he eastern Indianandw~tcrnPacificOctans,rangingfrom xnithcrn Japan 10 miem and wiheawcrn Australia. Several apwie?, for example the

01995 Aquarium fiyxiemx, lnc., Mentor, OH - Printed h USA.

f i northern Q icemlaad 10 tbe central coast ofNew South Wakt, where it can be bund on coa^ree&andontheinnerbarrierrec£Inth mm Knuthcin pan or iu , a d u l ~ are ~ l i c i h c i b i o v d o n ~ h e ~ n e t i c h i k Juvcnflts are found in harbor*, often uiider <tt>a thai have d u a e mwth on the o h m d uitcr 1993). L&c otk"menibcr$ of Alb &us this

4) 1 loo waa heaicr 5) 2 Hoot long, 40 watt Triton b u h with

end cam 6) 1 Hoot long, 40 wan Blue Moon bulb with

t

Tooadyspac^aadthatatknvswatertocirculate it.~fit^eproteiinalwjomersioçacho

e b a d corners. I operate- dm-Çkimmcr with Ac flow adjusuncm optft Q the-highea flow. Aj (his level the skimmers product; a profusion of ffl iaBafrtifi&btRh'~Aefctttwhtawecte of operation I keep the air valves open alt the way and direct (he extra bubbles along (he bad; ofdie rock pile. After the tank is docked with corab 1 remove the bottom deflector from each skimmer BO that any excess bubble* risc up the outside of the dcbnmer tube. 1 believe this; essra. aeration h beneficial to the syswm. 1 haw had no problems with the extra air in any of the synenu 1 am running.

The Man-Jet power head is used to create aflowacmaihcfrontorthrcanli- Idonotfixthe powerheadmanyoneposnioii,btcatuc

a m d cream dil~crem current pmtemi.l have found that by fuming the'power head

s? dyeachtimeIot>*(Tveihetank,Icancreate ermt flow pattenu that keep detritus from

theUv<rodo.Ihaveobwmdpolyps on the debris from these mhit-slonns, I t

. . . ,

T h e lights arc on 14 hours a day, I have found &at each t y k goes through à definiic series of bloom During the first month you can expect dwnuuelanktoturnbrown.'1'lu*bcmniUimni Lmadç& ofdiilornS.ThiÈ1 when the40

carnibcirkeep.Durinetbnphase the prolcm skimmer

I w a s t e m a t e r i a l a watery ordear,sinqrfyinoçc(bedinuiierfugbc in the tank by sliding the suction cups up. only maintenance necz-1 lor these sImnmAa ia a simple vinegar bath, if the amount of bubb$@ produced sans to decrease. When the out& slowsdown weremove the~owmheadandnflt i~ in a pint orwhite vinegar lor to IS ~ f t e r a ~ ~ ~ t i m e we rinse it k f t e a a o d

tank1 amevenmoreamazedat thenumber of animal* that survive and rcprodHce in each of

55 gaUon iyncm~ contain wvr 100 specie* <£ orgaainru. msett ing manymorc<?f@p ilb, bolli b c r e a t t h i ~ m d a t à § l l à § & MUlhem Idaho. I am certain that witfa these umple mums my snidenu can, caadBue to produce lank raised live rock here in Idaho. A

[re@ coats are elimiiiated. The SeaPhix group (formerly Eco-Activity lice~iaees) is ping this routs. According to oh11 Walch, (hey haw facilities in Arizona, kdiaJia, and Tennessee, with more ptsiuwl. Live rock vffl be sold stony wilh mber invenebram and fish cnlmrcd in ifat

iem. Utilizing greenhouses, Dkk Perrh's Tropicorium outside Detroit has been producing a cultured tufa rock along with cultured hard and softcorab.Healsosellsretailandwholesale.

iAroy H& of Geothermal A awdnire Research Fo-undation in Boise, Idaho i s e.tperimcnting w3h live rock culture wteois uoKang locally availaldc aragonite and ancient coral rocks. He hopes to keep costs down by luting advantage of the locally abundiuii p i b d ene 10 hea* hk w n u . He also zkbast rockto oiher operatiam on a

N M J ~ G A scale production of live rock, wea? m n ~ ~ b + tht -, An artificial reef is created cing base rock on a site on the oceau bottom. T h e rock h colonized by organKm?andrhcnfe colkctedaltds^d-The ranch sites must be barren sand without any hard boitm organ'- and the rock must be marked in sww: way. Either a pemianet~t mart te placed on each rock or geologically difettnt, non- indigenous rocks are used. Ocean mchirtg requires extreme patience in dealing wilh i ia~e and federal agencies, Thcfe are subsianual up- f- it ¥"+ f,, **- <ha =l*~lfiAal -f= ti?!t,'L-c a r m

high because [he rock piles are a i h e mercy of Mother Nature. The rocks could beswept nvay by a o m s or buried by sand. Boats, divers, and holdingladtitiesareaboiwessary.Abigplusfor ocean cultured rock will be the exemption to hjffwsa &d rod; lhai has coral growing on it.

federal sites will h v f t be 10 MI% from &re and in deeper waters. This distal~ce kresws boththetxxteandt faenÈfesofethe Theptenu~ IS.~~akssse,onlya+tobuild an artificial reef. Once the rocks are on the sea flow they arc owned by the fedefal nunent Aalongafwildharvestiattiflccd,a permitted rflck collector could legally take Irani an aquaculture site. However, after the federal fsbery is. closed only ihe pemtit bolder willbeallowedtoharvestSmrockfromhi&&.

An aquacdturc fcase similar to oyster and sbcUfishleasoisnecessaryfwliverockculturein

m e watem The process m obtain such a lease &about 2 years. After all required w a n d permits from locat, state, and federal agencies are &&tad, die ka^e must be approved by the stale cabinet and governor. Advantages are that the reefs can be constructed closer to shore, which makes them easier to manage, and (hat die devdoper of the ske owns the rock. Poaching is not ;u Ukdy as in federal m e n since rock harvesting in state water; has been illegal since 1 9 . A bigplus for state leasetwidere willbe (he exemption 10 permit harvest of deposited rock chat has corals

o t & Â ¥ : c ~ m e to apply for the quicker-tc-obiain Federal ptriniu. In the

sand that is so typical or this area, they create an oasis of Me. Hermit crabs, snaib, urchk, and other life forms crawl over the rock whale millions 0fMvenfcfid)takeupresidenceinAenookaad cranniaThereefeflJiKaionasnurseriesteeause of the low ~ro f i l e a! the rode piles, generally tinder 2 kt high- Unlike tradirional artificial re& that attract adult fish for easy capture by

fishermen, t h e f(atcryouflgfishand the whole food chain, thua enhancing the fisheries in the area.

usaone afterbdngplaced,rockshave with coral buttottt rowing on hen o b s e r v e d

some of them amid tunicam, p i p , algae, bivalves, hryozoarQ, and nirfalgaz. Every site wiU provide a different &of encrutiing organisms. eseaich d u e s on which material B hast for

baÈerock,aswdwatwhatdepththem shouldbeplacedorevenatwhichdmeofyear.

With the diversity of Acs, depths, and bass' materials that LS now posribb", the f u ~ ~ r c For (h<\ live rock fidwry is far from bleat;, Between ~aok cultured specialty pieces and ocean d u r e d rack the reef aquarium hobby may actually flourish withoutthcstigmaofrapingthereefe. A

. , r : ^

ill

 Volume 12 Summer 1995 U Aauarium Systems

Hydraulic Cement for

WheaI~mtbqaoto~tuprccftah,I repeatedly encountered the ~ i n e problem - UBaableiwA~onnaiiotB.Tltowdmnrocbjusi never seeit to fit together wdl enough to farm aKriidbofc.Onelittlebumpandthewalkwould come tui'nhli down. Then, dcoiinc, I would neverbeablelo& them upexactly hesame way again.Aftersulfering& dSaxtrootrock slide), 1 bcgw to experiment with various mthodf"guarantccdl" toambilii lllc &.The first was to add extra rocks for more contact points. Big mhafce! Thb did not iiabiiiu the structure much, but Ad creale a number of areal wilb no water flow that qindd became exa.Â¥Ikn ^> detritiif dumpi. I then tried drilling small hole* in the rock and wing cable lia and

buttherocbcapewuitillwob .Theninan articleintheSpring1993~ 3 SeaScopcby Edward. J. Bronh&,Jr. I read about Thorite.

nioritc~ooua component,cement based, polymer modif 3+ m o m . When mixed properly i t b viable, naturally alkaline, and contains no heavy mttak, wit, or tan. It does contain a trace funouni olsilica in ihc form of crysidine quartz, but the low level is not a problem in thc m a l l amounts used in an a arium. I t is nun-toxic Ãn strong, even 111 w a r . Aim it is fast mting. with iniiial cure in 15 to 20 minutes and final tc.t in 20 lo 30 ininurn at 70' F. The curing lime can be modified by varying ihe temperature of the waxer. Odd WMCT will increase the curing time,

r ng more time to work with the Thorite. arm waiw will decrease the Hirx" until inltia)

à ˆ ~ occurs, useful if you are applying it in a vertical or upside down position. A word of caution: never mix more Thorite then can be used in 1010 12minutes-Thoritegetshard aud a-"" E to fracture ifit is; bumped or moved

wellisset.

TriggcrCah occur in all tropical w a r n asd most ii^ociatc with r d v or coral reefs. Somc

Aquarim art always search for a fbh that is not only beautiful, but ? ardy and interesting to watch. Many of the for~y specie* that make up the family Baliiridu;, commonly known as uixj~crfish, possess these dctibk characterislics, although most of them should wt be kept with - Gdior h- A w m V k - wad cart requirements of these e x m o d n a r y ddl foSows.

and have eye; (hat arc poddoned far brck on the icad. Havi the eye* Car rrom the mmuh C T t h a t A e y dnmbedanugedbyduup- q h e d prey ittdu like çe u r d i i . 'These fob maily swim by wulling with the soft anal and ionsd ftru (dm b known a* balutifann mode), mtheywillusetheirtdfinifaHiddenbumof

ià required. The common name lor the is &rived from the second dorsal, or

ind erect the first dorsal inc. The only way to brcibly remove (he fish is to depress the "wig~cr" spine, which cauto the rm dorsal to unlock.

speck of trifgcerfuh ark itxuaII riiniorphic and/or dichrornarii. For exam&, in many specie* the males arc larger than the females. Male orange-lined tngacriiih (BaUstapvs &kt) lack wan lines on top of the menu bill females have them. Some iriggerfiih art harcmic, with kmaJrn (fcfci a part of a male's larger territory. In rnosi AÃ o these species male* visit the remalei at dusk to spawn. T h e eggs are fenitued and dcposi~cd in a dcprcoioii in the sand. T l q ure p i ~ c c t d and fanned by both parents or jmt the &mak for about a day. The cm are then blown out of ibc nest and into the water column where hq enter the plankton.

S u C h a s l h c ~ t r i g g e r C s h , the eggs are planktonic and

are dispersed well above the ocean floor. Some rfah, such as (he bridled triggerhi, Jnmitss. have spawned in \argy public

aquariums, but the majority or es require m m - l b m h ~ ~ w ~ home aquarium.

Maa (ritgcrfiarc carnivorousand prefer bivalves,cr&, sea was, and urchins. Triggers aresolitaryatrispendtheirtimedene tothered,

01995 Aquarium Systems, Inc., Mentor. OH - l'rintcd in U.SA

-fam{wef hunting for food sad defending their tcmitorin,. There are several species, however, that form pup* and feed in the water cotunui. Thcgc du& mmlbm of p n u &I-> M q f and Oibaas, At lem one member of the gcnw MtBeiniyi feed* pdominantly on

p l " ' l n U f r i l l . T k M * ~ M r m t i ofmacroalgac and lah feces of their preference for zooplantaon; member'? of

andCyomycanbehepiin a reef aquarium wffl not hum, itttile

tpecic~, such iu he ~ i c a ~ o inggerfidi, that are omnivores and consume to&& aroounif dbenlhic algae. To maintain colorand health, triggers should be fed a varied dici offredi or frozen clams, krill, urchini, nori (available in oriental grocery m), and ipimch that has beenfrozenorscanned, h i sha tofeedicvcral

10iJporooiudiiTJu^otitdieifayiMtcadofon

arongpw and i c c h Tht~tuittngyrfuhfBaiistafwwdviato)hosttTtputol ion>fengoivyasmw~xjwk- trusted with smaller fish and should always be the last fish added to any cornmu~~i~y lank. T h e aquaristihouldbewwwthaiagp6onismow pronounced in any trigger if ii is kept in a small aquarium.

- -- ,on= aquarisu w31 find it annoying (hat

uiegcrTish like to or even break up srnÈriun>l)ttor.lii"r^35*il-t,lç wkxatcfood.ThetilMtrigger@ÈÈ&H^w bite and break up coral to t at clam3 The Uoc-lined (FfaswA"^Flin mi move large piccu of nibbk with us mouth in oittcrbuncoverteaurchins-Theorange-

on its side and d

expcce- prey. Althwgh ibcac bebxviott u*uà lt don't

arc dEPvhbcedw to break. 1 find theie Mmviora are fiucinuingmobtwcandcomidcribero ~ ~ B ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - ~ Y o u ~ ~ ~ w T o ~ T o u T urn decor,

EE 3 drv p- of WtiGcdar JSa.

Whenbt~(r0ducCdtotheaquarium same triggerfidi may be quite shy wd ought hide whenever you approach. IT they are nM dim& it usually doe* not take long before mou. of them become bold aquarium idlabha.

called hydraulic jettine- they blow water out of

the d c c of [he water, not the bottom of the

ar urn. Instead of blowing warn at die irate they qil it at the water's surface.

Although interesting, thu behavior can came severeprobtemtifthetopoflh<aquariumnncrt t d l y covered or you have electrical outlets oewr tbeiaak.

of (be genie S&mm and the genus '~haiaa~fw can be kept with oilier feh as juvenile*, but they larger. lendlObecomemore-astheypi The kw

member* of t roinily belong TO the genera MfStMys, OdaMtf, andAantteAlftrs, buteventhoeipedescannot be

^Ñ The occmreoce of head and lateral line e m h (HLLE) is a common problem with certain reef Cçh particularly tan€ lurgconfiab. We experienced an epidemic among ow blue tang (Atw(kitnis (wndpo) populahnix years ago in our 25,000 gafloB wet exhibit here at the Indianapolii Zoo- Aqua- OdMT fucRBonfiih were aflected, but angcHishm(heextihawwnot

Waterquality wudismissedsaaJitdy m-Goodwaterqualitywa~

a combination d u*e of land f i l t e r s , - , a saJtwatermixed periodicwaterexchangeswith ~rotantOceangseasnlt. Wedoaot~~activatedcarbon. Normalnilrate

vitaminA,andabohiuotherfeature(hat make it acceptable. It bokb very welt in the aquarium. any fish ~kc%~oweretteiwfaea

lettuce dkt wilb Jma broccoli, the HLLB

onlyafewsean mastwmrdyaflhaedlab. year* in the exhibit, i ~ ~ * t of d b tang?areAillaKve.

emeaiedwithpaandother danuoatef die diet. No HLLE

3KÂ

uedtwoplastic1ouncelint p - r w * productsad<a~forwa~r. lounceicoopa (if Tltorite and l oance of water make enotud)

f t isbesttouwThoriteto~ct your redbefore the aquarium has water in it. In an tMabtiihedtankyoucandniinthe~anktoa just-thewwhere youare* Onceyouhzveselectedtbt roclafor the base layer, remove my=rial iach uipooi~*,dime,or*fminTheareutbM vnQbecementedsadrimevrithaIJtdeftud) ~~er.Placetherodt3intlietaidEinthedesired

andforcethemortarintothe w h e r e i b e r o c i a m e e t w a i n t o i h e

itzaedap~fdlheroctaarebonded.Youcan malfewcriaOioiBauwfflttbuttknn(i.Rdlla

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a Aquarium Systems \ Manufacturer of Instant Ocean*

One of the most frequent problems I run into in the pel buxinos is trying to provide the benpossibleenvironmentfor theanimal*inmy care while trying to nay within iny budget. I'm sure this diianma ia a common one among hobbyisoaswell.Thai itwhy iwatmosdiodio nad about Dr. Jean Jauberl's methods (or a natural filtration system 1993). About thessaae-aiiho-ofSeaScopcwai pub&hcd,Iwaslittbcplan smgafora520 @on reefsystem in the *where I work. The awcm conflsts donc 220 gallon aquarium and

n aqnatium sharine a common ting for [be 300 gallon lank consuls

=m-m~-w&*ald I w o 7 5 w a t t actinic03bulbs.Thelightingforthe

220 gallon tank was three 75 watt aclinic white bulb* and one 75 wan actinic 03 bulb. Circulation for both tasks w a 6mm a H bonepower Spapump.

AfterreadingihtSeaScopearticleonTorn Frakts'iv*nttotheMonacoAquarium,mybens and I decided chn type of filtration was 'ust what we:- withdfewn~~lificaticun.Anermucli discussion we decided to start with itaodard umttergravel filter plates to create the neccteary aotau"dwdeadwaterarea.Thcwwanecowed irilh a roxiiiiatdy MX inches or#5 gmdr m r a l . I I within our bu@t, w uwd dead coral base rock in combination with live rocktob<rildourrcerstruclurrs.wtakodecided m add a prwrin skirnrncr 10 hdp m m organic vraste u well K to help keep tlw dissolved oxygen Icvd at mturatiotL The inioal afthc syucm was done using Inaani Ocean* Wa salt and tap water.

The first set oftests, done approximttly twowdBafterthe firstanimalswereadded,was better than I expected. Calcium levels were a h 4W part) p<-r iiiillion (ppni), altalinity at 3.5 millicquivalcnts per liter (meq/1), and ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate all ai undctcctabic k b . At the dme ofthis writing the system has bfn operating for dcveo motilk and I have yct to have any measurable ammonia or nitrite. While this may not mrn unusual, you must consider (he (act thai this qstcm ism a retail state where the a n i d load vwivs greatly from week to week, Nitraw lev& varied during the ^ firn three 10 four months, ruing w high as 40 ppm. I attribute this to the fact lhat "live" (and was not iced. After the fourth month the nitme lew!MandhassiabifiwdatleÈ&tha IOppm. Calcium levels remained aabic at apprcutimaidy

Volume 12 Fall 1995

=Sra*n-Polyp- Coral Reef Aquarium

When I find entered the mC keeping hobby several years ago I olien wondered why the stony cor. wlwx dead skeletons arc fomelimes available in many aquarium s h p were not offered lor sale ai Living specimens. Recently, however, many r c e f a q u a h in h e U.S. have been introducing living mall-polyp m y (SPS) corals into their reef aquarium*. [n SOmC C- ~ ~ s L S CO*

their h F - u o i Y ~ i p e t d ( g e m Euphitiq Tml&i&i, h @ m , comb. 1 haw personally been keeping the SPS corals for almost three years now and would l&c tordatcwhathaswurfcedwelllorntc,~welliu

rt the current methods of other hobbyii X are h a k e e p i n g ihcsc intcmaing and bcadul

the SF'S corals, Am@, which include* the flaghorn corals. The vast majority dSPS r o d arc [bund in the Indopaciik. Indeed, moil genera are found there exchi+. The -lure and high grnwih nm of S= malee them irue builders of he coral r e e f Individual branches of some Acropora species can grow a* much as Icentimclcr (about 0.4 inches) per month! Average calcium carbonate' depmiiian on a square meter of coral reef is about9 pounds per year, with heavily populated shallow areal gaining over 20 pounds per year. The branched skeletal wliucturc of many genera of SPS corals creates a large surface area for coralline algae to cwrwit once the coral animal (lies.Thei.orallil~cdppwfll frombranch to branch of ihc dead co T' HUM, cementing neighboring colmicç and dinnately forming ihc

? ~artrd knobby backbone of the natural reef. ou may have seen these siruclurts oflcrcd lor

<ale as IndopadTic live rock. -- Keepmg SPS owls in closed captive

requires a di&@ nxxfified metho* from keeping lqmn specimci~. Whereas (he lagoola corab have adapted to mrbid warn, SPS corals are found primarily oii the ( b r e d where water is clear and light penetration is ai a indxiinum. Therefore, ~IIIMMC lighting B the hey,

canhnaed on page 01995 Aquariunr Systcim, Inc., Mentor, OH - Printed in U.SA.

^nutrient hamimportant to many ffUtPinwtcbraiCT~ekcep*bmareespecially

.fAponam for the topg tenn well-bring dSPS ?oralà The fbrcifcfhinextremely bw nuirient jicvcbcooipantd whh (ho*e roundin W(X>n -Therefy,%+ntremovalbymean*of protein A h g or the UK QF granular

Jean Jaubcn of the Monaco Aquarium which uJuà advantage of hetcrotrophic biological

io control cxcca* nutrients- La*. or the method &, tow nutrient levelsartpanKulariyunponanihacaptiveSFS reef aquarium became the heme lighting required can result in pbkinalic algae growth.

wi-- SnoUpolypstonycoralsare acciotomed

10 www wawr movement because hey are nonnaUytoundon(he-Wawcredion t h e w f m m , c a u s i z q t u h d ~ d m q c i n die reef below. This water motion hinp nutrient* and washes wait= {rain the i f lde to t l l tbn i f i .~he%<cnb~ large quantity of mucus which, if BOL writhed ¥way call A t e the animal. The arategic med-powrbead*,dumpbuckco,andother

nick essential oirreiu-produanf ia an FS cord reef Hrufeineot* aquarium, ~t in- ID note h i as SPS corals grow, or additionalSPScorabairadded~odielank,die effedivt water inaAiB'fc L'CuklCCu& Th^^woity cwssi anunali create a natural breakwafl in ihe aquarium jutt u tbcydo MI the natural reef. In myqmhrnIhaveisodi f icdmywater m o v e m e n t d w k i o thepointwhereJam canwttydng three -Jet 1000powtr heads and a Tunze TuibcUe 2002 in caiqunctieffl wdh the nain drcuhuioti pump. A

calcium chloride lor an occasional boot.

5% iodine dution. Sirondurn if dosed a t the rate of 0.2 milliliters per gallon week, and LwiTiu~.02mgillimpmE^lper~ Alternauwfy I have en oflhcafl-m-ooc tupplcnwn~ used in many succeaful SPS aquanuml havewen.Strontiumandndinefor

to be essential in the long-

A '

m y SPS corals grow so quickly that byist) break off pieces and attach ihero to 11 pieces of live rod;. This f

t--hdmm= the aquarium or for trade with other hobbyists. Many of the SPS coral* can be induced to

part hermaphrodites, -ing single colonici can produce both and sperm. m i h c o d x ~ h n i l a i c single sax, meaning that both male dmiumustbepresentfix-sexual

sb. ore t?i"wdeit that expel larvae monthly. After

huebeentucccssfullykeepingandpropagating ihw coph for years.) At present, the use <rf" Btiemelighting,combinedwithefficientprotein

Gi a bigb m & h n 0rmk && The mix of marine We h a t scttIcd onto the ancient

hdkm ha, a q t for s h & * wniealgar- d on &e mrhx of most d&e mmmonly

aquarium unless the subm~te iwU d i d w e d . - d a w & m b e m - ~~ h m the wmr ror usein m m t m ~ g tKu &urn arbona~ &cletom Only if this

kmx it has the ability m tie up r a d o n sites on the protein mdecde where enzymes can attack o&c materid, making hem l u m a i u l e IM mi3 reachl. Bacterial

is stopped. The W organic m a m k l i s q d h k * m

b e v doting with ka&waiser I've nodced Ã

digh(increasehpH(from#(o8.4duringpcai itevt^lhouni)dinaUtaMruty.rveab(*iKÈtk!e & b i n thecfailyp~flucniadoty.During the summer mawJta then; wag a rniawdp llooin which d d be idx w<iyz tempefuuiet or e x c e ~ nu- m the tap waicr (Patetta 1990). Fhwphau absorbing media and Mega Mtdia* Proicin Rcnaovcrharruxdfortwodayseveryweek

reduce auy exccw nuweoO or metab

haveaproblemwithbrowndialotnalpt. Overdl,Iwouldhavetowthatthiaita

very efficient and cot- mhd of filtration.Inihedcwimwihssincethiswtcrn has been ~a up, the only cfumge* that were made have bcca the Ktditium or (he new)y- availahte 10,000 K metal halide bdba and the monthly addjoom Of strontium aad iodine *u Icmcnts- TbtM were made more out or 1 * C Ã ˆ r n y o b v t o u d c ~ c i . 1 Â ¥ o

w recommend the use of ft reverse osmari~ ~ ~ u t orpurUylogmate-upwaicrandforwaicr

.This is the only chunge in thetysm

wier cbuum, I have made only two Kpatait 30+ waicrchangeswi iha~ystcmmeleven nwnthi, and then- were ma& only to hdp tower the mqmmrc duriugJun>: and July.

Coralline algae growth has been fairly steady, and the few coral* and clams hat have been in ihe fyatcm fa extended period* have shownacadygrowthaswdi.Itthouhlbenoted that u is hard to shew evidence of gro wth in t m d s and claim In thk tyxtem liecame (be hcalduca and nicest specimeiu are soM Eudy soon after EunvaL However, I luve recently set up a 75 gallon symcrn at home and will have some more solid data on this in about six months. If a n m c hu am (mittioal or

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