Volume 6 Â Winter 1989
Clams for @Aquarium
that the heart, Inhalant and exhalant siphons, and the stomach lie near the top of the body, ust below the mqntte. Thi? altow&thestpL ns to be on to " further In- c-tn the surface area. #dam also have light <;encentratingorgans thatfocus light, onto pockets of zooxanlhellae (Achlerkarftp W%). With th^tfr clams, the dlviha,s iMd tot. be mb.%;g iti females am larger, Indicating that they - eh &**teen t& ThZ rvaeproduced,spendu tot0days j:. In the plankton then setti out Into '.-h suitable environments at 9 length of 200 microns The zooxanthellae -me no- "Â¥' tlmablt after 19 to 40 days, but exactly -L how zooxanthellae are Incorporated by tht : dams IB not entirely understood Â¥ . r";rf"1- $mmEtearGhpSsge 2) @la9Aquarium Systems, he., Mentor, Ohio - Printed in U.S.A. twnosa and T. maxima {Achterkamp %87b). Wdacna crooea to the most demanding specie* with respect to II t and water quality requirements, whf ch Marine Fishes helps to explain Its short life span Ing compared to the other species in (Achterkamp 1987b). captivity. - TMdacna maxima is extremely ince these animals love llaht one is to often tempted to lace them cbto the widespread occurrfn from East Africa surface, be warned, however, that they can Pol nesia. This spec? es reaches a length close their shells with some force and can of I5 cm and Its valves are much longer (3times)thantheyarebroa4 bin Itan expel a surprfsi amount of water out of elon appearance their siphons an"s out of the tank! In some ated (Ac% ter la mp cases, they can also trap small, slow mw- 1987bb Trid- maxima has also a large such byssus opening Intermediate in size be- Ing fish, as mandarins, gobies, or tween the other two species. blenniea. Tridacna In the Aquarium Purchasing Thdacna When these The lacement and behavior of these buying clams there are a clams differs among the species. ~rtdac- few things to look for. First check the In- na squamosa lives In hollowed out areas hatant sl hon (the largest one). It should In rock or coral; therefore, it Is best to be ctodrany elam sat has a constandy place them between pieces of rock or open inhalant siphon is not long for this coral. However, these are very strong world (Achterkomp 1987b). Smell it. If It animals and they can easily push these smells bad don't buy it; its dead Take a rt, possibly destroying the good look at the mantle. It should be wl* rocks orful everywhere, without white or clear displaymyt is beat to carve out a Ieee of rock and place them Inside the hole areas. Check also for rips and tears. See (Achteritamp 1987b). Be careful not to how the animal reacts to an external make the hole too small or th will not be able to far enough. AT so, allow some roomforgrowth. Trfdacna crocea Is the only species that actively makes it own burrows through a I should also take this opportunity to rocking, that grinds a Int out that Trtdacna clams are becorn- cuttin movement ng increasin y difficult to obtain due to hole into the sub - strata. This makes them r difficult to collect if the rock cannot be export fictions In the country of origin taken with them. Unless collected very as well as Import restrictions n Europe carefully the byssus land would moat and the U. &, so If you want one of these sura~ybe ciamagmi den the animal beautiful animals you should get one It soon. They are being banned because the removed from Its home and will not live larger varieties are considered food Ion after such injury (Achterkamp and their numbers are 19Ab). TO g~anintn~OU=I~ healthy sources decreasing specimens, buy them only if they come due to overflshlng. It Is not entirety clear whether the aquarium trade has had any attached to their own substrate. affect on THdacna maxima Is rarely completely lasting these populations but Its a lot easier to ban an entire up of submer ed and, therefore, often covered animals than Individual species.^ wllh varfow overgrowt hs. This species can be t direct! onto any substrate. none of the species appreciates a strong current o water, especially T REFERENCES crocea. The II ht Irements of the I. AchUirturnp. A (1W7e).OoopvontKhm@dl: Abtnw three species dfffer inthe degree of inten- inltidlrw. HÇ Zmqwrlum 37 (4M2-U. sity required: Trtdacna cmcea requires the 2 Achterkamp A. (IW7b). Do6fvont*ch*to*n/2: Soon- greatest light Intensity followed by 1 tit.pr.hlnÈ Hot Zcuquirlum 37 (WO5.llS. Ji~~wriiit'Chocolate Surgeon fish, Acdf~ttiurus pyrofcks, niimics the Eibl's Angelfish. -awa An exam of Bateslam mimicry mi hi beà fish w I? ich has evolved with a color test kit pattern to duplicate that of a toxic specie alkalinity that co-exists In the same habitat. The textbook example of the other type of mimic Is seen in the case of the mimic blenny.This s legsclose resemblance to SeaTeP alkalimty test lot is a convenient the beneflclalcleaner wrasse allows It to way to measure the alkalinity or buffer ap roach other flah long enough to take capacity of aquarium watei a IÂof skin or gill tissue and then quickly flee, 4 Often the mimic relationship is not Essential for the diagnosis of low pH in clear cut. Take, for example, the filefish, marine aquariums. Para/uterea prionurus, re rted to be a mimic of the ufferflsr Canthig- - ualenttni, whose ksh to toxic. Wh then has the puffer developed flapof skin on Aquarium Systems Its dorsal and ventral surfaces which A Manufacturer of Instant Ocean@ resemble the aha doraal and pelvic spines of thà flleflah? Scientists term this Man mimicry when both It joins the school for a time, feeding by from the Pacific Ocean are an example. nd the model are distasteful deceit on unsuspecting fish that don't flee Each of these fascinatin fish closely upon the approach of a seemingly benign mimics a different specf es of pygmy e readily apparent as to group of wrasses. Then the school of angelfish. Rare to non-existent Justa few e model and which wrasses move off, the bknny returns to its now they are almost routinely s it is often usefu lair and awaits the passage of another manyatones.ThellÈtofsultabl school of blueheods. for the home aquarium The Indo-PacifIc region is home to the could go on and on. Far home aquariats, locating both the mimlc and the model and watching their subtle differences In the home can be a inating as well as educational past ime.% HEfCMnaa fwattc1AhT)MJWnO.SheddAqmimm, 1963.Nora DÑM-EJIwr SddAqwriiim Society. Ch- Illlnoli. mhk~.~Â¥ndc.caawki~wfthfofw Bffwm. UvlngMDn Pub. Co. WrmÑml Fulmiytuanb. MÇudl,H.U* lÈ79.Qia Butterfly and Angelflshes of the World, Volumes I and I1 ~'hese hi hi acclaimed books are available upffn.The two volumes describe all known species of these popular families with an abundance of Information Including species names and synonyms, localities, habitats, dietary nwds, and data on aquarium care. aforementioned cleaner wrasse mimic, taenlahs, whose model Is the he pful cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimtdfatus. The false cleaner fish ob- Y ioualy causes larger fish much conster- nation when, Father than being cleaned of araaites as they roses a bit of skinexpect, ediess the tolarger w. fishthis nasty little ftsb cannot afford to be too common In any iven locality, or their prey would soon ?earn to flee at the ap preach of any fish resembling a cleaner wrasse. Generally, juvenile and regional color variants, as well as adults, are Included in the 500 plus color photos. the reef. - r C. Steene surveys the haps the foremost mimics are the towards potential attackers in the hopes 66Volume species byun RT around Australia and I"blennies which Im~eraomtewrasses. that the redator will believe It to be the View Guinea. Dr. Gerald R. Allen corn- head of t?.c vicious spotted rno Gym- letes the list In Volume II with species nothorax melegrts. Both of themfish are from the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, readily obtainable through normal sup* Red Sea, and Indo-Pacific regions. ply channels. In addl tion, they are eaay to A ten page reference table summarizes care for, and seemingly co-exlst well even the habitats, care and feeding for which In the confines of small aquaria. data is available. With different animals arriving to this This beautiful, authoritative set Is a country from new collecting sites with valuable reference for anyone interested greater frequen , more mimic species In marine fishes. Published by Aquarium are available tothe home aquarist then Systems, Inc., it is available through your ever before. Three species of mimic tang local pet dea1er.A chmtu, which, In our opinion, are still the mot depmdable and effective treatment method. the Aquarium The SeaTeaT* Cop r Text Kit Is allbratad fer un In tn! 0 to 0.25~m Your flsh are Infected with external range, dlbelow the text range needed rites. You have been told that copper to monitor the chetated oo pen. Further- tthestandard tnutment and that any In- mom, thÃSÇaTç kit wtlfnot read total vertebrates must be removed. Now you copper levels accurate1 for chelate*. must select a copper medication. To many Therefore, the Sei~edbCopper Kit hobbyist and even some dealers, copper should not bà umd to monitor the 3 Is copper. Wrong1 chçtatà roducto lilted above. It 1s onty There are two major forms of copper Intended far me with copper S~IW ~nd being fold to the marine a unrtum nbltrtc add medication*, such as market I k r Indudin the sim- ISSSr.*. ple$ È58 (CUSO~S~~O).and copper solutions, and chlated, indudin mlne complexed coppers and true chehted coppers. Chelated copper ducts were In- troduced because ofthe difficulties of malntalnln therapeutic, Ionic copper Iwls, particularly In aquariums with is not effective In removing most complemd co r pro* ducts. Some of die synthetic Worptlon media, such as Poly-Filter* and massive water exchan e. To be able to effec&ly treat with an Ionic copper, the total copper 1-1 mutt first ba reduced to O.OSppm or less. If some of the complexed r is left In solution, the 0.1; twillnot beÂ¥ffKtIvesincepartofftwillnotbefre Either a synthetic copper nb- 2BS?- should be used, and In a large aquarium It could take several units, or a total water exchange is needed. One 95% excha down to 0.06ppm. TIther method Is easy, but If Ionic cop per Is to be used the oomplexed copper must first be removed, Copper detoxifying compounds, such dolomite or crushed coral filter bed& as C.-Waf, are not useful In this situa- Chelathg compounds attach to the cop- tion since t ey are also primarily corn- per and prevent them from reacting with plexlng or dictating agents. In many cooes tht oubonate substrate. Thus, the cop r they will actually raise the total copper w stay ~nsolution. ~ecamethe level brl Ing copper already on the ~w~~a~**m~~wwgravelback%to aolutJon. ore leu reactive and, therefore, less toxic In conclusion, If one lans to use little closei StBTssT* Copper Ttt Kit. k sure to we ere's something happening at Aquanum Systems. Ifs row, ifs great, ~ngaguux being umi bydifferent corn- the treatment leve will be different it's welting, i%t brand. Often these other products it's different... do not llçthà complexlng agent which But that's all I can tell you right now. can confine the conturner when Oh yeah, I almost forgot - it's going to be here in the Spring. So keep your eyes open. ftltphone: (216) 255-1997"nill-fr~: 1-800-822-1lU System Manufacturer of Inslani Ocean* FREE once each evening;however, males will with several females in one evenino. Flame Angetfish Centropyge lorteulus. action, By the time this water ieechçthe sea, The Salt it Is markedly different In content to the original raindrop that started life somewhere Connection In the clouds. This proce~has been going on wtthout a break since the formation of the earth itsdi. and the seas and oceans can be seen as Thereore twopropertiasofwaterthat areof "reservoirs" Into which all this chemically-rich particular significance to aquae water has continually been draining over the I. It Is, chemically, a wy simp stable years. Some ofit reflu evaporates {leaving compound. It conslsts entlrriy hydrogen dissolved substancesto* be ind) to form clouds and oxygen - nothing more, nothing ks whkh, in turn, produce rain, thus eventually Therefore, pure water Is exactly Ihe same generating yet another supply of dissolved wherever you find It. salts. Thespawning tankis a 125gallonaquarium 2 It Is a "universal solvent". This means The result of all this Is that we have ended x 18 x 20)with a home-madewet-dwfitoa- that virtually any substance you care to up, today, with very salty water whose proper- r- mention,even granite and glass, will slowly ties are such that very few of the organisms but surely dissolve in water. that have evolved to IJve there can survive In ft Is hardly surprising, In view of the above, any other environment. There areexceptions, that pure waiter is next to impossibk to find In such as Trout Salmon, and Eels. whkh can nature. No sooner has It been produced than Eve In both fresh and seawater but, even they, chemicals begin to dissolve In tt. Therefore, need a period of adjustment before they can even a raindropwill contain Its fair shareofdis- leave one type of environment and venhffe solved substances before It reaches the earth. into the other one. Once it gets there, the rate at which k picks up The difference between Freshwater and other substances In solution accelerates even marine environments Is largely due to the lads on one hour before and stay on one further. they contain. In freshwater, these salts pro- after the 4 fool bulbs. This Increase and Aà It bins with other raindrops to form tric- duce a range of conditions,depending on the Ides of water and. later, streams and rivers. It Id ' (~w^iwedonpage'2) continues Its relentle&. Inevitable.dissoMng k on 4) obviousthatbothsexeswerepresentinthe Reproduction In small fivegallon redrculaUng aquarium ays- Flame Angel tern on exhibit at the Waildld Aquarium. After the Sand-Dwelling four months In captivity several anemones spawned, doudjng ihe water a milky white, Sea Anemone necesfltatin an extreme water change. A short time L,small wtittish-opoqm spats appeared within the translucent arms and gostrovaacular cavity of a couple of sea The sand-dwelling asa anemone, rteterac- anwrones. These minute individuals were [ismain. Liveson sandy,shallow, recHlala In apparently phnula larvae that seemed to protected boys or lagoon; In Hawaii. Indtvfd- move çve90 slowly within the adult- After a ualsrelractweUinto sandwhndisturbed, day, these larvae began to accumulate near andareoftenanchoredwiththepedaldiskon the whitish tips of the arms of the adult, and a small rock or shed buried several Inches pop out of the ends of the tentacular arms. below the sand's surface. The column of the Once (reefrom the parent, they began to swim anemone is embedded with gravel, sand, or very slowty within the tank The white larvae muddy sand (Dunn, 198 1). These anemones were less than a sixteenth d an inch long. The have zooxanthellae within their tissues to gain young settled onto various rocks, algae, and energy from sunlight, but also possess sting- sides of the tank. The surviving offspring had ing ceh to capture small planktonic organ- fewer tentacles than the addAccording to isnw Rom 4)ft currents that sweep over the sand flflts. The color of the anemone varies ftoif ^lxtfle-tvoty to translucent, pinkish hues. Many of the young retained a whttlah ap Themnsoftheanemonemayhmagenta pearonce which left doubt that they possess tips. Adults have an oral disk that usually zooxanthefaeIntheirtissues.Somepossible OKMUres from two to three Inches across, scenarios to explain thia appearanceInclude a and bear several hundred tentacles. A d@e flsh spcctea, (he Domino damaeiflsh, DascyttUS albisella. Is known to form loose associations with thts anemone In Hawalk. Aquarists often complain that these anem- VariationsInadultcolorseemtordatetQ Male Flame Angelfish coaxing smaller /em& toward surf ce during spawning rise, head(fitstowidsthebottomoftheaq and In oneshortdsshthe mateandthe simultaneously release oildroptetwhichca Wbk spots in the gaslfwascuiar cavity of the sand-dwelling sea anemone, Heteractis miu, are actually &nula lm.Note conceni/stkms of tawfvsemblfm sand grains. in partteular tips of measuring only .6 anns of the sea anemone, mustbetunredoff ones appear to shrink with time until only a light regime. Anemones kept In a system with very small Individual is left This may be linked low tevels of ambient sunlight (e-g.,shaded In port to lack of light quality (and quantity In ç ,however, this would be the prime conditions, thus making mixed collections poulbte. Establishing the correct S.Q. condition* In an aquarium Is, obviously, vital. This can. In feet, measured by using a Hydrometer. chemicals Involved. For example, we can end Various models am widely available and, des- up with hard alkttllrw water, or soft acid water ptte differences In design, theyare ail relatively (bothwell-knownwtoofconditionstoftuh- easy to use. Qhsahydrometers may require water hobbyists). temperature correction If the water tempera' In marine conditions, the kgeamounts of ture is different from die calibration tempera- was created to present short dissolved subfttanctt gtw sea-water Its MI' ture for the hydrometer. rtldesofinteresttomariix inky.Thiscanvaryfromplacetoplace but the In addition to (heir effect on the specific pica msy Include water chemto usual range extends from between 32 and 37 gravityofwater,saltsaboplayavttalroleinthe n, marictilture, system design Of00mtfntty.Motethesignafterthe37 -it survival of die organisms themselves. avfor andfish health-Articlecon looks kea percentage sign (0/0)but has two If you examine ananalyste of swwoter, you the bottom tine instead of one, will find a long list of substances. The ones -%(Le. 0/00) is means that the figures repre- found In highest concentrations are Sodium sent 'Â¥part per thousand. Therefore, most of (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) which together form the worttfs was contain between 32 and 37 Sodium Chloride (Ma),otherwise known as g~andwillcowtilauthor'srightsto parts of wh r thousand parts of water, Common Sak As you move down the list, you Lsubmitted. 1 awaaing 34.^5/00 can And some rather unusual elements. In- ~nceyou go below or above this, you begin chiding arsenic(!), iodine, tin. aluminium, tomove away from genulne;'normar marine gold, sliver, nickel, weird-looking chemicals conditions. At the lower end, you begin to like prawdyrnlum, thulium, tantalum, samm move Into brackish water, white at the upper hum and many, many others. end, you move Into hypersallne conditions Many are found In minutequantitiesandare &erred to as Pace Elements. Despite their low concentrations, many are essential and has a salinity of between 80 and 280 0/OQ, play a part hi the well-being d marine org- Similar conditions can bà found In other In- anisms. The following elements have been land (landlocked) MM, such as the Dead reported to be essential for at least sonw sea wganlam: H, 0,Cl, Na, S, Mg, Ca, K, C Br, B, Within the marine hobby, salinity is not Sl,Sr,Mn,Mo, N. P.Zn,Cu. FaCo,V,I.F, and usually referred to In parts per thousand. The Ni with TI, Sn. Pb, and As listed as possible. acute used Instead refers to the Specific ' bolÈ was complied Graufly of a particular sample. If we that pure water has a Specific . 0nvlty~3.)~1.000.then11fo~1hu1hd the cither 74 elements has not been demon- more saltawe add to pure water.The "heavier" strated.- ? It will become.nles.Q*figurewin,dearty,rtae. Afd ~lhttlcm.flneMtshouldproviA. NoExcuse Therefore, If we flnd dot a particular sample oil these enenttal elements untfmlydls- hw a S.Q. of 1.022. *la means that it la 1.022 tributed throughoutthebbndtpropertevote. Quarantine Tank - ttrnei"heavier"thanpurewater. Thbrequirespharmaceutical blending The typical excuse for not quarantining Using this scale,most water from open seu technology and stringent quatttycontrol for new flsh Is "I don'thave varies between S.G. 1.0237 and 1.0275. If the raw materials. besides Its too difficult aws are "restricted" in any way, and (par- This helps to explain why, to the uninitiated, aquariums are, admittedly,not attractive, Ucularty) If this Is also linked with low rainfall a high quafty salt mix cots so much more are mtvneededonce In awhile and high temperatures in the surrounding lhanapoundoftablesattlftalsohe4wtofhow region, high levels of evaporation will lead to why table sateila bylst doesn't bother. mom concentrated water. This Is, tn feet, what marinehobbyists'pofatt-?rhhrnme view. There Is a simple solution. The s In the Red Sea, where S.O. values of Thebest advice one can give the new or pro- tank can be a 5 to 20 gaUon aquurium mare normal. apectlvB marine aquarist when It cornea to Mored In the ctoaet until needed. When Fish and other marine organisms evolve In buying nft 1à to go for the highest qwftty needed.JustsetItup,fillwithwaterfrom tune with the conditions that exist in (heir brand he or she can obtain. Altho h higher show tank(this isa good thetomake a natural environment Consequently, Indo- quattty mixes do cost more, pricealone can- water exchange), add a heater (tf n Ractflc fish suffer under Red Sea conditions. not be used çtnc price can be affected by few Inert rocks or clay- pots, and But, since moving "down" the S.G. scale is currency exchange rates, freight cost*, tc., b needed Is a fitter. The simplest Is to à operation than do 4th biologically much simpler which have nothing to qualify. Only sponge/air Hft that has been "going up', it te quite euy to acclimatise Red biwdawltha proven record of superior quality logically active In the back of Sea organisms to IndoAdftc or Caribtwn and suttabUtty for c"1*'"*- 'ç-n"t marine aquarium. If a back flitw or canister, witti foam or floss. Is bring used, thi chemically inert material can be an Inexpensive box filter. Thus, wTM aquarium la set up complete with btotogfcat Nitration to handle the new &men. I have mentioned the use of inert pH & alkalinity booster such as foam or floss, remove tonic copper. If available then active gravel can be used, but A balanced buffer, f---~ulatedto must bediscardedafterthequaranthe period, or Alters con be the increase and maintair 1 in marine The floss foam replaced in main aquarium ready to be u aquariums. or free copper, such as SeaCu Gently raises an haintalns pH in a maintained in the range of 0.15 to 0.2 (rng/L). This Is very easy In the single dose without causing shock, cribed above since uaually one Pre-mixed and easy to use. 0.15 ppm, followed by a half dose the next Es adequate for the 2 week treatment When the 2 to 3 week quarantine I A~~uoriurnSystems pteted and the fish has no symptoms, It ca transferred to the exhibit tank along wtth Manufacturer of Inslant Ocean* Aq- Systems RowMttustmeirt Adjustable volume 1st your special I. c animals maintained in closed aquariums produce toric wastes waves to improve arc dangerous if allowed to accumu- oxygen/carbon dioxide whanoe. el filter is the most com- gical filter- With an under- Most undergravel fitters are powered by enables more accurate maintenance of the mwns of airlifts which, while convenient. pumping capcicttytd the tank site, and pro- are not always efficient. An airlift's flow mole? belter hloflical filtration because volume is directly influenced by the air flow the fikertng organisms can operate more to the airlift tube, and, for a variety of reasons. efficiently under steady flow conditions. pumping &dewy oftendeteriorates drama- However, even with mechanical pumps tically. Airatones become plugged easily, the Row through the filter can deci^eaaewHh airlines become kinked, air pump dia- time. The Fitter bed may become partially phragms and valves fail, etc. As a conse- lockedby accumulating particutatewaste, quence, an airlift Is likely to be pumping or the power head may become dirty. Both below its maximum capacity quite often conditions can eventually result in a con- d ig the life of an aquarium, siderable flow loss. With conventional heads it is 1 ne situation can be [mpro~ed use of met mechanical pumping units. Unlike airiifts, necessary lo be particularly careful because the output of a mechanical undergmvel filter "power head" can be more constant. This (Continued w> oÇ 2) '969 Aquarium Systems, tnc,, Mentor, Q~Q-WnWlin U.S.A. --  &&n Technology positioned at the surface d the water for optimum w/caibon dud& exchange, Worm Infestations Additionally, die innovative, flat dUtchatge InFish .^'; changes !rt the flow volume are not easii port produces broad, surface waves that , obswable. It is copunon to aswunethat further contribute to improved aeration. BKJtame*A.- TYh- thepurnpbalwaysopctatingatniaxtmym Powerhead~shouldbeehbsenwithsuffi- volume, even thoughits output vmy hew dent capacity to product a minimum flow deceasedcoiuldteRtfe~redi^xidAoiw of onehatf-aa]lon per minute for each square is always the result- foot of filter area. In a typical aquarium, a Ing 1- tffldencyw reasonable estimate of the minimum re- accompanied by reduced oxygen/- quired How rate through an undergravel besupplementedwithonedfilesuggested medications. ed directly to thetank. DOS- Also,asmall4ouncefoz) (112a)batchof food could be eaaBy made by making a 3 oz listed with ports per mmlon '15 gl puree of shrimp tails (No heads!) in a units. This la the same as liter (mg/L), although this sLA stocksolutionof medics- Medications: Several medications have been tried with varying results. Praziquarrtel (for example, Droncit) is routinely used orally as a canine and feline dewormer. H has also been used as a bath against mon- ogeneHc trematodes in fish. The dose is II day long. ~wentydrops equals one 250mg/Laddeçonce to the tank and left in L),90 1 250 dKÈpa/2 = 62.5mL for three days. It has been suggested that ately 12.5 teaspoons (tsp.). pfaziquantd in water may make Its way Into to be treated Is eating well, it is thebloodstream acrossthe gills but this has to medicate the food. For large not been proven and does not appear to be ay simply requireslipping a tablet & very efficient way of treating internal n capsule containing the medics- problems. Oral dewomere Include praziquantel, medications often do not piperadne (for example, Pipfuge) and fen- bendazole (for example, Panacur). Again, each la commonly used in veterinarian work. The dosage rate for pradquantd In canines is one half of a 34 milligram (mg) tab@ for dogs under 1Okg and one 34rng tablet for dogs up to 20kg. to 20kg. Such a wide range suggests this treatment la best used on large fish (one kg and larger) to avoid overdosing. In establishing the dos- age, researchers probably did not consider Suggestion for Reef Maintenance As a result of my article (%&ope, Winter 1988) on the relationship between redox-potential and micro-algae growth, questions have arisen regarding how to Increase the redox-potential in (he mini- ature reef system. More precisely, how to Increase the redox-potential without the additional expense of an oxygen reactor, ozonized or elaborate redox-measuring equipme Like most mini-reef enthusiasts, my 135 gallon miniature reef is overstocked with live rock and Invertebrates. However, the largest constraint that I have regarding working with my tank Is time. As a result of this restriction and the above question. I have experimented with several com- ponents of my mini-reef system and have obtained some very desirable results. this, all of the live rock was placed on a The first component of the miniaturereef feather rock platform which was supported system assessed was the substrate. Every by plexiglass feel 1 - 1 /2 inches above the time the substrate was touched a cloud bottom glass. This effectively eliminated would appear. This indicated that not only the glass-rockinterfaces. Prior to the weekly was detritus accumulating there, but It was siphoning of detritus from the bottom of the Ucularty thread algae are no longer being broken down both aerobically and tank, a bulb baster was used toUwashaway" anaerobically whic h would reduce the redox- as much detritus as possiblefrom the rock- potential. Therefore, removing the sub- rockand coral-rockinterfaces.Thisallowed strate might eliminate a lot of this decay the detritus to settle on the bottom glass and, consquedy, reduce the pressure to where it was readily siphoned off. Four power tower the oxygen content and fedox- heads in opposing locations were installed potential within the tank This proved very on various timers. This changed the water successful Eliminating all substrate In the flow pattern keeping detritus in suspfnslon tank very quickly raised the redox-potential and preventing the formation of dead spots. from an average highof 225 millivolts (mV) The detritus would consequently be trapped live rock supported on to an average high of 280mV. However. this In the pre-filter and be removed. methods have reduced redox-potential was still not high enough to control the thread algae which replaced the other mkro-atgae In the lank. This result was just as bothersome. The next step in increasing redox-poten- ttalwas utilizationofa moreeffective means of removing detritus. Since there was no longer any substrate, it became easier lo siphon the accumulated detritus off t he bot- This increased level of detritus In suspen- torn of (hetank However, this did not drama- sion has caused a further change in my tically increase the redowpotential. Every maintenance routine. For approximately six rock-glass interface or rock-rockInterface months the prefilter was cleaned and within the tank provided a niche for detritus changed only when the weekly accumula* to accumulate and decompose. Conse- lion of detritus was siphoned from the tank. quently, it was necessary to eliminate as However, what was evident was that the many of these traps as possible. To solve redox-potential of the tank gradually de- clined over the course of seven days. This wasattributed to theabovementioned accu- mulation of detritus and other redox-lower- to show aggression toward each ing substances within the tank However. This. however, may be a topic for this was only part of the answer. A large i-rtc~e.A amount of detritus was accumulating in the I pre-filter over the course of the week. An experiment was performed where the pro- through local ~uariumdealer& Oeakrs not recdvlq filter was changed daily rather than weekly. copies d SÑ for dIMrilHition to thefr The results are presented in Table I. The should call Aquarium s. Inc. to be added to UM data illustrates that the redox-potential not rru%mkT-l= el 100~~21612551967. on@ was more stable when examining dally low points (one hour prior to lights off), but the difference between the daily high and low redox-potentials was also less dis- parate. Also. over the course of the three months, the average daily redox-potential FREE -a------Volume 6 w Instant -I,@ 7 r - Fall 1989 commonly found around the s, but their range extends west (Achtetkamp. 1966). can- commonly be found in pairs, andaredosdyassod- areas between reef crests IcolorationofSspfendtduscon- predominantly of orangewavy hscma background.Thedommaitcolorisbkie. are also orange,green, purple, and Thebizarrecolorpatternshave seen to be believed. aquarium. this species has often been to as delicate or difficult to keep for the hobbvfsL They do best in aquariums cefiA non-agwessive fish. or at least in aquariums where the more boisterous cannot didthem greatfy. They are Still, gas exchange must take place Hid if towaterquatityandtendtoberather Effects of Power power heads are used, the design win directly feeders- In recent years, the advent of affect the awatkw efftctency. In an aquarium, aquariums, utilizing an abundance d Head Design on thewatercmtng throughalifttubedan rock and plants, appears to haw Increased undergrav^filterwfllbeatItslowest~h ncea of success with Ihfe beautiful fish. Gas Exchange oxygen content To replenish the oxygen and tank spawningswebecomingmmon- release excess carbon dioxide, this water must Aeration ISa critical factor in maintaining a comeincontactwtththeatmospher~Ob\4ous- tendtoberatherpickyeaten,pw- healthy mraFor many years this was pro- ty,votesinjectedInanairowstrearnseveralinch- from the bottom. Due to the dded fof through Ihe use of airstone. driven air/ es Wow the surface will not contact air. The water Rft tubes on wderpdfilters. Howwr, most efficient design would be a broad dfs- stee dthw mouth, they must be tlwlecentshifttowardusingmechanKalpumps fooditemsorfinetychoppedfoods. charge at the surface that generates ripples ignored to the above, they appear todomuch has generally the need maximize across the lop d the water maximarig surface inaquariumswtthabundantliverodeand/ &process. area and contact A rippled surface may have that thereis Hobbyists prefer power heads over air lifts for double (he surface area compared to a (tot sur- abundance of natural food hems for them to avarietyofreasons,suchasquietoperation. face. Experimental data confirm this thew. fewer bubbles, less salt spray, and stable flow A comparison of the MsiiJet"100. a topdis- rates. "Safe creep", which is pnmani due to the charge power head, wMh three bottom dtochame bursting of bubbles, is a particular nuisance power heads showed it to be stanificnntiy better associated with air lifts that is not only unattrac- at oxygenating water. Using identical 20 gallon ttve but cam even be hazardous when the sak aquariums,(he four power heads were tested by small worms, and pro- coals well stocked roof lank, you electrical connections, cords, etc. If glass a standard method where the oxygen was have to give any additional cover; arc used. they become a maintenance chemicaly removed to 0.0 milligrams atliter. r Mandarins. If you do decide lo problem, and light to the aquarium is limited. the powerheods were started,(hen the Increase Thus. maw mariw aouarist prefer not to aerate I (Continued on page 31 with bdng devices. (Continued on page 4) Secondly, there are the butteflyfish that feed mahily on benthk (bottomdwelling) Inverte- brutes, particulartypolychaetowormsandJrnall Buttafly(C specu turn)hkc-bacted shrimpandcrabs.Their naturaldiet alsoincludes =?(C. mefannotus}, Reticubted Butterfly such exotic Items as amphipods, anihozoans (C retfcutatusl, Four-spot Butterfly (C quad- WRete-eiWfw - (cwalsandanemones),hydroids,fishandmd- rimaculatits), Zanzibar Butterfly (C zan.. lusc egos, tunicates (sea squlite), and the tube zibariensfa), RalnfofiTs Butterfly (C minfwdfi, d sea urchins. Atnong the popularaquarium andtheSpotrnopedButterfly(Ccixycep/ia/u). -that belong inthisgrouparethew Although these butterflies haw a very speoBBzed ternsand theway they Haunt their beauty, flitting finButterfly(Olfletottonawiga},Copperband' dieLyounghealthyspecimensareoftenabteto boldtv about the tank from one coral "blossom" ed Butterfly ~CheSmonrostratus), Banded But- adapt to foods other than coral potos In the tmfly (Chaetodon s(rfafus).Reef Buttetfly "tluwdSn Bottofly/ls?)(Cfwtodon a@& searching ,hGreat Bonier ReeL Australia. , fiy food apt& arehardy additionstothe aquarium and none of them arc hard to feed (Allen, 1979). In- thez&pkmkhthey dependonareabun- nt AMkn. 19791Their natural diet consistsof (ami 40-501 4hted~ith6df- fenaftLloodCSrion vegetable matter. Of cwrse,thIsstaple diet Should be bolstered with agoodvarietyoffrtizen,freezecirfcd,andfinely chooped fresh fiiand the wuarfst must make every effort to -(hew om- withalo* 1rnrninhgthwtthapredominant~lksac,and ,remain pianktonic for at least 2 weeks before they begin orienting to the substrate. Mandarin larvae are extremely small and cannot be fed rotifem as a first food, but success has been . .. achieved through the use of marine infusoria and especially copepod nauplfl wmlSprung, personal communication). Others have report- ed success with rdfcrs as a first food and it may be lhat the particular strain of rotifer (I& sbe df- ferences) used is an important factor. ' Brand II fin-rn'm : Flow 1 117GPH ] 102GPH 1 I Type Discharge TOP Bottom - amount of oxvaen rw ,. , How. - 14-12 **among Hours 13- may account for this: , '1 4, Makes testing better than ever before. b New foil wrapped dry powder reagent packets block out heat, Eight and moisture to keep chemistries fresh. Expanded dual range tests are suitable for all Qpes of marine aquariums, including reef tanks. b Innovative through-theasample viewing compensates for tight source variations and provides accurate readings every time. Redesigned color slide comparators have a wider range of gradient colors to detect even the most sensitive color shifts. b Unique cell holders gives added flexibility lo view tests in long or short path configurations. New SeaTesT* test kits are available in ammonia, nitrate, nitrite. pH. alkalinity and copper. Also avail- able is the convenient Multi-Kit that contains 4 of the most popular tests for marine aquarists- ammonia, nitrate. nitrite & pH. l- Aquarium Systems I ^