Redfish April, 2012 (Issue #10) Specialist Stars the Red Knob Starfish Reef Cichlids Marine Feeding your corals! Pseudotropheus flavus! Surgeons & tangs explored! Marine Aqua One Wavemakers.indd 1 11/04/12 2:55 PM Redfish contents redfishmagazine.com.au 4 About 5 Off the Shelf 7 Pseudotropheus flavus Redfish is: Jessica Drake, Nicole Sawyer, 10 Today in the Fishroom Julian Corlet & David Midgley Email: [email protected] 18 Surgeonfishes Web: redfishmagazine.com.au Facebook: facebook.com/redfishmagazine Twitter: @redfishmagazine 28 Horned Starfish Redfish Publishing. Pty Ltd. PO Box 109 Berowra Heights, 32 Feeding Corals NSW, Australia, 2082. ACN: 151 463 759 38 Community listing This month’s Eye Candy Contents Page Photos cour- tesy: (Top row. Left to Right) ‘Sweetlips’ by Jon Connell ‘Fish pond at the University of Chicago’ by Steve Browne & John Verkleir ‘rainbowfish’ by boscosami@flickr ‘Tarpon’ by Ines Hegedus-Garcia ‘National Arboretum - Koi Pond II’ by Michael Bentley (Bottom row. Left to Right) ‘Being Watched’ by Tony Alter ‘Untitled’ by Keith Bellvay ‘Clownfish’ by Erica Breetoe ‘Yellow Watchman Goby’ by Clay van Schalkwijk Two Caribbean Flamingo Tongue ‘Horned Viper’ by Paul Albertella Snails (Cyphona gibbosum) feeding on a soft-coral (Plexaura flexuosa). Photo by Laszlo Ilyes The Fine Print Redfish Magazine General Advice Warning The advice contained in this publication is general in nature and has been prepared without understanding your personal situ- ation, experience, setup, livestock and/or environmental conditions. This general advice is not a substitute for, or equivalent of, advice from a professional aquarist, aquarium retailer or veterinarian. Distribution We encourage you to share our website address online, or with friends. Issues of Redfish Magazine, however, may only be distributed via download at our website: redfishmagazine.com.au About Redfish Opinions & Views Opinions and views contained herein are those of the authors of individual articles and are not necessarily those Redfish is a free-to-read magazine of Redfish Publishing. for fishkeeping enthusiasts. Ownership and copyright At Redfish we believe in the free exchange of information to Redfish Magazine is © 2011 Redfish Publishing. Pty Ltd. facilitate success by aquarium and pond hobbyists. Each month PO Box 109 Berowra Heights, Redfish Magazine will bring you dedicated sections on tropical, NSW, Australia, 2082. coldwater, marine and ponds. ACN: 151 463 759 Redfish was founded in early 2011 by Jessica Drake, Nicole Sawyer, Julian Corlet and David Midgley. We hope you enjoy this, the tenth issue of Redfish. 古池や蛙飛込む水の音 ふるいけやかわずとびこむみずのおと About « Redfish Magazine 2012:10 » 4 Photo courtesy: (matt) Off the Shelf Aqua One Powder Water Treatments Aqua One’s Powder Water Treatment range is just what the doctor ordered for your aquarium! With the new extensive water treatment range provid- ing all the necessities to keep your aquarium at optimum peak, finding what you need to keep your occupants happy is now simpler than ever! The range consists of: • Chlorine Neutraliser • Ammonia Neutraliser • Goldfish pH & Alkalinity Buffer • Tropical pH & Alkalinity Buffer • American Cichlid pH & Alkalinity Buffer • African Cichlid pH & Alkalinity Buffer • Tanganyika pH & Alkalinity Buffer • Marine pH & Alkalinity Buffer • Calcium Supplement • Magnesium Supplement Aqua One products are widely available at most quality pet retailers. To find your nearest retailer, visit www.aquaone.com.au Aqua One AquaNano Marine Aquarium Aqua One AquaNano Marine Aquarium The Aqua One AquaNano Marine Aquarium is the ultimate com- plete aquarium set for any living space of office. This stylish aquarium comes complete with tank, heater, filter and lighting, everything you need to get started! • The AquaNano Marine offers a complete marine aquarium sys- tem consisting of high powered LED lighting, as well as a total filtration system, complete with multiple stages of biological chemical and mechanical components • Complete filtration system that includes biological, mechanical and chemical filtration. The filter unit built into the rear of the aquarium includes all media as well as a venturi driven protein skimmer • Includes glass heater to help maintain constant temperature within the aquarium • Includes a 3 x 3W LED unit. This light provides bright and highly efficient lighting using a combination of white and blue LED’s • Matching cabinets are available Aqua One products are widely available at most quality pet retail- ers. To find your nearest retailer, visit www.aquaone.com.au Off the shelf « Redfish Magazine 2012:10 » 5 Off the Shelf AQUATOP UVFK-9 Pond Sterilizing Pump with Fountain Kit With warm weather approaching, pond and water gardens tend to pay the price with murky, green water. AQUATOP has the ideal solution with the UVFK-9 Pond Sterilizing Pump. Part of the UVFK Series, the UVFK-9 will eradicate and control free-floating micro-organisms that cause the unsightly green water as well as disease caus- ing pathogens in both aquariums and outdoor garden ponds. Unlike conventional UV Sterilizers which need the addition of a pump and extra plumbing, the UVCP-9 has a built in pump and is ready to use without the hassle of extra plumb- ing. The 9-Watt UV lamp sterilizes up to 1,585 gallons and will go a long way in keeping your Koi pond or water garden looking its best, even dur- ing those steamy summer months. In addition to keeping water clear, the UVFK-9 includes a foun- tain kit for multiple water displays, so your pond will dazzle with clarity and show. The UVKF is also suitable for saltwater and freshwater aquariums when the Fountain Kit is not in use. For more information, go to www.aquatop.com Off the shelf « Redfish Magazine 2012:7 » 6 Pseudotropheus flavus Photo by Budi Lukman it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt Tropicals « Redfish Magazine 2012:10 » 7 It’s one of those fish that catch your eye. You know what I mean. You’re wandering through the local aquarium, looking at new stock and there it is, small - brilliantly coloured - and feisty. With its black and yellow banding, Pseudotropheus flavus is a favourite amongst African cichlid hobbyists - but like all cichlids, beginners should pause before purchase - this isn’t a fish to mix with your tetras. Cichlids are regarded by many hobbyists as aggressive and fish like P. flavus are part of the reason for this reputation. So what do you need to know before you embark on the rollercoaster that is cichlid ownership with respect to this little fish? In many respects, P. flavus is a typical Malawi mouthbrooding cichlid. It’s only the males that are colourful - and typically it’s the males that are most aggressive. Like almost all of the species in the “mbuna” (rock-dwelling fishes of Lake Malawi) the species is primarily vegetar- ian and relishes plant material in most forms and like all Malawi cichlids - the species requires hard, alkaline water. These latter points, par- ticularly the need for hard alkaline water - but also their plant-destroying habits, dictates that Malawi cichlids should only really be kept with other fishes endemic to this region. Chinyankwazi Island is a tiny rocky Unlike many cichlids from Lake Malawi which outcropping north-northeast of Mon- have widespread distributions, P. flavus has a key bay in the south of lake malawi. very restricted distribution, being found pretty much exclusively around Chinyankwazi Island, a tiny island north northeast of Monkey bay. The species occurs in relatively shallow water down to about 20 metres. The main street in Monkey Bay. Photo by Brian Dell Tropicals « Redfish Magazine 2012:10 » 8 In the aquarium, Pseudotropheus flavus - like tank is desired without some of the complica- virtually all mbuna are straightforward to keep tions that arise with salt water. For the aquar- provided some guidelines are followed. ist interested in breeding these fishes rather than displaying, stacked rows of inverted terra- cotta pots (each with an entrance cut into the Aquarium setup: side) provide a cheaper, lighter and more easily Physicochemical chacteristics manipulated alternative. • pH: 7.5-8.5 • EC: 210-220 Stocking In a 180 litre (55gal) aquarium one could com- • Alkalinity (CaCO3 (mg/L)): 123 • Water movement: slow fortably maintain a group of 12-16 flavus. The • Temperature: 23-28º C group should include 2-3 males and the remain- • Volume: 150-200 litres. der as females. Bristlenose catfish and sucking loaches (Chinese algae eaters) can be included Substrate to assist with algae clean up. The colour of substrate is unimportant, how- ever, in the authors opinion darker substrates Breeding generally improve the contrast of colours in the Breeding P. flavus is straightforward and does fish. That aside, substrate should be calcite in not require much intervention. Females carry some form. Shell grit, coral sand and crushed the eggs and fry in their mouths for around 3 marble are all acceptable and will keep pH at weeks. Once it becomes obvious to the aquar- the appropriate level. ist that a female is mouthbrooding fry she should be moved to a “fry saver” - a floating Décor container with netted vents to allow water in The aquarium should be decorated with nu- and out. Once the fry are large enough they merous caves and hiding places. Show tanks should be removed to a grow out tank where for these species are typically decorated with they can be easily raised on crushed flake large rocks piled into a freshwater “reef”. See foods. The female should then be allowed to the lovely example below photographed by recover for 1-2 weeks (they don’t eat while Lee Nachtigal. Alternative decorations include mouthbrooding) before being returned to the dead coral skeletons and sea shells with actinic aquarium. lighting, this faux-marine look is popular with some aquarists and is someones seen in busi- P.