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The Coral Reef

April 30, 2009

Coral Reef

For the most part marine aquarists are interested in the wild coral reefs. These reefs offer a diversity of life that challenges, or perhaps exceeds, the rainforests.

Very many corals are now being propagated and fish, once thought impossible to breed are also being bred in increasing numbers of species. These actions are occurring with home aquarists and commercial organizations, a great benefit to aquarists and the wild reefs.

The problem that sometimes arises with reading material about the wild coral reefs that goes into any depth is that the material becomes entangled with science. Unless the reader is a scientist then interest is rapidly lost in the material. What is wanted is something beyond a hobby book that advises ‘how to’, though these are of course very important themselves (how many fish and corals are lost because the habitat when initially created was below standard?). The information should advise on what happens on a coral reef, habits and instincts, reproduction, in fact anything that is relevant to a layman, and all the better if the material permits the aquarist to choose the subject that is of interest and ignore any other.

There isn’t a requirement to be a scientist to achieve a successful reef or fish only aquarium, there is only a need to have a basic understanding of what is needed to properly support the life that is to be kept. Beyond this, each aquarist as an individual has more general interest or not.

Here’s a website that gives general information on wild coral reefs covering most of the areas that an aquarist could be interested in. It is written in a straightforward way and not bogged down scientifically, if I can put it that way.

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/coral/index.htm

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Algae – Friend Or Foe?

April 28, 2009

Aquarium Algae

Mention the word ‘algae’ to different marine aquarists and the reaction could be mainly one of two, a look of horror perhaps bordering on panic or a smile and a nod. It all depends.

To some aquarists algae is most definitely a foe. These aquarists are, in the main, novices who are gathering experience and have found out the hard way the consequences of over feeding, over stocking, or over lighting. There could even be a combination. One consequence is long hairy green stuff waving in the currents as though it is making fun of the suffering aquarist. Green filamentous algae can spread to such an extent it overgrows the whole aquarium! It seems to be hardy too, as even if the nutrient level is reduced the monstrous stuff seems to survive for quite a while. It takes the nutrients out of the seawater of course which is the only saving grace I can think of. No, there’s one more, which is that it is food for some fish. Nevertheless, it is not required in abundance.

Similarly, slime alga is a problem. This time it is like thin semi-solidified goo on surfaces which is capable of suffocating the life out of anything it covers, again definitely not required. Fortunately it can be siphoned out at routine seawater changes but tends to linger for a while.

So who smiles at algae? It has to be those aquarists who have control of their aquarium conditions. Seawater parameters are as they should be and not permitted to be anything else. Some of these aquarists use algae to combat other algae, which sounds like justice to me! For example, nitrate and phosphate are implicated in the growth of nuisance algae. The same nutrients are necessary to some decorative algae. So, take some decorative algae, such as the Caulerpa macro type, and grow it in reasonable quantity in favourable conditions. If the bad algae is being physically removed and the good algae is taking in nutrients and in favourable conditions, which will lose out? It is likely to be the bad algae. Many use the system and it is definitely helpful.

Have a look at the imported photo with this text. Is that some of the hairy stuff I see?

I’m going off track a little but remaining with algae. Here’s another positive for algae which could develop beyond the intended stated use in a few years. Hope it proves to be of huge benefit!

http://coast2coastam.net/?p=198

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I Did It On Purpose

April 27, 2009

aerodrome-museum-006

This sounds a bit like a confession and in a way it is. I’ve done something that shouldn’t be done and did it knowingly. Fair confession!

Now and again I try to find something out for myself by running an experiment. A scientist would advise that they aren’t experiments at all but amateur fiddling, and I accept that. To qualify as scientific there needs to be a control set up for comparison purposes and various readings taken. All I do is observe for the most part.

I keep a soft coral reef lit by a bank of fluorescent tubes, equally mixed marine white and marine blue.

The last experiment – sorry, fiddling – I did before the current one concerned cover glasses. I don’t habitually use cover glasses nowadays though I used to. They were used as they reduced the amount of evaporation significantly. I noticed in the morning when the lights came on that the cover glasses were heavily condensed underneath, so much so that there were droplets visible all over them. I wondered if this condition would affect the light input into the aquarium and therefore the corals. It took a fair while each morning for the lighting heat (fluorescents) to clear the condensation.

So I took the cover glasses off and noted the date. The cover glasses were left off for a full six months and I watched the corals with care, wondering if growth rates or colour would change.

During the six month period the aquarium was treated as normal, there wasn’t any change in the feeding regime or maintenance schedule. I had to increase the top-up amounts as evaporation increased, but this was expected.

I have to admit to some disappointment as I had assumed that the corals would respond to the increase in light. The light input to the seawater would be affected to some extent by the presence of glass covers even though they were kept clean, and the period each morning when heavy condensation was on the glasses also no longer had any impact on the light. However, the corals showed no change whatsoever, either in growth rates or colour. The growth rates and colour had always been good with the cover glasses on, but, as said, removing them had no effect (accept for the evaporation rate).

The cover glasses have never been replaced as I assume the gas exchange should be better at the seawater surface. Hmm, I wonder. Maybe I could check that someday, though there isn’t any real necessity as the fish are clearly healthy with a normal gill beat.

My latest fiddling has been to do with feeding. I always feed carefully as this is where the phosphate comes from, and a lot of the nitrate is generated. Both are undesirables not least because they are fertilizer for nuisance algae. I haven’t any nuisance algae and never have had.

I have a very low fish load consisting of one Flame Angel (Centropyge loriculus) and one blue damsel (Chrysiptera cyanea). This represents a very low bio-load on an aquarium that has been running for 6½ years (i.e. the aquarium is aged and fully mature). I was interested to see if the bio-filtration, all those hardworking bacteria, could cope with a sudden increase in load.

I used to use canister filters for bio-filtration but fairly recently have removed the media as the rocks are live (when the aquarium started they were dead and inert). The period between that action and now means that any bio-filtration has transferred to the rocks. After the canister filter media was removed there wasn’t a problem of any sort and nitrate didn’t appear (there isn’t a nitrate reducing device on the aquarium nor any Caulerpa algae etc). This shows that the bacteria on and within the rocks cope.

I didn’t want to upset the balance of the aquarium by introducing any new fish, I’m very happy with the set-up which has been very successful. How could I increase the bio-load?

I decided to overfeed. Yes, that’s right, doing that which we say over and over shouldn’t be done! As said previously, I feed very carefully and am fully aware of the fish’s appetites and what is enough. They are fed a basic of marine flake and varying frozen foods, mainly enriched brine and mysis shrimp.

I carried out my normal Sunday maintenance and that evening, when a normal feed was due, I fed the usual amount. At the point when I normally cease to feed, I continued even though the fish weren’t interested. About ½ of the normal amount was fed additionally. This overfeeding continued for a full week and ceased on the following Sunday evening when a feed was due, this feed reverted to normal.

During the overfeeding period I watched the aquarium more carefully than usual, particularly the fish in case there was any sign of discomfort. An indication like this could have signaled the appearance of ammonia and nitrite. There weren’t any negative indications whatsoever.

Mid-week I did an ammonia and nitrite test just to be sure, there wasn’t anything detected. At the end of the week I did a nitrate and phosphate test, again nothing was detected. (It should be pointed out that I continuously run an anti-phosphate filter.)

It is now about 3 weeks since the testing began and nothing has appeared that shouldn’t be there.

Only one indication of the additional feeding appeared, and this was heavier than normal algae on the aquarium viewing glasses. This was not heavy, but there was more. This was easily cleaned off during maintenance.

So I have to assume that the bio-filtration is quite capable of holding its own, though the percentage increase in the bio-load because of the food is…I haven’t a clue! The amount of food put into the aquarium (flake and frozen) was 50% higher than usual. The Baensch Marine Atlas advises that, assuming a protein content of 50%, one gram (about a teaspoonful) of flake can add 336 parts per million nitrates, this is after the nitrogen cycle process completes of course.

It could be commented that there wasn’t an effect as the fish load is so low. Is this correct though? The size of the bacteria populations will be dependent on the demand made upon them.

I was surprised that there wasn’t any effect apart from some glass algae though. I thought bio filtration couldn’t adapt that quickly.

Then I had a further thought. My aquarium, particularly at night, displays a large population of tiny life forms. Any food available that has not been touched by the fish could well have been eaten by them. Nevertheless, the food has gone into the aquarium and the process of consumption would lead to waste. So again the bio-filtration must have coped. It also demonstrated that live rock can complete the full nitrogen cycle, from ammonia to nitrogen gas, thus the lack of nitrate.

As already said, this wouldn’t qualify as a definitive scientific experiment. I found it interesting though, and at the least it gave me confidence in the live rock ability now that the canister filter media is no longer there.

Now, may I point out that my aquarium is very mature and also that I can claim experience. Overfeeding is a definite no-no and should be avoided. Seawater quality is the number one priority and overfeeding will not help at all! I only did it for a week and reverted to careful feeding afterwards.

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How To Cut Your Coral

April 26, 2009

Coral PropagationIt’s enough to make an aquarist shudder, a beautiful reef with corals that are healthy and expanded, fancy cutting one? Er, not really, no.

The fact is that corals that are healthy are going to grow. Growth is of course absolutely normal and occurs with whatever the type of coral, soft or hard, and whatever species it is.

A captive coral reef that is successful will need attention in time, in addition to the usual but very important routine maintenance. Growth of corals can change seawater flow, reducing it for some corals which is not good. Corals that are becoming large can also overshadow others, which mean the corals in shadow are going to suffer because the zooxanthellae object to the lack of light. Corals can also expand to the point where they touch and in some cases this is when a territorial war begins.

The aquarist can deal with all of this without spoiling the appearance of the reef. The corals that are now becoming too large can be cut. The hobby term for cutting corals is ‘fragging’.

If it is only one coral or just a few that are causing problems, cutting can be done and the cuttings, or ‘frags’, can be grown on in the display aquarium. Or the aquarist could use a small shallow additional aquarium to grow on more numerous frags.

The frags when available and known to be healthy could be used as exchanges with other aquarists, or taken to the LFS for a credit or merchandise.

Frags are generally more tolerant of aquarium conditions than their wild reef counterparts, and this is a definite plus for the marine aquarist.

Propagating corals is not difficult and the procedures are straightforward. Corals are tolerant of the procedure and seldom suffer any negative side effects. Propagation is also becoming more important as time passes and the wild reefs slip into more serious trouble.

The link is a website that is very well respected. On arrival, a list will be seen on the left hand side. There are two headings to click on relevant to propagation, the first near the top of the list called ‘The Frugal Reefer’ and the second further down called ‘Propagation’. There are sub-headings to choose from.

The website is very interesting overall so it is worthwhile having a general look arounds well.

http://www.garf.org/index.shtml

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Cool It

April 25, 2009

The most popular lighting for reef aquariums, or to be more specific SPS reef aquariums, continues to be metal halide. This is because metal halides emit a very intense light that has considerable seawater penetration strength as far as aquariums are concerned. Metal halide bulbs are also available in the Kelvin range desired by reef aquarists.

There are two major disadvantages to metal halide lighting systems, the first is cost as they are electricity hungry. The second is heat emission which could be a problem in itself or cause a minor problem to become a major one.

With air temperature warming up for the summer the heat emission from the metal halide bulb(s) doesn’t alter, but the increased air temperature does mean that the aquarium seawater will naturally warm up. This in itself isn’t a bad thing as the heaters will not activate as much saving the aquarist money. Unfortunately, heat output from the lighting can increase the seawater temperature even more, moving it passed the design level. The heaters will of course not activate but these high temperatures are detrimental to the aquarium, for a start it upsets the stability of the system. Increased seawater temperature also reduces the amount of oxygen the seawater can hold, so in say a heavily stocked fish only aquarium there could be trouble. If temperature climbed excessively trouble could occur in any aquarium system. The bacteria housed within the bio-filter that are dealing with the toxins in the seawater are also consuming oxygen which could exacerbate the situation.

So overall it is undesirable for the seawater temperature to climb excessively. There are ways of cooling things down though and with metal halide this is a need that is more likely to be encountered.

Some aquarists counter the effect of the metal halides by cooling down the seawater itself. They do this by employing a chiller (a cooler) which must be specifically designed for marine use because of the very corrosive action of seawater. The chiller needs to be sized correctly or it could be ineffective, a check needs to be made to ensure the device is able to deal with the gallons of seawater involved and also the temperature reduction required – as far as the latter is concerned, if the chiller is matched to the gallonage it should be adequate as there is a temperature adjustment range.

There’s nothing really wrong with using a chiller as described. However, if the sole use of a chiller is because of the heating effect of the lighting it is not really economical. The lighting is consuming electricity which cannot be avoided (except to ensure the bulbs are correctly sized and the lighting on period is not excessive). A chiller is quite an expensive piece of equipment and quite expensive to run. If the seawater heats up anyway quite apart from the lighting fair enough.

If it is mainly the lighting that is causing the seawater temperature problem it is better to tackle the problem at source. Some free hanging metal halide canopies have fans built in which help direct the heat away from the seawater. The biggest problem is likely to be found with those lighting systems that are enclosed within a hood which sits directly on top of the aquarium. These canopies are often an ‘all in one’ build with the canopies matching the aquarium stand.

If the canopy is as described it could have been supplied commercially or been a DIY project. Commercial ones sometimes have fans built in, but not always. Some have air vents at the top and that’s it. These air vents do release heat as warm air rises, but the heat release is too slow and doesn’t deal directly with heat into the seawater. Fans are reasonably easy to install.

There are two ways of installing the fans; the first is to have two fans, one at each end, with an air vent in the middle at the back, and the second is again to have two fans but no air intake at all. In the second version an air vent could be fitted either in the middle or above, it will not do any harm. The idea is to direct a cool air flow across the space between the metal halides and the seawater surface.

Metal halide canopies are of necessity quite large with a good space above the seawater surface, so there should be plenty of room to fit a fan at each end. Some aquarists use computer type fans but the danger with these is that they may not move enough air to deal with the heat. A better option is to use mains electricity powered fans. The ones that are useful are those smaller units that are fitted into bathrooms as extractors; they are usually a small plastic box with vents each side and the fan already mounted inside. Some of these type fans are reversible, that is the fan direction and therefore the air flow can be reversed. If two of these fans are obtained one can be fitted at each end of the lighting canopy. Two holes will obviously need to be cut but if the edges are a little ragged the fan units could fit on the outside to cover them up, the units need to be checked for this option. Some units have a removable outside cover which also fastens the main unit on the inside securely.

In the first option the fans are fitted and there is an air vent in the middle of the canopy back plate. The fans are set so that they both suck in cool air from outside the canopy. This causes an increase of air pressure – not a lot – inside the canopy and the air escapes through the air vent taking heat with it. Care has to be taken that the air doesn’t escape downwards towards the seawater or the cooling effect could be partially or wholly lost.

The second method, with or without an air vent, is probably the best. The fans are fitted at each end of the canopy but this time one fan, it doesn’t matter which end it is at, is set to suck air in. The opposite fan is set to blow air out. This means that there is a powered cooling air flow through the lighting canopy. If there is an air vent some air could escape, but again heat will go with it.

The paragraphs above are concerned mainly with metal halide lighting, but those aquarists who have fluorescent lighting such as T5’s or earlier types could be surprised at how much heat actually builds up in the canopy. A fan cooling system could be an advantage.

There is a major point that needs to be mentioned and this is concerned with safety. Electricity incorrectly used is dangerous. The fans need to be securely fitted and not subject to splashing. Wiring to the fans needs to be completed safely, with the wires going to correctly fused power outlets, and the wiring obviously needs to be properly secured, not trailing. Any doubt and advice from someone competent should be obtained.

Preventing the lighting system from overheating seawater is generally simple and can be done in a way which minimizes the additional electricity demand.

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Let’s Go Clubbing!

April 24, 2009

Anemone

Receiving an invite like that normally means getting into something really comfortable and going to town to study the nightlife, usually through a glass of alcoholic beverage. In this case though it’s a bit more sober – usually – but still a lot of fun.

Aquarists love nothing better than looking at other aquarist’s aquariums, except for looking at their own. Close to that is talk about aquariums in general and all the subjects, such as equipment, that go with it. That’s probably why internet forums are popular, it’s a place where other aquarists give their opinions and experiences and queries can be answered. The answers to queries can in themselves be interesting purely because they are often so different.

There’s another place where face to face contact can be made and that is at an aquarists club. These come under various titles which often include something about the location. In a way they are a live forum.

As said most aquarist love chatting and arguing about the hobby. What better than face to face? Bill tells Fred about the problems Jim had when he introduced that new fish. Good bit of head shaking to be had after that! What about Harry and his alkalinity, he raised it too high you know. General good natured chatter is great and even better if there’s a drink to be had. Most clubs are not private bars; members just take a drink or two to share. Sometimes there are sandwiches and cakes to be had as well.

The greatest potential use of a club, apart from allowing aquarists to make more friends who have interest in the same hobby, is to a novice. Talking directly to more experienced aquarists is going to be of more use than any internet forum, as questions raise questions and the discussion could go on for hours if necessary until the novice understands or has formed an opinion. This kind of discussion usually attracts other aquarists sitting nearby. A ‘what do you think to this’ kind of thing.

Another advantage of a club is the chance to get an invite to view other aquariums. Photographs and videos on the internet are fine, but nothing can replace the view by the human eye. Different equipment in action can be seen, and discussions about methods and improvements could take place.

Many aquarist end up with all sorts of bits and pieces of marine aquarium equipment lying unused in sheds or garages. They appear when upgrades take place, or just changes because the aquarist has decided to follow a different avenue. Aquarists with this dormant equipment would be more than pleased to pass it on, knowing that it is to be put to good use. The cost is very reasonable, in fact if the two making the transaction are club friends it could be free.

We all know the cost of livestock, it isn’t particularly cheap. Also, even if the LFS is of good reputation, there is always the risk of problems. Many aquarists now ‘frag’, a word meaning aquaculture corals. It is quite likely that club members do this, and other club members could benefit before the LFS. An interested aquarist could even be invited to pop round and have a look at the mother colony in advance and see the ‘real thing’. Again, cost is low or it could just be a matter of swapping one for another, with both aquarists benefitting.

Clubs sometimes go off for the day to public aquariums or other places of interest, such as a large but more distant LFS. This offers the opportunity for the aquarists to linger more or less as long as they like. They are also able to chatter about marine subjects, without the children being bored or the partner wanting to go and see some clothes shops.

There are many good things about a local marine club. Maybe it is an overall aquarists club for both marine and freshwater, all the better, more to talk about.

Why not see if there is a local club near you. Try it and see, join if you like it, you probably will.

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A Website To Help Keep Track Of Your Aquarium

April 23, 2009

There is a website which allows you to keep track of your aquarium online.

The website is called Reefiris and is currently in Alpha mode which basically means that there may be some bugs present and some features which are not yet complete. As the site is in Alpha mode the data entered may be deleted to allow for enhancement, bug fixes etc to be applied.

Once the website comes out of Alpha mode and enters beta stage it will probably be more stable.

To start tracking your aquarium you first need to sign up and then enter details about your aquarium. Once this is done you can start logging parameters, reminder notes etc. The good thing about it is that you get your very own web space where you can see all of your parameters over time in a graphical format (hourly, daily, weekly and monthly). Therefore you can spot trends starting to appear and hopefully react before it becomes an issue.

They also appear to have support for various controllers such as Aquatronica, AquaController etc so if you use one of these the data can be exported straight into Reefiris.

I think that this site has amazing potential and if done right could be an exceptionally useful tool for aquarists all over the world.

Why not go and check it out and remember to keep an eye on it as I’m sure it is going to improve.

http://www.reefiris.com/

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