Archive for February, 2009
Fish Husbandry in a New Aquarium – Common Aquarium Questions
Feb 27th
The Marine Bio staff That Fish Place gets a lot of questions about husbandry of fish and inverts in aquariums. When adding any new inhabitant to an aquarium we recommend researching the conditions, max size, and temperament of the species you are interested in to ensure that it will be a good fit for your tank and the other creatures you may already be keeping. And, as always, quarantining new additions in a separate aquarium is highly recommended. If in doubt, we’re always here to answer any questions you may have so you and your aquarium continue to stay happy!
One question recently submitted was from Al in New York:
I’m going to be starting up my 55 gallon set-up with blue rams. My questions are what will make good tank mates? 
What water conditioners might I need? Should I use live plants, and if so which do you recommend? How many rams should I add?
Marine Bio Responded:
There are several fish you can keep with rams. Lemon tetras in a school of 6-10 would be nice. Serpae tetras in a large school of 8 to 10, or Brilliant rasboras in a similar school would also work well. These are fish (introduced gradually) that I would start with once the tank is established. Rams should not be added to the tank for at least 2 to 3 months after the introduction of your first fish. So you can maybe start with 6 Serpaes or Brilliant rasboras, and let the tank run for with nothing else added until the cycle is complete.
During this time, you can certainly add plants if you wish, but do not add more fish. I am a proponent of live plants in aquariums. They make for a beautiful and healthy environment, and many fish will do very well in a planted tank that 
is similar to their native waters. Plants that you can add may include Rotala, Ruffled swords, Ozelot swords, dwarf sagittaria, and Bacopa. These are all nice plants to start with, and there are others you may prefer, it is all according to taste and the lighting and conditions you present. Just make sure you add Flourish Iron or a similar product to your tank to help your plants to stay healthy.
After you cycle your tank with the tetras or rasboras, you can add some Corydoras Catfish in school of 5 or 6 to help keep the bottom clean. Some smaller pleco species may also be considered. Rubbernose plecos, for example, are great algae eaters in planted aquariums, as are Bristlnose and Medusa plecos. Gold nugget plecos and Queen Arabesque plecos would also work, and they are really attractive. When you are ready to add rams, I would think a small group of 5 or 6 would work out great for you, maybe 1-2 males and the rest females.
Water conditions? Well, rams prefer warm, soft water. So you want your temperature to be in the range of 80 to 82 degrees, and your pH should be around 6.5 to 6.8. You may need a buffer to maintain the keep the water at this pH and there are several available to choose from and keep on hand for water changes and maintenance including Seachem Discus Buffer.
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Loading ...Fish Research Update: Use of Electric Impulses for Species Recognition in African Elephantfishes (Elephant-Nosed Fishes)
Feb 25th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
With their ridiculously long “noses” (actually an extended jaw), secretive ways and unique feeding strategies, the elephant-nosed fishes have long been aquarium favorites. All of the 200+ species discharge electrical pulses from specially-modified muscle cells near the tail.
The most commonly kept species, Peter’s elephant nose, has been shown to vary the strength, frequency and duration of these discharges. Doing so helps this nocturnal fish to navigate and hunt in the turbid West African rivers it inhabits.
Using Electricity to Choose a Mate
Recently, researchers at Germany’s Potsdam University have shown that a related species, Campylomormyrus compressirostris, identifies potential mates by the characteristics of their electrical discharges.
In laboratory tests, gravid females responded to the signals of males of their own species, but ignored those of a closely related fish that shares their natural habitat. In this way, they are able to locate a mate of the proper species, even when surrounded by similar fishes in murky water at night.
It is theorized that Peter’s elephant nose also uses electricity as a form of communication and mate recognition. Certainly, watching them avoid obstacles and locate buried blackworms in an aquarium at night, it is easy to see how completely they rely upon their electric-generating system.
Keeping Elephant-Nosed Fishes
Although very popular, elephant-nosed fishes require special care and rarely do well in community aquariums. I recently set up an exhibit housing a group along with some other of their interesting West African neighbors – butterfly fishes, giant filter-feeding shrimp and dwarf clawed frogs. Please look for an article on this exhibit and their general care soon.
Please Note: The “trunk-less” fish pictured with the elephant noses is not the victim of an unfortunate accident but rather a related species, the baby whale or stoneroller, Pollimyrus isidori. They are also quite interesting and do, if you have an active imagination, somewhat resemble (very!) small whales. I’ll address them in the article mentioned above.
Further Reading
Belgium’s Africamuseum has posted an interesting article on the Peter’s elephant nose (Note: the photo appears to be of a deceased fish…they are much more attractive than pictured here!): http://www.africamuseum.be/museum/treasures/gnathonemus%20petersii
Please write in with your comments and questions. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Sea Urchins: Unusual Algae Eaters
Feb 23rd
Brandon here. Many aquarists that come through our fish room will ask what we recommend as algae eaters for their reef. The answer is usually the same: snails, hermit crabs, or maybe a lawnmower blenny. One of the most efficient algae eaters found on the reef is usually overlooked, the sea urchin.
Sea urchins are relatives of starfish and sea cucumbers, belonging to the phylum Echinodermata. They are generally covered in hard spines for protection, little clawed arms called pedicellariae which are used to remove debris and detritus from the urchins’ skin and can also aid in protection, and tube like feet used for moving across the substrate. Their mouths are surrounded by a structure called Aristotle’s Lantern, which is used for scraping rock and breaking food apart. The Aristotle’s Lantern is what makes some urchins such efficient algae eaters.
While not all sea urchins eat algae, and not all that eat algae are desirable for a reef tank, there are a few that would make a great addition to the aquarium. The Variegated Green Urchin, Lytechinus variegates, stays relatively small and clears live rock of virtually all types of algae. One urchin that we use in some of our display tanks here at the store is the Tuxedo Urchin, Mespilia globulus. These urchins also remain relatively small and do a number on different types of algae. Another extremely efficient, algae-eating urchin is the Longspine Urchin, Diadema setosum. These can grow very large, and have spines capable of puncturing skin and leaving a painful injury.
Here are some urchins to avoid in the reef tank. Rock-boring Urchins, Echinometra lucunter, do little to clean up algae. They spend most of their time chewing holes in live rock. Priest Hat Urchins, Tripneustes gratilla, are generally considered reef safe, and will even do some scavenging, but they can also grab immobile fish and inverts for dinner. One urchin that we do not carry here at That Fish Place, the Flower Urchin, Toxopneustes pileolus, is very beautiful but can inflict a potentially deadly sting. It is covered in what appears to be little flowers, but are actually pedicellariae. These specialized pedicellariae have three jaws on the tip, each of which is hollow and filled with venom. Upon contact they snap shut and inject venom into the skin, which causes extreme pain and even muscle paralysis, which could drown an unsuspecting diver.
Urchins are not for everyone. While they will clean up most types of undesirable algae, they can also scrape coralline algae from the rock work, leaving it white and bare. They also require good water quality in respect to temperature, salinity, and other factors. Always be sure of the urchins’ specific requirements and adult size before purchasing. Whether you have a reef tank or not, urchins can make very interesting additions to the aquarium.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Recommended Meds for Arowanas & Transferring Saltwater Tanks – Common Aquarium Questions
Feb 20th
Back with some more FAQs sent to our Marine Bio staff.
Thurman wrote:
I’m raising a baby silver Arowana. I would like to know, what meds do you recommend to keep in stock, How effective are vitamins, and are any water treatments needed besides prime or salt ? What is black water?
Marine Bio answered:
Some Meds I recommend keeping on hand are Kanaplex, Sulfathiazole, and Quick Cure.
These products treat a wide spectrum of diseases and are all very effective. Beyond all things, water quality and temperature stability will be the most important things for your arowana. Vitamins are completely subjective. Some people use them. I personally do not. A good food will have everything he needs to stay healthy. Try to get him off of live food as soon as possible. When they are small, floating pellets work pretty well. Just make sure to get small ones.
Black water is the term for the coloration and conditions found in parts of the Amazon River. There are natural organics, acids and tannins that leach into the water from wood and soil to create very soft water that is colored almost like a dark tea. There are several products that can simulate these conditions for you if you prefer.
Ryan wrote:
I currently have a 30 gallon bow-front salt water tank with one Condylactis Anenome, some Mexican turbo snails, live rock and blue legged hermit crabs. I wanted to transfer everything into a 75 gallon tank. But I just lost all of my fish to ich. Should I use new crushed coral, or use the old stuff from my little tank? What would be the safest way to know I won’t get ich again? I will set up a hospital tank, but I don’t want to have the same problem in my 75 gallon.
Marine Bio Responded:
Since you have recently had ich in your 30 gallon tank, there can always be the chance for another ich outbreak since the encapsulated cysts can hang around in your tank for several weeks. If you transfer the sand from your 30 gallon to your 75 gallon, you increase the chance of having another outbreak. If you start with new sand, and add a new fish without quarantining them, you still have a risk of getting ich in that tank as well. If it has been over a month since you have had fish in your tank, I would probably go ahead and add the sand from your 30 gallon tank just because of the good bacteria that is thriving in it. It is up to you if you want to buy brand new sand and start over, or use what you have and add new to it. There are pros and cons both ways. Ich is very tricky, the best thing you can do is quarantine and keep the conditions in the tank pristine. Poor water conditions and stress may prompt an ich outbreak too. You may want to keep meds on hand in case of any problem, just be sure you’re using a reef safe medication or remove your inverts to treat in the event of a recurrence.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Cyclop-eeze: Big power in a little body
Feb 18th
One of the best products to be introduced to the aquarium food market in recent years is something that you can barely see. Cyclop-eeze are a microscopic decapod (ten legged) crustacean that have unique nutritional value. Most aquarium hobbyists are familiar with brine shrimp, a staple food for aquarium use for many years. Fish breeders and advanced hobbyists have long used fresh hatched brine shrimp, or nauplii, for raising baby fish, feeding planktivorous fish, filter and particle feeding invertebrates. While brine shrimp are readily available in many forms, and their nauplii are relatively easily raised, they have limited nutritional value, and must be supplemented, enhanced, or fed in large quantities to gain satisfactory nutritional value from feeding them. This is where the emergence of Cyclop-eeze as a viable food source has made a real impact.
Cyclop-eeze can have more than 40 times the omega 3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA’s) than that of brine shrimp nauplii. Cyclop-eeze also has the highest know levels of Astaxanthene, a critical biological pigment that not only gives the organism a striking red color itself, but when fed to other organisms is a most powerful color enhancer. Research has also shown that the Cyclop-eeze organism has high levels of Betaine, and other natural attractants, which make it irresistible as a food source. The Cyclop-eeze is a truly amazing little crustacean, packing nutrition, color enhancement, and attraction in one powerful little natural package.
The Cyclop-eeze is harvested in a remote arctic saltwater lake that is free of other organisms or pollutants, and in fact remains frozen in winter months. When the ice thaws in spring, natural plankton blooms signal the Cyclop-eeze to hatch and reproduce, which lasts all summer. The adults are harvested at their peak nutrition and instantly frozen to preserve all their goodness.
Cyclop-eeze are available in this frozen form, as well as freeze dried as whole organisms, which can then be used in either form to feed small or baby fish, feeding planktivorous fish, as well as filter and particle feeding invertebrates. Processed Cyclop-eeze is made into flake food and granules for feeding larger fish. Cyclop-eeze extract oils (CEO) are also used as ingredients in a variety of other products as enhancements to other food and pharmaceutical products.
Give them a try; I think that you will be pleasantly surprised with the results that you will see with using this amazing food source.
Until next time,
Dave
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