That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

Hey everyone, Dave here.

Just wanted to give you a heads up on some of the cool things that have been added to That Fish Blog over the last few weeks. For anyone not checking out the right side menu, there’s some new stuff over there that may make your life a little easier if you’re a fan of the blog or That Fish Place.

The first of which is our new RSS feed sign-up link and widgets. The website, Feedburner.com, hooked us up with these to help promote the blog a little better. When you “subscribe to That Fish Blog” now, you receive an update in your RSS reader whenever we post something new. You also get a synopsis version of it in case you don’t have the time (like most of us) to read every single tidbit. You’ll find widgets both for this blog and our sister/brother blogs That Reptile Blog and That Avian Blog over there. And, if you’re a superfan of That Fish Blog or our other blogs, you can even add one of these cool widgets to YOUR site to help send readers our way. Here’s what it looks like:

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

There’s also a listing and a link to the ThatPetPlace.com New Product RSS Feed over there, so you can subscribe to that to always know when we get new, cool stuff in.

And, if you have your own RSS feed and want to create a gadget like this to promote it, the Feedburner service is totally free, so check that out as well.

And, in case you’re not that high tech like the rest of us here, and have no idea what RSS is or what it can do for you, take a look at this excellent RSS article on Wikipedia.

Back to Fish and Aquarium blogs Monday,
Until then,
Dave

Welcome back Cory Shank with an article on aquarium fish availability.

Throughout the year, the availability of certain aquarium fish and invertebrates can change for what seems to be no reason at all. It may be for a few days to a week or even a few weeks extending into months. There are many reasons for absence of your favorite aquarium resident, but the one most overlooked is the weather.

One must remember that almost every aquarium inhabitant has begun their journey from the rivers, lakes, and oceans from where they reside. Now if the fish or invertebrate is either tank raised or tank bred, then obviously they have not traveled that far, but for the most part everything is collected from the wild. The weather is quite variable, especially in the tropics, season to season. This is where most of the marine organisms are collected. The largest interruptions from the Caribbean to the Indo-Pacfic regions are during the hurricane season. The Caribbean tends to be more vulnerable to tropical systems than the Indo-Pacific regions, mainly because of the size difference.

Hurricanes, tropical storms, and even tropical depressions and waves cause an increase in wind, generating larger ocean swells, which can wreak havoc in shallow collection areas. Obviously during a hurricane divers can not enter the water and collect fish, but one storm can delay collection for up to a week or even longer. As seen with Hurricane Ike, 2 days prior to the storm, there were waves and tides above the norm, nearly a thousand miles from the storm, affecting the entire Gulf of Mexico and parts of the Caribbean. After the storm passes, collection depends on how fast the water clarity increases, this can take a few more days to happen. Looking at this situation, the collection for one area can be shut down for a full week. This increases the demand for certain organisms, making the availability for the following week extremely high, which leads to a less than healthy fill rate for orders for the orders following a storm. The Caribbean has been highly vulnerable this year, with a few storms passing through major collection areas of Scarlet Reef and Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, along with Royal Grammas, and Peppermint Shrimp.

Hurricanes are not the only culprit: excessively warm or cold water can affect availability. Organisms will move from shallow regions to deeper zones to escape a time of warmer water. This can also be a seasonal migration, affecting availability for a longer term. El Nino and La Nina can lead to big changes in global water temperatures. In such extreme events such as the 1997-98 El Nino event, populations can be severely impacted. Responsible marine fish and invertebrate collectors will either halt or decrease collection significantly in order to help the population rebound.

Weather can also play a role after the fish have been collected. After collection, the organisms will be sent to the wholesaler’s facility. In order for the organisms to arrive safe and in good health at your local pet store, the weather along the route must be taken into consideration. The time of transport relies heavily on how the fast the airlines can get the fish to their final destination. A heat wave can destroy an entire shipment if it were to be delayed by even a few hours. The same goes for extremely cold weather in parts of the country. The shipment, if delayed, could become frozen if the heat packs fail or run out.

So the next time you can’t find your favorite fish at the store, think about where it is coming from and what the weather is like in its hometown!

Thanks Cory,

Until Next Time,

Dave

Patty here,

There are many snail species available for the marine aquarium hobby, and many of them are beneficial to the aquarium as they perform specific duties aiding in the health and up-keep of the tank. Popular types include ceriths and nassarius, great for sand bed stirring and clean-up, and various Turbo species and other algae eaters like astreas and trochus. For the most part, the majority of the snails you find in shops are there for your aquarium’s benefit. There are also many types of snails for sale that may not be a benefit such as predatory snails, and yet others that may find their way into your reef by hitchhiking on or in live rock or corals that you introduce. I want to introduce some naughty snails, and some really naughty snails you can watch out for to avoid potential issues they may present.

Murex Snails
There are several species of Murex snails that may hitch on rock or collected specimens. Most murex snails are characterized by rough spines or knobs on the shell. They are shaped more like conchs, but are usually rather stout. These are predator snails, and will prey on clams and other bivalves, starfish, and other snails. Some species drill through the shells of their victim to eat the flesh inside the shell. Better safe than sorry with murex snails, remove them to an iso tank or species tank if you want to watch them, they will feed on meaty frozen tidbits if live prey is unavailable.
Tulip Snails, Fasciolaria sp.
Tulip Snails are beautiful creatures, with stunningly banded, smooth shells and a deep pink or red body. These snails are unfortunately carnivores, so they cannot be kept with beneficial snails like turbos and astreas unless you want them to be eaten. They will also prey on bivalves, so no clams, scallops, oysters, or fun little mussles will be around for long if you introduce one of these to your reef either. Tulips are nonetheless offered periodically for sale. They can be kept in the right tank, and are enormously entertaining, but consider their diet before purchasing one. They will feed on bits of frozen mussel, clam, and other meaty foods in the absence of live prey, and can get along with fish and crustaceans that can move away from them.
Flamingo Tongue, Cyphoma sp.
Though these little snails are very pretty, they are not reef safe as they feed only on gorgonians. If you find that one has hitch-hiked on a new specimen, which is not necessarily uncommon, it should be removed from your main reef. They are beautiful specimens, however, for a small species tank. If you have large gorgonian colonies, small pieces can be clipped and place into the species tank to feed the snail.
Black Limpets, Scutus unguis
Most limpet snails are safe and even beneficial in reef aquaria. The Black Limpet will eat algae but also has a tendency to feed on coral tissue, so if seen in a reef, it should be promptly removed before it is able to proliferate. This is a very cool snail, its delicate black mantle may appear to you to be a sea slug, but its white shell is cloaked by the ebony mantel. If you should come across one in your reef, the first challenge is to dislodge it from the rock, which is not an easy task. You may need to remove the rock itself, which may be placed in a small species tank for observation and enjoyment.
Sundial Snails, Helicanthus variegatus
Sundial snails are small button-shaped snails, kind of flat, with a spiraling, checkered shell. The operculum is shaped like a cone. These snails are most commonly seen on Zoanthid polyps, their primary food source. Obviously, these snails can be detrimental to polyp colonies and they should be removed from your reef if you come across them. They hide well amongst polyps and rock, so be sure to keep an eye out, especially when introducing new colonies.
Conchs and Cowries
Just an additional note, there are lots of different cowries and conchs offered in the trade today, and they are some of the most interesting snails you can find. Be responsible as aquarists, and be sure to find out about any species you’re interested in before purchasing them. Most species are safe and functional, but others with size and diet in mind may only be appropriate for large, non-reef homes. Some Cowries can grow to 4 inches or so, and though reef safe, they can easily topple rock and corals in their travels. The Egg Cowry only dines on soft corals. As for Conchs, most offered are marvelous sand sifters like our burrowing conch, but many conchs can grow to be very large and thus disruptive in smaller tanks and tanks with limited sand bed area. Crown conchs, Queen conchs, and many others are omnivores and may prey on bivalves if algae and other foodstuffs are scarce, so be aware of the needs of the snail you purchase.

Until next blog,

Patty

Dave here. Coral propagation, or fragging as we reef geeks refer to it, is the process of creating new coral colonies from a parent colony. Over the last several years, techniques, products, and general knowledge of the practice rapidly evolved to where it is quite common. As little as five years ago it was something new and exciting, or even scary depending upon your perspective. The thought of cutting pieces off of your prized coral colonies may seem intimidating at first, but it is actually quite safe, and the fragment has an excellent chance of survival if properly handled. Some corals are more easily fragged, and are better suited for the beginner, than others.

These types are what I will focus on for this blog. In general branching stony corals, and Zoo polyps, are among the easiest and most desired corals to frag. If you look around for your local reef or aquarium clubs, many of them will have frag swap meets, so that hobbyists can sell and trade frags with other hobbyists. It is a really great way to promote coral conservation: the more fragged corals you keep, the fewer corals need to be collected from the reefs. Frag swapping is also a great way to share knowledge, and increase the survivability of captive corals. Propagated corals are hardier, and often more colorful, than wild corals. They have been raised in artificial conditions, and will usually keep their color. Wild corals can change color dramatically when adjusting to captive conditions.

There are a few basic items that you will need in order to start coral fragging. First, you need a suitable coral (Duh!). You should try to use only healthy coral colonies for fragging, as it will increase the survivability of both the parent and the cutting. While much fragging is done with damaged or dying corals in an attempt to save something, this is a much less successful way to produce coral frags, and should only be done as a last resort for the specimen. Fragging healthy corals will lead to a much better result.
Second, you will need something to mount the coral to, and there are several options here. Live rock rubble makes excellent, natural looking frags, but can be difficult to get in volume, and can be difficult to keep stable while the frag is securing itself. Commercially available Plugs and Disks, while less attractive initially, allow for quick and easy attaching. Using Plugs and Disks will also allow for easy volume production, as they will either fit snugly into egg crate material, or flat surfaces, so that you can grow out many frags, securely, in a small area. While we are on the subject of eggcrate, for those of you unfamiliar with the material, this can be found any home improvement center in the lighting section. Eggcrate can easily be cut and built into shelves and platforms to mount your frags for establishment and growth.
Next, you will need glue for attaching your cuttings to your rubble, plug, or disk. “Super Glue”,or Cyanoacrylate Gel is the glue of choice. This glue is harmless to the coral, dries quickly, and is easy to use. The glue is available in clear and pink colors, as well as different thicknesses for the job at hand. Your other choice is epoxy putty, this works well for some stony corals, and is well suited for use on rubble rock. Epoxy Putty is also available in several colors.

Finally, you will need cutting tools. Several types of cutters, scalpels, and snips are available on the market. Depending upon the type of coral being cut, different tools will work best, so it is best to have an assortment of tools at your disposal. What you may like to use may not be what I like to use, but if it suits your purposes, go for it. In general snips, shears, and cutters should be used on branching stony corals, and scalpels, razors, or chisels work best for Zooanthid polyps and encrusting corals.
You should strongly consider using safety goggles and rubber gloves, as many of the secretions and fluids that are produced when cutting corals can be very irritating, and even dangerous, to your skin and eyes. Protection is very important.

Once you have all the tools you need, the fragging process is easy. For stony coral, it is as simple as cutting the tips off of one or more of the branches of your parent colony and gluing the freshly cut tip to your plug or piece of rubble. Don’t be shy about the amount of glue that you use, you want to make sure that it stays attached so it can grow onto the plug. You can remove the coral from the water to perform this step. The parent colony will heal over and grow a new tip, or tips. The freshly attached frag will, over a period of weeks or months depending on species, grow over the glue and firmly attach to the plug.

Zoo Polyps can be removed from a parent colony by carefully removing them from the rock they are attached to with a scalpel or sharp chisel. Just a few full polyps are all that you need to start a new colony. With each removed polyp, a new frag colony can be started. Attach the cut polyp to a disk or piece of rubble rock, and then the polyp will attach and multiply on its own. Just as with the stony coral frag, the zoo polyp frag will grow over the glue and cover the disk or rock over a period of weeks to months.

This process can be repeated over and over, allowing you to produce many frags over time. Most people will choose to do this with just a few corals, and use these new frags to trade or sell for different species for their displays.

Interested in a more hands-on and guided approach? Stop by a frag swap! That Fish Place – That Pet Place in Lancaster, PA hosts one with the Reef Conservation Society Bi-annually. If you’re not in the area, Googling ‘frag swap’ is sure to yield one near you.

Until next blog

Dave

Welcome back Patty Little to That Fish Blog.

Labor Day in the U.S. is dedicated to the workers and was originally conceived to celebrate the strength and spirit of trades and labor organizations.  I thought it might be nice to recognize some of the laborers that make the microcosm of the home aquarium successful to keep up with the Labor Day spirit.  They may not get a paycheck, but they give it their all.  Since they can’t enjoy a day off and a barbecue (though some of their relatives may be on it), let’s put on a blog parade for the little guys.

Marine
Kudos to the parasite cleaners, cleaner wrasses and cleaner shrimp, whose dedicated services are invaluable to the health of other reef citizens.
Thanks to the cucumbers, gobies, burrowing snails, sifting stars, and others who keep the substrate aerated and algae free, and to the Mower blennies, urchins, hermits, snails and tangs, the gardeners of the tank who keep the algae hedges trimmed and the macro algae forests at bay.
Hats off to the pest control squadron, peppermint shrimp, arrow crabs, flat-worm eaters, and others whom Nature intended to keep those pesky little critters in check.
And we can’t forget those who stay in the shadows, the detritivores.  Though not very attractive, and often downright creepy, they are a key element removing and processing the crud (for lack of a better term) that accumulates from the stuff in our tanks.  Amphipods, bristleworms, scavenger stars, snails, and nematodes to name just a few.
Freshwater
The freshwater community may not appear to be quite as complex, yet there are those who deserve a big pat on the dorsal (or maybe a special treat) today.  The upkeep of a freshwater tank can be attributed to some specific characters in the tank.
Give a nod to the ever cleaning algae eaters, From Otos to Apple snails, their work is never done, scouring the glass, the rocks, and the other furniture tirelessly to keep the green monster under control.
Then there are the bottom feeders, the plecos, loaches, catfish whose lowly yet secure positions can only be replaced by the gravel siphon.
AND…
Perhaps the biggest honor should go to the dedicated aquarists out there who work hard with endless enthusiasm for their tanks and the creatures within.  Though it is a “hobby”, and the labor involved is sometimes frustrating, exhausting, and messy, it can pay off when you look at your tank in awe.  So thanks to all of you who dedicate your time and energy to your amazing tanks, to help out the little guys inside and reward everyone who you share it with.  Happy Labor Day (Well, one week later)!

Patty