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Fellow aquarist now living in Japan Hi Bob, My name is Randy and I am a beginning aquarist. We recently moved to Japan and I was able to purchase a 55-gal aquarium. I was wondering if you might have some information on purchasing corals and fishes from outside of Japan. There are certain things I would like to order from companies in the states and would even like to participates in some of GARF's programs <Likely GARF> but I haven't been able to figure out how to get live specimens through customs. I read that you had lived in Japan and worked in the industry so I was hoping that maybe you could give me some ideas on how to get some life forms outside of the Indo-Pacific area. Thank you for your time, Randy Malkevich <Do look around in the country there... Japan has many good shops, aquarists who do propagation, sharing of fragments. You might try a transliteration program and the internet to meet other like-minded folks. I lived in Sasebo, Kyushu for years... and understand how hard it is to "get about" there... but the differences amongst Americans and Japanese are cultural (patterns of learned behavior) and can be easily breached... perhaps you can ask a friend who has one Japanese parent to aid your search. Bob Fenner> Thanks for the follow-up Yes, the correct spelling is GARF. I don't know what I was thinking. <No worries... just want to make sure and direct others to Sally J et ux., and not Friends in Low Places singer> We just made friends with some folks that speak Japanese (my Japanese is limited and my wife's is only conversational) and were willing to help us talk to the local shops. We love it here and enjoy it very much, it's a wonderful culture. <Yes.> Local propagation and sharing sounds like a very good idea. Thanks for the info and the help! <Doo tashi mashiite. A pleasure my friend. Bob Fenner> Randy Malkevich Coral anti-bleaching Many thanks to Bob and his gang for helping us with our aquarium questions. I am a daily Q&A reader and regularly recommend the site to others. I have even tried to get my LFS to have a cheap computer set up with your web site as the home page so their customers can quickly check for species info BEFORE purchase. No luck so far. <WOW... and awesome and empathetic idea. Have the LFS contact us directly... they will get an earful including our personal assurance that we are and will continue to be completely objective and categorically dedicated to making their business grow through educated hobbyists that succeed (!) in the hobby. It is a win-win situation: people are happy, animals are surviving and thriving and the business of the industry expands and grows for it!> My question is about a nice piece of white Acropora with purple tips that I purchased about a month ago. <I'm already dubious.... there are no natural white Acropora... and the colored tips are non-zooxanthellate pigments. Sounds like a bleached Acro to me from go> The coral is starting to show growth at the ends BUT the tips are no longer purple and the coral is nearly all green colored (the color of healthy bubble tip anemone). <excellent! It has recovered> The color transformation started at the base and slowly proceeded to the tips. For clarification, the coral is not being overgrown with algae. <understood quite clearly... this is a common recovery. The coloration is likely from too much UV. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't have good or any lenses between you lights and the water. If true, experiment by placing a small piece of plastic above the coral (above the water) between the lights and surface... a color change to the natural color may occur away from just green> The coral is located in a 110 gallon tank with very brisk random circulation and is about 5" below the water surface which is illuminated by 2- 250 watt MH 12000k (Sunburst bulbs) pendant lamps about 10.5"above the surface of the water. All water parameters are fine. Alkalinity is 12dkh and calcium (using the "Calfo method") is ~ 410. <fine numbers> Is the color change "just one of those things" that we can't do too much about or can I do something better? I would love to have some more bright acros but I am now hesitant since this beauty has changed. Your advice is always highly appreciated and followed (with great success so far). <quite frankly... Sunburst MH have performed staggeringly poorly in many studies that I have seen. The collective consensus (which I currently agree with) is that all halides have WAY too much actinic in them and that none (including 6500K Iwasaki... a great bulb) need actinic supplementation: all have enough or too much blue wavelength. one of the symptoms is corals turning green. If your primary goal is coral color... I would recommend only lighting your tank with Aqualine 10K bulbs with possibly a glass or plastic lens (experiment in tank halves here). If growth was your primary goal instead... Iwasaki 6500K halides. Best regards, Anthony> Re: The "right" corals THOUGHT that's what you would say about the Elegance (they are so terribly tempting though...) <heehee... sad but true> I LIKE the Tubastrea idea... I've thought Banggai cardinals are way cool for awhile. Can I mix Firefish and Jawfish (the whole similar size/shape thing...guess I can or you wouldn't have made the suggestion , huh)? <good point about similar size/shape but in this case we have a benthic fish and a mid water swimming fish species... fairly safe. And if you like the cardinals, do consider some longspine blue dot urchins for the cardinals to hide in display of their fascinating relationship!> I'm liking the whole "twilight" idea very much. Thanks SO much! I'm totally psyched now. <very cool... and if not small fishes, then rare hardy predators like sunset groupers (polleni) or crazy squirrelfish. Big fish, big poop, big food for Tubastrea. Even a red light (extra) above tank for night viewing that fish are not disturbed by. Best regards, Anthony> The "right" corals Dear Crew, <whasssup?> Have been doing my research on what corals to add (can add?) to my 55g reef (currently have mushrooms and lots of feather dusters (hitchhikers) and a couple of other LR hitchhikers that aren't big enough for me to tell what they are yet). <cool> Have come to the conclusion after reading CMA, Anthony's book, Tullock's Reef Aquariums, the site and the chat forum (still need to get Eric Borneman's book), that I don't want to even try the "mixed garden" approach. <very wise my friend. It will serve you and your animals much better in the long term (more than 2 years)> I'm aiming for the whole "species tank" instead. <or even try to stick with a family mostly and even then you can throw in an oddball or two> Have narrowed my choices down to 3 species: Xenia, Catalaphyllia (Elegance) or Tubastrea (Orange /Sun Coral). I have read ALL the material on Elegance in the above mentioned (also saw Steven Pro's tank pics --gorgeous). I also have read about the feeding requirements of the Sun Coral (detailed in Anthony's book and also on Harbor Aquatics site and other places), so I know what I would be "in for" with that animal as well. My question is: which is "best" (meaning it will live, thrive and be happy) given my tank parameters? I have: <Xeniids would be fun, easy and the least difficult (also the least challenging. The elegance needs to be ruled out in my opinion. Too high mortality on import... grows to large (one would outgrow your 55 in 2-4 years), they are too sensitive to handling and mechanical damage, they cannot be easily propagated, suffer a greater impact for wild harvest, etc. A long list of disadvantages and too few benefits for keeping this beautiful animal. The Tubastrea is most interesting to me. Very hardy in a species tank... remarkable beauty!... fascinating reproductive strategy.. reasonably challenging... important to be studies and propagated, etc. Indeed, much more work than Xenia, but perhaps the sort of challenge you want> 55G w a 5 inch DSB (sugar sand) 20g long refugium w sand (CaribSea reef sand)/rock/macro algae (mostly Caulerpa, but some red stuff too) 60 lbs LR, split between the main and 'fuge asst macro algae and turtle grass (want more turtle) 165W PC lighting 10K 50/50 actinic/full sun a moderate -producing skimmer (debating on upgrade to Aqua-C Remora) 2 powerheads for circulation in opposite diagonal corners of the tank SG 1.023 Ammonia 0 Nitrates 20 Calcium 380 (s/b higher, I know) alk 3.43 meq/l pH 8.3 phosphate .03 temp 80 I add Seachem iodine and strontium supplements weekly, according to manuf. specs. Tank inhabitants are: 2 pearly jaws 1 long nosed hawk asst snails 1 flathead/sunburst Anthias asst snails (currently having a population explosion -- little babies all over) >From my reading, my tank might be a candidate for Elegance-- medium light, some nitrate, not "overly skimmed", sandy, turtle grass -- but I don't want to contribute to the decline of the species if it's still proving to be problematic in people's tanks. I have no "favorite" among these three -- all are pretty equally appealing. <for the challenge and beauty, I'm voting for the Tubastrea species tank. Keep heavy blue light too and enjoy "twilight fishes (a most unique display!!!). Cool and unusual Firefish, Basslets, cardinals, etc> Thanks as always for your experience/honest advice! Rebecca <best regards, Anthony>
First Coral I am looking to purchase my first coral. <excellent! Welcome aboard friend!> My tank is a 55 gallon tank with 1 30watt actinic, 1 30watt 10,000k, 1 95watt Aquasun, and 1 95watt actinic. <aesthetically a nice color (I like blue) but not enough daylight or intensity for the most demanding colored SPS corals or clams (unless kept in top 8-10"). DO consider this attractive light scheme moderately intense at best> The tank has been running for about 2 years with a couple of fish and about 65lbs of live rock. <perhaps more rock will be needed down the road... no trickle filter hopefully (nitrate generation OK for many fish but not for most inverts)> The water is tested weekly and everything is great. <Hmmm... if you are not testing for Alkalinity or Calcium, then please forego all Scleractinia (hard corals). And do research each coral as you are now to know husbandry before you buy it. Many "hard coral" have some of the squishiest bodies...heehee. quite misleading even though there is a skeleton underneath. And do consider Eric Borneman's book, Aquarium Corals for great ID, pictures and husbandry. And if I may say so... check out my book as well for theory, husbandry and reef gardening techniques.> What are my options for my first coral something that is not to hard to take care of but will look good in the tank. <largely personal preference... but most any of the colored Zoantharians (button polyps or mushroom anemones). Also, most of the common colored (tan/pink/brown) "Leather Corals" (finger or mushroom). DO avoid delicate yellow or green soft corals at first and all aposymbiotic coral. Best regards, Anthony Calfo> Thank You, Invert ?s Hey, <what?> Thank you for your help. <you're welcome...now what do you want?! Heehee <smile>> I have decided to stick with the Sixline wrasse for my setup. I do have a question about inverts. in my tank. I will have 2X55 10000K PC lighting over my setup (20 gallon). I have never kept or tried any kind or corals. Do you think this will be enough light and could you suggest some corals that would be good for a beginner? <plenty of light for many corals and invertebrates. Trust me on this one... I have a lot of experience with the subject <wink>...avoid all LPS hard corals (many reasons...aggression, wild populations, sensitivity to handling by newbie, etc). Also resist most SPS and hard coral in general until you have a clear understanding of the difference between pH, Alkalinity and Calcium... and how to test and control/maintain these levels consistently. Instead... enjoy most soft corals, corallimorphs (mushrooms) and zoanthids (button polyps). Because of the size of your tank... you can easily find some attractive creatures from these groups and be assured of success> Also, would an Anenome be possible for the clowns and would any of the clams work? <not even close to being possible. Anemones an corals absolutely don't mix...especially in a small tank. They are also relatively to very difficult to keep successfully for most people. Never for beginners. And the hardy clams that will tolerate a new tank and lower light grow too big (T. squamosa and T. derasa grow to 18-24"). The blue clams need quite a lot of light for long term success. Trust me... stick with soft corals only and you will do wonderfully as you make your way up to bigger reefs <wink>. Not a matter of if, but rather when...heehee! With kind regards... Anthony> Thanks, Jonathan Pac Re: First live corals ever Anthony- First I would like to thank for all your help. <very welcome indeed> I did have a couple questions in follow up to some of your comments. I decided to add one other coral - an open brain. I never noticed it until I brought it home, on the outer edge there was small hole in it and some of its (inner skeleton?) <the ridges are septae> was exposed and sort of brown looking. <could simply be diatom/algae...not bad if the coral is healthy enough to burn it away...otherwise tissue recession might ensue> The area is now looking a little puffy. I have been reading as much as I can but I may need your immediate advice on this one. I understand Mushrooms and leathers are good to start off with especially for someone who is new. However these are the Soft Corals that tend not to be very colorful. <you're not shopping for the right mushrooms or leathers!!! These are some of the most colorful and diverse of all. Corallimorphs come in every color, combination, texture and size imaginable! And the Leathers (Alcyoniids) include some of the most sought after iridescent green and yellow fingers and crowns in the trade.> When you talk about not being able to mix Soft Corals with Stony Corals because of the "(chemical warfare)" Does that mean that I will never be able to add Stony Coral to this tank as long as I have Soft Corals. <not exactly. many people do so for many years... but those same people complain about "mystery deaths" down the road and the lack of poor coral growth for all animals, and not just great for some and poor for others. Most importantly, it is kind of cruel to mix such unnatural tankmates in close confines. Should I have decided from the start to designate this tank as Soft Coral tank only or Stony Coral tank only? <mixing a little from either category is tolerable I suppose, but if you set up a true hail Mary garden tank like most aquarists, then you will have the same complaints as most aquarist down the road too.> I guess my bottom line question is will I eventually be able to keep both Soft Corals and Stony Corals in his same tank together? <again, because of their very diverse needs, it is best to try to specialize somewhat> If so how and when is it a good time to add these Stony Corals to the mix? Is my lighting(65w x 4 w 72gal) sufficient to handle Stony Corals? <modest for the colorful stonies (shallow water pinks, yellows, blue tips, etc) but tolerable for many browns and greens to generalize (not a flawless way to categorize, but usually true> If you could briefly clarify I sure would appreciate it! I did order your book & I am really sorry to trouble you again! Thanks Ron <please... no trouble at all. Truly my pleasure, and thank you! Anthony> Re: Iodine dipping, calcium testing > Hello Robert, > <Anthony Calfo in your service> > I have been reading up on dipping corals in iodine before adding them to the > tank but was wondering what the concentration of iodine is in Kent's > Concentrated Iodine. The bottle states 22.5mg/oz. > <we do not know their "proprietary" concentration, but some aquarists believe > that it is simply undiluted Lugol's solution of iodine> > How many drops per gallon would you recommend for a dip solution. > <undiluted Lugol's solution as a therapeutic dip can be applied at 1 drop > per five gallons of bath water in a SEPARATE bucket/vessel for up to fifteen > minutes daily (strong aeration/circulation please).> > Also. My calcareous algae (Halimeda sp.) is growing only so, so. A lot of > new growth but the older growth gradually turns a marbled white and then > solid white. > <somewhat normal, but what is your alkalinity? And are your Ca and Buffer > solutions dosed VERY consistently? If not, it can easily cause the > growth/death cycle you have noted> My alkalinity is always quite high at 4.5-5 meq./liter without buffering. My Ph also is high at 8.4-8.5. An odd note. I only add Kalkwasser, somewhat erratically I might add, but with an Aquarium Systems Ca Test Kit the Ca level reads more than 550. <honestly...this seems highly unlikely. I'm wondering if your readings are accurate. To have such high free calcium/alkalinity without a crystalline precipitation is very uncommon. Begin by taking a cup of aquarium water and ameliorating it with another cup of DI/RO water (calcium free)...(essentially diluting a sample of your tank water in half)... then test for calcium and double the reading that you get to see how close you come to the perceived 550ppm. I suspect that you will not get a match.> I don't know if that is because of the difficulty of distinguishing that dark purple from the "true blue" color you are supposed to achieve. I have two of the same kits and they read the same. Since then have been using the Red Sea Test which reads 400. <wow.. that is one heck of a discrepancy!> > My water parameters are very good with calcium levels > according to Red Sea test at 400. I just ordered some iron/Mang additive > and hope that will help. > My Dictyota algae on the other hand does quite well. Any ideas? > <Dictyota is lovely but can be a real nuisance unchecked... heavy handed > iodine doses encourage its growth> > Thanks for your help. Craig > <best regards, Anthony> Re: Iodine dipping, calcium Yes...the trick indeed is very consistent (daily) calcium dosing. A fast growing plant or coral has a similar or steadily growing daily demand for calcium. If, however, the availability of said calcium fluctuates wildly from abundant to minimal from day to day, then you get the strange growth/death spurts that you have observed. Anthony First live corals ever About a month ago, I contacted you about a gentleman I hired who brought me some corals for my 72 gal reef tank. This was the first time I ever added live corals. he brought to me a toadstool leather and a strawberry tree coral. <Anthony Calfo here... I do recall your tank> Not know much about corals, I sent you questions about how good these selection were for a rather new reef tank(7mths). Anthony was kind enough to responds. He indicated that the toadstool was great choice but the tree coral would probably not survive. <Experience...but sorry indeed to hear it> Of course he was right. he suggest I pick up some books about corals which I have since done (Aquarium Corals/ Borneman). <a very good choice> I now realize how bad the selection of a tree coral was so for now I am sticking with mushrooms and leathers. <excellent...hardy and fun animals> Needless to say this gentleman will not be helping out any more. I will be doing my own research. However, I do have a few questions about these corals. I have noticed for a while the my toadstool would open & tentacles would come out each day as the lights(65x4 -2 actinic and 2 white) came on & would retract when they went off. <yes... Sarcophytons do not feed on zooplankton at night like so many other corals, and as such have no need to extend their vulnerable tentacles at night> I am using your suggested schedule of 12pm to 12am with actinics on first and last hour of the cycle. However lately, I noticed that some days the tentacles don't come out at all. Then after a few more days they will go back to their normal thing( In and out as the light comes and goes). I am sure is probably not normal. <actually a very normal process if accompanied by a sheen (mucus tunic) on the crown when polyps are retracted indicating a fast growth cycle> Also , On top of the mushroom and a leather that I have since purchased the sometimes is a white powdery looking substance on it. It shows very clearly against the purple/ pinkish color of my mushroom and my leather. Is this something I should be concerned about? <but does it blow away within days, and the polyps come back out...if so ABOVE explanation holds true> What can I do? <maintain or improve good water movement to blow off that accumulation within days> I also should mention I have been adding Kent's- Strontium & Molybdenum and Phytoplex at half the recommend dosage and half the time. <very good until you get more corals that need it> I am also using Kent's liquid calcium and my level is around 450. <liquid calcium should not be your only Calcium source unless you do large frequent water changes. Otherwise chlorides will build up within a year and cause great difficulties with water chemistry> I am using and RO/DI unit. Should I still be using a detoxifier in the RO water before I I add it to my tank? <not sure what you mean by detoxifier...do you mean a dechlorinator, and if so...yes, you can stop if there is a carbon pre-filter on the R/O> Should I be using iodine? <very helpful with soft corals... I would recommend strong iodine solution/Lugol's base (colored)> After I thought everything was going well for a few weeks, I decided to add one other coral - an open brain. I never noticed it until I brought it home, on the outer edge there was small hole in it and some of its (inner skeleton?) was exposed and sort of brown looking. <ouch!...do try to resist all hard corals while you are still new to it all. And for the fact that they make a terrible mix with soft coral in the long run. Many complications from unnatural allelopathy (chemical warfare)> The area is now looking a little puffy. I have been reading as much as I can but I may need your immediate advice on this one. <is it a red or a green open brain? Both are somewhat lower light...red very much so. Either need to be fed minced meaty foods 2-3 times weekly or more often after the lights go out and the clear feeding tentacles extend (not before then). They will puff up amazingly after a good feeding. This will also help the healing> But I probably have read enough to know that this isn't good. <agreed, but this is a hard coral. Also why soft coral are recommended to new folks. No matter how hardy a stony coral may be with regard for water quality.. most are very to extremely sensitive to tissue damage. For many LPS it ends up being fatal.> Please let me now what I can do to help it. <just keep maintaining good water quality and feed well> I really appreciate any help you could offer. Thanks Ron <you are quite welcome, Ron...and may I suggest another good book on reef aquariology <wink>? http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bkcorlproprev.htm Kindly (and shamelessly) Anthony Calfo> |
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