MARINE FISH USA 2003

FEATURES

Got a Big Tank to Fill? Many saltwater fish grow too large for home aquariums, but there is a small group of mid-size fish that reach more manageable proportions. If chosen with special care, a community of these can be maintained in aquariums that are 180 to 265 gallons — the largest standard glass tanks now sold. By Pete Mohan Where Will Your Tanks Be When the Lights Go Out? A reefkeeper provides some blackout emergency measures. Without electricity, aquariums are doomed. Water movement, temperature, filtration, lighting and virtually all of the techniques we commonly use to keep our systems alive depend on the consistent availability of electricity. Swift action, creativity and a solid understanding of the most critical needs of your aquarium can save you from complete disaster. By Randy Donowitz The Cleaners and the Cleaned Explore the symbiosis between cleaner animals and their “clients.” It seems astonishing that small fish can clean larger, even predatory fish species of parasites, and in return, receive immunity from predation themselves. By Richard F. Stratton The Unseen Benefactors Cryptic animals are numerous in reef tanks, and they can help maintain healthy aquariums. One can easily focus on a tank’s more prominent inhabitants: the fish and corals. But there is another world within the tank, operating at a considerably smaller scale. Cryptic animals make up the majority of animals in a reef tank, and for every fish, coral or invertebrate that you see, there are dozens, even hundreds, of animals that you might rarely or never see. By Richard Harker Beautiful and Hardy Surgeonfish Some are placid, and others are aggressive--but none of them will eat your corals. Among the many beautiful and fascinating marine fish available in the marine hobby, few rival the surgeonfish (family Acanthuridae) for hardiness and beauty. Surgeonfish, also known as tangs, are mostly grazing omnivores, with a large portion of their diet being vegetable matter. All have one or more scalpel-like spines — on both sides on the base of the tail fin — that are similar to a surgical instrument. By Nick Ireland The Benefits of Photosynthetic Refugiums Learn which species, substrates and flow rate you should use. It has become popular in recent years to use photosynthetic refugia for nutrient uptake, recycling, zooplankton/phytoplankton generation and nutrient export. Caulerpa and Chaetomorpha species, algae scrubbers, sea grasses and mangroves have been enthusiastically embraced by hobbyists, both for their intrinsic interest and the advantages they bring to reef stability. By Charles Matthews Frag-tastic! Coral frags are favored by reefkeepers who take pride in growing their own colonies. There are frag swaps, frag trades, websites dedicated to frags, frag clubs and all sorts of frags for sale. Reef aquarists are obsessed with frags! So, what are “frags,” and why are they so popular with reefkeepers? By Mac Terzich, DVM, Diplomate ACPV High Hats and Other Drums Drumming, snoring and croaking — these fish make sounds. Known as “croakers” or “drums,” most of the perchlike fish from the large family Sciaenidae produce resonated sounds amplified from a specially adapted swim bladder. This potential anti-predatory and communicative capability gives them a special defensive mechanism that is shared with a great many freshwater and marine catfish. By Dr. David Sands Crustacean Nation Burned out on just fish? Consider some of these unique lobsters, crabs and shrimp. Animals of the phylum Arthropoda are considered some of the shining examples of evolutionary diversity. From the crushing ocean depths and the driest deserts to the cold alpine slopes, arthropods are ubiquitous in the world’s ecosystems. By Jeff Cypher and Jay Hemdal No-Hassle Wrasses Not all wrasses are great choices for reef tanks — but these are. Wrasses are some of the most brightly colored fish in the sea, with particular species exhibiting almost garish colors and patterns. This diverse family has members that vary greatly in size (from a couple inches to 7 feet in length, food habits and lifestyles. By Scott W. Michael Starstruck! The simple form of the starfish is at once familiar and alien, and for many people, seems to capture the essence of the ocean. It’s not surprising that so many marine aquarium hobbyists choose to introduce these intriguing creatures to their tanks in hopes of creating a truly “complete” marine ecosystem. But for many hobbyists, success with starfish remains elusive. The key to succeeding with starfish is selecting and acclimating them properly. By Jeff Kurtz Have You Overlooked These Fish? Reefkeepers should think twice before crossing these fish off their wish lists. At one time, conventional wisdom said that you couldn’t keep many fish in a reef aquarium--maybe one or two small fish, but that was it. In fact, you had to choose between a reef aquarium and a fish aquarium. It may sound silly now, but it wasn’t bad advice at the time. Now we can keep a lot of fish in reef aquariums, and there are more choices of fish than ever. By Gregory Schiemer Advancements in Marine Fish Aquaculture Most of the fish that marine aquarists will purchase are from the wild. There has been endless debate about how much of an impact the trade in ornamental marine fish has on the natural reefs. There is, of course, an alternative: the aquaculture of marine ornamental fish. recent advances in food development, culture and grow-out technologies have resulted in some tantalizing breakthroughs in the production of ornamental marine fish and their availability. By J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc. An Aquarist in the Philippines The author visits the Philippines and sees the route of aquarium organisms from the collecting site to the exporters’ facilities. Some 500 species of coral are found in the waters off the Philippines, with a coral reef area covering almost 10,000 square miles. Unfortunately, human activities such as overfishing and the use of dynamite and cyanide to fish are placing 97 percent of the reefs are at risk. By Alf Jacob Nilsen SPECIES PROFILES Chocolate Chip Starfish Yellowhead Jawfish Sexy Shrimp Snowflake Moray Blue Damsel Marine Betta

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