Volume 6 Winter 1989 Â

Clams for @Aquarium

that the heart, Inhalant and exhalant siphons, and the stomach lie near the top of the body, ust below the mqntte. Thi? L altow&thestp ns to be on to " further In- c-tn the surface area. #dam also have light <;encentrating organs thatfocus light, onto pockets of zooxanlhellae (Achlerkarftp W%).

With th tfr clams, the dlviha,s iMd tot. be mb.%;g iti females am larger, Indicating that they - eh &**teen t&<y w a e*rtÈftv#t~e ThZ rvaeproduced,spendu tot0days j:.

In the plankton then setti out Into '.-h suitable environments at 9 length of 200 microns The zooxanthellae -me no- "Â¥'

tlmablt after 19 to 40 days, but exactly -L

how zooxanthellae are Incorporated by tht : dams IB not entirely understood ¥

r";rf . "1-

$mmEtearGhpSsge 2)

@ l a 9 Aquarium Systems, he., Mentor, Ohio - Printed in U.S.A.

Ing compared to the other species (Achterkamp 1987b).

TMdacna maxima is extremely widespread occurrfn from East Africa to

I ? Pol nesia. This spec es reaches a length of 5 cm and Its valves are much longer (3times)thantheyarebroa4 bin Itan % la elon ated appearance (Ac ter mp 1987bb Trid- maxima has also a large byssus opening Intermediate in size be- tween the other two species.

Tridacna In the Aquarium The lacement and behavior of these

clams differs among the species. ~rtdac- na squamosa lives In hollowed out areas In rock or coral; therefore, it Is best to place them between pieces of rock or coral. However, these are very strong animals and they can easily push these rocks rt, possibly destroying the

t is beat to carve out a Ieee of displaymy rock and place them Inside the hole (Achteritamp 1987b). Be careful not to make the hole too small or th will not be able to far enough. A so, allow some roomforgrowth.

T Trfdacna crocea Is the only species that

actively makes it own burrows through a rocking, cuttin movement that grinds a hole into the sub - strata. This makes them difficult to collect if the rock cannot be taken with them. Unless collected very carefully the byssus land would moat sura~y be ciamagmi d e n the animal removed from Its home and It will not live Ion after such injury (Achterkamp 19Ab). TO g~anintn ~ O U = I ~ healthy specimens, buy them only if they come attached to their own substrate.

THdacna maxima Is rarely completely submer ed and, therefore, often covered

ow overgrowt hs. This species can wllh varf be t direct! onto any substrate.

none of the species appreciates a strong current o water, especially T crocea. The II ht Irements of the three species dfffer i n t h e degree of inten- sity required: Trtdacna cmcea requires the greatest light Intensity followed by 1

twnosa and T. maxima {Achterkamp %87b ). Wdacna crooea to the most demanding specie* with respect to II t and water quality requirements, wh f ch helps to explain Its short life span in captivity. -

ince these animals love llaht one is often tempted to lace them c b to the surface, be warned, however, that they can close their shells with some force and can expel a surprfsi amount of water out of their siphons an "s out of the tank! In some cases, they can also trap small, slow mw- Ing fish, such as mandarins, gobies, or blenniea.

Purchasing Thdacna When buying these clams there are a

few things to look for. First check the In- hatant sl hon (the largest one). It should be c t o d r any elam sat has a constandy open inhalant siphon is not long for this world (Achterkomp 1987b). Smell it. If It smells bad don't buy it; i t s dead Take a good look at the mantle. It should be wl* orful everywhere, without white or clear areas. Check also for rips and tears. See how the animal reacts to an external

I should also take this opportunity to

r Int out that Trtdacna clams are becorn- ng increasin y difficult to obtain due to

export fictions In the country of origin as well as Import restrictions n Europe and the U. &, so If you want one of these beautiful animals you should get one soon. They are being banned because the larger varieties are considered food sources and their numbers are decreasing due to overflshlng. It Is not entirety clear whether the aquarium trade has had any lasting affect on these populations but Its a lot easier to ban an entire up of animals than Individual species.

REFERENCES I. AchUirturnp. A (1W7e). OoopvontKhm@dl: A b t n w inltidlrw. HÇ Zmqwrlum 37 (4M2-U. 2 Achterkamp A. (IW7b). Do6fvont*ch*to*n/2: Soon- tit.pr.hlnÈ Hot Zcuquirlum 37 (WO5.llS.

-awa alkalinity test kit

SeaTeP alkalimty test lot is a convenient way to measure the alkalinity or buffer capacity of aquarium watei

4 Essential for the diagnosis of low pH in marine aquariums. -

Aquarium Systems A Manufacturer of Instant Ocean@

Marine Fishes

J i ~ ~ w r i i i t ' Chocolate Surgeon fish, Acdf~t t iurus p y r o f c k s , niimics the Eibl's Angelfish.

An exam of Bateslam mimicry mi hi beà fish w I? ich has evolved with a color pattern to duplicate that of a toxic specie that co-exists In the same habitat. The textbook example of the other type of mimic Is seen in the case of the mimic blenny.This s legs close resemblance to the beneflclalcleaner wrasse allows It to ap roach other flah long enough to take a I  of skin or gill tissue and then quickly flee,

Often the mimic relationship is not clear cut. Take, for example, the filefish, Para/uterea prionurus, re rted to be a mimic of the ufferflsr Canthig- ualenttni, whose ksh to toxic. Wh then has the puffer developed flap of skin on Its dorsal and ventral surfaces which resemble the aha doraal and pelvic spines of thà flleflah? Scientists term this

Man mimicry when both nd the model are distasteful

e readily apparent as to e model and which s it is often usefu

the reef. - I" haps the foremost mimics are the blennies which Im~eraomte wrasses.

It joins the school for a time, feeding by deceit on unsuspecting fish that don't flee upon the approach of a seemingly benign group of wrasses. Then the school of wrasses move off, the bknny returns to its lair and awaits the passage of another school of blueheods.

The Indo-PacifIc region is home to the

from the Pacific Ocean are an example. Each of these fascinatin fish closely mimics a different spec f es of pygmy angelfish. Rare to non-existent Just a few

now they are almost routinely manyatones.Thellà tofsultabl

for the home aquarium could go on and on. Far home aquariats, locating both the mimlc and the model and watching their subtle differences In the home can be a inating as well as educational past ime. %

HEfCMnaa fwattc1AhT)MJWnO.SheddAqmimm, 1963.Nora DÑM-EJIwr S d d Aqwriiim Society. Ch- Illlnoli. m h k ~ . ~  ¥ n d c . c a a w k i ~ w f t h f o f w Bffwm. UvlngMDn Pub. Co. WrmÑml Fulmiytuanb. MÇudl,H.U* lÈ79.Qia<i(rWiadSÇÇWTtJuwi.1b mhwttyPr*Ñ,Tç)çç hd). John B. lMB, QAboflgrfnWio. TTJi Pdrila- tloiu.Nfpiun*Ctty,HÑJwÑ

~'hese hi hi acclaimed books are available upffn.The two volumes describe all known species of these popular families with an abundance of Information Including species names and synonyms, localities, habitats, dietary nwds, and data on aquarium care.

aforementioned cleaner wrasse mimic, taenlahs, whose model Is the

he pful cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimtdfatus. The false cleaner fish ob- Y ioualy causes larger fish much conster- nation when, Father than being cleaned of araaites as they oses a bit of skin ediess to w. this r expect, the larger fish nasty little ftsb cannot afford to be too common In any iven locality, or their prey would soon ? earn to flee at the a p preach of any fish resembling a cleaner wrasse.

towards potential attackers in the hopes that the redator will believe It to be the head of t?.c vicious spotted rno Gym- nothorax melegrts. Both of themfish are readily obtainable through normal sup* ply channels. In addl tion, they are eaay to care for, and seemingly co-exlst well even In the confines of small aquaria.

With different animals arriving to this country from new collecting sites with greater frequen , more mimic species are available tothe home aquarist then ever before. Three species of mimic tang

Butterfly and Angelflshes of the World, Volumes I and I1

Generally, juvenile and regional color variants, as well as adults, are Included in the 500 plus color photos.

Volume by RT r C. Steene surveys the 66 species un around Australia and View Guinea. Dr. Gerald R. Allen corn-

letes the list In Volume II with species from the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, and Indo-Pacific regions.

A ten page reference table summarizes the habitats, care and feeding for which data is available.

This beautiful, authoritative set Is a valuable reference for anyone interested In marine fishes. Published by Aquarium Systems, Inc., it is available through your local pet dea1er.A

the Aquarium Your flsh are Infected with external

rites. You have been told that copper t t h e standard tnutment and that any In- vertebrates must be removed. Now you must select a copper medication. To many hobbyist and even some dealers, copper Is copper. Wrong1

There are two major forms of copper being fold to the marine a unrtum market I k r Indudin the sim- ple$ Ã 58 (CUSO~S~~O). and

copper solutions, and chlated, indudin mlne complexed coppers and true chehted coppers.

Chelated copper d u c t s were In- troduced because ofthe difficulties of malntalnln therapeutic, Ionic copper Iwls, particularly In aquariums with

dolomite or crushed coral filter bed& Chelathg compounds attach to the cop- per and prevent them from reacting with tht oubonate substrate. Thus, the cop r

w stay ~n solution. ~ecame the ~ w ~ ~ a ~ * * m ~ ~ w w ore leu reactive and, therefore, less toxic

~ng aguux being umi bydifferent corn- the treatment leve will be different i%t brand. Often these other products

do not llç thà complexlng agent which can confine the conturner when

chmtu, which, In our opinion, are still the mot depmdable and effective treatment method.

The SeaTeaT* Cop r Text Kit Is allbratad fer un In tn! 0 to 0.25~ m range, d l below the text range needed to monitor the chetated oo pen. Further- mom, thà SÇaTç kit wtlfnot read total copper levels accurate1 for chelate*. Therefore, the S e i ~ e d b Copper Kit should not bà umd to monitor the 3 chçtatà roducto lilted above. It 1s onty Intended far me with copper S ~ I W ~ n d

nbltrtc add medication*, such as ISSSr.*.

is not effective In removing most complemd co r pro* ducts. Some of die synthetic Worptlon media, such as Poly-Filter* and

massive water exchan e. To be able to effec&ly treat with an

Ionic copper, the total copper 1-1 mutt first ba reduced to O.OSppm or less. If some of the complexed r is left In solution, the 0.1; twillnot be¥ffKtIvesincepartofftwillnotbefre

2BS?- Either a synthetic copper nb- should be used, and In a large

aquarium It could take several units, or a total water exchange is needed. One 95% excha

T down to 0.06ppm. Ither method Is easy, but If Ionic cop

per Is to be used the oomplexed copper must first be removed,

Copper detoxifying compounds, such as C . - W a f , are not useful In this situa- tion since t ey are also primarily corn- plexlng or dictating agents. In many cooes they will actually raise the total copper level brl Ing copper already on the

back%to aolutJon. gravel In conclusion, If one lans to use

StBTssT* Copper Ttt Kit. k sure to we little closei

ere's something happening at Aquanum Systems.

Ifs row, i fs great,

it's welting, it's different...

But that's all I can tell you right now. Oh yeah, I almost forgot -

it's going to be here in the Spring. So keep your eyes open.

ftltphone: (216) 255-1997"nill-fr~: 1-800-822-1lU

System Manufacturer of Inslani Ocean*

FREE

once each evening; however, males will with several females in one evenino.

Thespawning tankis a 125gallon aquarium x 18 x 20) with a home-made wet-dwfitoa- r-

on one hour before and stay on one after the 4 fool bulbs. This Increase and

(~w^iwedonpage'2)

Flame Angetfish Centropyge lorteulus.

The Salt Connection

Thereore twopropertiasofwaterthat areof particular significance to a q u a e

I . It Is, chemically, a wy s i m p stable compound. It conslsts entlrriy hydrogen and oxygen - nothing more, nothing k s Therefore, pure water Is exactly Ihe same wherever you find It. 2 It Is a "universal solvent". This means that virtually any substance you care to mention, even granite and glass, will slowly but surely dissolve in water.

ft Is hardly surprising, In view of the above, that pure waiter is next to impossibk to find In nature. No sooner has It been produced than chemicals begin to dissolve In tt. Therefore, even a raindropwill contain Its fair shareofdis- solved substances before It reaches the earth. Once it gets there, the rate at which k picks up other substances In solution accelerates even further. AÃ It bins with other raindrops to form tric-

Ides of water and. later, streams and rivers. It continues Its relentle&. Inevitable.dissoMng

action, By the time this water ieechç the sea, it Is markedly different In content to the original raindrop that started life somewhere In the clouds.

This proce~ has been going on wtthout a break since the formation of the earth itsdi. and the seas and oceans can be seen as "reservoirs" Into which all this chemically-rich water has continually been draining over the years. Some of it reflu evaporates {leaving dissolved substances to* be ind) to form clouds whkh, in turn, produce rain, thus eventually generating yet another supply of dissolved salts.

The result of all this Is that we have ended up, today, with very salty water whose proper- ties are such that very few of the organisms that have evolved to IJve there can survive In any other environment. There areexceptions, such as Trout Salmon, and Eels. whkh can Eve In both fresh and seawater but, even they, need a period of adjustment before they can leave one type of environment and venhffe into the other one.

The difference between Freshwater and marine environments Is largely due to the lads they contain. In freshwater, these salts pro- duce a range of conditions, depending on the

k I d ' on 4)

Reproduction In the Sand-Dwelling Sea Anemone

The sand-dwelling asa anemone, rteterac- [ismain. Liveson sandy,shallow, recHlala In protected boys or lagoon; In Hawaii. Indtvfd- ualsrelractweUinto sandwhndisturbed, andareoftenanchoredwiththepedaldiskon a small rock or shed buried several Inches below the sand's surface. The column of the anemone is embedded with gravel, sand, or muddy sand (Dunn, 198 1). These anemones have zooxanthellae within their tissues to gain energy from sunlight, but also possess sting- ing ceh to capture small planktonic organ- isnw Rom 4)ft currents that sweep over the sand flflts. The color of the anemone varies ftoif lxtfle-tvoty to translucent, pinkish hues. Themnsoftheanemonemayhmagenta tips. Adults have an oral disk that usually OKMUres from two to three Inches across, and bear several hundred tentacles. A d@e flsh spcctea, (he Domino damaeiflsh, DascyttUS albisella. Is known to form loose associations with thts anemone In Hawalk.

Aquarists often complain that these anem-

obviousthatbothsexeswerepresentinthe small fivegallon redrculaUng aquarium ays- tern on exhibit at the Waildld Aquarium. After four months In captivity several anemones spawned, doudjng ihe water a milky white, necesfltatin an extreme water change. A short time L, small wtittish-opoqm spats appeared within the translucent arms and gostrovaacular cavity of a couple of sea anwrones. These minute individuals were apparently phnula larvae that seemed to move çve 90 slowly within the adult- After a day, these larvae began to accumulate near the whitish tips of the arms of the adult, and pop out of the ends of the tentacular arms. Once (ree from the parent, they began to swim very slowty within the tank The white larvae were less than a sixteenth d an inch long. The young settled onto various rocks, algae, and sides of the tank. The surviving offspring had fewer tentacles than the a d d According to

Many of the young retained a whttlah a p pearonce which left doubt that they possess zooxanthefaeIntheirtissues.Somepossible scenarios to explain thia appearanceInclude a

VariationsInadultcolorseemtordatetQ

Wbk spots in the gaslfwascuiar cavity of the sand-dwelling sea anemone, Heteractis miu, are actually &nula l m . Note conceni/stkms of t a w fvsemblfm sand grains. in partteular tips of anns of the sea anemone,

ones appear to shrink with time until only a very small Individual is left This may be linked In port to lack of light quality (and quantity In some cases). Frequent water changes appear to be important, especially in smaller steed aquaria. A l h m g h live brine shrimp were added on infrequent occasions, anemones apparently derivedalargecomponent of nutri- tkm from fluorescent bight and dissolved organics from other small fishes and crus- t a m m n s ~ ~ n h h k . ~ l h a l k l e l l g h t s may be recommended € larger aquarium systems that can also handle the attendant heat problem from the light Evidence of ade- quacy d nutrtttond requirements might be found In the propensity of animals to re- produce.

This particular species of anemone has separate sexes (dioecious). It soon became

light regime. Anemones kept In a system with low tevels of ambient sunlight (e-g., shaded ç<potures exhibited a r e l a w darkcoloring wtlhfn a few months. Natural anemone pop' utadons also appear to exhibit short term changes hi color.

Some puzzling aspects of rnalntefnlng sea anemones In aquaria Include propensities of animalstonioveabout the living environment, and the postures assumed by the animal. Anemones may assume relatively flaccid pop tures and change appearance within a short period. Researchers have found that this to related to the tow internal hydrostatic pressure created by currents from cilia in the oastrovas- cularcnvity that allow the anemone 6 become erect. These interesting behaviors represent part of the challenge of keeping çe .mem- ones in

Flame Angel

Male Flame Angelfish coaxing smaller /em& toward surf ce during spawning rise,

head(fitstowidsthebottomoftheaq and In oneshortdsshthe mateandthe simultaneously release

oildroptetwhichca

measuring only .6 mustbetunredoff

easily collected from the d a c e arium with a brine shrimp net or even cup. They are then placed In a 10 aquarium with light aeration where th in 16to 18hours.tt'sbelievedthatst the fry need microscopic-she food to survive.

Dmafw3months.

hued fora month nowa

reliable and wfll spawn wfth

, however, this would be the prime

these poraskes to your homeaquariumeven if the dealer hdd It for 3 weeks. The fact te. a dealer oiriv has so manv tanks and wtth new

before It Is sold. The hobbyist with only fish In the aquarium

at least has the freedom to beat die show aquarium with an tonic (free) copper If the parasites are identified early enough; and hopefully, save most of the specimens. The situation is far more serious in the caw of a parasite infested reef or cofnmunky display since copper bawd medications cannot be used. Antimaterial drugs, such as quinine, have been s u m but they are not consis- tentlyeffectiveandaretoxictoatleastsomeof thftmarine*e,suchasCAutopdpraJj^rf.

Depending on Ole so called "antibiotic" effectof mlnaturençfaquariumaisrislqr It Is true that h ieme uairiums, with lush growths o f h ~ a r d ~ e r ~ l t e r f t x l t n . to~l.fl paaahlclDfestaBonshaveappearedlodbout

However, based on the number of cds from reef qumWs with skk fish, this is not a &- pe-ftratogy.

Another problem with Owtocarfon la that fish may dewetop a partial Immtintty wherethe parasite is held to a low-tewt, chronic Idec- Uon.Ifwaterquality ls&andtheftehare not crowded, they are not symptomatic. If a new non-resistant fish la added, it soon becomes Infected and dies.

In conclusion, It Is very difficult to control these panuttes in a community aquarium. Thus, a two to three week quarantine as a v e n ~ o n should be mad- lw all new fish%

chemicals Involved. For example, we can end up with hard alkttllrw water, or soft acid water (bothwell-knownwtoofconditionstoftuh- water hobbyists).

In marine conditions, the k g e amounts of dissolved subfttanctt gtw sea-water Its MI' inky.Thiscanvaryfromplace toplace but the usual range extends from between 32 and 37 Of00mtfntty.Motethesignafterthe37 -it looks k e a percentage sign (0/0) but has two

the bottom tine instead of one, -% (Le. 0/00) is means that the figures repre- sent 'Â¥part per thousand. Therefore, most of the worttfs was contain between 32 and 37 parts of wh r thousand parts of water, awaaing 34.^5/00

~ n c e you go below or above this, you begin tomove away from genulne;'normar marine conditions. At the lower end, you begin to move Into brackish water, white at the upper end, you move Into hypersallne conditions

has a salinity of between 80 and 280 0/OQ, Similar conditions can bà found In other In- land (landlocked) MM, such as the Dead sea

Within the marine hobby, salinity is not usually referred to In parts per thousand. The acute used Instead refers to the Specific ' Graufly of a particular sample.

If we that pure water has a Specific . 0nv l ty~3 . )~1 .000 . then11 fo~1hu1hd more saltawe add to pure water.The "heavier" It will become.nles.Q*figurewin,dearty,rtae. Therefore, If we flnd dot a particular sample hw a S.Q. of 1.022. *la means that it la 1.022 ttrnei"heavier"thanpurewater.

Using this scale, most water from open s e u varies between S.G. 1.0237 and 1.0275. If the aws are "restricted" in any way, and (par- Ucularty) If this Is also linked with low rainfall and high temperatures in the surrounding region, high levels of evaporation will lead to mom concentrated water. This Is, tn feet, what

m s In the Red Sea, where S.O. values of are normal.

Fish and other marine organisms evolve In tune with the conditions that exist in (heir natural environment Consequently, Indo- Ractflc fish suffer under Red Sea conditions. But, since moving "down" the S.G. scale is biologically à much simpler operation than "going up', it te quite euy to acclimatise Red Sea organisms to IndoAdftc or Caribtwn

conditions, thus making mixed collections poulbte.

Establishing the correct S.Q. condition* In an aquarium Is, obviously, vital. This can. In feet, measured by using a Hydrometer. Various models am widely available and, des- ptte differences In design, theyare ail relatively easy to use. Qhsa hydrometers may require temperature correction If the water tempera' ture is different from die calibration tempera- ture for the hydrometer.

In addition to (heir effect on the specific gravityofwater,saltsaboplayavttalroleinthe survival of die organisms themselves.

If you examine ananalyste of swwoter, you will find a long list of substances. The ones found In highest concentrations are Sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) which together form Sodium Chloride (Ma), otherwise known as Common Sak As you move down the list, you can And some rather unusual elements. In- chiding arsenic(!), iodine, tin. aluminium, gold, sliver, nickel, weird-looking chemicals like prawdyrnlum, thulium, tantalum, samm h u m and many, many others.

Many are found In minutequantitiesand are &erred to as Pace Elements. Despite their low concentrations, many are essential and play a part hi the well-being d marine org- anisms. The following elements have been reported to be essential for at least sonw wganlam: H, 0, Cl, Na, S, Mg, Ca, K, C Br, B, Sl,Sr,Mn,Mo, N. P.Zn,Cu. FaCo,V,I.F, and Ni with TI, Sn. Pb, and As listed as possible.

bolà was complied

the cither 74 elements has not been demon- strated.- ?

Afd ~lhttlcm.flneMtshouldproviA. oil these enenttal elements untfmlydls- tributed throughoutthebbndtpropertevote. Thbrequirespharmaceutical blending technology and stringent quatttycontrol for raw materials.

This helps to explain why, to the uninitiated, a high quafty salt mix cots so much more lhanapoundoftablesattlftalsohe4wtofhow why table sateila marinehobbyists'pofatt -?rhhrnme view.

Thebest advice one can give the new or pro- apectlvB marine aquarist when It cornea to buying nft 1à to go for the highest qwftty brand he or she can obtain. Altho h higher quattty mixes do cost more, pricealone can- not be used çtnc price can be affected by currency exchange rates, freight cost*, tc., which have nothing to do 4th qualify. Only biwdawlth a proven record of superior quality and suttabUtty for c"1*'"*- 'ç-n"t marine

wTM

pH & alkalinity booster

A balanced buffer, f---~ulated to increase and maintair 1 in marine aquariums.

Gently raises an haintalns pH in a single dose without causing shock, Pre-mixed and easy to use.

I A ~ ~ u o r i u r n Systems Manufacturer of Inslant Ocean*

was created to present short rtldesofinteresttomariix

pica msy Include water chemto n, marictilture, system design avfor andfish health-Articlecon

g~andwillcowtilauthor'srightsto L submitted. 1

No Excuse Quarantine Tank -

The typical excuse for not quarantining new flsh Is "I don't have besides Its too difficult aquariums are, admittedly,not attractive, are mtvneededonce In awhile

bylst doesn't bother. There Is a simple solution. The

tank can be a 5 to 20 gaUon aquurium Mored In the ctoaet until needed. When needed.JustsetItup,fillwithwaterfrom show tank(this isa good thetomake a water exchange), add a heater (tf n few Inert rocks or clay- pots, and b needed Is a fitter. The simplest Is to sponge/air Hft that has been logically active In the back of aquarium. If a back flitw or canister, witti foam or floss. Is bring used, thi chemically inert material can be an Inexpensive box filter. Thus, aquarium la set up complete with btotogfcat Nitration to handle the new &men.

I have mentioned the use of inert such as foam or floss, remove tonic copper. If available then active gravel can be used, but must bediscarded afterthequaranthe period, The floss or foam Alters con be replaced in the main aquarium ready to be u or free copper, such as SeaCu maintained in the range of 0.15 to 0.2 (rng/L). This Is very easy In the cribed above since uaually one 0.15 ppm, followed by a half dose the next Es adequate for the 2 week treatment

When the 2 to 3 week quarantine pteted and the fish has no symptoms, It ca transferred to the exhibit tank along wtth

Aq- Systems

RowMttustmeirt Adjustable volume 1st your special

I.

c animals maintained in closed aquariums produce toric wastes

arc dangerous if allowed to accumu-

el filter is the most com- gical filter- With an under-

waves to improve oxygen/carbon dioxide whanoe.

Most undergravel fitters are powered by mwns of airlifts which, while convenient. are not always efficient. An airlift's flow volume is directly influenced by the air flow to the airlift tube, and, for a variety of reasons. pumping &dewy often deteriorates drama- tically. Airatones become plugged easily, airlines become kinked, air pump dia- phragms and valves fail, etc. As a conse- quence, an airlift Is likely to be pumping below its maximum capacity quite often d ig the life of an aquarium,

1 ne situation can be [mpro~ed use of mechanical pumping units. Unlike airiifts, the output of a mechanical undergmvel filter "power head" can be more constant. This

enables more accurate maintenance of the pumping capcicttytd t h e tank site, and pro- mole? belter hloflical filtration because the fikertng organisms can operate more efficiently under steady flow conditions.

However, even with mechanical pumps the Row through the filter can deci eaaewHh time. The Fitter bed may become partially locked by accumulating particutatewaste, or the power head may become dirty. Both conditions can eventually result in a con- siderable flow loss.

With conventional met heads it is necessary lo be particularly careful because

(Continued w> oÇ 2)

'969 Aquarium Systems, tnc,, Mentor, Q~Q-WnWl in U.S.A. --

&&n Technology

changes !rt the flow volume are not easi i obswable. It is copunon to aswunethat thepurnpbalwaysopctatingatniaxtmym volume, even thoughits output vmy hew deceasedcoiuldteRtfe~redi^xidAoiw is always the result- Ing 1- tffldencyw accompanied by reduced oxygen/- <fioxide exchange. If unnoticed and unmr metc&'(hese tressful condltlons~in even- tually lead to Increased susceptibility to disease or loss of animals.

@'=-

The ftuctuattom In Sow volume that fiequenllfj occw wtth alfttfis lam decrease the efftclemq of an under- yad fitter.

With the recent introduction by Aquarium Systems of theVlsi~et aquarium pumpand power head, the difficulty of determining flow volume has been completely eliminated, The MsiJetm power head has a totally new design that, among other features, lncor- pobtes a flow meter Into the pump unit This flow meter constantty monitors and indicates the true flow volume.

Even minor changes In flow rate become easily observable, and can be conected by proper aquarium maintenance and clean- ing before dangerous conditions occur.

As a related benefit, ft Is also possible to accurately adjust the flow for special a p pllcations, such as small tanks. Flow adjust- ment Is easily accomplished by means d a control thatislocatedonthetopoftheunit. and easily set precisely by observing the flow meter.

The water output is located at the top of the pump, so that it can be conveniently

positioned at the surface d the water for optimum w / c a i b o n dud& exchange, Additionally, die innovative, flat dUtchatge port produces broad, surface waves that further contribute to improved aeration.

Powerhead~shouldbeehbsenwithsuffi- dent capacity to product a minimum flow of onehatf-aa]lon per minute for each square foot of filter area. In a typical aquarium, a reasonable estimate of the minimum re- quired How rate through an undergravel Alter can be obtained by use of the follow' ing formula:

(lacks) x Width (lnchÇÇ)x0. = l-A urn Reautmd Flow from Power Head In ~allons Per Hour.

Another method of calculating minimum pumping ratetotouse the four turnoverper hour rule of thumb. Thus, a 100 gallon per hour (gph) flow should handle up to 25 gallonsof actual aquarium water.Thus,one 100gph pump would be used for up to 29 gritontanks,whiletwo IOOgph pumpscould be used on aquariums up to 55 gallons.

Remember that these calculations provide only minimum recommendations, and that higher flows may be desirable for some applications or, particularly, to produce stronger currents in the tank However, the fact that pumping can be monitored and maintained at a constant rate Is most impor- tant,and this permits efficient filtration even at the minimum recommended flow rates-

Extremely high flow rates are sometimes recommended for users of conventional power heads, because higher flow ratesare often necessary to compensate for inef' flciencies of design. hrticulady, pumps with water outputs that arelocated well below the surface of the water do not provide suffl- cient oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. Whh a property designed pump, extremely high flow rates are unnecessary.

Bottom discharge type power heads are subject to poor oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. Water being pulled up from an undergravel filter Is typically low in oxygen and high in carbon dixide.Thiswater must come In contact with air at the suface for gas exchange to take place. However. these pumps return the water to the middle layer of the aquarium where exchange is not pos- sible, and only extreme turbulencecan over come this. One could try to overcome this by raising the pump uphigher so the dts- chargels at the surface.This "solution" car- ries even greater risks. If the water level drops even a Bule due to inevhabte wapora- tion, an instantaneous power outage would allow the pump to lose it's prime and step functioning. When power is restored, the impeller wUt turn but will not pump water and may eventually overheat without the cooling effect of the aquarium water.

The ViWet" power head to the newest addition to the Aquarium Systems line of Marine Design aquarium products that also includes Visi-ThtM healers, Sp&elally engineered forthe harsh conditions oF salt wateraquariums,allMarine Design products are ideal for use in fresh water aquariums, as well, and will provide outstanding perfor* mance and rellatrility Iri all applications.&

 Worm Infestations InFish . ';

, TYh BKJtame*A.- -

rely some ofthe things Q. Shedd Aquartum in

ed directly to thetank. DOS- listed with ports per mmlon units. This la the same as liter (mg/L), although this

sLA stocksolutionof medics-

II day long. ~wenty drops equals one L), 90 1 250 dKÈpa/2 = 62.5mL ately 12.5 teaspoons (tsp.). to be treated Is eating well, it is to medicate the food. For large

ay simply require slipping a tablet n capsule containing the medics-

medications often do not

makes Its way Into the animals. With prac- Uce, the amount of water uaed to prepare die suspension can be reduced to just enough to be completely absorbed by the pellets- A common rule of thumb Is that a heatthyfishoatsXofItsbodyweightper day,sothatquantftyof food will have to con- tain the prescribed dose for that fish Dosages are often listed as milligram per kilogram mh) body weight way to estimate the weight of a fish is to consider how itssizecompareswtth thatof~quarter pound hamburger (precooked TmA quarterofapoundisaboutl0@~(=0. Ota). Mixing the mecflcation with pellets or g r o d food allows for easier treatment of many fish at a time. That way thdividuat capsules do not hanwtqbe weighed for each patient This techniaue of soakina the food In medt- cation does'm work wellwith flaked food.

As a last resort, at the Shedd Aquarium we may force feed a fish that refuses to eat. for whatever reason, and is in danger of star vatlon.Thfa ~equtresamesthetlzhig the fish, putting a tube down its throat and pumping In a slurry of food and medication with a syringe and catheter tube. The materials and expertise r q h d for force feeding generally precludes its use by the home aquarid

treating lOOg or smaller animals - a more realistic weight for aquarium fish! W- quantet Is easy to dose and is fairly easy to administer in targe Bsh We have had good success with embedding half of a tablet In a piece of cut smelt and offering #to thelnfes- ted Rsh.

Fenbcndazote Is used In horses against roundworms. A typical recommendation to m e 5g pecket/500 Ib. horse. A difficult question to answer Is how many angelfish make up one horse-equivalent This bor- ders on the ridiculous when tying to weigh out medication for one fish. This treatment would be much more practically admiis- tered mixed In a large batch of treated food distributed to several fish.

PrariquBntd Is available as an inJectabte medication, but we at the Shedd Aquarium hove had no experience using this form against- Thetreatmentoftntemalwo~inainftahts

not an exact science. Most of the medtea- lions were not developed spectftetfly for fish nor has their application to fish hosts been well studied. However, when even cir- cumstantial evidence in<ficates a wonn In- festation, the hobbyist does have some treatment options. The protocols men- Honed here may be worth experimenting with using die above mentioned mecUca- tions or ' other drugs as they become M-tkT

Medications: Several medications have been tried with varying results. Praziquarrtel (for example, Droncit) is routinely used orally as a canine and feline dewormer. H has also been used as a bath against mon- ogeneHc trematodes in fish. The dose is 250mg/Laddeç once to the tank and left in for three days. It has been suggested that pfaziquantd in water may make Its way Into thebloodstream acrossthe gills but this has not been proven and does not appear to be & very efficient way of treating internal problems.

Oral dewomere Include praziquantel, piperadne (for example, Pipfuge) and fen- bendazole (for example, Panacur). Again, each la commonly used in veterinarian work. The dosage rate for pradquantd In canines is one half of a 34 milligram (mg) tab@ for dogs under 1Okg and one 34rng tablet for dogs up to 20kg. to 20kg. Such a wide range suggests this treatment la best used on large fish (one kg and larger) to avoid overdosing. In establishing the dos- age, researchers probably did not consider

EISUs's Hote: Based on hatchery expert- e m , use of gelatin based foods for &In- istering rne<fications Is a practical method. potte (1973) outlined a simple diet, to

besupplementedwithonedfilesuggested medications.

Also,asmall4ouncefoz) (112a)batchof food could be eaaBy made by making a 3 oz '15 gl puree of shrimp tails (No heads!) in a

Suggestion for Reef Maintenance

As a result of my article (%&ope, Winter 1988) on the relationship between redox-potential and micro-algae growth, questions have arisen regarding how to Increase the redox-potential in (he mini- ature reef system. More precisely, how to Increase the redox-potential without the additional expense of an oxygen reactor, ozonized or elaborate redox-measuring e q u i p m e

Like most mini-reef enthusiasts, my 135 gallon miniature reef is overstocked with live rock and Invertebrates. However, the largest constraint that I have regarding working with my tank Is time. As a result of this restriction and the above question. I have experimented with several com- ponents of my mini-reef system and have obtained some very desirable results.

The first component of the miniature reef system assessed was the substrate. Every time the substrate was touched a cloud would appear. This indicated that not only was detritus accumulating there, but It was being broken down both aerobically and anaerobically whic h would reduce the redox- potential. Therefore, removing the sub- strate might eliminate a lot of this decay and, consquedy, reduce the pressure to tower the oxygen content and fedox- potential within the tank This proved very successful Eliminating all substrate In the tank very quickly raised the redox-potential from an average highof 225 millivolts (mV) to an average high of 280mV. However. this redox-potential was still not high enough to control the thread algae which replaced the other mkro-atgae In the lank. This result was just as bothersome. The next step in increasing redox-poten-

ttalwas utilizationofa moreeffective means of removing detritus. Since there was no longer any substrate, it became easier lo siphon the accumulated detritus off t he bot- torn of (hetank However, this did not drama- tically increase the redowpotential. Every rock-glass interface or rock-rock Interface within the tank provided a niche for detritus to accumulate and decompose. Conse- quently, it was necessary to eliminate as many of these traps as possible. To solve

this, all of the live rock was placed on a feather rock platform which was supported by plexiglass feel 1 - 1 /2 inches above the bottom glass. This effectively eliminated the glass-rock interfaces. Prior to the weekly siphoning of detritus from the bottom of the tank, a bulb baster was used toUwash away" as much detritus as possiblefrom the rock- rockand coral-rockinterfaces.Thisallowed the detritus to settle on the bottom glass where it was readily siphoned off. Four power heads in opposing locations were installed on various timers. This changed the water flow pattern keeping detritus in suspfnslon and preventing the formation of dead spots. The detritus would consequently be trapped In the pre-filter and be removed.

This increased level of detritus In suspen- sion has caused a further change in my maintenance routine. For approximately six months the prefilter was cleaned and changed only when the weekly accumula* lion of detritus was siphoned from the tank. However, what was evident was that the redox-potential of the tank gradually de- clined over the course of seven days. This wasattributed to theabovementioned accu- mulation of detritus and other redox-lower- ing substances within the tank However. this was only part of the answer. A large amount of detritus was accumulating in the pre-filter over the course of the week. An experiment was performed where the pro- filter was changed daily rather than weekly. The results are presented in Table I. The data illustrates that the redox-potential not on@ was more stable when examining dally low points (one hour prior to lights off), but the difference between the daily high and low redox-potentials was also less dis- parate. Also. over the course of the three months, the average daily redox-potential

Ucularty thread algae are no longer

live rock supported on methods have reduced

to show aggression toward each This. however, may be a topic for i-rtc~e. A I

through local ~uar ium dealer& Oeakrs not recdvlq copies d SÑ for dIMrilHition to thefr should call Aquarium s. Inc. to be added to UM rru%mkT-l= e l 100~~21612551967.

FREE

-a------ w Instant -I,@ 7

commonly found around the s, but their range extends west - (Achtetkamp. 1966). can commonly be found in pairs, andaredosdyassod- areas between reef crests

IcolorationofSspfendtduscon- predominantly of orangewavy h s c m a background.Thedommaitcolorisbkie.

are also orange, green, purple, and Thebizarrecolorpatternshave

seen to be believed. aquarium. this species has often been to as delicate or difficult to keep for the hobbvfsL They do best in aquariums cefiA non-agwessive fish. or at least in

aquariums where the more boisterous cannot d i d them greatfy. They are

towaterquatityandtendtoberather feeders- In recent years, the advent of

aquariums, utilizing an abundance d rock and plants, appears to haw Increased

ncea of success with Ihfe beautiful fish. tank spawningswebecomingmmon-

tendtoberatherpickyeaten,pw- from the bottom. Due to the

stee dthw mouth, they must be fooditemsorfinetychoppedfoods. above, they appear todomuch

inaquariumswtthabundantliverodeand/ that thereis

abundance of natural food hems for them to

small worms, and pro- well stocked roof lank, you

have to give any additional r Mandarins. If you do decide lo

r Volume 6 - Fall 1989

Effects of Power Head Design on Gas Exchange

Aeration IS a critical factor in maintaining a healthy m r a For many years this was pro- dded fof through Ihe use of airstone. driven air/ water Rft tubes on w d e r p d filters. Howwr, tlwlecentshifttowardusingmechanKalpumps has generally ignored the need to maximize the &process.

Hobbyists prefer power heads over air lifts for avarietyofreasons,suchasquietoperation. fewer bubbles, less salt spray, and stable flow rates. "Safe creep", which is pnmani due to the bursting of bubbles, is a particular nuisance associated with air lifts that is not only unattrac- ttve but cam even be hazardous when the sak coals electrical connections, cords, etc. If glass cover; arc used. they become a maintenance problem, and light to the aquarium is limited. Thus. maw mariw aouarist prefer not to aerate

Still, gas exchange must take place Hid if power heads are used, the design win directly affect the awatkw efftctency. In an aquarium, thewatercmtng throughalifttubedan undergrav^filterwfllbeatItslowest~h oxygen content To replenish the oxygen and release excess carbon dioxide, this water must comeincontactwtththeatmospher~Ob\4ous- ty,votesinjectedInanairowstrearnseveralinch- es Wow the surface will not contact air. The most efficient design would be a broad dfs- charge at the surface that generates ripples across the lop d the water maximarig surface area and contact A rippled surface may have double (he surface area compared to a (tot sur- face. Experimental data confirm this thew.

A comparison of the MsiiJet"100. a topdis- charge power head, wMh three bottom dtochame power heads showed it to be stanificnntiy better at oxygenating water. Using identical 20 gallon aquariums, (he four power heads were tested by a standard method where the oxygen was chemicaly removed to 0.0 milligrams atliter. the powerheods were started, (hen the Increase

I (Continued on page 31 with bdng devices. (Continued on page 4)

Secondly, there are the butteflyfish that feed mahily on benthk (bottomdwelling) Inverte- brutes, particulartypolychaetowormsandJrnall shrimpand crabs.Their naturaldiet alsoincludes

WRete-eiWfw such exotic Items as amphipods, anihozoans

- (cwalsandanemones),hydroids,fishandmd-

ternsand theway they Haunt their beauty, flitting boldtv about the tank from one coral "blossom"

, iouraging than spending anywhere from $15.00 . rib $50.00for one of these a(luatleçei~açonh(i

watch R slowly waste awaymbeca& it refuses toeat

Fortimaleiy, such problems can easSy be pre- vented wtth a Kttte awareness of what butter- m e a t à the wild and what substitutesthey wU accent in the aauarium. This attide will oro- videhobbyistswiththatvitallnfmtlon, '

Several studies have detemiined that lhe feed- ing habitsofbutterfliescan bebroten downInto flvemalnfeeding groups, based on examination of their gut contents and underwater obser- vattons of feeding behavior: (1) zooptenkton feeders. (21 small benthic Invertebrates, (3) omni- votes feeding on a variety of animal I&& and algae, (4) soft coral feeders, and (5) hard or stony corals feeders (Mien, 1979).

I

lusc egos, tunicates (sea squlite), and the tube d sea urchins. Atnong the popular aquarium

-that belong inthisgroupare t h e w finButterfly(Olfletottonawiga},Copperband' ed Butterfly ~CheSmon rostratus), Banded But- t mfly (Chaetodon s(rfafus). Reef Buttetfly <C sedentarius), Four-eye Butterfly <C capis- (ratus), Caribbean Longsnout Butterfly (C. acdeatus). Tinker's Butterfly (C tinkerf), Spec- hJed Butt citrinellus), and the

nosed^ 'Â¥' tong/roslrls). These buttefflks alsoadaptdto

aquarium life, and feeding Ihem Is rwdya pfob- tern. They readily accept all of the aquarium foods suggested previously for looptenklon

--'T-. feeders, as well as while worms (Emfiytrae}, tubifex, blactworms, bloodworms, otasswonns,

"tluwdSn Bottofly/ls?) (Cfwtodon a@& searching

, fiy food ,h Great Bonier ReeL Australia.

thez&pkmkhthey dependonareabun- nt AMkn. 19791Their natural diet consistsof

fon and brik shrimp are excellent.stimulants to Get the fish accustomed to such food. A small amount of frozen ~ f i a k e food -beoffered along with the live foods; eventually the butter- flies wfM beain eatina the bits of frdwn andflatte foodsuspended& the fc~ig~rtemla. ~ e f & 'forig,frozenlrc<Mdried,andflakefoodwiBcon- b ' h t e their staple diet, supplemented by ax&- slonaJ fee- of live brine shrimp.

and mosquito larvae-k.frozen, freezedried (Turk 6 Barttey, 1909). Young specimens In this group do best m a diet of newly-hatched brink shrimp, white adults thriveon a substitutcdtet of the various worms listed above that is Bberally suDDlemented withawidevarietydfrozenfoods. A&initial probtems can be o k by feed- ha livewormsandlive~rtentiawhenthesefishes a; first introduced to the aquarium, and theh gradually weaning them onto frozen and freeze drwd fare. Shy specimens can often be to eot by offering them fresh scaflop -3 that h been cut into thin wonntke shreds (Strau& ban, 1970). I

Next Ihere Is a bige group of butterfBes that can best be described as opportunistic omi- mThesefishesareunspecialtoedfeeders whose diet in the wild consists of all ttie natural food items from the above categories plus marine algae (Alien, 1970). Thiigroup includes such aquarium favorites as the Raccoon Butter- fly (Chef& huW, Red Sea Raccoon But*

apt& arehardy additions tothe aquarium and none of them arc hard to feed (Allen, 1979). In-

(ami 40-501 fenaftLloodCSri

4 h t e d ~ i t h 6 d f - on vegetable matter. Of

cwrse,thIsstaple diet Should be bolstered with agoodvarietyoffrtizen,freezecirfcd,andfinely chooped fresh f i i and the wuarfst must make every effort to -(hew om- withalo*<aswefl.Thbiseasilyaccomplishedby encouragirtg a goodgrowth qf green algae on the sides and back wal of (he -. by

Buttafly (C specu turn)hkc-bacted (C. mefannotus}, Reticubted Butterfly =?

(C retfcutatusl, Four-spot Butterfly (C quad- rimaculatits), Zanzibar Butterfly (C zan.. zibariensfa), RalnfofiTs Butterfly (C minfwdfi, andtheSpotrnopedButterfly(Ccixycep/ia/u). Although these butterflies haw a very speoBBzed dieLyounghealthyspecimensareoftenabteto adapt to foods other than coral potos In the aouafhim. Neverthetess.these finicky eaters are moredelicatethan thepreviouslydiscussedbut- terflies,anditisimportanttomatesuretheyare already eating before you buy them (Tuck 6 Bartfey, 1989).Theyshouldbeofferedawide selection of (he same kinds of food suggested for butterflies that feed on benthte Invertebrates. It Is abo a good Idea to start newly-acquired specimensonadietoflivefoods,undltheyget used to their new surroundings.

hiaddition,tkeIsoneotherfoodthatfa especially helpful for feeding butterflies from thte m p - A m or Me anemones. These A (1-5m) - or gmnM- - MmreproduceextremelyrapkDy-When main- takned under the right conditions, these ane- mOoesWvveryprolific.Vyouhoveasecond tank that doos not oorttain &or butterflies. +la anemonescan easily be cultured by PtatlnaWWVtBl-ofIhefnifithetankandletting natwclahfrte~~~ftlWhsRttieyteainMtflte owrlhetaoltitbei9UtptuspQpt^aflooca~belÈpr vestedandfedtoyourbutterftes.Soft.coral feedersretshAiptas^a anemones.Theyareirre- sistMe to other butte* as well. except those froro the fdlowtng cstegofy.

LastofaUrthewarethebutteriltosthatfeed exctusivriywithepotypsarKi mucusofhaptw stonycorals.Thisgroupincludesanumbctof exoepttflflia^bcautlfulflahcssuchastkOmpte Butterfly (Olaetodon GwiaUas^nysl. Redw

adapt more easily to aquarium Be

. ..

I have several comments regarding Worm hfestatK)rBin FishWbyJirnAn(tason,SeaScope Summer 1989. My comments are directed toward the use of prazlquanlel as a dewormer. Prtziquantel is only effective against worms in the Phylum Platyhefmlnthes, which Indudes cestdea (tapeworms), digeneans (flukes), tur- betlarians (mostly free-living flatworms, but some are facultative parasrtes), and mono- geneans (sometimes refwed to as gill flukes even though they are more closely related to tapeworms). Praziquantel is not effective against nematodes or protozoans.

The article suggested a baft d 25-/L for rnonogeneans. This level d pmfquantel is acutely toxic to ftsh. Mr. Anderson may have meant to use 250 mg of a Drondt tablet per liter. Dfondt tablets weigh 4- with 34mg active praziquantel. This would deliver 20mfl actwe pfaiiquantel/L. Recommended dosages in the Bterature for ectoporesitic range from 1.0 -20.0 mg/L for (Schmahl & Mehlhan, 1985; SchmaM & Taroschewsld, 1987, Thoney, 1989) wtth 20 mg/L having slight toxic effects after 1 hr.

p k n l i e flshare more sensitive than adults. If flsh are known to be infected with enteric

plat/helminths then praziquantel should be

iE orally via stomach tube or chunks of For small fish use a gel diet Andrews 6 (1962) and Pod et al. ( 1984) recommend- "% ed -1 00 rng/kg body weight *). Assuming

fish are eating 2X bw per day, then the food should contain 135-5gofactive prariquonte)/ Kg. Maser et aL < 1986) were successful in elimi- nating cestodt infections In rays over 200mm by Injecting 0 3 rnl of injectable pranquantel <56.8mg/mt).

Preliminary studies conducted at the (Sew York Aquarium suggest that doping of marine Ashes in pradquantel may abo eradicate enteric platyhehlnths. It Is unlikely that enough prazi- quantd toadsorbed through thegllstobethen- peutic. An oral doseage b probably attained by marine fishes drinking water to maintain their water-salt balance. If this Is the case, then a much lower oral dose may be required than recommended in the literature. Research continuing.

In regard to coflecting feces for parasitic ttflcatlon Maws& Sirionari fish diaper that wasquite effective at

dBahMtastanachtube.Fisheries MoÈer.MGSatanari.J,(1985

cokdion d fish faces. Proceedinas o

- E m l t w M M m ~ l RE L a . * - . A*.- .id-, A,-- ".

try additional feedinqs, you can trv baby brine shrimp, frozenflive && shrimp, &adult brine shrimp. In some cases. It may help to turn off water pumps and filters so the food can settle to the bottom first so that the ftsh can get to ft. S your Mandarins are housed with larger, more aggressive fish. they will not get t i . itie food in t tme.Inqeven4 keepin mindthui Mandarins are not b(g eaters so any add should consist of small qua ped foods.

Mandarinfish -thick,- This * tends to tantio parasitic skindiseases. IfaMandarin does I get sick, DOMOT use any heavy metal based

fhefeumarinetropi- cabthat can beeasily sexed.Thereareanum- her of morphological features that can beused to differentiate between the sexes. The males tend to be larger and more robust than the females- The caudal and soft dorsal fins are hger in the mate. and the mole tends to have more orange on ita face. However. the most dip tinctive d -bnce Is In the dorsal fin. The males

femalesdo ML In fact, in some males this dorsal spine is long enough to actually reach the base d the caudal peduncle when laid flat During die day both males and females wili display a total lack of interest in each other; however, just be- ore the tank lights go off or shortly aftetward, 4 e male will search out the female. They will

cslowlydtdaeachc~herwhileri~kthe column. When thev reach theam of their v, theeggsawis&maresimultaneously

released Into the water and the pair then return to their separate ways. This d beha^or can occur almost every niaht W. or several months.

1rnrninhgthwtthapredominant~lksac,and ,remain pianktonic for at least 2 weeks before they begin orienting to the substrate. Mandarin larvae are extremely small and cannot be fed rotifem as a first food, but success has been achieved through the use of marine infusoria and especially copepod nauplfl w m l Sprung, personal communication). Others have report- ed success with rdfcrs as a first food and it may be lhat the particular strain of rotifer (I& sbe df- ferences) used is an important factor.

amount of oxvaen rw

**among may account for this:

Brand II '

fin-rn'm : - I F l o w 1 117GPH ] 102GPH 1

Type Discharge TOP Bottom

,. , How. - 14-12 Hours 13-

, ' 1 4,

Makes testing better than ever before. b New foil wrapped dry powder reagent packets block out heat, Eight and moisture to

keep chemistries fresh. Expanded dual range tests are suitable for all Qpes of marine aquariums, including reef tanks.

b Innovative through-theasample viewing compensates for tight source variations and provides accurate readings every time. Redesigned color slide comparators have a wider range of gradient colors to detect even the most sensitive color shifts.

b Unique cell holders gives added flexibility lo view tests in long or short path configurations.

New SeaTesT* test kits are available in ammonia, nitrate, nitrite. pH. alkalinity and copper. Also avail- able is the convenient Multi-Kit that contains 4 of the most popular tests for marine aquarists- ammonia, nitrate. nitrite & pH. l-

Aquarium Systems I ^