Reef Hobbyist Magazine Q1 2022

FIRST QUARTER 2022 I VOLUME 16

SUCCESS THROUGH SIMPLICITY

COMBTOOTH BLENNIES

FEATURES 6

A REEFER'S TALE Ron Finkelstein has been in the hobby nearly 50 years and currently lives in San Diego, CA. This 300-gallon reef is filled with a spectacular collection of fish and corals and showcases the benefits of a dedicated maintenance regimen.

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THE FORMS AND FUNCTIONS OF SUBSTRATE Rick Greenfield has been a certified SCUBA diver and marine aquarist since age 11 and is president of CaribSea. Sand is more than just something pretty to cover your bottom. Learn how to make your best substrate choice here.

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GROWING A GONIO GARDEN Josue Matias, aka Joshporksandwich, is one of the best-known veteran zoa enthusiasts around. But did you know he was obsessed with Goniopora first? View a few of his favorites and learn their care in this article.

FIRST QUARTER 2022 | Volume 16 © 2022 Reef Hobbyist Magazine. All rights reserved.

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THE COMBTOOTH BLENNY FAMILY Sabine Penisson is a French photographer and author focused on coral reef fauna. Combtooth blennies are often overlooked when people stock their tanks, but these fish are beautiful, good community members, and packed with personality!

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TUSI'S CORAL RETREAT Joseph Muscat is 58 years old and originally from the island of Malta. This reef is over a decade old and the culmination of a lifetime of aquarium keeping. Check out his collection of some of the rarest fish in the hobby.

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SOFT CORAL AQUARIUMS: THE IDEAL BEGINNER'S REEF Henry Rafael is from Guatemala City, Guatemala, and is a long-time reef and freshwater aquarium hobbyist. In this piece, Henry details his fascination with soft corals and why they're great for beginners and advanced reefers too!

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ON THE COVER SUCCESS THROUGH SIMPLICITY

Joseph Ghosheh is the owner of Carolina Coral Heads and a certified acroholic. Keeping things simple is a time-honored path to success in the reefing hobby.

Cover image by author

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A REEFER’S TALE RON FINKELSTEIN

A

s long as I can remember, I’ve had a fascination with animals.

I’m especially passionate about fish of all types, both freshand saltwater. My interest in sea life has evolved from a young child’s exuberance to a lifelong hobbyist’s dedication.

As children, my brother and I had a 55-gallon freshwater tank stocked with South American cichlids and, later, more colorful African cichlids. That fond memory is slightly soured by what happened in the middle of one night. The tank cracked along the side, and we frantically rushed our beloved fish to the bathtub. I don’t remember much after that. First lesson learned: a glass aquarium sitting atop two unlevel dressers is not the best idea.

Fast-forward a decade or so to the 1980s. My first saltwater tank was decorated with dead bleached coral, as was the style at the time. Back then, we were taught to use damselfish to cycle the tank.

If the damsels survived the cycle, they were often too aggressive to keep in a mixed-fish community. We know better now.

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Shortly after that, I tried my hand at live coral. Skimmers were just being introduced, and the best you could do for lighting were power compacts and VHO (very high output) fluorescent bulbs.

As many of us have, I left the hobby, only to return in 2000. Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised by how the hobby had advanced during those two decades. Then, aquariums started to appear at my house. First was a reef-ready, 120-gallon tank that I eventually upgraded to a 150, then a 250, and finally culminating in my current 300-gallon system.

I was forced to break down my previous 250-gallon system due to a seam separating on the eurobrace (déjà vu?). Breaking down that system after 5 years was a difficult decision since the colonies had matured so nicely. However, in the end, I knew it was the right thing to do for my peace of mind. I kept small frags of my favorite corals for the new system, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing the new colonies mature over time.

Left side of the display

SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS Display: 84″ × 30″ × 27″ Volume: 300 gallons Lighting: Giesemann fixture with (3) 250-watt metal halides and (4) 80-watt T5s strapped together with Reef Brite XHOs Photoperiod: metal halides for 7 hours, T5s and Reef Brites for 12 hours Flow: (4) EcoTech Marine MP40, MP60 Skimmer: Reef Octopus Regal 300INT Calcium Reactor: Geo CR624 Sump: 100 gallons Frag Tank: 75 gallons Controller: Neptune Apex MAINTENANCE My regular maintenance is fairly simple. I clean the glass daily and perform monthly water changes of 15 percent. I use Reef Crystals salt and make my own RO/DI water. I test alkalinity weekly, as I believe this is one of the most important parameters. Everything else is tested on a monthly basis and includes specific gravity, magnesium, nitrate, and phosphate. I’ve found most undesirable outcomes in this hobby are a gradual reaction to an event that occurred perhaps weeks prior, so I take time to observe the animals daily. The skimmer is emptied and cleaned weekly. Carbon is changed when I remember to do it, usually every 2 to 3 weeks. GFO (granular ferric oxide) is changed when depleted, which I determine by testing the water at the reactor output. The return pumps and skimmer pump are soaked in citric acid or vinegar quarterly.

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Borbonius Anthias

Naso Tang

FEEDING I feel it’s important to feed the fish a wide variety of food on a daily basis for optimal health, which also benefits the coral. I use a variety of dry and frozen foods, such as flakes, pellets, and nori.

PARAMETERS Temperature: 79–81° F Specific Gravity: 1.026 pH: 7.9–8.25 Alkalinity: 8.3 dKH Nitrate: 15–20 ppm Phosphate: 0.12 ppm (goal is under 0.1 ppm)

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I was able to eliminate the chiller from this system by using fans over the connected frag tank and sump. To keep the system as silent as possible, the reef is plumbed through the wall into a spare bedroom where the sump, frag tank, and all other equipment reside.

The space under the stand is strictly for supplies, allowing for easy access when doing routine maintenance.

This tank has been up and running since January of 2020. This is a mixed reef that is Acropora/SPS (small-polyp stony) dominant.

My previous systems quickly became overgrown and overcrowded.

My goal with this reef is to keep up on the pruning. I plan to maintain this display as a more open reef where the fish have plenty of swimming room. I hope to grow larger and more carefully trimmed colonies.

Although I don’t quarantine, I am diligent when introducing new corals into the system. Every coral is closely inspected and dipped in Melafix, and any frag mount or rock it is attached to is removed.

I am willing to risk losing a new frag to reduce the chance of infecting my entire reef.

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Right side of the display

– Magnificent Foxface – Circus Goby – Leopard Wrasse – Potter’s Wrasse – Ornate Wrasse – Yellow Coris Wrasse – (2) Swallowtail Angelfish (bonded pair) – Bellus Angel – Purple Tang – Naso Tang – (2) Yellow Tang – Blue Tang – Tomini Tang FISH IN FRAG TANK – Six-line Wrasse – Scopas Tang – (2) Skunk Clownfish

FISH – (2) Ocellaris Clownfish (pair) – Longnose Hawkfish – Plesiops sp.

– Midas Blenny – Mandarin Dragonet – Bartlett’s Anthias

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I have too many corals to list. You could say I have a serious problem with my coral addiction, but I guess it could be worse. Aside from my many Acropora, I have a variety of gorgonians, LPS (large-polyp stony) corals, and clams.

It’s difficult to choose my favorite part of the hobby. The fish have become part of our family; I have some fish that are over 15 years old. The corals bring constantly changing aesthetics to the reef.

After all these years of being in this hobby, I still look forward to seeing the reef when I come home. I think that’s my favorite part. R

Ribbon Eel over black sand | Image by Divelvanov

THE FORMS AND FUNCTIONS OF SUBSTRATE RICK GREENFIELD

T

here are many reasons to maintain a substrate of some kind in a marine aquarium, but you can typically divide them into two categories: form and function. As far as form goes, beautiful sands are characteristic of tropical coral reefs.

Functionally, sand provides benefits that aren’t easily achieved by any other means.

Coral reefs tend to be surrounded and infiltrated by beds of coral sand simply because of the attrition of coral skeletal material, mostly by biological agents. Everyone knows of the role of parrotfish in producing sand. They ingest small amounts of coral rock as they graze on the algae between living corals and then expel it out in a shower of gritty poop that tends to work its way into your wetsuit (with uncomfortable results). There are other grazers that contribute to the reduction of coral skeletons. For example, sea urchins such

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as Diadema spp., other fishes like tangs, and gastropod mollusks all contribute to sand production by scraping the surface of coral rock clear of algae. This is vital to clear areas for the establishment of new coral colonies. Even given the numbers of these other grazers, parrotfish are the heavy hitters in the grazing world, and you can actually hear them crunching away from quite a distance. Sadly, these magnificent animals are under fishing pressure throughout the Caribbean.

Often overlooked is the role of boring sponges in reducing coral skeletal material to sand. These sponges are responsible for a large share of the mosaic of colors you find splashed on the walls of dark reef caves. They are also the agents that produce the greatest weakening of coral reef platforms, magnifying the destructive effects of hurricanes.

The grazing behavior of this parrotfish clears the way for the establishment of new coral colonies and is vital to maintaining a healthy coral reef. | Image by Wendy B. Cahill

Away from the coral reef itself, structural algae and mollusk fragments become the significant contributors of sediment. Red coralline algae contribute sediments as well as high magnesium calcite, as they are reduced in much the same way as corals. Another major contributor is the ubiquitous green algae of the Halimeda genus, whose segmented skeletons are composed of fibrous aragonite. In some parts of the tropical Pacific, bottomdwelling foraminifera (small, single-celled, shell-bearing organisms) can contribute the greatest percentage of sediment by volume. This substrate has a shiny appearance and can be easily mistaken for surf-polished coral sand. The famous pink sand beaches found around the tropical parts of the world are tinted by the bright scarlet fragments of Homotrema rubrum, encrusting foraminifera that are often seen on the undersides of rocks and ledges.

Oolitic sands and their formation may be the most interesting story of all. The individual grain averages about 0.3 mm in diameter and is named an ooid after the Greek word for “egg.”

Under magnification, the resemblance of oolitic sands to eggs is unmistakable. Astronomical quantities of oolitic sand are being formed continuously on the Great Bahama Banks. As deep ocean water is lifted over the Great Bahama Banks, it degasses carbon dioxide in the warm shallows. This forces normal seawater to become supersaturated with calcium carbonate, which precipitates out of solution as tiny ooid grains. Each ooid grain is covered by a film of cyanobacteria that facilitates the deposition of aragonite by the slight upward shifting of pH in the water surrounding the surface of the grain, thus favoring the deposition of calcium carbonate. The gentle agitation of the ooid by wave action evenly exposes the grain to sunlight on all sides, and gradually the ovoid sphere is formed. A cross-section of an ooid under magnification reveals onion-like layers of aragonite surrounding a central nucleus of sediment. Currently, oolitic sand is only formed in significant quantities on the Bahama Banks; Shark Bay, Australia; the Persian Gulf; and, oddly enough, the Great Salt Lake, Utah. Its occurrence was more widespread in geological history when it formed extensive deposits of what is now oolitic limestone.

FUNCTIONS The functions of a substrate are manifold. A suitable substrate in a marine aquarium can passively add calcium and buffering ions to the aquarium water, increase the surface area for housing water-purifying bacteria, reduce nitrates, and make aquarium lighting more efficient by reflection. It also provides a necessary environment for many interesting aquatic creatures.

Solubility determines the quantity of dissolved ions that a particular mineral will impart to a solvent such as seawater (as a function of surface area). The most common calcium Reef Hobbyist Magazine

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levels of the bed will consume the accumulating nitrate, reducing it to gaseous nitrogen so it can harmlessly degas from the system. If the substrate bed is deep enough to have a lower oxygen-depleted portion, and the aquarium doesn’t have too large a bioload, nitrate levels can be maintained at close to zero by the sandbed alone. As an added plus, a bed of any light-colored material makes lighting more efficient by reflecting light back into the system that would otherwise be absorbed by a dark surface or glass.

A deep sandbed in a well-aerated reef aquarium can practically run itself if you don’t add too many fish. It is a great choice for a beginner or anyone who is tired of dealing with the swings in seawater chemistry.

Deep sand systems and their derivatives (including plenum systems, developed by Dr. Jean Jaubert at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco) were pioneered and championed in the United States by Dr. Walter Adey of the Smithsonian and home-based experimental aquarists like Bob Goemans, Tom Miller, Sam Gamble, and others.

A deep sandbed of 3 or 4 inches (or more) is a passive denitrifying and calcium- and carbonate-ion delivery system.

Tridacna species clams benefit from shallow tanks with deep sandbeds. | Image by Karelj

carbonate mineral forms encountered in the oceans are, in order of increasing solubility, dolomite, calcite, high magnesium calcite, and aragonite, and they are nearly all, by volume, biogenic in origin (originally formed by animals). The higher solubility of aragonite, the inclusion of strontium as a significant trace element, and the internal surface area of many biogenic aragonite grains make aragonite the most suitable all-purpose substrate for most marine aquariums. It is also metastable at a pH of 8.2 in seawater, meaning in normal well-aerated but acidic seawater, the surface of the aragonite grain will continue to dissolve, releasing ionic calcium and carbonate buffer until reaching a pH of 8.2 (the pH of natural seawater), where it will dissolve and adsorb at an equal rate. In practice, an aragonite substrate can help support the pH of an aquarium and even control it in some circumstances, while delivering a steady stream of calcium and strontium too.

Surface area is a constraint that dictates much of the natural and physical world. It’s the reason why flatworms are flat and bison are more or less round. Most water-purifying bacteria are sessile, meaning they attach themselves to surfaces and do not function efficiently in a free-floating state. In any closed biological system, surface area becomes a limiting factor for just how large a colony of beneficial bacteria can be sustained, and substrate is a surface area multiplier. For example, picture a rock as a 6-inch-diameter sphere.

This has a volume of about 37 cubic inches and a surface area of 113 square inches. The surface area for an equivalent volume in 1-inch-diameter spheres is about twice that figure, and eight times that figure for quarter-inch spheres. This does not take into account the porosity that is typical of most biogenic fragments, and that may be many times the external surface area of the grain.

In a greatly simplified model, a mature substrate bed’s bacterial inhabitants will convert toxic metabolic fish waste in the form of ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate in the upper aerobic sections of the bed. Bacteria living in the anaerobic (oxygen-depleted) lower

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Good tank geometries to start with are 40- and 50-gallon breeder aquariums because the favorable surface area to volume ratio means you have a great chance of running at equilibrium with the atmosphere. Equilibrium means the system is saturated with all the atmospheric gases with respect to normal seawater. Aquariums breathe (exchange gases with the atmosphere) across the surface of the water. If a fish or invert is going to breathe, the aquarium must breathe first. Aquariums that are tall and narrow are at a surface area to water volume ratio disadvantage, so they are almost never in equilibrium with respect to atmospheric gases, and the water is acidified by the accumulation of CO2. That is why many tanks have perpetual pH problems, even with adequate levels of buffering.

You can make up for this somewhat with vigorous circulation and protein skimming, but again, scaled up, the turns per hour require some real horsepower in a large system.

The practical upshot of this is that, with a favorable geometry and a deep sandbed, you will never have pH problems, even at night, as long as you have buffer in the water (provided by your deep sandbed of aragonite), have reasonable circulation, and don’t cover the aquarium with a tight-fitting lid. If your calcium demand is moderate, a sandbed may also contribute enough (or more than enough) calcium for corals to build skeletal material without additional dosing. Another benefit of a deep bed/shallow water system is there is less water depth to attenuate your lighting, making it more efficient. I especially like this type of system for Acanthophyllia spp., Lobophyllia spp., Fungia spp., and some species of Tridacna clams, such as T. gigas and T. derasa. This setup also lends itself to true seagrasses and ornamental tree-like algae such as Penicillus spp., Udotea spp., and Halimeda spp. Combining meat and plate corals with Tridacna clams and seagrasses is an especially nice combination and true to some South Pacific environments.

Another approach is to scatter a thin layer of sand, only a few grains deep, to add to the total internal surface area of the system, increase light reflectivity, and create a more natural look. If it starts to accumulate detritus or algae, you just suck it out with a siphon and replace it with clean, new substrate. This process sounds easier than it actually is, but it is doable. Of course,

wrasses and other deep-sand-loving or burrowing species are then out of the question.

The pound-per-gallon rule of thumb typically gives you anywhere from one half inch to one and a half inches of substrate in typical aquariums and reef systems, depending upon the geometry of the aquarium and the density of the material. It is a standard because it combines many of the benefits of a substrate bed, such as surface area, mineral delivery, light reflection, and natural appearance, with manageable maintenance, mostly performed by fish and invertebrates. It is especially amenable to the more open-framework hardscapes favored by aquarists today.

NATURAL SUBSTRATE EXAMPLES Yellowhead Jawfish Environment (Opistognathus aurifrons) The Yellowhead Jawfish is a species well worth going to the trouble to keep, and when happy, they will readily breed in captivity. In Florida and the Caribbean, I find Yellowhead Jawfish just off the deep end of a reef or cliff face in the mixed sand and coarse rubble. They will hang vertically a foot or two over their holes, dodging, dancing, and picking off tidbits that float by. They look for all the world like a candle flame in a light breeze.

Jawfish require a deep aquarium and a deep sandbed with plenty of subsurface architecture. The hardest part is the

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The ethereal Yellowhead Jawfish is a most entertaining aquarium inhabitant. | Image by Jacob Loyacano

odd aquarium geometry required to do it right (unless it’s a really large aquarium). Keep in mind they need, in my opinion, at least 6 inches of a sand/rubble/rock mix on the bottom to be comfortable.

In nature, the holes go much deeper, following the undersides of buried rocks and rubble. You can make up for this by providing plenty of flat rock surfaces buried in the sand and rubble mixture.

If you can, it is also best to have 28 inches or more of water over the surface of the substrate since they explore higher in the water column at night. They are prolific jumpers, so you will need a soft lid like a screen so as not to damage their heads and eyes. This is a lot of effort, but what a result! They are truly mesmerizing to watch.

FRINGE REEF VOLCANIC ISLAND Many of the animals we keep are found in the fringe reef areas of the tropical volcanic islands that make up the Ring of Fire. Since the coral here grows on the rocky flanks of volcanic islands, the fringe reef environment is a mixture of dark volcanoclastic and light-colored biogenic sediments. This produces a unique salt-andpepper-looking substrate. Around the islands of Bali, Sulawesi, and Komodo, this characteristic substrate is found mixed with coral and volcanic rubble, creating a distinctive environment. This is where you can see the famous Mimic Octopus, as well as Sebae Clownfish, unusual lionfish, nightmarish ambush predators, and many others.

Basically, if the animal comes from Indonesia, this is probably the matching substrate. This substrate incorporates larger grains of volcanic materials that may trap detritus, and it contains a broader trace element composition too. Use of a mixed-size substrate may require breaking out the old gravel vacuum occasionally and a more vigorous partial water change regimen than an average reef aquarium system.

SEA GRASSES AND MACROALGAE I have always had an appreciation for underwater plant life. Saltwater planted aquariums are a specialized part of the hobby that is fascinating and still little known. Sea grasses such as Thalassia species are true plants with roots, flowers, and all. By contrast, macroalgae such as Penicillus (the merman’s shaving brush) are algae that look like true plants. These two groups are easily grown together and indeed often occur together in nature. Many saltwater fish species begin their lives in the sheltering fronds of seagrasses,

Sebae Clownfish (Amphiprion sebae) and associated anemone | Image by Tracy Jones Photography

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Florida with so-so results until switching to a freshwater plant light.

Good circulation and clean water are also a must to keep nuisance encrusting algae at bay. Algae have reproductive cycles, seasonality, and lifespans that are little known in the hobby (if anywhere). The tree-like macroalgae such as Penicillus spp., Udotea spp., and Halimeda spp. will appear to die off, only to regenerate from the holdfast. (Remember to never release marine algae into local waters if you live near the coast.) Associated fish for the Atlantic and Caribbean saltwater planted aquarium, based on my observations, are the spotted burrfish, filefish, puffers, green wrasses, boxfish, and cowfish. This is also the natural environment of multiple species of seahorses and pipefish, at least here in Florida. These fish are mostly small shrimp eaters, and that is a food item that is particularly abundant in the grass beds.

The famous Mimic Octopus | Image by Ethan Daniels

and some never leave, being lifelong denizens of these underwater meadows.

Growing seagrasses is not difficult, but procuring them might take a little extra effort, as they are protected by law but can be legally obtained from reputable dealers. All you need is a deep sandbed of 4 to 6 inches of a fine-grade material. Unlike the jawfish biotope, a deep water column and subsurface substrate architecture are unnecessary. Oolitic sand is perfect for this purpose, and a freshwater planted aquarium light is the ideal illumination. You will be amazed at the results you can achieve with this simple setup!

I have tried to grow many beautiful red and green algae found in

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CLEANUP ON AISLE THREE! There are a number of cleanup animals available to keep your sandbed fresh. In the days when aquarists were able to procure live rock from tropical oceans, some of the cleanup crew arrived hidden inside the rock (along with some real nasties, too). A functioning reef tank was usually, over time, colonized with a healthy population of burrowing worms and copepods that turned the sand over, ate detritus, and enhanced the diffusive properties of the sandbed.

Luckily, you can still piece together a top-notch cleanup crew from your favorite livestock dealers.

Burrowing fish such as sand-sifting blennies will churn through a substrate looking for food, and wrasses sleep within the sand at night (and will rest in the sand occasionally during daylight hours).

These fish do a good job of aerating and agitating the substrate down to a few inches deep, wafting mineralized organics into the water column to be filtered out or consumed by invertebrates.

Ornamental shrimp and other reef-safe crustaceans such as Bluelegged Hermit Crabs will search the sandbed at night, turn grains at the surface, and do a little sand-sifting too. This helps slow the growth of algae on the sandbed surface.

Herbivore gastropod mollusks, particularly in the form of conchs, are available and indeed farmed in large quantities in the case of the Caribbean Queen Conch, Aliger gigas. This conch “kicks” itself along the surface of a sandbed using its operculum as a sort of big toe as it consumes bits of algae and other detritus.

My favorite group is the echinoderms, especially serpent stars and sea cucumbers. These animals have a primitive design with staying power. Serpent starfish will come out of their dark hiding places at night and range over the upper surfaces of the sandbed in a sinuous motion, gently agitating the sand, turning grains, and liberating organic particles. Bitter experience has taught me to avoid the brittle stars with spiny legs, like Ophiarachna incrassata. They use these spines to lock up an object between adjacent arms for either defensive or predatory purposes, and it’s a surprisingly effective trap.

Sea cucumbers are the ugly superheroes of the cleanup world. Dirty sand goes in one end and comes out clean from the other end.

You just can’t beat it! These creatures ingest substrate and digest the organics found on and in the material. The size of the substrate

Seagrasses such as Thalassia spp. are true plants and often found inshore of coral reefs. | Image by John A. Anderson

grain will determine the size of the sea cucumber suitable for your system. A larger grain size will require a larger animal to ingest it. For a grain size of about 1.5 mm or smaller, a 4- or 5-inch sea cucumber will suffice. For 2 mm or larger grain sizes, you should look at 6 or 7 inches as the minimum.

Though it’s often ignored, marine aquarium substrate is a basic tool of aquarium management that has stood the test of time. Like all equipment, substrate requires maintenance from time to time, either by you or your little surrogates in the sand. However, given the benefits it brings to reef aquariums, isn’t it time you covered your bottom? R

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Combustion Goniopora from the WWC farm

Growing a Gonio Garden

JOSUEakaMATIAS Joshporksandwich

M

ost people who know me in this hobby know I am a zoa guy. But in this article, I want to cover the first corals I collected obsessively: flowerpot corals (Goniopora spp.).

When I got my tank in 2011, I began searching for corals to collect.

I saw these little waving flowers and instantly got hooked. I looked everywhere for them and very quickly—and without knowing what I was doing—had five or six different Goniopora corals.

The first Goniopora I ever aquacultured was an encrusting type that came from Australia. That coral, which I still have a colony of today, was originally about 12″ × 10″. It is bright pink with blue-tipped tentacles, and the polyps stretch to around 4″ long. I have made literally thousands of frags from this one piece. Even when I killed the main colony in a tank crash, my friends with the same strain brought frags back to me.

Goniopora is a genus of large-polyp stony corals in the Poritidae family. When fully open, long, flowing polyps extend from the coral’s base, each with 24 skinny tentacles. Be careful not to confuse the flowerpot coral with its lookalike from the genus Alveopora (Acroporidae family), which only has 12 tentacles.

If you’ve read my previous articles about zoanthids in Reef Hobbyist Magazine, you’ll see the same basic husbandry methods apply to flowerpot corals. Many of the flowerpot corals are hardy (within limits), but to be successful, you need to keep your system stable and your water parameters close to natural seawater values.

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Cotton Candy Goniopora from Vincent Tran

Highlighter, Cotton Candy, and my 9-year-old pink Goniopora

LIGHTING I currently have EcoTech Marine Radion XR30 Blue fixtures over my frag tanks. My lighting ramps from all white (4,000 K) to blue (20,000 K) over a 3-hour period in the morning. The lighting is then blue for the remainder of the day, for a total photoperiod of 11 hours. In my frag tanks, I keep Goniopora under 180 to 250 PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). I usually experiment to see which PAR level results in the best growth and color from different Goniopora. My best results are in the 180 to 250 PAR range, with 220 PAR being a good lighting target for a new specimen.

PARAMETERS My tanks are all plumbed together into one system with an approximate volume of 500 gallons, and I drip-dose any needed chemicals every few days. My dosing container is an old protein-powder bottle with a ¼″ hose attached to it. I fill the bottle with reverse osmosis Reef Hobbyist Magazine

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Fire Garden Goniopora

Reefco Fire Garden Goniopora

water and the chemicals needed to keep my parameters stable. I try to keep my alkalinity between 8.9 and 9.5 dKH. My calcium is maintained at 450 ppm, and my magnesium is kept around 1,450 ppm. I test once every few days, but I rarely test phosphate or nitrate. The only time I test all my parameters is if I see something abnormal or if the colors begin to appear dull. The times I have tested my phosphate, it is usually between 0.05 ppm and 0.20 ppm, and every coral in my tank seems to like that range.

FLOW For water movement, I’m using two AquaIllumination Nero 5s per tank, which are mounted to create a somewhat circular flow. I use the random-flow setting, alternating between low and medium flow at no higher than 50 percent power. I’ve noticed that Goniopora do not like very high flow, so I keep them away from the pumps.

Highlighter Goniopora from Chris Obergas (Unlimited Color Corals)

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If you want your Goniopora to fully extend its tentacles, try to keep it in an area of the tank with very little flow. In my opinion, much like zoas, Goniopora with long tentacles look very nice! In my tanks with higher flow, even though the polyps are not as extended as they are in the low-flow tanks, the colonies are still thriving and doing fine.

FEEDING I use the same feeding method for all of my tanks. I used to spot-feed my corals, but as my collection grew, I started to use the broadcastfeeding method. For the last 8 years, broadcast feeding has been my only feeding method. My recipe consists of various fish, shrimp, and other seafood in season at the fish market. I also use an array of dry foods, like Two Little Fishies Calan-Eeze, ME Crave Food Enhancer, and ME Amino Polyp Extender. I use Aquavitro Fuel, dry seaweed, spirulina, Two Little Fishies Sea Veggies, and other

Spitfire Goniopora from Reefco NJ

A new Goniopora from Aquatic Realm International

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items like fish eggs. I feed all my tanks once a day in the morning when the lights are ramping up. I thaw out a piece of the frozen food and just pour it close to the pumps so the flow can bring the food to all the corals. Lastly, I add around 16 ounces each month of a mix of phytoplankton and rotifers from local clownfish farmer Miguel Hurtado. Called the Soup, it makes sure everyone is getting some food, from the biggest to the smallest creatures in the tanks.

PROBLEM SOLVING Like any coral with a hard stony base, if I encounter a section dying off, the first strategy is to investigate whether there is a bug eating the coral, an Aiptasia anemone stinging the coral, or any coral close by that is bothering it. If I don't find any of these issues, I use ME Wash Off to see if any pests come out. The next step is to cut off the bad area and see what I can find. After that, I dip everything in Seachem Reef Dip. If there’s any infection involved, the iodine in the dip helps disinfect both the original section of die-off and any newly cut tissue.

I try to keep the same types of Goniopora close to each other, as they are pretty aggressive toward other stony corals or different species (and maybe even subspecies) of their own genus. They seem to be fine living close to zoas or other softies like clove polyps, which I have all over my tanks. Short-polyp Goniopora are very aggressive and will kill any other Goniopora that is too close. When you are trying to create different color combinations in groups, put the colonies next to each other but not touching. If they are aggressive toward each other, you will see one colony extend one or two extremely long polyps toward the other. That is called a feeler

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polyp and indicates it’s an aggressive interaction. These corals will fight if not separated. If they act normally (all polyps are out and extended), you can put them next to each other without a problem.

If you have met me, you know I’m inquisitive and always asking questions about lights, chemistry, and how to care for corals. I asked a couple friends from the industry what they do to keep their Goniopora looking good. (Disclaimer: every tank is different, and what works for someone else might not work for you. Implement what works for your tank and care for the living creatures as best you can.)

• My friend Lou Schiavo from World Wide Corals in Orlando told me that, in their lagoon tank, they keep their Goniopora under medium-intensity light with low flow. In that tank, since there are few fish producing waste for coral food, they feed the corals two to three times a week. In their main SPS (small-polyp stony) display tank, they have the Goniopora in low light and medium flow with a heavy fish load. With plenty of fish feces, they do not need to feed the corals in that tank at all. WWC is one of the best in the industry, and their Goniopora look amazing!

• Another person I asked is Sutan Suganda, who owns Aquatic Realm International and operates an Indonesian coral farm. His approach is a little different. He has firsthand experience with these corals in captivity and the wild. On his farm in Carrollton, Texas, the Goniopora are kept under high light, with alkalinity between 7.5 dKH and 8.5 dKH. He maintains a very high nutrient environment with two to three daily broadcast feedings for his tanks. His Goniopora are some of the nicest in the hobby.

Colorful pink and purple Goniopora from the WWC farm

These two different approaches are both producing great results.

There is never just one right way.

The last point I want to cover is fragging Goniopora. I have used bone cutters or a band saw to frag these corals. The best survival rate is with the saw. With any coral I frag, I add five times the recommended dose of Seachem Reef Dip to the dip water and keep the freshly cut frags in this dip for up to 1 hour after fragging. I would suggest you follow the dosage recommendation from Seachem; I’m just sharing my method, which I have been using for many years.

After fragging, I let the corals heal in a container in the corner of the tank for a few days before I glue them to a rock or frag plug.

With bone cutters, I have had good results, but sometimes I get very uneven cuts or shear off very small bits that do not survive.

I hope this article has helped you understand Goniopora a bit better.

These beautiful, little waving flowers have been a long-time favorite of mine, and I heartily recommend you give them a try! R

A blue Goniopora in the WWC main display tank

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Ecsenius lineatus (Linear Blenny)

The Combtooth Blenny Family: Fish with Charisma SABINE PENISSON

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lenniidae is a vast family, with more than 400 species in 58 genera. Some hobbyists completely overlook this charming group of fish until they have an algae issue. However, these quirky cuties deserve a place in almost any aquarium.

Blennies are usually quite shy because most of them are small and defenseless. With so many predators above them in the food chain, they’ve evolved into subtly colored fish with discreet behaviors.

Once they are used to aquarium life, blennies gain confidence and are fascinating little fish. They are peaceful (except with other members of their family), reef safe (most species), fun to watch, and great for any system. Some will be very helpful in containing algae growth, some are unexpectedly energetic and good swimmers, and some are perfect for nano aquariums.

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SYMPATHETIC LAWNMOWERS Salarias species and their related cousins (the Salariinae subfamily) sport a thick tubelike body, a huge smile, and expressive eyes that follow your every move. These are the most popular of all blennies.

Despite being mostly dull colored, their appetite for microalgae is legendary.

S. fasciatus (Jewelled Blenny) has a broad distribution from Eastern Africa to Samoa, and from the Ryukyu Islands to the Great Barrier Reef. It can reach 5.5″ as an adult and has a mottled army-green coloration with broad whitish dots on the lower sides and a lightcolored belly.

S. ramosus (Starry Blenny) is found from the Philippines to northwestern Australia. It can reach 5.5″ as an adult and has

dark greenish-brown coloration, with numerous small bluish-white spots. It is sometimes seen in small groups, grazing on inshore or estuarine algae beds.

S. ceramensis (Seram Blenny) is distributed over the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It can reach 6″ as an adult and looks like S. fasciatus but with a darker chest and a large black spot behind the pectoral fin.

Salarias fasciatus (Jewelled Blenny)

S. segmentatus (Segmented Blenny) is found from Indonesia to Palau. It can reach 4″ as an adult and has a nice pinkish/reddish body color, along with the green and brown tones common within the genus. It also sports thin cream-colored vertical stripes all over the body. This pattern makes the fish look X-rayed when seen in profile.

Atrosalarias fuscus (Dusky Blenny) is another Salariinae sporadically available in the hobby.

It’s found from Yemen to the Marshall Islands and can reach 5.5″ as an adult. It comes in two colors: plain yellow or jet black.

Blenniella chrysospilos (Red-spotted Blenny) is possibly the most sought-after species.

Bright orange lines and dots cover its light-gray and white body. It is widespread from East Africa to the Society Islands.

All Salariinae live where algae growth is abundant: lagoons, shallow fore reefs, estuaries, rubble and dead coral zones, and intertidal areas. Most species are found from 3–30 feet deep.

Salariinae won’t survive without plenty of greens to eat daily and should be introduced to a variety early on to determine which supplements will be accepted. One of the most successful ways to feed them is to offer something suitable to their grazing habit. First, prepare a fresh mixture of peas, spinach, nori algae, banana, shrimps, and mussels. Then blend it thinly, mix it with gelatin, and spread it on small, flat pieces of rocks or empty oyster shells. Freeze the pieces so they can be used as needed.

Be careful when selecting a blenny species for a reef aquarium. Despite the physical resemblance, some species that are similar to Salariinae won’t be a good option, as they consume polyps of hard corals. The following species are best housed with mixed soft corals and gorgonians to avoid any damage.

Of all 23 species of Cirripectes, C. stigmaticus (Red-streaked Blenny) is the most common in the trade because of its attractive body pattern. It combines a greenishgray head and half body with reddish marbling, fading to bright red lines on the posterior parts, over a dark background. It can reach 4″ as an adult and has a widespread distribution, from southeastern Africa to Samoa.

This species lives singly or in small groups among Acropora and Pocillopora colonies. It feeds on turf algae but can consume coral tissue as well.

Blenniella chrysospilos (Red-spotted Blenny)

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Exallias brevis (Leopard Blenny) is the sole species in its genus. It’s found from the Red Sea and Africa to Easter Island. This large and stubby blenny can reach 6″ and bears an attractive pink/red dotted pattern over a light background. It is known to feed on SPS (small-polyp stony) colonies such as Acropora, Pocillopora, Porites, and Seriatopora. Stomach content analysis shows a majority of coral polyps and a small amount of algae and organic detritus.

Like all blennies, Salariinae lay demersal eggs, but no species of this group have yet been reared in captivity. Considering that some wild individuals are reluctant to feed in captivity, tank-bred specimens would be a desirable option.

TINY CLOWNS Ecsenius blennies are so nice looking, interesting to watch, and comical in their demeanor, they’ll put a smile on anybody’s face!

Exallias brevis (Leopard Blenny)

Their small size (many measuring less than 2″) and lazy temperament make them suitable for any tank larger than 10 gallons. Lacking a swim bladder, they are not eager to swim up from the rock or substrate. They stay near favorite bolt-holes, observing their surroundings with big mobile eyes.

As cute as they look, they are tireless fighters when it comes to defending their territories. They are easy prey for bigger fish, so they don’t venture very far from their lair, guarding a small territory to graze on. Most species are solitary, with a few exceptions, such as E. pictus, which likes to live in bonded pairs, or E. lividanalis, often found in a small group structure. Ecsenius are gonochoristic, and males will fight for dominance. With solitary species, mating happens briefly, every 5 to 12 days, depending on the species.

E. bicolor (Bicolor Blenny) is the most common species in the trade and is widely distributed from the Maldives to Micronesia, and from the Ryukyu Islands to the Great Barrier Reef. It can reach 4.5″ as an adult and is purplish dark gray from the head to two-thirds of the way down the body, fading to a bright yellowish orange toward the rear. In males, the dark purple can turn bright blue during courtship.

There are two other color morphs that are not related to sexual dimorphism or geographical location. One is purplish brown overall, with a lighter brownishyellow head and no yellow on the tail area. The other has a whitish line over the ventral part of the tail. They all bear cirrhi between the eyes, which look like small branchy antennae.

E. bimaculatus (Twinspot Coral Blenny) is found in a narrow area around the Philippines and Borneo. It can reach 2″ as an adult and has a tan/cream to lightbrown body with two dark elliptical spots on each side at midbody.

Exallias brevis (Leopard Blenny)

E. gravieri (Red Sea Mimic Blenny) is endemic to the Red Sea and can reach 3″ as an adult. A brightly colored species, the front half is light blue, and the back half is pale yellow. A black line runs down the back from the eyes to the tail, first solid, then dotted. It mimics Meiacanthus nigrolineatus.

E. lineatus (Linear Blenny) is found from Yemen to the Philippines, up to Japan, and south to northwestern Australia. It can reach 5″ as an adult. Its head and body are bicolored: the top part is chocolate brown with several thin colored horizontal lines, and its bottom side is white to light tan. This species sports long cirrhi between the eyes.

E. lividanalis (Blackspot Coral Blenny) is distributed in the entire Coral Triangle area, from Indonesia to the Solomon Islands, and can reach 2″ as an adult. It’s a small and stubby species with two distinct color forms: the most famous in the trade is the full yellow one with yellow eyes. The other is all gray with a yellow dorsal fin and tail and pale-blue irises. Both bear a black spot on the anal area.

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Ecsenius lineatus (Linear Blenny)

Ecsenius midas (Persian Blenny) surrounded by anthias

Ecsenius namiyei (Black Combtooth Blenny)

Ecsenius pictus (White-lined Combtooth Blenny)

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The yellow form is sometimes sold as E. midas by Indonesian and Philippine suppliers.

E. midas (Persian Blenny) is broadly distributed from the eastern African coast to the Marquesas Islands and can reach 5″ as an adult.

The Midas is quite different than other Ecsenius, as they swim in the water column with more confidence and quite often during daytime.

With its bright blue eyes and yellow to orange overall coloration, it’s one of the most popular species.

E. namiyei (Black Combtooth Blenny) is found from Indonesia to the Solomon Islands and from southern Japan to northern Australia. It can reach 4.3″ as an adult and has a black body, a yellow tail, and branched cirrhi between the eyes.

E. ops (Eye-spot Blenny) is a species restricted to Indonesia. It can reach 2″ as an adult and has an olive-brown body, a grayishblue head, and bright yellow irises. Another form has a whitish lower section, from the gill operculum to the tail. It is similar to E. stigmatura but with fewer or no colored lines on the gill operculum and no black spot on the caudal peduncle.

E. pictus (White-lined Combtooth Blenny) is a small species, reaching around 2″ as an adult. It is distributed from Indonesia to the Solomon Islands and has a chocolate body, a tannish-brown throat, thin white lines, dots over the body length, and a yellowish caudal peduncle.

E. stigmatura (Tailspot Coral Blenny) is found in the Philippines and northern Indonesia. It reaches about 2.5″ as an adult and has a beautifully distinctive pattern. It sports a light-chocolate body, a blue lower jaw (sometimes the entire head), rainbow-like lines (navy, orange, yellow) from under the eye to the end of the gill operculum, and other colored hues (pinkish, greenish, blue) on the head and back, depending on the individual. It also has a broad black spot with a white crescent on the end of the caudal peduncle. This species can be found singly or in small groups.

All Ecsenius are found in rich reef patches surrounded by corals and sponges, mainly in shallow coastal waters, lagoons, and other protected areas.

Most clown blennies only feed on turf algae on the rocks surrounding their lair, eating the benthic meioplankton living in it and the diverse detritus. The more free-swimming species like E. midas feed on swimming zooplankton. Some species like E. bicolor, E. lineatus, or E. gravieri are known to nip at corals, tridacnid clams, and tubeworms. A nipping behavior can sometimes be tempered by larger, more frequent, varied, and enriched meals and especially by providing a constant algae source to graze on.

Most of the time, Ecsenius will readily accept meals made of finely chopped seafood, small pellets, mysids, fish and lobster eggs, and frozen Crustacea like brine shrimp. Don’t forget the daily greens they need: provide algae flakes, spirulina pellets, or filamentous algae on rocks.

Few species have been reared in captivity: only E. bicolor, E. gravieri, and E. namiyei.

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GENTLE VAMPIRES Meiacanthus, commonly referred to as fang blennies or sabretooth blennies, include many brightly colored species.

They are not as shy as many other blennies because they benefit from a unique defensive weapon, giving them the confidence to stay in the open during daytime. They bear two long and very sharp canines on their lower jaw, hence their common name fang blennies. Moreover, these canines are linked to a toxin gland. When the fish bites, the gland is squeezed, and the toxin runs through a channel toward the tip where it is injected with the bite. The venom is related to opioid toxins, lowering the blood pressure and weakening the aggressor. Though they have this powerful defensive weapon, they are peaceful fish, totally compatible in a community reef tank and harmless unless a fish tries to eat them.

Ecsenius stigmatura (Tailspot Coral Blenny)

The genus contains 29 species, with the most popular described here: M. atrodorsalis (Forktail Blenny) is known from Bali to Samoa and the Ryukyu Islands to Rowley Shoals. It can reach 4″ as an adult. Its head and front half of the body are grayish purple, with yellow posterior sides and long caudal filaments on mature males.

M. bundoon (Bundoon Blenny) is endemic to Fiji and Tonga and was very rare in the trade until it was reared by ORA. Most of the body and all its fins are dark gray, with a greener tone on the head section, a darker horizontal line midflank, and a burnt yellow color from underneath the lateral line to the belly.

It can reach 4″ as an adult.

Meiacanthus atrodorsalis (Forktail Blenny)

M. grammistes (Striped Fangblenny) is found from Indonesia to New Caledonia and from the Ryukyu Islands to the Great Barrier Reef. It can reach 4″ as an adult and has a cream body, a yellow head, and three broad dark gray/chocolate horizontal stripes over the body that end in large dots on the tail peduncle of mature adults. This is a shallow reef and lagoon inhabitant.

M. kamoharai (Kamohara Fangblenny) is endemic to southern Japan and was scarce in the trade until it was bred by ORA. It is overall black with electric light-blue freckles on the head and dorsal fin. The latter is underlined by a white/silver line running from head to tail, finishing as a blotchy white patch over the tail peduncle. Females average 2.3″ as adults, and males can reach 4.7″. Mature males bear longer caudal and pelvic fins than females.

M. mossambicus (Harptail Blenny) is found from East Africa to the Mascarenes, possibly up to the Seychelles. It has an overall light-gray body with a yellow tail and can reach 4″ as an adult.

Meiacanthus grammistes (Striped Fangblenny)

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M. nigrolineatus (Blackline Fangblenny) is endemic to the Red Sea. Its head and anterior part of the body is light blue, and the posterior part of the body is light yellow, with a thin black line running from the back of the eyes to the tail on each side of the back. It can reach 3.5″ as an adult.

along the back, highlighting the whole dorsal fin. The line is very thin at the back of the eye and then grows broader.

The translucent tail fin bears several thin, horizontal black lines. One of the smallest species of the genus, it can reach 3″ as an adult.

M. tongaensis (Tongan Canary Blenny) is endemic to Tonga, as its name implies, and can reach 4″ as an adult.

It has a greenish-yellow head and back, shading to lighter yellow on the ventral side. A broad black line runs along the base of the dorsal fin.

Meiacanthus smithi (Disco Blenny)

M. oualanensis (Canary Fangblenny) is endemic to Fiji, is yellow overall, and can reach 4″ as an adult. Fun fact: this fish was discovered on the island of Ovalau. “Oualanensis” is a misspelling on the official description; it should have been named “Ovalauensis.”

M. smithi (Disco Blenny) has a distribution from Sri Lanka to the western Java Sea. It has a light pearly gray color, with a black line running from the eyes

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Most of the Meiacanthus species are gonochoristic. They usually live singly, in pairs, or in small groups. Juveniles can form groups and will leave their conspecifics at maturity. Sexual dimorphism is tenuous, with mature adults showing only a difference in size and body corpulence: females have a rounder abdomen, and males are more slender. Females come to the male’s shelter to initiate nuptial courtship. The male then invites the female toward his shelter with some coded moves and fin displays. The female enters the nest and lays her eggs, which are immediately fertilized by the male.

Multiple females can lay their eggs in the male’s nest in the same time period, forming many clutches that the male will watch over. The females can lay 50 to 200 eggs every 3 to 5 days. The eggs hatch around 8 to 10 days after spawning, with larvae measuring an average of 3 to 3.5 mm and readily accepting rotifers.

Many of the most famous Meiacanthus species are available as tank-bred specimens, such as M. grammistes, M. kamoharai, M. mossambicus, M. nigrolineatus, M. smithi, M. atrodorsalis, M. bundoon, and M. oualanensis. With the breeding process and care being extensively published and available, it is possible to breed any Meiacanthus species if you are willing to dedicate the time.

To offer them the tight tunnel-like shelters they love, you could put some 1″ or 1.5″ PVC tube sections in the tank, coated with glued sand or cemented aragonite rubble on the outside to blend in among the general aquascape. Small tunnel-shaped artificial rocks can also be found in the trade, or you can drill such tunnels yourself in live or dry reef rock.

In the wild, Meiacanthus are zooplanktivores, feeding mainly on worms and small crustaceans they can pick from the sand, rocks, or water column. They are quite easy to acclimate to captivity, with brine shrimp, mysid shrimp, and finely chopped seafood eagerly accepted. However, it will always be easier, safer, and more sustainable to buy captive-bred individuals, as at least nine species are commonly available in the trade. Tank-bred Meiacanthus should immediately accept dry foods such as small pellets or flakes but will of course benefit from fresh meals as well. Wild specimens will acclimate best in a well-established tank, as they’ll prey on small live worms and crustaceans in the microfauna and can transition to aquarium food at their own pace.

In captivity, if you are unsure of the sexing, it’s better to house only one individual per species per tank, as males of the same species will fight. Females will get along, and mated couples or small harems will work as well. Meiacanthus from different species will usually get along well in the same tank, so you can host two or more species in larger aquariums if you add them simultaneously into the tank.

Make sure to have enough space and a good number of suitable hiding places.

Most species measure between 3″ and 4″ as adults and can be kept in mini reefs of around 40 to 50 gallons and up. They should be housed with peaceful and similar-sized tank mates to ensure good relations. Despite their capacity to harm other fish with their fangs, they won’t use this powerful weapon unless being eaten, but they can be picked on by more aggressive fish like damsels, dottybacks, or hawkfish. Scared or stressed blennies will constantly retreat to their shelters and won’t come out for feeding, weakening the fish little by little. They will often show a dull and marbled coloration, similar to their night colors.

When housing a blenny, consider a way to prevent the fish from jumping out, like covering the top with a net. These shy and reactive fish have a dart reflex when another fish spooks them. Avoid risky fish combinations like little bullies (dottybacks, dwarf angelfish, damsels, etc.) and potential predators like large fish (groupers, comets, triggerfish), and beware of surgeonfish. Many blennies will be scared by these big active fish, and some surgeonfish, like Ctenochaetus spp., won’t stand for the presence of another algaeor sediment-grazing competitor like a Salarias or Ecsenius and will harass it to death. In the wild, blennies have a poor life expectancy, but in captivity, when housed in good conditions with respectful tank mates, the average lifespan is 5 to 10 years, depending on species, diet, and individuals. Long live your pretty little blenny! R

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TUSI’S CORAL RETREAT JOSEPH MUSCAT

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lthough I go by Tusi, my real name is Joseph Muscat. I am 58 years old and originally from the island of Malta. I have been in the hobby now for over 40 years, and my dream of having a beautiful aquarium began when I was 14 years old. I was in biology class, and a freshwater tank full of Guppies caught my attention; it was love at first sight. That moment gave me the drive to build my own homemade tank.

I immigrated to the United States in 1983, and after having many freshwater tanks, I decided to embark on my dream of building a reef tank. Having no knowledge of saltwater tanks, I knew there would be many trials and tribulations. I began by doing as much research as I possibly could and by asking friends for advice.

My tank was custom built in Texas by Acrylic & Glass Exhibits. The bottom is PVC, and the tank measures 60″ long × 24″ wide × 30″ tall. The glass is 5/8″ thick, and the tank has an acrylic eurobrace 1″ below the top edge of the tank. The peninsula display is viewable from three sides. Originally, I planned to have an LPS (large-polyp

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stony) coral tank and felt I wouldn’t need too much flow. I did not want to use powerheads, so I decided to plumb in a closed-loop system. The overflow box is divided into two sections: half for tankwater filtration and half for the tank’s closed-loop system. My reef is now close to 12 years old. Over time, the tank became dominated

by SPS (small-polyp stony) corals. The system has a total volume of approximately 200 gallons, including the grow-out tank. I ended up having to add circulation pumps for the SPS. My sandbed is about 2″ deep, and my aquascape was built with Tonga live rock.

SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS Display: 60″ × 24″ × 30″ Sump: Oceanic tank Pumps: Reeflo Dart for closed loop, Reeflo Marlin for outdoor chiller Chiller: TradeWind Chillers Sterilizer: 45-watt UV Reactors: (2) Vertex (calcium and Seachem de*nitrate), Precision Marine (kalkwasser) Skimmer: Royal Exclusiv Bubble King

Johnson's Fairy Wrasse

Algae Reactor: Arid Controllers: GHL ProfiLux 3, Neptune Apex Doser: 4-channel GHL Testing: Neptune Trident Water Movement: (2) EcoTech Marine MP40, (4) Tunze 6105 LIGHTING • (2) 400-watt Radium with electronic ballast • (4) Aqua Medic 60″ T5s • (2) Reef Brite 48″ blue LED strips MEDIA AND ADDITIVES My calcium reactor maintains my calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. My doser adds Tropic Marin trace elements A and K, NO POX, and additional magnesium. I manually dose potassium, potassium iodide, Sponge Power, iron, manganese, and bacteria daily.

My auto top-off is controlled by my Neptune Apex and runs through my kalkwasser reactor, which helps keep my pH stable.

Maintaining a steady temperature in a reef tank is important. One issue I find with running metal halides is they put out a lot of heat, so maintaining a steady temperature can be difficult. I had TradeWind Chillers

build me an outdoor chiller that can work through all four seasons. It was challenging to run the plumbing since this was an afterthought. My tank water passes through a filter sock, a skimmer, and bagged carbon and out to the chiller 40 feet away and then directly back into the tank.

PARAMETERS Temperature: 76–77° F Salinity: 35–36 ppt pH: 8.0–8.2 Calcium: 440 ppm Magnesium: 1,350–1,400 ppm Potassium: 380 ppm Phosphate: 0.05 ppm Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 0.5 ppm MAINTENANCE Daily • clean glass • feed fish • clean filter sock • clean protein skimmer • check alkalinity • inspect all corals and fish Reef Hobbyist Magazine

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Weekly • test calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, strontium, iodine, potassium, nitrate, salinity • scrape coralline algae • 25-gallon water change • check and refill dosing jars FISH

Lennardi Wrasse

Bkchem Phcyco Orange (Acropora tenuis)

• Hippo Tang • Purple Tang • Black Tang • Gem Tang • Yellow Tang • Joculator Angel • Tail Spot Blenny • Cleaner Wrasse • (2) Flame Wrasse (pair) • Johnson’s Wrasse • Bell’s Wrasse • Leopard Wrasse • Femininus Wrasse • (2) Rhomboid Wrasse (pair) • Earl’s Wrasse • Lennardi Wrasse • Choat’s Wrasse • Pintail Wrasse • Maroon Clownfish • Sunburst Anthias • (3) Huchtii Anthias • Blotched Anthias • Dracula Goby • Twin Spot Goby • Copperband Butterfly • (3) Longspine Cardinalfish • filefish INVERTEBRATES • (2) Randall’s Pistol Shrimp • (2) Skunk Cleaner Shrimp • (10+) Red-legged Hermit • (50+) turbo snail • (75+) Blue-legged Hermit • (200+) Nassarius snail • (8) conch • (2) Harlequin Shrimp SPS CORALS

Gem Tang

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• Strawberry Shortcake • Jackson Rainbow • Tyree Pink Lemonade • Superman Table • RRC Rainbow Splice • JF Flame Tip • JF Homewrecker • Orange Passion

• JF Jolt • Matt V Rainbow • RRC Jawdropper • RR USA Angry Bird • CC Pink Highlighter • Prom Queen • Acid Trip Millie • PC Rainbow • Sunset Millie • ASD Rainbow Millie • POTO Sidechick • Cherry Bomb • Acropora gomezi (branching) • Red Dragon Acro • RRC Black Sabbath • Pink Cadillac • Walt Disney • Green Slimer • GARF Bonsai • Oregon Tort • Vivid Confetti • Purple Monster • ARC Fireworks • RR Asia Wolverine • Princess Peach • Bali Shortcake • Acropora suharsonoi • POTO Pixar • Ed Murray • Barney • Northern Lights Granulosa • ORA Hawkins • Pinky the Bear • Cyphastrea (branching) • Montipora setosa (red) • Rainbow Monti • Reverse Superman • Leng Sy Cap • JF Beach Bum Monti • Crazy T Monti • WWC Kung Pao Monti • Phoenix Monti • Watermelon Chalice • Bazooka Joe Chalice • Raja Chalice LPS/SOFT CORALS • Frogspawn • Neon Candy Cane • Watermelon Chalice • Bubble Gum Chalice • Whisker Coral • NY Knicks Torch • ASD Holy Grail Torch • 24 K Torch • Indo Gold Torch • Dragon Soul Torch

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My fish and corals are fed once a day with a mix of frozen food. The mix contains Hikari mysis, spirulina-enriched brine shrimp, ocean plankton, and fish eggs. I like to feed multiple particle sizes to my fish as well as the filter-feeding animals in the tank.

CHALLENGES Unfortunately, a series of major challenges has been the hallmark of this tank. I have had almost every imaginable reefer’s nightmare.

Since I have never quarantined fish or coral (#1 mistake), I had to deal with Brooklynella disease and AEFW (acro-eating flatworms).

I have had red bugs, which was probably the easiest problem to treat, with no major setbacks. Other challenges included Aiptasia and Manjano infestations, which were handled by my Copperband Butterflyfish and filefish. The biggest major challenge I faced was when I found out I had a 3-foot Bobbit Worm. But that’s a tale for another day.

The most important lesson I learned in this hobby is to be patient.

This is the only way to achieve a dream reef.

ADVICE 1. First and foremost, understand the biology of the system you keep 2. Quarantine every live animal you bring home 3. Maintain a good balance between fish and corals 4. Give your tank sufficient lighting since corals depend on it 5. Plan on a fish and coral list ahead of time FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS I would love to have a dedicated room with a quarantine system for fish, coral, and even live rock. I plan on finding a way to organize my equipment for better access during maintenance. I’m also hoping to incorporate automatic water changes into my current tank. My goal for the future is to upgrade to a larger tank with more space for bigger coral colonies and more fish.

I am grateful for the opportunity to share the details of my system, and I’m extremely honored and humbled to be featured in Reef Hobbyist Magazine. R

Femininus Wrasse

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SOFT CORAL AQUARIUMS: THE IDEAL BEGINNER’S REEF HENRY RAFAEL

Images by Sabine Penisson except as noted

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oft corals can form colorful reefs and are generally the most easily grown type of coral in reef aquariums. Most of these corals are not demanding in terms of water and lighting parameters. Soft corals are also more disease resistant than many other types of corals, another reason why they adapt well to life in an aquarium.

These corals typically do not require expensive lighting or strong water flow. They have a low demand for calcium, carbonate, and magnesium, but they do require trace elements for growth. These can sometimes be supplied solely through water changes. Most soft corals receive a lot of their nutritional needs by absorption of nutrients from our aquarium water and can thrive in less pristine

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conditions than many other reef corals require. That is why they offer beginners such an ideal start in this hobby.

It is very important to control the growth of soft corals to achieve a healthy reef where multiple species of soft corals can coexist.

In addition to the direct aggression of neighboring colonies, soft corals release various toxins in their battles with competing corals.

Keeping a balance of growth between different species is important.

We maintain this balance with constant fragmentation once these corals become mature colonies.

I have had the satisfaction of keeping seven reef tanks dedicated to different types of corals, including soft corals, LPS (large-polyp

The author’s Palythoa colony | Image by author

Sea fans are challenging to maintain in aquariums.

stony) corals, Acropora and Montipora species, encrusting and plate corals, Blastomussa and Acanthastrea species, and mushroom corals. With each of these reef tanks, I have tried to provide the specific water parameters, lighting, and circulation the corals require.

I can say that the one tank that gives me the most satisfaction is my soft coral tank, not only for its beauty but for its simplicity and ease of maintenance.

The corals are always open and in good health, and I can slack a little on maintenance and still maintain the health of the corals. However, even though soft corals can tolerate elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates, I always try to keep these low to avoid nuisance algae growth in the aquarium.

After caring for all these different reef tanks, I learned that a beautiful aquarium cannot be achieved overnight. When I speak with colleagues who share the same hobby, I always Reef Hobbyist Magazine

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The undulating folds of a leather coral

say that you either need to have a lot of money to invest in your aquarium or you must have a lot of patience.

TIPS FOR CREATING A SOFT CORAL REEF It is very important to have adequate planning in place before any purchasing begins. Be realistic and create a budget that matches the goals of your project. To be successful with any reef tank, reliable equipment is a necessity. It is much cheaper and less disruptive to install the correct equipment from the very beginning. And besides, an aquarium for soft corals will always be more budget friendly than an aquarium for LPS or hard corals.

When choosing to start a reef aquarium, be certain that you are ready for the commitment.

Your fish and corals are living beings that will depend on you for their survival, so you’ll have to be responsible for them. Patience and perseverance are essential.

When you start a reef aquarium for soft corals, try to get the best rock and sand available.

Soft corals are fast growing and lack skeletons, so they will need sufficient rockwork to attach to. The quality of your aquarium depends a lot on these two elements because good sand and live rock enhance the reef’s biological filtration.

While cycling, you will likely face some common challenges. Nuisance algae is one of them, and once algae have begun to grow in your tank, invest in a good cleanup crew. Over time, these early algae give way to more desirable algae, but in the meantime, crabs, snails, urchins, and other grazers are your best allies.

Reading should accompany reefkeeping at all times, as this hobby requires it. When creating a mini ecosystem in your aquarium, always try to understand the reason why things happen.

Not all tanks behave in the same way. Each reef has its own mix of specific quirks, equipment, photoperiods, maintenance routines, and animals, so it is very difficult to compare one aquarium to another in terms of system behavior or coral growth. But the same rules of biology and chemistry apply to all reef tanks, regardless of type. Understanding these rules is important to your reefing success.

Not everything unknown inside the aquarium is bad, but many see something strange inside their tank and want to eliminate it without even knowing what it is. Don’t panic, as most unidentified animals in a reef system are harmless or even beneficial. That’s what a mini ecosystem is all about, reproducing as accurately as possible what occurs in nature. And the fact that there are new inhabitants does not necessarily mean that something is amiss.

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The author's soft coral reef | Image by author

My soft coral tank is made up mostly of Pachyclavularia spp., Sarcophyton spp., gorgonians, Rhodactis spp., Sinularia spp., Xenia spp., and Palythoa spp. All of these corals are fast growing, and I highly recommend them to new hobbyists.

MY 100-GALLON SOFT CORAL REEF While there is no one right way to maintain a reef tank, I will share my system specs and maintenance protocol as a reference. My soft coral reef has a total system volume of 100 gallons. The corals receive a photoperiod of 8 hours: 2 hours of ramping up with blues only, 4 hours of full spectrum, and 2 hours of ramping down with blues only. I use three Hydor wavemakers for water circulation. My sump contains a refugium for macroalgae (Caulerpa taxifolia and chaeto), a Reef Octopus 150-INT skimmer, and a 660-gallon-perhour return pump. I do 25 percent water changes every 3 months.

TIPS FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS • Provide in-tank water movement of at least five times the total tank volume per hour.

Rhodactis species mushrooms are available in various colors.

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• Soft corals can survive in almost any type of light, but the better the light spectrum, the better their reproduction, color, and growth. White and blue bulbs can be combined with full-spectrum bulbs to achieve optimal lighting.

• Perform regular water changes.

• Add trace elements (if test results indicate they’re needed).

• Skimmer? Yes, but you could also replace it with a macroalgae refugium. The success of a refugium-only system will also depend on the total bioload in the aquarium. And you can certainly use both a skimmer and a refugium.

My soft coral reef is a very simple aquarium compared to my other reefs but is perhaps the most pleasant for the eyes, for the maintenance, and for the budget. Many of us complicate our lives with the requirements of SPS or LPS. We think that we have become professionals if we have the best Acropora or LPS and end up forgetting about the corals that gave us our start in this reef hobby.

All corals, be they fast or slow growing, have their own beauty, but without a doubt, soft corals should always have a place in the hearts of all reef aquarists. R

This toadstool leather has a bright green glow. | Image by Vojce

Success Through Simplicity JOSEPH GHOSHEH

Little Red Riding Hood Acro

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y journey into the marine aquarium world started about 6 years ago when I finally broke down and bought my first saltwater system. Having kept freshwater systems most of my life, I was always intrigued with marine tanks because of the diversity of fish they offered. Everyone I’d ever spoken with about marine tanks always discouraged me and made it seem as if they were extremely difficult. Luckily, the week I decided to acquire my first marine tank, there happened to be a reef store opening nearby with knowledgeable staff. It was there at Palmetto Reef in Columbia,

SC, that I learned quite a bit about the basics of the hobby. Initially, I wanted a marine tank for the amazing fish selection available. This quickly shifted once I took a harder look at corals. One day while I was at the shop, some Rasta Zoas and mushrooms caught my eye, and the rest is history. Once I learned that you could propagate living artwork, I got busy researching corals. I was blown away by this whole other side to the marine aquarium world that I had somehow missed. My first system, a 65-gallon tall tank, taught me countless lessons with a lot of trial and error involved. It eventually

Jawbreaker Mushroom

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became overgrown, so I constructed this current system using the knowledge I had gathered from the first.

When I put this tank together, it was my goal to incorporate the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) method. I wanted to keep the amount of equipment and number of things that could fail to a minimum. In my opinion, a lot of reefers go overboard with gadgets on the equipment side of things.

I believe risk management is an important part of reefing that is overlooked. After all, we are keeping living animals in small closed systems and relying on a bunch of technology to keep them alive.

CC Voodoo Magic

Battle of the montis

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A new 180-gallon display with a 40-gallon sump was my blank canvas. Unlike my first tank, which was started with live rock and had a sand bottom, I started this tank with all dry rock and a bare bottom. Over the years with that first tank, I learned some hard lessons about hitchhikers, which is the reason I chose to use dry rock. Sand would also have been an issue with the amount of flow I planned for this predominantly SPS (small-polyp stony) coral system. Sand is a great way to provide extra surface area for beneficial bacteria but does not play nice with high flow rates. I knew from my research that a system with dry rock and a bare bottom would take a lot longer to cycle and be ready for corals, but nothing good happens fast in this hobby. The system did take quite some time; it wasn’t until 8 months in that I added my first SPS. I tried to keep in-tank equipment to a minimum. Starting out, I only used four types of equipment that I deemed absolutely necessary: powerheads, a return pump, a skimmer, and lights.

Unlike most reefers, I chose not to even run a heater on this system because of past bad experiences. Instead, I keep my rooms heated and cooled with multiple thermostats. I know this is not practical for everyone but just an extra precaution I chose. When I initially set up the tank, I went with EcoTech Marine MP40s for flow because they are engineered to operate without having any electrical wires in the water. For the return pump, I went with the Sicce Syncra SDC 9.0, the same brand I had used in the past. Initially, the system had a large Reef Octopus skimmer because I knew I wanted to

Top-down view

The classic Orange Passion

Fat-headed dendro during daylight

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Garf Bonsai

have a heavy bioload for the corals. This skimmer worked too well and stripped out too many nutrients. I eventually downgraded to a smaller skimmer that keeps nutrient levels where I want them. For lights, I went with what I had great success with in the past: Reef Breeder LEDs. After getting all the equipment and rock in place, I started to put together a fish and cleanup crew list. I know how important choosing the right cleanup crew is, so I planned carefully.

I wanted utilitarian fish, so I ended up adding mostly tangs. Not only do they live to eat algae, but they also have a short GI tract, which is ideal if you want a heavy bioload. Included in the community of tangs were a Blonde Naso (which I find eats the greatest variety of algae), two Purple Tangs, and a Yellow Tang. And since no reef tank is complete without the iconic clownfish, I added some Storm Troopers, which are also good for the bioload. Eventually, I also added two Borbonius Anthias for even more bioload. As far as cleanup crew goes, I stuck with the trusted turbo snails, Blue-legged Hermits, and eventually, urchins. I let the tank run its course for about 8 months, just feeding the fish and keeping an eye on things.

Eventually, the rock and tank looked mature enough for me to try some corals. I noticed that my patience had paid off, and the SPS were happy from day one. From there, I began adding coral quickly.

There are too many SPS corals in this tank to list, but I tried to stick with higher-end/rarer SPS like WWC Pink Panther, Greg’s Unicorn, and other pieces of that nature.

Once things started to grow, I knew I would have to add a doser.

I’ve heard too many horror stories about dosers malfunctioning, so I wanted to use what I thought would be the most reliable and what I’d used previously: BRS dosers on timers. I specifically like to use ESV for two-part dosing because it contains trace elements.

Unlike most reefers with a high demand for calcium and alkalinity, I still have not switched to a calcium reactor. This is due to my fear of adding more moving parts that can malfunction. I did eventually have to add two more Maxspect Gyre powerheads for increased flow.

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One of the farm favorites, Icarus

TARGET PARAMETERS Alkalinity: 9 dKH Calcium: 420 ppm Magnesium: 1,300 ppm Phosphate: 0.12 ppm Nitrate: 20 ppm Numbers are important, but it’s also important not to get lost chasing them. In my opinion, the two levels that you must stay on top of are alkalinity and phosphate. I test these daily with Hannah Checkers. Calcium is also important, and I check it with a Red Sea test kit every other day. About once a month, I send in a Triton ICP test to make sure everything is checking out. I have also found that corals like a little more phosphate than I had originally learned. To keep my levels elevated, I feed heavily with frozen PE Mysis and LRS every day. Also, I like to dose live phyto every couple of days.

As for daily dosing, I try to keep that simple as well, with just Two Little Fishies AcroPower for aminos. With higher nutrients, you’re able to give corals more PAR (photosynthetically active radiation).

My lights reach a PAR of 700 at the top of my rock structure, a little brighter than your average reef tank.

Overall, it has been a smooth ride these past couple of years, although there will always be hiccups. Early on, I had to battle dinoflagellates, which ultimately led me to add a UV sterilizer. I was hesitant at first because it was new to me and went against my KISS method, but I’ve found it’s a good tool to have in my reefing arsenal.

Every day is a new learning opportunity, and I never stop learning.

There are still tons of unknowns in this hobby, and we’re discovering new information every day. Unfortunately, my tank is getting crowded now, and it will soon be time to start thinking about the next build.

This is an addicting hobby that challenges and captivates, and I hope it continues to grow. R