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In my many years of aquarium keeping I have seen many spectacular aquariums. These are the tanks we all wish we could have that simply had that “WOW” effect on us. On the opposite side I have also seen more of the poorly maintained and problem tanks.
After speaking with the owners of these different looking tanks I came to the conclusion that what sets them apart from the great looking displays versus the not so good ones is quite simple “Doing what you love”.

This might be obvious to some of you, but you would be surprised at how many aquarium owners try to force themselves into habits that they do not enjoy. In my opinion if you’re doing something you do not enjoy, failure is not too far away. I have tried many things myself that I caught myself saying “This isn’t working, this is hard, or Isn’t there an easier way?” and after a week or two I had lost my motivation and had given up on it.
However when we do what we love, it is incredibly easy to find that motivation, energy, or a routine that we like.
Aquarium owners that enjoy and understand the aspects of maintaining a healthy tank are very successful and create these living works of art. The owners of tanks that feel overwhelmed, think it’s too much work, or simply do not understand how to successfully maintain their aquarium are left with problem displays that inevitably seem to develop more problems.
Sure there are more factors involved in keeping aquariums, but I also have found that in this hobby we are all in it because we love it. Some of us simply have advanced quicker than others.
So why can’t we all do what we love? If you know a hobbyist that is struggling to maintain their dream aquarium, why not help them out. If we find out why they are not enjoying this hobby, most likely there is a solution that will turn those feelings around.
If you love what you are doing, it will stick around longer. What a great way to keep this hobby strong and enjoyable!

In recent news Lion Fish are making headlines again. This time in an effort from our federal government to launch plans to increase fishing and human consumption to reduce the invasion of our coral reefs. These fish are said to be overpowering our reefs from the gulf coast up around to the Atlantic coastlines. “Conservationists say the lionfish threaten recovery of overfished species like grouper and snapper by eating them, consuming their prey and competing for space in the reefs. They also feed on species like parrotfish, which normally control the growth of algae on a reef.” (ref: James Morris NOAA)
Was this a case of irresponsible fish keeping that started this invasion?

Scientific Name:

Zoanthus sp. and Palythoa sp.

Common Names:

Zoanthids, Button Polyps, Sea Mats, Zoas.

Lighting:

Standard fluorescent lighting to halides. Zoanthids are adaptable to most lighting conditions, however if you want to encourage their growth, they tend to thrive in high intensity fluorescent lighting in the 6500- 10,000 K color range.

Aggressiveness:

They are mostly aggressive towards other corals. They are a colonial species that will spread towards neighboring corals and will eventually overgrow nearby inverts if not maintained properly. It is recommended to allow plenty of distance between other corals when placing them in a display tank. When handling these corals use caution. They produce a palytoxin from their mucus that can be very harmful to humans. Protective gloves and eyewear are recommended when propagating this species.

Water Flow:

A moderate to strong water flow is recommended to help provide small particles of food, as well as to prevent some algae species from invading them.

Hardiness:

Zooanthids are a very hardy choice for any beginner and they will tolerate minor changes in water conditions.

Propagation Difficulty Level:

Zoanthids are considered a very easy and fast growing polyp to propagate. When farming this species, it is recommended to farm as a single species for optimal growth. They adapt to any type of coral mount and are another great choice to use for covering up plumbing pipes and overflows in a display tank. Due to their many color varieties, they are very popular choice to frag and sell.

Home Reef Notes:

Zoanthids are probably one of the easiest button polyps to maintain in the aquarium. They are available in many color varieties and are easy to feed. Their primary source of food is from photosynthesis, but they also will feed on detritus particles. Their method of reproduction is Asexual through parental budding, which makes it easy to cut a small group of polyps with a scalpel or razor for propagation. Due to their ease of care, hardiness, and color varieties, they are a great choice for all experience levels.

References: Book of Coral Propagation by Anthony Calfo, Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman.

I just wanted to share this video from Jim Stime of LA Fishguys. Jim visits with Dan and Tina of Wet Thumb Frags coral farm and gives us a quick tour of their facility. Dan shares with us some of his basic techniques and tools they use to frag their corals. This is part 1 of Jim’s 2 part series, which I will post later.

This video from Scott (smorell82689) shows you some of the different techniques used to mount coral frags. Take note that latex gloves are being used to protect him and the coral frags.

Here is a video that I wanted to share with everyone from Steve (tekknoschtev). It is a little older but he shows you the basics of how to frag a colony of green star polyps. If you’re new to coral propagation this video will show you how easy it is to get into the coral fragging hobby. The Green Star Polyp is a great choice for any beginner and can be used to naturally hide plumbing or overflow boxes within your reef aquarium.

Scientific Name Pachyclavularia violacea
Care Level Easy
Disposition Can easily overtake other corals
Minimum Tank Size Nano reef
Mature Size Mat encrusting
Placement in tank All Levels
Lighting Favors blue end spectrums
Propagation Difficulty Easy

Origin:

Star Polyps are commonly found on fore-reef slopes and lagoons that provide a slower water flow.

Color Variety:

Many have a purplish mat with brown to greenish polyps.

Care Level:

Fairly easy to keep in captivity. They adapt well to various lighting conditions and can be fast spreading with optimum water conditions. They tend to do better with strong fluorescent lighting favoring the blue end. Stronger water movement will prevent detritus from settling on the stolen base keeping nuisance algae away. A great choice for any beginner.

Propagation Difficulty:

This is a great beginner coral to propagate. You can easily cut small fragments around the polyps and attach the new specimen to your frag disk or tile. Star Polyps are one of the few corals that can be propagated without the use of tools.

Diet & Feeding:

Star Polyps nutrition derive mainly from photosynthesis making it a hardy beginners choice.

Home-Reef Notes:

This is a very easy coral for beginners. Its adaptability to many lighting conditions, and its tolerance for various propagation techniques, make this a great choice. Fragging a small piece to your aquarium plumbing or overflow box will help to hide those ugly areas in your tank. Be sure to give them adequate water flow to prevent algae or mucus from overtaking it.

References: Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman, Book of Coral Propagation by Anthony Calfo, About.com

As a New England early morning storm passed by Thursday. It left us without electricity for two hours.

During this time all I could think about is will my aquarium make it through this one? After checking my aquarium for the sixth time making sure my check valves and battery backup were working properly. I decided this will be a good opportunity to discuss the importance of being prepared for any extended power loss that can affect your own aquarium.

As a long time hobbyist and from working in the aquarium trade, I have seen and tried just about anything that is out there to help maintain my own tanks. Unfortunately most of my success in surviving a power loss comes from trial and error. If you own an aquarium that you have invested a lot of time and money in, then you probably want to protect that investment to help avoid losing all your hard work due to an unexpected power loss. What is worse than finding out after adding that expensive coral or fish that it didn’t make it due to something that was out of your control.

A simple battery backup can save you a lot of headaches in the future. If you have a small pump or any hang on the back filter, most home computer back up power supplies will work for a long time. For more advanced systems there are larger power inverters or outdoor generators that are used. Even if you have a small air pump, it is always a good idea to get a battery operated version just in case you need it. A battery backup works by plugging in the pump that you want to continue running into the backup power supply. When the electricity goes out the backup switches to battery mode and keeps your aquarium running. To get the most out of your battery system it is a good idea to only plug in your vital life support equipment. For most systems this will be your main pump or hang on the back filter.

If the power goes out in your house, are your aquarium inhabitants safe?

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Flame Angel

Scientific Name Centropyge loricula
Reef Compatible Yes, with caution
Care Level Easy to Moderate
Disposition Territorial Against other Dwarf Species
Minimum Tank Size 30 gallons
Mature Size 4 inches
Placement in tank All Levels
Diet Mostly Omnivorous
Origin South Pacific and Western Pacific, Hawaii, Australia, Coral Sea, Great Barrier Reef

Identification: The Flame Angel is part of the Dwarf or Pygmy Angelfishes genus.
Hawaiian specimens tend to be larger and have a deeper, more vibrant red color than those of the Indo-Pacific region, which are more orangish-red in color. The stripes on all species are still the same deep, almost fluorescent, deep blue-purple color. With the color and size variations of this species from different geographic locations, and the fact that Hawaiian Flame Angels are not abundant, the Hawaiian species are usually more expensive, not to mention desirable. (source-about.com)

Origin: In nature the flame angel can be found in the South Pacific and Western Pacific, Hawaii, Australia, Coral Sea, Great Barrier Reef waters.

Mature Size: Can range from 3-4 inches.

Care Level: The Flame Angel is a relatively easy fish to keep, as it will adapt well to captivity. Provide plenty of hiding spots in your aquarium to allow this fish to find shelter. A live rock set up is a good choice that offers many spots for shelter as well as proving natural algae on the rock for the fish to pick at.

Disposition: The Flame Angelfish is best kept singly or in a mated pair, as their natural territorial tendencies are to pick on other pygmy angelfish species. They are also a fish that shows its unique personality as it swims about the tank.

Reef Tank Compatible: Due to its natural tendencies to pick at rocks to find food sources. This fish may pick or nip at many fleshy type invertebrates such as, tridacnid clams, zoanthids, soft corals, and even large polyp stony corals. This nipping may result in stressing the invertebrate ultimately not opening up over time. Many hobbyist have found this to be more of a hit or miss in a reef tank environment. So use caution. Depending on the size of your tank and the diversity of tank inhabitants you might not have any issues.

Diet & Feeding: The Flame Angel is an omnivore that eats both plant and meaty foods. It prefers areas of live rock with some algae growth to graze on. It will eat most any type of food offered and it will fend for itself. It is also a good diatom algae feeder and will pick at the algae on your tanks glass if not cleaned regularly.