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THIRD QUARTER 2008 | Volume 2

THE MAROON CLOWNFISH

PREMNAS BIACULEATUS

BEAT THE HEAT

DBTC Resource Center
Info Inside

JUNKITU’S CONFESSIONS pt. 2

M U S H RO OM H O U S E BLASTOMUSSA WELLSI

reef-a-palooza oct 11-12 orange county, ca

Sponsored by RHM! Details inside
RHM SPONSORED EVENTS
Find complete listings on our events forum (www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com)

Marine Aquarium Expo 2008 Highlights

If you weren’t at the Expo this year, you missed out on one
of North America’s largest and most exciting marine hob-
byist shows ever! Sponsored by Reef Hobbyist Magazine,
the Marine Aquarium Expo spanned two entire days at the
Orange County Fair and Event Center in southern California.
With over 100 manufacturers, retailers, and clubs exhibit-
ing this year, and a bevy of fascinating speakers, aquarium
hobbyists did not have any problems staying entertained.
Marine Aquarium Expo even offered a petting pool of hermit
crabs and starfish for the little ones!
Coral hunters were also treated to a huge variety of rare and
common corals. Some booths displayed aquariums holding
dozens of rare Acanthastrea morphs while others showed
off super rare zoanthid colonies and frags. No matter what
you were looking for, you were probably able to find it in
several places at the expo. Please look out for the next RHM
sponsored event – Reef-A-Palooza, taking place October
11-12. See details below!

Hobbyists were introduced to the newest technology from

the most reputable manufacturers in the industry. With
almost 3000 in attendance, all the important manufacturers
wanting to showcase their new products were present in full
force. The notables included Brightwell Aquatics, TAAM &
Commodity Axis, Hikari USA, Eco System Aquarium, Blue
Life USA, Reef Nutrition and Jelliquarium. IMAGE BY SUNSET PROMOTIONAL SERVICES

Upcoming Event: North Western Coral Farmers Market August 2, 2008 in Portland, Oregon.
For more info, go to www.nw-cfm.com.
NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

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• LOW-PROFILE DESIGN: Focus on what matters –

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• CUSTOMIZABLE FLOW: Wave and current
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WHAT
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• PEACE OF MIND: Available battery backup

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• SMART: Easily upgradeable to the MP40w

The MP20 is ideal for coral reef tanks under 70 gallons.

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 Features THIRD QUARTER 2008 | Volume 2

RHM Staff
President
Harry Tung
Executive Editor
Jim Adelberg

10 18
Art Director

6
Tamara Sue
Graphics
David Tran
Junkitu’s Confessions Beat The Heat: Advertising
Mushroom House: Of A Coral Addict Richard Ross is The A-Team
Tony Espiritu (a.k.a. Junkitu) pt. 2 – Blastomussa a nationally known coral Special Thanks
is an avid reef aquarium Wellsi: Jim Adelberg farmer and cuttlefish Greg Rothschild
hobbyist and a member of is an advanced hobbyist breeder. In this article, gregrothschild.com
the Northern California Nano Richard gives you valuable
and industry professional Richard Ross
Reef Society. In this article, he tips on how to beat the Gresham Hendee
from the SF Bay Area. In
shares his own experiences heat this summer. Learn
this series, Jim shares his
with nano reefing in the how to keep your animals
hope that they may help infatuation with different
safe and your electricity
and inspire others who are species and highlights their
bills lower. Tell us what you think:
considering taking the plunge specific care requirements.
Image above by author. comments@rhmag.com
into the world of miniature Image above by World Wide Corals.

reef aquariums. Copyright© 2008 Reef Hobbyist Magazine.

All rights reserved.
Image above by author.

On The Cover Come visit us online at

www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com
And see what we have to offer you!
• Read or download PDFs of RHM.
• Check out our DTBC resource center. NEW!
• Watch reef related videos in our video library.
• Enter RHM photo contests to win awesome prizes!
• Find full access to RHM archives.

14 PREMNAS BIACULEATUS
The Maroon Clownfish
Robin Bittner is a professional clownfish breeder in
Northern California. Robin profiles and highlights the
characteristics of the beautiful Maroon Clownfish.
Cover and image above by Greg Rothschild.
Local Fish Stores
• Find out in advance what products will be advertised in the
upcoming issue so you can be stocked up and ready.
• Receive specials and rebates from our advertisers.
• Drive more traffic to your store by listing in our national online
store directory of RHM partners.
Email your store information to retailer@rhmag.com to take
advantage of these services now.

Join Us! Refill

RHM WANTS YOU!
We’re constantly looking for the best
writers and photographers to contribute
to our free magazine. We believe that free
quality information is the key to helping our hobby
advance. If you’d like to join us in our mission, please
contact our editor Jim Adelberg via email: jim@rhmag.com.
Are you a retailer looking to stock RHM for your
customers? Contact one of our distributors!
Hobbyists, ask your LFS to contact our
distributors if they don’t carry RHM!
• Sea Dwelling Creatures – www.seadwelling.com
• Pacific Aqua Farms – www.pacificaquafarms.com
• Aquatic Specialties and Pets – 510-477-9683
• Sea Logic International Inc. – 510-780-0876
NANO REEFING
Junkitu’s
Mushroom House
proof positive that even a newbie can
successfully keep a nano By Tony Espiritu
Images By Author
O
ver the last several years, there has been an explosion
of interest in the aquarium industry around very small
salt water reef tanks, a.k.a. nano reefs. Online forums
focused on nano reef keeping have begun to proliferate
as more and more hobbyists try their hand at keeping nanos.
Not to be left out, equipment manufacturers have embraced this
trend and have come to market with a new generation of all-in-
one tanks, skimmers, pumps, chillers, and other goodies made
specifically for the nano market. It’s never been easier or cheaper
to set up a saltwater reef aquarium and this has resulted in an
influx of first time salt water tank owners. But can these newbie
nano owners be successful or will traditional reef keeping maxims
doom them to failure?
Below is a tank profile of my 2 year old nano. A version of this
write-up was published last January on one of the more popular
online nano forums: http://www.Nano-Reef.com. I certainly do
not claim to be a reef keeping expert. In fact, I wouldn’t have
submitted this article if it wasn’t for the support and urging of
members of the Northern California Nano Reef Society (http://
www.NCNRS.org). My hope is that my office nano that has given
me so much personal satisfaction can inspire others to pursue
this fun and rewarding hobby.
My inspiration - How it all started
I’ve had freshwater tanks throughout my life but I never thought
I would be able to keep a saltwater tank until a friend at work
offered to help me get started in 2006. He was redoing his 80G
reef tank at home and offered to give me enough live rock to help
me set up a nano reef in my office. Excited by the opportunity, I
read everything I could find online about nano reefing. I eventually
found Nano-Reef.com member Icenine’s Aquapod 24 tank
thread and became truly inspired. I was amazed by the rainbow
of colors, the variety of textures, and the diversity of life that
could be kept in a nano tank. I was hooked and Mushroom
House was born!
“Who would think a box of water could be so much fun?” – quote
taken from the sig of fellow N-R.com member Icenine.
What I found most amazing about Icenine’s Aquapod was that
he was able to create such a beautiful and natural looking tank
under stock PC (Power Compact) lighting. Initially, my goal with
Mushroom House was to use a variety of colors and textures
to create a PC-lit tank that was just as beautiful as a larger reef
6 Enter the RHM photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
TOP SHELF SHOT OF MUSHROOM HOUSE
tank. I started with the green mushrooms that covered the live
rock from my friend’s tank and began to add other colorful coral.
My first addition was a bright yellow Fiji leather and I continued to
add mushrooms, ricordeas, zoanthids, palythoas, and other low
to medium light species to build my color palette.
Along the way there were definitely some challenges. The first
of which was keeping temperatures under control because my
office would shut off the climate control system after business
hours and over the weekend. In fact, I almost lost the entire tank
to overheating temperatures during a series of hot days in July
2006. Thankfully, softies are incredibly resilient coral and although
there were losses, many of my favorite pieces like the yellow Fiji
leather survived.
Ironically, my struggle to control the temperature eventually
led me to remove the hood on my Aquapod in April of 2007 in
order to add a chiller. With heat no longer an issue, I took the
opportunity to upgrade to a 20” Sunpod metal halide light fixture,
which further intensified the colors of my coral and opened up a
whole new world of livestock to keep. After the upgrade, I found
new inspiration from another N-R.com member, ezcompany. I
have admired the striking beauty of ez’s SPS and tridacnid clam
dominated tank since I first started frequenting Nano-Reef.com
and I decided to try to incorporate some high-light livestock into
Mushroom House. Over the last year, I’ve added a few choice
SPS frags and a couple of clams to my tank. My hope is that as
they grow, they will help create a well-balanced, mixed reef with
even more intense colors and richer textures.
I’m not sure what the future holds for my little office nano. My
corals continue to grow, which creates a myriad of mini turf battles
for me to manage. I suppose I will either need to start learning how
to frag or plan an upgrade to another, maybe larger, tank later this
year. In the meantime, I’m trying to enjoy watching my tank mature
and fighting the urge to add any new pieces...even though there
always seems to be room for “just one more cool frag”.
A few words of advice for the uninitiated
I was a complete newbie to saltwater reefing when I started this
tank 2 years ago. Nano-Reef.com has been an excellent resource
to help guide me in my tank’s journey and its members have
been an inspiration. I still consider myself a newbie and hardly
feel qualified to give advice on this hobby but here are a couple
thoughts that I hope can help others in their own journeys.

1) “Pay it forward”
I encourage people new to the hobby to embrace the spirit of the
community on this site. I got my start from an experienced reefer
sharing his knowledge as well as elements of his tank with me for
nothing in return. I’ve tried to do the same with other local reefers
that I’ve met and I hope they will do the same, as they are able.

2) Avoid the impulse

Everything is magnified in a nano tank so do your homework
before making a move. It can be very enticing to buy that non-
photosynthetic sun coral or cute baby tang for your nano at
the LFS but you need to know what you’re getting yourself into
before you make the purchase. Similarly, take your time and find
the specimen that makes you say, “Wow, I’ve got to have that!!!”.
Don’t settle for something similar or ordinary that will just end up
taking precious real estate in your tank.

3) Don’t make the same mistake twice

You are going to make mistakes along the way. We all have
in this hobby. If something doesn’t work out the first time and
you decide to try it again, make sure you make the appropriate
adjustments.
4) Lastly, don’t let people tell you that
“it can’t be done”
It may take more time and/or cost more money but most obstacles
in this hobby can be overcome if you do your research and plan
ahead. There are still people out there that believe that keeping
saltwater tanks is too hard for newbies and that you need at least
a 55G tank to start. I’m so glad that I was finally convinced to
challenge this conventional wisdom and take the plunge into
nano reefing.
If I had 10 things to do over again...
• I would have gone topless earlier
• I would have upgraded to MH earlier
• I would have bought the more expensive controller
• I would have acclimated longer
• I would have bought a stronger pump
• I would have bought a chiller earlier
• I would have paid less for the Australian duncans
• I would have stopped at 3 fish
• I would have moved my tank where it could get
natural sunlight earlier
• I would have tried nano reefing earlier!!!

FULL SYSTEM SHOT RHODACTIS MUSHROOMS SUNBURST ZOANTHIDS

If your local fish store doesn’t give away RHM already, ask them to contact our distributors on the table of contents! 7
Tank specs Coral
2 year old 24G Current USA Aquapod started in April 2006 GARF purple bonsai with green polyps
Dimensions: 16.5”L X 13”W X 17.5”H Orange montipora
Lighting: 20” Sunpod 150w MH fixture w/ 20K Giesemann Barney purple montipora digitata
Megachrome Blue lamp Neon green Bali slimer
Reverse pokerstar montipora
Equipment Devil’s hand with neon green polyps
Sapphire Aquatics protein skimmer Green polyped toadstool
Current USA Prime chiller - 1/15hp 5 varieties of Florida ricordea (yellow, neon green, army green,
Hydor Selz L35 external pump (chiller/return) orange and blue)
MaxiJet 900 (w/Hydor Flo) Tangerine yuma
MiniJet 404 Green apple yuma
Blue rhodactis mushrooms
Livestock Pink Hairy mushrooms
ORA B&W Ocellaris Clown Purple, brown, and blue rhodactis mushrooms
Flame Angel Mint rhodactis mushrooms
Yasha Goby Red mushrooms
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp Green mushrooms
Orange Lace Purple Feather Duster Hambali pulsing xenias
Coco Worm Neon green candy canes
Yellow Japanese Feather Duster Green Australian duncans
Purple Ponape Maxima Clam Red/green open brain
Turquoise ORA Ultra Maxima Clam Assorted zoos and palys (Devil’s Armor, Tub’s Blue, RPE, Dragon
Eye, Coco’s Pink, Purple Dream, Terminator, Yellow Ultimate,
Nuclear Green, Rainbow, Sunburst)

Tank Parameters
Ph: 8.0-8.5
Temp: 77 - 79 degrees Fahrenheit
Ca: 450
S.G.: 1.025
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0

Controller
A Premium Aquatics Lighthouse controller manages my chiller,
CLAM DISPLAY W/ SUPERMAN MONTI skimmer, and my lights. It also monitors my Ph and temperature.

Filtration
A Sapphire Aquatics skimmer that runs in the right rear chamber.
Live rock and live sand perform the only other filtration in my
system. It’s simple but effective.

Photo Period
150W 20K MH (8am - 5pm)
White Moonlights (8am - 6pm)
Blue Moonlights (always on)

Feeding
Spectrum and Formula 1 marine pellets (3 days/week)
Kent Marine Zoe (3 days/week)
Cyclopeeze (2 days/week)
DT’s Phytoplankton (2 days/week)

OCELLARIS CLOWNFISH AND ZOANTHIDS
Maintenance
Kent Marine Nano 2-part additive (Tuesday, Thursday)
B-Ionic 2-part additive (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
20% water change (C-Pure seawater) once a week
Scrub and scrape algae once a week
Top off with RO/DI daily

8 Got questions about your reef? Come post it and get answers from other hobbyists and staff at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com.
 Are you attached to your corals?
You should be, because they’re not only beautiful, they’re precious. That’s why
you have to give them a secure attachment too. Two Little Fishies, Inc. has the
tools you need to easily secure them, because bonding with corals promotes a
long-term relationship.

AquaStik™ 2oz Red Coralline and 4oz Stone Grey are underwater epoxy putty
sticks that have clay-like consistency for easy attachment of coral “frags,”
gorgonians, and other items where there is a mechanical connection that can be
filled and secured by it, like concrete around a post.

CorAffix™ is an ethyl cyanoacrylate bonding compound with viscosity similar to

honey. Use it for attaching stony corals, gorgonians, and other sessile invertebrates
in natural positions on live rock. Use in combination with AquaStik™ to attach
larger coral heads, or for attaching cultured coral “frags” to bases. 2oz bottle

CorAffix™ Gel is an ethyl cyanoacrylate bonding compound with a thick gel

consistency. It is very easy to use for attaching frags of stony corals, zoanthids, and
some soft corals to plugs or bases. 20 gram tube

All work on dry, damp, or wet surfaces, cure underwater, and are non-toxic to fish,
plants and invertebrates.

Two Little Fishies

Advanced Aquarium Solutions
Two Little Fishies, Inc. 1007 Park Centre Blvd. Miami Gardens, FL 33169 U.S.A.
Tel (305) 661.7742 www.twolittlefishies.com

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Jim (bookfish) for agreeing to publish my tank write-up, to the gang at NCNRS for their support, and the fellas at Ultimate
Aquarium in San Mateo for all their help. Special thanks to Behruz (the guy that got me started in this hobby) and Dan (the guy that keeps
me going in this. Last but not least, a big thank you to Ken for keeping an eye on my tank when I’m out of the office.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and write-up of my tank.

Here is the link to my tank thread if you’d like to follow along: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=96169

FLORIDA RICORDEA REVERSE POKERSTAR MONTIPORA

Find a DBTC near you or find the resources to start a DBTC in your area at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com. 9
CORAL

CONFESSIONS
of A Coral Addict pt. 2
Blastomussa wellsi
“The Heartbreaker”
By Jim Adelberg
IMAG
Images By New Alameda Aquatics E BY
WO R
LD W
IDE C
OR AL
S

I
have always loved Blastomussa wellsi. With its elegantly
sculpted polyps, incredible array of colors and patterns, and
fairly rapid growth rate, this coral has earned itself many die-
hard fans. Hailing from a variety of Indo-Pacific locales, B.
wellsi has always been available to collectors and hobbyists but
due to their tendency to grow in scattered, small colonies, have
never been easy to collect in quantity. For this reason, wellsi are
always a bit pricey and the most spectacular “watermelon” and
“lace” color morphs often command $100 or more per polyp.

Like its cousin Blastomussa merletti, B. wellsi is

considered a Large Polyp Stony (LPS) coral and in
many ways falls into the general care description
appropriate to most LPS type corals. Medium to
medium low flow will suit this coral well and hand or
target feeding of meaty foods such as mysis shrimp
will encourage good polyp extension and rapid growth.
Another very successful feeding strategy is to place the
colony where it can be removed from the display tank
and fed suspended zooplankton at a concentration
that would be dangerous or impossible if attempted in
the display tank. Please place wellsi colonies in feeding
vessels underwater first. Then, lift the vessel out of the
tank. No LPS really likes exposure to air and will retract
in response to being lifted out of water. Water quality
should remain high and water parameters should be
kept consistent with the standard methodologies of water
changes, skimming and supplements. One of the more
interesting challenges of keeping B. wellsi as opposed to
some other LPS is in regard to lighting and it merits a brief
discussion here.

Newly imported B. wellsi seem to be extremely prone to light

shock and even moderately dim metal halide lighting can send a
freshly imported specimen into a quick decline. I suspect this is
due to a series of stressors on the corals before, during and after
shipping but for whatever reason, newly imported wellsi colonies

10 RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza takes place Oct. 11-12 in California. Log onto www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com for more info!
should be slowly (re) acclimated to full reef lighting. The ultimate others fare better with their precious charges. It is everyone’s
placement of a wellsi colony should be in a relatively medium to responsibility as a hobbyist to freely share information that may
low light zone in the display tank and this species is especially well allow our hobby to better care for these corals.
suited to some of the more intense fluorescent lighting systems
being used for today’s reef tanks (T-5’s and T-5 high output for The next installment of this article series will showcase a classic
example). If you have a colony of this coral and it seems to have soft coral- The Green Nepthea.
died, don’t give up as quickly as you might with other LPS.
Remarkable instances of wellsi “returning from the dead’ and
developing new polyps have been reported even many months
after all visible soft tissue has disappeared.

Both Blastomussa species (B.wellsi and B.merletti) are excellent

choices for the nano reef enthusiast and both species have a
number of interesting and desirable color morphs to collect and
trade, though the high-end “designer” blastos are almost entirely
wellsi morphs.

I will also recommend this species for captive propagation efforts,

particularly if lighting is to be less intensive. The value of captive
raised specimens of the more desirable color morphs is likely to
remain high for all the reasons previously discussed.

And now I must confess to you the fact that, in my early years of
reefing, I killed quite a few colonies of B.wellsi as I learned (the
hard way) about their tendency towards light shock immediately
after being imported. I feel a sense of responsibility to those corals
I killed and hope this article, and indeed this magazine can help

Pulsing Sinularia parent colony and frag. Note

the clean cut and the water losing clarity due
to mucus production of the stressed coral.

If your local fish store doesn’t give away RHM already, ask them to contact any of our distributors listed on the table of contents. 11
Looking for a reef club in your area? Search online at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com today! 13
FISH
Maroon
Clownfish By Robin Bittner
Images By Greg Rothschild
Scientific Name
Premnas Biaculeatus
Common Names
Maroon Clown, Spinecheek Anemonefish, GSM, GBM
Distribution
Tropical Indo-Pacific, from the southeastern tip of India, south to
the northern coast of Australia, east to Vanuatu and the Solomon
Islands, and north to the Philippines.
Size
May reach a maximum size of 6.75 inches (17 cm), with males
smaller than females. Commonly available in the aquarium trade
from 1 – 4 inches, with most individuals 3 inches or less.
Natural Habitat
Prefers protected coastal waters and lagoons in water as shallow
as 3 feet (1 meter), although may be found on seaward reef
slopes at depths of up to 50 feet (16 meters). Although juveniles
may be found hosting singly in anemones, Premnas adults usually
are found as pairs hosting in Bubble Tip (Entamacea quadricolor)
anemones. Typically feeds on planktonic organisms and algal
matter in close proximity to the host anemone.
14 Enter the RHM photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
Distinguishing Characteristics/Variants
Premnas clowns are distinguished by the presence of a rear
facing spine that originates under each eye and extends
backwards over the head stripe. As the only member of
the genus Premnas, this group is monotypic and therefore
taxonomically separate from all other clownfish, which are
classified within the Amphiprion genus.
Young maroon clowns are usually bright red, with some males
retaining this color as they mature. Females, however, will turn
the classic maroon color as they mature, with some individuals
becoming almost black. Nearly all wild maroons have complete
banding patterns, but captive bred maroons exhibit one of the
highest rates of incomplete (or “misbar”) banding.
A relatively common (and highly sought after) variant of Premnas
possesses a yellow or gold tint to the typically white bars of mature
specimens. Specimens exhibiting this trait do not represent a
distinct Premnas subspecies, but rather are a color variant that
has been traced back to specimens originating around Sumatra.
Gold Stripe Maroons (or GSMs as they are known in the tropical
fish trade) are born with white stripes like all maroon clowns.
But, as GSM juveniles mature, they begin to show the yellow
coloration at the top of the head bar. The appearance of the
first gold coloration varies with the age and condition of each
individual, but typically by a year of age the GSM coloration will
begin to appear.
Behavior & Care
Maroon clowns have a well deserved reputation for being
one of the most pugnacious and aggressive members of the
anemonefish family. Large females are known to be particularly
aggressive, and many an aquarist who has had blood drawn
by a protective female maroon might even call them “vicious”!
Male maroons are typically much smaller and more docile than
their female partner, who keeps order by terrorizing the male into
submission while attacking anyone who dares to approach her
nest or partner. For this reason, maroon clowns are best kept
(Continued on page 16 ...)
(Continued from page 14, Maroon Clownish ...)

alone in a species specific display, or placed in a large (55 gallon

D.B.T.C.
plus) community aquarium with aggressive tankmates that can
hold their own.

Breeding DON’T BREAK THE CHAIN

The art of pairing maroon clowns is fraught with risk, since in
addition to their aggressive nature they also seem to have short

Congratulations
memories. Stories are not uncommon about how an aquarist
purchases a maroon pair in the fish store, has the fish bagged up
separately (as is common practice), conditions the fish together
upon arriving home, and then observes the female killing the to Bay Area Reefers
male shortly after placing the pair in their new tank. For this
reason, maroon pairs are commonly kept within line of sight while for creating the original
packing and shipping, which means placing the male and female
in different bags, then placing both these smaller bags inside and longest running
a larger bag so the pair can continue to see each other during
transport. Even the usual clownfish practice of purchasing two DBTC program!
babies and allowing them to mature together into a pair may not
work with this species, since both young maroons will want to be
the dominant fish and may fight each other to the death. Congratulations
For the aquarist who already has one maroon and is looking to to Manhattan Reefs,
find a mate, the best practice is to find another maroon that is
vastly different in size. Opinions vary on whether it is better to Southern California Nano Reef
add a larger female to a small, established male, or vice versa. In
any case, the male will require an escape area to run to in case Society, and Reefers Café for
the female becomes excessively aggressive. Small fish holders
or a box fashioned from mesh or plastic crate work well for this successfully launching their
purpose, as long as the holes are large enough for the male to
sneak through when escaping the female. If the male starts own DBTC programs!
spending more time out of the “safe area” than in it, the box can

Will YOUR club be next?

be removed, as the bonding process will have begun. However,
if the male is constantly under attack, then he should be removed
for his safety.
www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com
Once a maroon pair has bonded, they may take many months or
even years before laying their first clutch of eggs. However, once has your complete
egg laying begins, the maroon pair becomes a nest producing
machine, regularly producing huge clutches that might contain up DBTC listings!
to 5,000 or 6,000 eggs. Upon hatching, the very young babies are
Join us at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com
for the most current listing of DBTC programs,
info about starting your own DBTC program and
the latest news and milestones of this radical
new way to share coral!

If you missed the ground-breaking article

that helped start this phenomenon, go to
www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com
and read it in issue Q2, volume 2.

16 RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza takes place Oct. 11-12 in California. Log onto www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com for more info!
 RHM SPONSORED EVENT
MID WEST FRAG FEST 2008 HIGHLIGHTS

Reefers in the Mid West enjoyed two days of educational

speakers, dry goods and livestock exhibitors and
big prize raffles while helping Rockford Reefers and
Reef Nutrition raise
money for natural reef
conservation. Look out
for MidWest FragFest in
early Spring 2009!

IMAGES BY GARY L. PARR

rather delicate eaters and will require excellent water conditions
and a regular supply of live foods (most commonly rotifers) for
their first week or two of life. After reaching metamorphosis at
7 to 10 days, larger food items such as enriched, newly hatched
artemia may be gradually mixed into their diet, until such point at
14 to 21 days when dry foods may be introduced. As the young
fry mature, their classic pugnacious behavior will begin to emerge,
which requires that they be maintained in a growout system of
fairly dense concentration so no single juvenile will get attacked
too often. However, even under these conditions there will be a
couple of “super bullies” in the tank who must be closely watched
to ensure they do not wreak terror on their siblings while they
grow to marketable size!
Final Thoughts
Maroon clowns are an excellent choice for the aquarist who is
seeking an aggressive clownfish with a larger than life attitude.
Young (1 – 1.5”) maroons can be incredibly cute with their large,
round pectoral fins waggling as they dance in front of the tank
and they often draw comments of admiration from tank watchers.
However, aquarists that are contemplating the purchase of a
young maroon must remember that like the cute puppy that will
grow into the vicious watchdog, those cute little maroons will
soon turn into the terror of the tank, and will defend their home
against anyone ... even the hand that feeds them!

References
www.Fishbase.org
www.wetwebmedia.com
Wilkerson, Joyce D. 1997
Clownfish; a guide to their
captive care, breeding &
natural history. Microcosm,
VT. 216 pp.

Read
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TANK TIPS AND TRICKS
BEAT
THE
HEAT By Richard Ross
E
very year when the weather starts to heat
up, the online forums fill with posts about
how to cool a tank and where to buy fans,
chillers or portable AC units. Sadly, once a
reef hits 90+ degrees, it’s too late to be looking for
a cooling solution. Not only are the animals already
suffering or dying, but trying to find a solution during a
heat wave can be next to impossible.
I generally try to keep the temperature of my reef in a sweet spot
between 76 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people run their
reefs as cold as 74 degrees, and some as hot as 82, but almost
everyone agrees that one of the keys to having a healthy tank is
keeping the temperature relatively stable. One way to ensure this
is to find the temperature your tank naturally rises to with all your
equipment running, and set your heater to that temperature. If
you are lucky, this temperature will be in the range that you find
acceptable, but if it isn’t, you’ll have to look at some options to
cool down the tank year round. No matter where you live, you
are probably going to need some tank cooling strategy due to
seasonal weather changes.
Keeping your reef from over heating can be difficult given daily
temperature swings and seasonal changes. Sudden hot snaps
can strike out of the blue, raising your tank’s temperature without
warning. Prolonged high temperatures can turn your tank into
a cloudy soup. Even the life support you use to keep your reef
thriving; return pumps, power heads, and lights, produce heat
that can raise your water temperature. This article will try to help
you head off excess heat problems by looking at the effects of
heat on your reef animals, sources of heat in a reef aquarium, and
what you can do to beat the heat in your system.
At higher water temperatures, corals can bleach, while at the
cellular level, proteins can denature, essentially cooking the
coral. However, it is not necessarily the temperature change
that stresses or kills your animals. Often, it’s the lower amount of
dissolved oxygen in the water. Hot water carries less oxygen than
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IMAGE BY RICHARD ROSS
cold water so when the tank overheats, your fish and corals have
trouble getting enough oxygen. The problem can be exacerbated
by low flow in the aquarium, as good flow is required for coral
respiration. Less oxygen in the water and less access to that
oxygen due to low flow is a bad recipe for reef health.
Like everything in this hobby, preplanning is key. When it isn’t hot
outside, you have plenty of time to research potential solutions.
That’s the time to find the right piece of equipment, often on sale
out of season, like fans, chillers or window/portable AC units. You
get to choose the solution you want instead of being forced to
buy what is available (and perhaps having to spend more money
buying the right solution later). Also make sure it’s installed to the
best advantage instead of rushing into a temporary fix because
your animals are suffering.
Having strong aeration and flow in an overheated tank can mitigate
the dangers to your reef, so initial system design, including a
quality protein skimmer to aid in aeration and removal of dissolved
organics, can play an important role.
Since gas exchange occurs mostly when the surface of the water
is broken, the more you can “churn” the surface of the water, the
more dissolved oxygen you can get into your reef. A power head
or return line pointed at the surface of the water, instead of the
bottom of the tank, can help add a lot of oxygen to the water.
Water flowing into an overflow and down a standpipe to the sump
is great for gas exchange, but the way the water enters the sump
can also increase dissolved oxygen levels. While we all like quiet
(Continued on page 20 ...)
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 IMAGE BY JIM ADELBERG
(Continued from page 18, beat the heat ...)
sumps, an overflow that splashes, or flows along the sidewall of
the sump above the water line allows for great “churning”, gas
exchange and evaporative cooling.
Adding water motion is an excellent to way raise dissolved oxygen
levels during a heat wave. Keep an extra pump, powerhead, or
air pump, some airline and an airstone on hand, and set them up
when it gets hot outside.
Turn off your lights on days it’s going to be hot. Your corals and
fish will be fine without the tank lights for 2 days or more. If it’s
going to be hot for a while, you can change your photoperiod to
late at night or early in the morning when ambient temperatures
are cooler. You can even set an electronic temperature controller
to turn off your lights if the water temperature gets too hot.
Evaporation will help cool your tank, sometimes by a significant
amount. You can boost evaporative cooling by adding fans to
blow across the surface of your tank water, either on the sump or
the main tank. The fan can also be automated with an electronic
temperature controller, turning it into a year round solution rather
than just a seasonal solution.
When it’s hot, your reef can evaporate a surprisingly large amount
of water in a very short time, and your salinity can rise to dangerous
levels in a matter of days or less. Therefore, a plan for dealing with
increased evaporation is a must.
Keep a few buckets (or more) of fresh top off water, either reverse
osmosis/deionized water or treated tap water on hand. At the
very least, know which LFS in your area has RODI water for sale,
and hope you don’t need it when the store is closed or sold out!
You can manually add the top off water as needed, or you can
use any number of methods to automate your top off with float
switches or dosing pumps connected to reservoirs of RODI water.
I recommend investing in some sort of auto top off because it can
be very difficult to manually keep up with evaporation rates. With
an auto top off, you don’t have to check on the tank all the time
so you can go out and enjoy the hot weather.
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IMAGE BY RICHARD ROSS
Some advocate the use of several 2 liter bottles of water kept in the
freezer and rotated into the sump as needed. In my experience,
this is not only labor intensive (you have to actually be near the
tank all day to know when to change out bottles), but it doesn’t
work very well except on small systems.
Cooling the air of the room the reef is in with air conditioning can
also control runaway temperatures. This solution has the added
benefit of keeping the reef keeper cool as well as the reef. Many
people use window AC units that the user needs to install (screw
into place) to work safely and properly. There are also portable
(rolling) AC units that exhaust through a window through an easily
installed exhaust port included with the unit. Both units work well,
but the portable unit has the added benefit of being able to be
moved into your overheated bedroom at night.
Though they can be expensive, electric aquarium chillers are a
great way to directly control overheating. A chiller is like a tank
heater in reverse; when the tank gets too hot, it turns on. A
drop-in chiller has a cooling coil you drop into your sump, while
a flow through chiller needs water pumped through it to function.
The more powerful the chiller, the more it can “pull down” the
tank’s temperature and the faster it will cool the water. For sizing
and flow requirements, please see individual manufacturer’s
recommendations.
If you are running a chiller, make sure that the chiller and your
system’s heater are set so they don’t waste electricity fighting
each other. It makes little sense to let the heater heat the water
the chiller is cooling and let the chiller cool the water the heater is
heating. Another way to deal with this potential issue is to get a
dual stage controller, which will control both devices and not allow
them to work against each other.
Because a chiller can eat up a lot of electricity, some people have
a multi-stage temperature controller running a fan on the sump
that is set to turn on a few degrees lower than the chiller. This way,
the fan and evaporative cooling does the lion’s share of the work,
while the chiller is there for the really hot days.
 The author’s tank thrives with consistent temperature control. IMAGE BY RICHARD ROSS

IMAGE BY JIM ADELBERG

If your tank gets too hot, and you start to lose animals, you are
going to want to do water changes before your water quality
degrades and you lose more animals. Make sure you have enough
salt mix and RODI water on hand to be able to do a 50% water
change if needed. I actually have a 150 gallon reservoir that I keep
filled with saltwater that is ready to go, so if there is a problem,
I can act immediately. (Editor’s note – “clean” (newly mixed) salt
water is lower in dissolved organics and therefore can carry a
higher dissolved oxygen level)

The summer heat is on its way, so whichever solutions you

choose, now is the time to get them in place! Take a look at your
system, maximize flow and aeration, and do what’s required to
help your tank beat the heat.

Special thanks
to Jake Adams and Jim Adelberg
for their influence in writing this article.

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