AQUARIUM FISHKEEPING ® FRESHWATER®™ MARINE « & MORE! THNNIS | = el] 2 16l89 5026 oe We eeWNuer Peter Ee siceenitoy snes! ‘ teor, Let’s get a fish tank! the 30 gallon ray _ Adeall a couldn’t refuse! well make room for Rroacwieteron) Me ea esau st —_ — wz ue ae 3 ae Nei wow! howconverentint semaines eT thousands of people Eielere Ca fearaes Perez r Core roe}Pees e 1 a cares Bieouatieae ees isn’t big enough 2 55 gallonis added to the house, Petar tecnds ee) Gears eRe Poetics) Ny Ses) oe ieee Peat Richeplprcntmcerices Ia even) eed = Se be eee Dis mr sel Re Ng fits perfect in the living room! et eee te oho From the beginner to the advanced aquarist, ONT Re ET a aCe Sere Srl eee ete eee Rtn. CeO) ele) Feo cent ete Onno Tela a= Scored aCelebrating 30 years zooplankton & phytoplankton Feet Zooplankton" is a concentrated blend of marine 200- pee eee en ree teins, vitamins, amino acids, with biological carotenoids for Ce Re een ee ne eae Reef Zooplankton™ contains a natural source of carot- Ce eee ee Ce md Ca aes Ce Ce a ed Cee eae ed Cee to Co ee es Cee eg Co Reet Phytoplankton™ is a concentrated blend of green Se ane cy Ce a ee) biological carotenoids for invertebrate diet. Size ranges {rom 1-20 jm to food a broad range of tropical marine Seed eee noe Fe Ren ces Ce ee ee ey Senn CE ake Ee eee eee en eee ae ee Ted Dee Ree ee De ee nd Ce eo es DC i eng Se te a De eR ee a SR ee Re Rn) Deo or roo SO ee ae eeeReef Plankton oe Dee Pee rds Deere tite] Dee Ret as eas @ Natural source of carotenoids ese ol) Roy ‘Seachem Laboratories, nc. 1000 Seachem Drive, Masison, GA30650 885-SEACHEM wruw.seachem.comjanuary2012 (Our 60th Year - Volume LX - Number 5 - #670 features Expressing a Sense of Depth Using Ryuoh Stones ‘and Stem Plants Ryuoh stones an stom plans con be otflectvely combined fo smote dopthtu exparses of forests ond mountain rengasin the Nature Aquat, Takashi Amano 58 International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest 2011 The res of he annual international Aquatic Plants Layout Contest {eo in reveaing tha Bott of tha bee Nature Aquariums fram around the word 64 Amazing Angeffish ‘Angelis he n astopie ofthe aquarium hobby due to ‘hat elegant ful movernents and wh New \aretos consstenty becoming avolable, they make on excollont| Choice for many home cquatsis. Maddy Hargrove 70 Nano Fish: The Best Choices for 5-Gallon and Under Tanks 'Nono tans are often popular choices for beginnes cn up, but i's often hard to know what fsh do best in hem. An experienced nono keeper coffers c selection of appropriate choices for aquorurs § gallons o ess Mark Denaro 76 Fahaka Putters Famed for thor entering perenaits puters oe loved by many, The fohoka puffer no exception, and when kept in clare tank anc {ven the right environment, can make foro try ntewoctve pol iso columns 82 A Cool Fish in More Than One Sense: The Blue-Spotted Jawfish Opistognathus rosenblatti ae Ask Jack ‘A cool-water fe, the bio spotted jaws makes 0 wonder aquarium nk or specimen for lorge tanks wh pontyofhing places Bob Fenner BB ich Wedd 90 Retailer Spotlight: Tropiquarium in Ocean, New Jersey ety Lecated by the ferrous Jey Shove, ropiquarum feokues the best in ‘ath mare and feshwatermetock, a wel cx reeset fo 30 The Plonted Tank impress any hobo. Albert Connelly, Jr fron wien 34 Life with Livebearers craes Cosoce 38 Into the Labyrinth 42 Adventures in Aquascaping 46 The Salt Mix Jos Fate, 52odo engn taep ing Hoek In hone aye! ir amano snow ano o combine oe ana ao pn ‘Decwaratosing 54 motogp by axa aman Iopctonfor cous hay departments 6 Publisher's Note 8 Contributors 10 Feature Photo 12 Freshwater Q&A 18 Saltwater Q8A ‘52 Fish of the Month 94 Behind the Brond 96 Holiday Product Showcase 106 Article Index 2011 108 Clossitieds NNO Advertiser Index 112 Parting Shot TROPCLFISH ymagazinecom FH Magazine pubssher Noney S. Redenata Edilorial & Design ‘managing ati: Abert Conny, cot stant: Tang Ms cenautng snk ecto Waren 6 ges, PD, Nec Prnek Contibuting editor: James Fathontee, MSo, Bob Fenner. Jott ura Rehord Sten, Jack Wate, Rhonda ‘ten, ClauesaDesinger. Merk Denaro Advertising ccaverteing ote aractor Nancy. Rvacensta cdertiing eteduction manoger: Krystal lr Corertsing soles manager: Blanne Minot Internet marustng: slots Teds Subscriptions AbigallM. McFoaly: cusemenuppertetmcom "866 859-9054 LRH. Publications, In. resident eet exacutve cer: Glan 8. Axed enecuve vee proudont Mark. Jannsan it aie ont S80from the publisher O12 is an extra-special year for us here at TFH, as we celebrate our 60 birthday with the September 2012 issue! What stared as @ small magazine launched in September 1952. by the father and uncle of our Executive Editor ‘and CEO, Glen Axelrod, has now become the ultimate aquarium magazine for beginners through advanced hobbyists, freshwater to marine, ad everything in between. As part of our commitment 10 bring you the best, this year we are launching anew mobile app for Apple and Android devices. ‘With this handheld version of TFH, you will bbe able to easily ead the magizine anytime anywhere, as wel as get updates on breaking ‘aquatic news and TEH Blog entries, And be ‘se to continue to he part of the ACTION in all things AQUATIC by visiting our website (hmagazine-com), liking us on Facebook, and following us on Twitter! ‘There are many different reasons why each ‘of usisdravn to the aquariues hobby, and paet ‘of what inspires me when #1 comes to setting up a tank is how it contributes aesthetically to my surroundings. My decorating style has developed along the lines of rustic modernism—Ive recently added a stark, clearlined stone-slab dining table and white shaped couch to my living space, while reducing the overall amount of *stuif” in my ‘home to what really matters to me. While [ve always enjoyed the sleele and simple sand- and rock-scaped 55-qllon rainboutish tank in my office, with its clean lines and peaceful aura, Tm curently plnning on inttoducing a large display tank at home to watch from my new couch, Certainly; any one of this year winners of the International Aquatic lants Layout Contest would be an inspiring addition to any home’ decor. These gorgeous layouts would add quite a serene feeling to ‘whatever room they are in (p. 58). For those who prefer the many colors ‘of the coral reef, professional aquascaper Ben Johnson begins his “Adventures in Aquascaping" project this month with reefscape. In order to fit it im perfectly with the look of the owner’ home, the tank is ‘contained inside a wall and all the equipment is hidden behind it (p. 42). We are also introducing two exciting new ccolurans in this issue, The former president ‘of the International Betta Congeess, Mark Denato, is sharing his extensive knowledge ‘of bettas and their close relauves with “Into voevefhmagazine com the Labyrinth” (p. 38). Renowned fish farmer Charles Clapsaddle is also coming onboard this month with his new column, “Life with Livebearers,” in which he will share his love ‘of the great variety of livebearees there ate 0 keep and enjoy (p. 34) There are also some important changes happening here at TFH. It is with some sadness but a great deal of excitement for the fatute that Lam stepping aside as TTFH Magazine’ Publisher to accept more responsibilty a5 Vice President of Creative Direction for EH. Publications, Incf Nylabone Products, Christopher T. Reggio will be coming onboard asthe new publisher ‘of the magazine; Christopher has served as the Publisher of TIFH. Publications’ book department for over the past six years, andl he has an extensive history in the publishing industry | would also like to take this opportunity to say goodbye and thank you to our Editor. in-Chief David E. Boruchowitz, who lias been ‘with this magazine in various capacities since the late 1900s, as this is his last issue. Our longtime Q&A writer and all-around hobby expert, Jeff Kure, will be king on a greater role at TFH as our new Senior Consulting Editor, We are thrilled to have him join the ‘editorial tear! Also, our former Associate Publisher and Managing Editor, Albert Comnelly, Je, has accepted a promotion as TEH/Nylabone’s Digital Communications. Director, bringing his long editorial tenure at the magazine to fa close. Shati Horowitz has been promoted to Managing Eaditor, and Tsing Mul will be taking ona greater roleas Associate Editor and Digital Designer. | know they will continue to uphold TH tradition of aquatic excellence as we move forward into our 60" birthday and beyond! We at TFH wish all of our loyal readers and fishkeeping friends success, happiness, and health for 2012. Happy New Year! Feliz Ato Nuevo! Nancy Rivadeneira-Troceolt Publisher Tropical Fish Hobbyist January 2012AQUATOP a” UATIC SUPPLIES Se aT ESTATES TPAC) ; s ‘# q * ie Saag a ens SO) a if ea Cty e210 rr Cy ry - RA easy rn e ra Sane Sa | cn l it f Dane ETS Heaters | Pumps | Filters & UV Lamps | Nutritional Needs | Tank Health | Tanks & Live Fish | Pond & Koi Supplies CE me eee ee eee aes eet etre COLO): rola watewarrcon www.AgueTop.com | Call us at (888) 915-2782 | [sss8658) eSIm This tse: the world famous maser agquascaper and vento of dhe Nature Kaui layout syle describes how to tate «difletent ype of Nature Aquarion Inv “I desced pores for naga! combine stom plans with an ego layout or simi mountaincus scenery without erating un odd eting ‘Other Works: Nace Saran Word, Aga Journal Inspiration fr the Nature Aquarium Style: “Although plans muy appea untidy tn vt, thy are growing an onder manner. Rocks ae arranged natural bythe Mow of wate, unl hey crete various scenes, These cee are rly the eels of arora feay have observed and lerned many things from nae while cresting Nate aru, hich scveate sch scenery ins qari" mark denaro In ths ssn: One ofthe most enone marine quarts workddeehas covet 2 ‘Smimonly misepmeented spcethe eset rsh “have seen feces of cul to caer water opps ol or may sy minepresentel a topical nea Cota gots Gand Netridam and fea abemone, moon sal, my es ‘ise st None of hee wile farang in tsar seaming and nee this ulater jth ‘Other Works: The Cncitons Marine Agari, Wet¥ebMia.comt Inspiration fr Staring Weed com: edncate ls incest in omarenial pss hu burning sre lp nse and Best Place Youve Eser Been Diving “Gs, thse are severely he Re Sx though ‘veal or weer ry oc fe opel ee 8 ww iffmagazine-com takashi amano Bane Veg port fear tk, may people ned to ko ‘vacly what fc can go int them. Mong wh hat people need w Know what does Tetons amana Acconingo Mark, "Or the bight thet specs tht do wel ‘smal ls actully rater exes Founder of Arb: Desir Most Excing Aspect of You Job: ig o ack down ne species and. even more tofind known specs tht ar ey ran they Ire ke o Bong eh ht ae ot ently aalble a etd tt the hans ays who shoul beac ‘wih them in th hopes geting these species aise In the hobby 1 This issuer professional aquarium designer wns about the Fahaka pall, a Irate and popala eshater fish "The new vo dediate a whole garam 0 one Fs for mary puller aionadon, more han tae wp fo by te interactve pet the paler becomes, Pllets are the comics of ue sh word ltentnc serving =the ‘lows fam agar," he Founder of Repaguaic.com ‘Whats Your Favorite Fish? “Thats a hard quan to amet e worked th Iundeds of species and have a love for all sh. Howsve, To cna by lage predatory fs that are sll table or lrg home aortas, Ica tll yo my top ee are maine tuloo sharks Cilla pp. the tester pan per THtaodon bande shiver ster tsk baracads Hy Welyus ombud January 2012Two New Ways to Adda Splash of Color PetSmart: Introduces NEW Cosmic Blue sa sce a SeasBoeseman’s Rainbowfishmil Q&A resrwaier 2 gota question? Send your questions about the freshwater side of the cquarum hobby 10 "Q&A," FH, Publications PO. Box 427, Neptune, NJ 07754 (oF suomit vie e-mall to editorertn, ‘com, For answers 10 more. time: sensitive questions, opinions on your setup, oF just fo Converse with like minded members of the aquarium community, please visit the TFH Forum at forums tihmagazine.com, Koi in Aquarium? An indoor garden center in my community has small koi (5 ‘or 6 inches) for sale in one of those black, rigid pond liners, and | would like to know whether I could reasonably keep three or so in a 55-gallon tank. Monica Westerberg via email Jf your intention s to keep the eos inthe aquarium just for the winter months and then transfer them permanently to an outdoor pond in the spring, then they should be just Jie. However, if your plan is to keep the hoi fas permanent residents im your 35-gallon tank, that will not work, Being bulky, messy {fish that can reach upward of 3 0 4 feet in length, ko are very poorly suited for almost ‘any home aquarium. In fact, they'e noe even well suited for the average garden pond, where goldfish are a much better choice. To keep koiin good heath forthe long term, they needa pond in the thousands of gallons that includes a deep section (at least 4 eet) where they can rege m winter and escape te sus intense heat in summer Besides, oi have been selectively Ined to develop colors and pauerns that are observed to their greatest advantage from above—as when viewing them in a pond—rather dhan Jrom the side as you would see them in an ‘aquarium. Peacock Cichlid Hybridization Tam interested in keeping, and potentially breeding, peacocle cichlids from Lake Malawi. Originally, 1 wonaflmagazine com was planning to keep several different peacock species in the same 100-gallon tank, but a friend advised me against that because he says that they'll hybridize, What difference does it make if they hybridize? Its not as if Tm planning to reintroduce them to the wild! Jill Steinrod Baltimore, Maryland As long as any resultant offering remain in your care, At doesnt really maiter at al whether the diferent peacock cichlids ulonocara spp.) in your tank hybridize. However, even though theyll never end up in Lake Malawi problems can easily come into play if you ever decide to trade any of the hybridized offpring with your dealer or fellow hobbyists—a likely tventalty gen the elatve ease wth which AAwlonocara cichlids breed. Aulonocara species can be very difficult o distinguish at a glance—espectall the more drably colored Jemales—and they tend to hybridize readily in captivity For these reasons, the identification of Avlonocara cichlids (ond their labeling at the retail level) has become quite muddled, and hobbyists are hard pressed to find true Strains. nrodacng additional hybrids tothe hobby jst sows more confusion i, i your goal ist reed peacock cieMids and you want 10 avoid hybridiation, its best to acquire your specimens from a reputable dealer or breeder who specializes in cichlids and Keep only one species per tank f you decide to mix diferent species, just mate sure none ofthe offspring wind wp inthe trade January 2012Asa hobby aquarist, there are afew things you asstime when being a responsible caretaker for your fish You assume the tank will hold together at the seams, that you will have a water uupply to replenish your tank, and that you will have electricity to power your tank’ devices. Afier surviving the wrath of Hurricane Irene, Lost power in alier the outage occurred, | was concerned for my 30- and 20-gallon cichlid tanks. rly estimates from the tility company depicted a scenario in which power could ‘my home, Immediately be restored in, at best, five During that time, not knowing when the power would return, { monitored and ssbest I could, Despite physically ‘maintained my tanks: doing daily water changes, agitating the water to aerate the water column, and meticulously monitoring ammonia and nitrate levels, [Jost an eight= yearold blood parrot cichlid and a two. year-old electee yellow cichlid On the sixth day, power was restored, and luckily, the other seven fish in my tanks survived the ordeal. Short of moving the fish to another location, what advice can you give other hobby aquarists in terms of maintaining a tank when there is no electricity to run filters, aeration units, and powerheads? An-Shih Leo Long Island, New York First, let_me say that 1 chink you did an admirable job under Some very trying circumstances. Ies certainly regrettable that you lost wo specimens, but your valiant for did save the majority of your fish Inaperfect world, every aquarium hobbyist would have a backup generator on hand 10 prevent losses in the power outage, but given the potential cost of, these units, thats not necessarily a realistic aption for everyone. Besides, generators have to be operated outdoors to prevent carbon nit of a prolonged monoxide poisoning, 50 if our area was se that experienced significant flooding, t might not have even been practical The most significant threats to aquarium livestock during «power outage ave rapid or precipitous temperature changes, depletion af dissolved oxygen, aa the buiyp of texi pollutants: With respect to the frst post, ‘among Tioplcal Fish Hobbyist the emphasis should be placed on “rapid or precipitous.” A change of a few degrees in cither direction that occurs over the course af many hours or a Jew days generally won't m fish. However, a shift occurring over Just a few hours or a very significant shif that moves the temperature outside the range that is acceptable for your fish can be deadly To help minimize temperature swings, ts «good idea fo surround your tank with an insulating blanket of some sort. Ifthe power is ut fora long time, the water temperature will sill change, but the shift will be more gradual and, hopefully, not overly stressful tothe fish Ms also helpful to keep several plastic water wwii Douttes in your frezer at all times. That war, if the power goes out and the temperature is expected to climb, you can float the frozen bottles in your aquariums to slow the shift. Of this method is only practicable while the hotles remain frozen. After power has Deen out for an extended period, theyll begin to thaw along with everyil “freezet. Still, you might be able to buy your ish alittle time with this technique As far as dissolved oxygen depletion is concerned, your best hedge against that is © have on hand several batery air pumps (shich are very modestly priced) alongwith airline tubing an aistones, and a red Bgood supply of replacement baueries. (There are also air pumps that are designed to ran on a 12-volt car or boat battery.) A few bubbling airstones in each tank will help provide aeration and circulation, thereby maintaining an oxygen level that is survivable for the fish and minimizing the impact on your biological filter. GN Ane telefon) eA toa ee Tat 4 oto ad Goops (317) 895-9005 SaaS LCT a DoE eotol Daily Coreven more frequent) water changes during the outage are your best defense inst the buildup of toxic pollutants, e.g, ‘ammonia, in the water Also, i best to avoid feeding your fish during a power outage. Any tuneaten food ana the resultant fish waste will put too Dioflter Besides, most fish will be just fine without food for up to @ week or even longer. at a burden on the already tenuous My local fish store is selling. banjo catfish (1 dont know the scientific name), and fm thinking bout getting one to putt in my 29-gallon, freshwater tank, which contains thre different platy varieties, Right now, theres total of 12 fish in the tank. Will the banjo catfish and plates get along okay? Sylvia Cook via email You wouldnt have any problems in terms of ag the banjo. catfish, Wh Bunocephalus species, and your ession betvveen ya latis, bu I still wouldnt recommend adding fone to your tank, There are 190 reasons {for this. One, the various banjo catfishes ing bottom feeders and would be outcompeted at every mealtime by the fast-moving, ever-hungry, top-water- Seeding platies. Two, Bunocephalus catfishes ‘enjoy very different water parameters than platics do. Whereas platies thrive in hari alkaline water and cooler temperatures, the banjo catfishes prefer softer sh warmer water Generally speaking, the banjo ly acidic wonaflmagazine.com catfishes are best kept in a species tank that caters 0 their specific needs or with very passive tankmates that have the same water ‘chemistry and temperature requirements. Hello from a new subscriber 0 Western Australia, { have to say, from the few issues Ive read 50 far, you blokes doa bloody good job! My question relates tothe contentious issue of the frequeney of water hy tropical freshwater tank, measuring 5 feet by 2 feet by 2 fet, that has been four years with CO, supplementation. The s. Lhave a going for abou tank is moderately planted and houses abou 40 fish (etrs, danios, cores, et). During the fist 12 months or so, changed bout hall of the water fortnightly, but since then, mainly due to laziness, water changes have stretched out to hall the water every six ‘weeks and sometimes longer. | monitor pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate regularly, and these values have remained at 68, 0, 0, and 5 10 10 ppm, respectively, the whole time. 1 only occasionally lose a fish, and plant growth is robust This situation frequent, significant water cha that is generally recommended, Am | walking. a knife’ edge, of, more generally, is the water change issue dependent on the ecology of the tank in question more dhan anything else? Peter Dallas Perth, Western Australia doesnt seem to fit the se schedule Thank you so much for your kind remarks, and welcome! is great to have you with us! I thin you nailed it right on the head, The appropriate frequency and volume of water changes does de ‘on the ecology of the aquarium in particularly the stocking levelfceding regimen, Im your tank, which holds approximately 150 gallons, 40 small fishes, such as tetras, danios, fishes, wont have nearly as big an effect on water quality as they would in ‘@.much smaller tank or that, say, 5 or 6 all grown oscars or piranhas, with their messy ‘eating habits and copious waste production, would have in your 150. Generally speaking, the water quality in Tighily stocked, judicious fed aquariums can be maintained with ‘or smaller water changes. nd to a Large extent ‘and Corydoras Nonetheles, it important to consider that there are numerous benefs to frequent water January 2012changes that go. beyond the dilution of itn expont enous compounds, such as the replenishment of vital trace elements, th promotion of more stable water chemistry, better ity ama better rates of growth and city in the fish. Perhaps the best way 0 at itis that there are myriad benefits ning frequent, large waver changes but virtually no drawbacks, Today, my wife and 1 bought fone male and two female red velvet swordtails from a local pet store While we were driving home, one of the females gave birth to several babies, but unfortunately all of them died. Do’ you suppose brought on by the the birth was premature and was the female just ready to deliver right when we bought her? Since the babies were stillborn or died right after delivery we're concerned that the female wont have healthy babies in the future, Is our ‘worrying justified? Carl Young via email Wheat Germ Pome oe) UNI-PRESIDENT ENTERPRISES CORP. While ix the female is possible swordeail coincidentally ready to deliver nt when you bought her, ly scenario is the first one the stress of being the more Ii you describe i, and cransported induced liver her fey prematurely. Not laa ae ‘occurrence with livebearers and no cause for concern that the female (or females) who delivered the young won't give birth to healthy, vi le offspring in the future ate space, appropriate water conditions, and nutritious foods, both females should eventually reward you know what to with more babies chan do with. Distributor areieed Tet Best Appetite & Digestion Phone: +886-62538273 Fax: + Tioplcal Fish Hobbyist ww neifhmagazine.com eae eau a oitieutea By Aqua Pet Feeds Company Phone: 626 448 7777 FAX: 626 448 6660 E-Mail: agpfe@yahoo.com‘and other aquatic plan's can be quarantined in raster. and other undesrablee ave ff Giuesilon” oboai A aquarium plans that | bop f plants just a form of aquarium livestock epidemic pr ‘0 seporate tank to prevent the That's an ¢ cellent question there's nothing silly about it at all it is fo Remember: ome p can reproduce to faportions in aquariums, such CUES ye A community that 100,000 people orm arelazi2 vwwgfhmagagine.com es in quarancin the aquarist an op losely for evidence 0 rittersand imiinate them either throug) lp ites that feed Condensation in Heater = My aquarium heater recentl died, and a friend was kind enough to bail me out ng,_me Ceehis spare submersible heater, So_ far is been working fine, but today I was looking very closely at it and noticed that some condensation is visible inside the glass tube. I haven't been shocked or anything, but should I be worried about that moisture? Clayton Brown via email I would say you're more than justified in worrying about aquarium heater, As” the old saying goes, water and clectricity don't mix (well, not without serious consequences, anyway), so 1 would replace that heater posthaste. It may he working fine for now, but how long will that last? At best, the condensation could eventually lead sion that impairs the heater’s performance. At worst, th ophic failure, resulting in a shattered heater and the risk of electrocution, Given the relatively modest cost of replacing a faulty heater, that’s simply not a risk ‘worth taking. moisture could cause a catas This experience should also reinforce all m devices into a ground fault er (GFCD, which prevents clectrical shock by instantly cutting eff the electricity any time a difference in the flow of current is detected between the hot and ground the importance of pluggin -trleal sides of the circuit I've cycled many an aquarium before using fish, but now Td like to try the fishless method I've been hearing so much about lately How much ammonia is needed 10 get the cycle started, and what do you cary to add ge filter media from a mature tank or will Also, is it nece cl or the beneficial bacteria populate the tank either way? Barry Adams via email A good target ammonia level for initiating cycling etween is somewhere 3 and 5 parts per million Tioplcal Fish Hobbyist The ammonia can be introduced either work faster th flakes for achieving directly by adding an ammonia salt or the desired ammonia level. It's not ‘an ammonia solution (with no perfumes, absolutely necessary to seed the new tank colorants, etc. added) (0 the water or with substrate or filter media from an rectly by put ‘and allowing it to decompose, Either to speed the process along. So, if method will work just as well as the source these materials from another tank fish food in the tank established system, but it certainly helps ather. Pve found that meaty foods, such ora fellow hobbytst’s system, so much the ‘as brine shrimp or pieces of table shrimp, etter. ® Featuring Antarctic Kril, two types of Sa ee Ren ee re een eae Se eter Advantages of Dainichis encaps eee " are coated after the extrusion process with key h Sensitive ingredients such as digestive enzymes, color ancers, mineral clay, garlic, and vitamins. By utili fens in their uncooked, natural state, this truly unique eee le for your fish to achieve growth, colors fee ee CA eee ae asa ts rea rag ce Sta Ree) COLL &>INOCHI GP nconroxtste ww nefhmagazine.com 1Be Q&Asalwater 18 gota question? Send your questions about the saltwater side of the oquotlum hobby to "GBA," FH, Publications PO. Box 427, Neplune, NU 07754 6 suismit via e-mal fo editordith, com, For answers to mote time: senstive questions, opinions on your setup, oF just fo converse with tke: minded members of the oquarium. community, please visit the TFH Forum at forums fragazine com. Safe to Add Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp? Hello, 1am 11 years old, and 1 am curently seting up a 150-gallon ssliwater aquarium, Tam wondering if 1 am too inexperienced to maintain three or 50 scarlet cleaner shrimp. I plan on adding them once the tank is fully established and all the water parameters are stabilized, The selection of fish t plan to add includes cellars clownfish, « sin tang, sever bluestriped neon gobies, and a school of pajama cardinalidh, Place tell me if some red leg reef hermit crabs would bother them in any way, Also, since I lve in Trinidad and Tobago, I do not live near any aquarium stores that sll quality saltwater livestock, so 1 plan to purchase all my livestock online, Do these shrimp sulfer duting shipping? Thanks! Matthew Teelucksingh via email 1 dont think you'll have any problems keeping a small group of scarlet cleaner shrimps, presumably. Lysmata amboinensis or L. debelius, in your 150-gallon. Ie especially encouraging to near that you plan to wait to intraduce them uml the tank is fully established and the water parameters have stabilized. That tells ime you already thinking like a suecessul sallyateraquarist!Lalso think you've selected “nice assoriment of fish that should get along ‘well with cach other and with the shrimps As far as the red leg reef hermi crabs are concerned, I cant say for certain whether they ‘would be compatible with the shrimps because many hermit crab species are sold under that name, including various Dardanus, Pagutistes, ‘and Caleinus species to name a few Some are larger, more aggressive, and less trustworthy wovnurfhmagazine com Aan others: Mie sure you now exactly which hermit crab species yow'e adding, and fully rescarch s characteris ahead of tine ‘The cleaner shrimp shou Ship jut fine, but do keepin mind tat Lysmata species are very sensitive to sudden changes in water parameters. 115 very important to aclimate them to your tank slowiy wil the water chemistry” and temperature are exactly the same, Protein Skimmer Maintenance Schedule What type of maintenance schedule would you recommend for a protein skimmer? Can you tell me what needs to be done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to keep the skimmer ‘operating at peak efficiency? Glen Napier ‘Wheeling, West Virginia Well, the exact timing of protein skimmer maintenance casks will wary depending on bioload and other system particulars, ut here what works for me: Every day or couple of days, 1 pour the accumulated skimmate rom the collection cup down the sink drain ‘and rinse the cup thoroughly under running tap water Then, every week or so, I wipe the neck of the skimmer chamber and the collection cup with a clean paper towel to remove any accumulated gunk so te doesnt interfere with foam production. On a monthly basis, I remove the skimmer from the sump, disassemble it, and soak the pump, valves, and tubes in white vinegar to dissolve any calcium buildup that might be clogging up the works, After that, Luse a pipe cleaner to eliminate any gunk or debris that remains inside these components, Finally, 1 rinse everything of in tap water, reassemble the simmer, and return it 0 my sump. January 2012Specific Gravity Dropping Ive kept freshwater aquariums for ang time but just recently started my first saltwater tank, For some reason, my spectlic gravity keeps dropping V usually notice the drop afer {do a water change, which bifles me because whenever T-mix up replacement. water, TVmake sure itis the exaet same specifi gravity as the water fn the aquarium, Any idea whats going on here? Carty Kestenbaum via email Since the drop in specific gravity seems to coincide with water changes, fm wondering whether ‘you're using the replacement water immediately afier mixing. it rather than aging it for « day or so frst. Tve found that immeditely after mixing up a batch of salt water, I tend to get a false high specific gravity reading because there are a fot of tiny ‘air bubbles in the water, which cling to the hydrometer needle and cause to rise higher than it should. However, if T aerate and heat the water at least overnight so those excess bubbles can off-gas, the salt has a chance to dissolve completely, and the water chemistry hhasa chance to stabilize, I tend get a lower specific gravity reading when I est again the next day. I can then add a bit more sat 10 Dring the specific gravity to the desired level ‘and then use it for « water change. Another possibility 1s that whenever you do water changes, you're actually replacing a smaller volume of salt water than you remove ‘Then, when you top off the system with fresh water 10 compensate for evaporation, you essentially replace some of the salt water with fresh water, causing your specific gravity to dip. Obviously, there should he an exact LL ratio of salt water removed to salt water replaced. Approximations will throw off your specific gravity in one direction or the other. Hitchhiking Featherduster Worms. Tim setting up a 90-gallon reef system and enjoying every step of the process (well, mostly anyway). Things are really starting to get exciting now that [ve added my live rock. 1 ean believe all the amazing little ereatures that are emerging! My question is about the tiny featherduster ‘worms I'm seeing on the rocks, Ate they Likely to survive? They're such a neat Tioplcal Fish Hobbyist Scott cleaner shvimp (ysmata debelis; the health of lyemata species can be mainlained Under stable water conditions. Pink teatherduster worm Sobellastarte indica: featherduster worms have a much betler Particulate matter feature, and Ud hate to lose them! Thomas Connair Pasadena, Texas [My experience with the various liile featherduster worms that hithhike on live rock i tha they tend to hang on for a white but then eventually disappear—elther because they've been eaten by the resident fishes ‘or motile invertebrates, or they starve to wovwehmagazine.com ‘chance of survivaline predator-free aquarium that offers a regular supply offi, suspended death because food of the appropriate type and particle size isn’ available in sufficient quantities in the average reef aquarium, Sill, they have been known to survive and even reproduce in predator fre systems with adequate levels of fine, suspended particulate ‘matter There are also. various. commercial products containing phytoplankton that you ‘might try as a food source for the worms, though theres no guarantee that they be ‘accepted by the particular species in your tank, 19Placement of Live Rock U have a newbie question for you When placing live racks in an aquarium, is it best to put them directly fon the glass bottom of the tank and then fill in with sand around them or to put them on, t would seem to top ofthe sand bed? To m ‘make more sense to put them on top of the sand, but my dealer says otherwise, Which way would you recommend? Randy Pietrykowski via email 1s generally preferable to put the rocks direcilyon the bottom of the tank and then fil in around ‘hem with substrate material. Of if you're a buterfingrs like 1am and you're worried that youll accidentally drop one of the rocks and crack the bottom pane as you SETS eC goa} ST ee re Nie) Sera ae, a ik & Frozen Foods 'Clowntish nave the abilty fo lay hundreds of eggs in a single week, put together your rock layout, you could put down a thin cushioning layer (a quarter inch or so) of substrate first, followed by the rocks ‘and then the rest of the sand bed. Rockwork placed on top of deep substrate cam be ‘easily undermined by digging or burrowing livestock, which could destabilize it to the point dhat rocks tumble over and crack the ‘aquarium. If you choose not to include any hurrowing/digging. species in your system, you can get avay with putting the rocks on {op of the substrate, but then youl be limited in terms of the livestock you can ada later on Clownfish Eggs Hi TEH! My name is Nicklas, and 'm seven years old. Can you tell me how many eggs a clownlish can lay? Nicklas Pawlicki via email AROUSe.OF TroPiCcal: re of Tropical: NER Te EA seer ees Na Eile ices wovnerfhmagazine com Joyce Wilkerson, a person who wrote a really good book about clownfishes and has raised a lot of them in aquariums, vorites that 4 clownyish pair (a male and female together), depending on which species itis (alt of people think there is just one (ype of clownjish, but dia you know here are actually 28 dlifferent longish species?), will lay somewhere between 400 anal 1500 eggs every wo weeks. That means ‘that every year, clawnfish pair can lay about 10,000 to 40,000 eggs! Now, its important to remember that these amounts ar just averages We should think of these numbers as being normal or usual amounts, not exact amounts ‘that are true for every clownyish Some clownfish will ay mone eggs or fewer eges than usual Non- Photosynthetic Invertebrates Easier? im a novice reef aqusrist, and I'm curious as to whether | would be better off starting with non-photosynthetic invertebrates rather than the photosynthetic kind. Ate they generally consi Robert Algerton Portland, Oregon real easier to keep? On the recommend that you start with photosynthetic, or hermatypic, invertebrates (those that derive much of their mutriion from the symbiouc snevanthllae in their tissues) rather than the non-photosynthetic, oF ahermatypc, kinds (Ghose that lack zoosanthlla ant derive thir trtion solely from filter feeding). Ahermatyplc sessile biverierates, such as Tubastraca, Dendronephthya, and many sorgonians, demand frequent, heavy feedings {of zooplankton, which can quickly pollute the wear and overwhelm the Biter n a closed system. Whats more, the various ahermatypic invertebrates tend to be very exacting ith respect fo the type and particle sie of fod they an eat, andi not abnays easy to figure ou what typeof fad is best. On the other hand, there are quite a few hal: invertebrates in the trade—especially among the sovcaled soft corals—that wil crive with ‘minimal 0 no supplemental feeding as long as the proper lighting, water quality, and water movement are provided. A few good choices for ‘he novice ncudete leather corals, various Sinulaia and Sareophyton spp: pulse Xenia spp; seanthid polyps, eg, Zoanthus contrary, 1 would beginnerfriendly.hermatypic sesil corals January 2012sociatus; and green star polyps Pachyclavularia violacea Acropora Bleaching V have a 1254gallon reef aquarium housing a nice mix of soft and large polyp stony (SPS, LPS) corals Lighting is provided by thre 250-watt metal halides slong with 1 actinic tubes, Water parameters ate as fellows: temperature 78% specific gravity 1.025, pH 82, alkalinity 30 meg/, ammonia and nite 0, and niate tes than 5 ppen. 1 do bi-weekly, 20-percent swater changes. The tank has been up and running for wo yeas, but there still decent mount of space available for additional coral specimens. On several occasions, veined to ad an Acropora frag to the tank, but each, time, the coral has bleach over the course of| ‘afew days and then di ae alright inline, so fm not sure why [cant beep these corals alive. Water movetnent preity strong inthe tank, 50 {don think thats the problem, Could it be that may lighting isnt powerfl enough for Acopora? Grinnell Blankenship Newport News, Virginia ‘My water conditions To ovoid the bleaching of Acropora, provide proper lighting ane avoid placing them too close to olner sott corals, whien may incite alelopany (chemical wartare). Your 250-wart halides. should provide ample light for Acropora spp. corals. However. depending ‘on the level of illumination the Acropora frags were originally kept under ‘and where youve tied to place thom in your tank relative co the metal halides, itis possible that theyre geting stressed by sudden exposure to a significamdy greater light intensity. han they're accustomed (0. Thats one possibilty you might need to explore If t tums out they were accustomed to lower light levels, youll ned (0 acclimate them very gradually to your lighting, ether by starting them at the bottom of ‘the tank and moving them incrementally higher ‘on the rockwork or by placing several layers of some type of shading material (eg, window screening) between the coral specimen and the lamp and then gradually removing the shading material ane layer at atime Another strong possibility here 1s that theres 4 lot of allelopathy (chemical warfare) going ‘on among the established corals in your tank, Many soft corals can be especially volatile in ‘this regard, and sensicive small-polyped stony «coral, such as Aeropora, dont always fare well when theyre housed together with soft coral Sometimes this arrangement can work, ut 18 usualy best focus on elther soft or stony corals, not both, Dead Dottyback The magenta dottyback. that 1 had in may 90-gallon reel tank has been missing. for several days, and I'm staring to think st probably died somewhere in the live rock. veo ns. sign Pat Pec ty en Spy f x0 “wo Lites Manag? i 2 it, an, hens te vir lenin paras ha sos betes and ven wns. hase ot ce hanno fel Usenhbos rae us, angen tse haben psn rs. Te Nanay les nce Sue, ping al ie mth xa a 30 uh no usyou ng Big ? What do they mean if it’s Little it’s We can't help it. Try 2s we might to leave smal footprints and walk sofly we always end up making a big impression What more can we say than this: I you try a Litle, you willbe satisfied a tot ; ; lta i's Thing —— ‘sti ck Pal pnd esi yn Su, ans Ting 3 161 ut ue cv Uo wal erga seg shor erin soe mn ese ergo sls no Agéasoeré renner spewing cain ge I Wecithton Tioplcal Fish Hobbyist wovnehmagazine.com 2My question is, assuming the fish died and doesnt reappear, how big a deal will itbe to just leave it in the tank? Its a well- established reef system, and trying to find the body will be a major hassle. On the other hand, | would hate for ammonia to kill any of my corals Cliff Bonson Littleton, Colorado In a tank that large, assuming you have a decent amount of he Diological filter should be able «0 manage the additional bioload of a decaying dead {fish the size of a magenta dottyback. T would ‘be inlined to recommend that you leave the body tn place f, as you suggest, locating and removing it would be problematic. Besides, ~ AQUARAY’ SOLID STATE ED LIGHTING erectus Recast (eta, fei een eth Serer ty SE eae eigen k reales Pe ec nmr) 2 ees er eee RAE le ran 2 Cees iad OM eee aes Teed USA.com wovnerfhmagazine com if you have any scavenging organisms in there (eg, hermit crabs), they might help Dy consuming much of the fish before it decomposes. Of course, you'll want fo test your water frequently over the mext few weeks and be prepared to conduct a major water change if any ammonia or nitrite is detected. Also, be sure to check the floor all around your tank for the body. Dottybacks ‘are notorious for jumping out of aquariums tw their death Brim debating beoween getting ebra moray eel oF a snowflake moray for my 55-gallon FOWLR (lish-only- withelive-rock) tank, My dealer has one ‘of each in stock, and both are impressive specimens, but Tean't decide which one to {go with, Can you give me a push one way or the other? Vernen Unger via email For my money, you cant go wrong with “the snowflake moray Echidna nebutlosa, Its manageable adult size only about 30 inches), generally peaceful disposition, compatibility with most fish 100 big to be swallowed, adaptability to a wide variety of easily aucainable foods, and ‘overall good looks make this moray about the ideal aquarium candidate. The zebra moray Gymmomuraena zebra is equally stunning and peaceful, but it does tend t0 require ‘more coaxing (@ accept non-living foods. Not to mention, reaching approximately 5 Jeet in length, G. zebra is completely out ‘of the question for a 35-gallon tank, Since you seem to be happy either way, 1 would recommend going with E. nebulosa. 1 doubt youll regree ie) January 2012advanced solutions for aquatic life KENT Marine Reef Salt Mix New Reef Formula! More Calcium, Magnesium and Strontium 200 Gallon Bucket, 200 Gallon B 50 Gallon jug and 25 and 10 Gallon ResealatJk Wey 6 world the next ecg mame dsc Decay Be ud alc sh Jak the fasion ov wilch male dee fxn heron Pl eh ben shag is egrece ad owllge— fal he dca heb gure ‘eh herd dat fm uy evans wes Nn Teme donne aval fr the ‘SEA Long pth og wh me prolence hes es esas ‘dics and ool ant ast. jack wattley 4 ask jack Dear Jack, ve been successfully raising my discus fey using your method, feeding them powdered egy yolk mixed with newly hatched brine shrimp. Using this formula, the fry grow rapidly and I dont have any problems. When the discus fry ate about 10 to M4 days old, I gradually begin to include powdered flake food, but I see from your ‘writings that you include Spirulina to the formula. 1 would like to include Spirulina to the food for the diseus fry, but T cant find it here in Uruguay. Please tell me, is Spirulina necessary? José Tallin Maldonado, Uruguay Dear José, For your success, Spirulina doesnot seem to be necessary. This supplementary green {food's good for humans, but or discus Jr, ‘would provide ony lite boos to their Discus are, however, omnivorous feeders, and T quickly found the fry accepting the green food formula, Tve only been 0 Montevideo, Uruguay, Jou on my map 1 sce that you are only about an hour from this city. You should be able to find it in any of the area’ health food shops and some supermarkets. Ifyou find Spirulina, you should also be able to ind Chiorella, which is also « microalgae green food tm capsule form. Both Spiraling and Chlorella include vitamins, minerals, and enzymes for our use, so you can include them in your daily diet. For all discus, 1 usually add any green foods to the formula approximately Ypartgveen food to %part povdered egg oll mived with Artemia, Refore 1 forget, let me state that powdered wonaflmagazine com egg yolk is not necessary. Yolk from any type of egg works just as well, though I would recommend organic if possible. A green foods added to your discus formula, unless they are organic, arc heavily sprayed with pesticides. Before using any of them for your discus (or yourself), rinse them thoroughly. Tim also fold that’ many of our green vegetables are sprayed with a systemic spray. If cost isn't a major concern, you might want to make your green food ‘rom some type of Japanese algae, All should ‘be available in health food stores. Dear Jack, ‘You write and tlk about the merits of feeding our discus pellets and flakes, and Ive done so, with good results. But I ‘would stil like to get back to making my cown discus foods using beef heart. Do you stl have the data as to how Tean make a discus formula for my fish? I successfully raise other fish as well, Ruth L. Gracey Jacksonvillo, Florida Dear Ruth, Thank you for your inquiry about making discus food for your tropical fish. The discus world, forthe most par, has moved away rom using beef heart in any form to quality dry food. Beef hearts have generally never been available in supermarkets, but they an be found in some small ethnic food tuarkets. You purchase the beef hears by the pound, and aftr trimming ed etting off all the veins, fat, and tissue from the meat, youll be left with about % to be fed. Always purchase the most inexpensive hearts available, as the best quality hearts January 2012will be from corn-fed cattle, These have much more fatto re After your hearts have be trimmed, they can be cut into small pieces ‘and run through a meat grinder grinders have a perforated metal plate that grounds the meat into pieces, but these fare generally too large for feeding most tropicals, including discus. One should run the meat through the grinder a second (or third) time, or obtain a second plate with smaller apertures The heart is then frozen or blended in with other foods, such as clams, shrimp, fish roe, and dark green vegetables (1 recently used completely Meat varech,” a Korean algae). These would be good in any discus formula ‘and relished by most freshwater tropicals. Some time age, a Southern California distribuer of tropical fish foods was, interested in introducing my discus food diets to aquarium shops in the area, 50 wwe drove from San Diego down the coast, ending in San Isidro, which is directly at the Mexican border. Stopping at the best shops with the food, it was very interesting 1 only quickly accepted by the freshwater fish but also a number of the marine fish shipment of yellow tangs. Before turning north again, and being hungry, we both sampled the very best Mexican chicken tacos in San Isidro, All the tacos were made to onder in the tiny open: Florida, tacos are found even in our best trendy locations. to see that it was Including a newly arrived Currently, here in South Dear Jack, For the past week, Tve founda numberof small white worms on the glass of several Thad taken your advice and purchased a microscope and now I see that the worms are more ‘numerous than when [first saw them. My discus don't seem to notice them, but | ‘would like to remove them, Please tell me what I must do, Bul. Kent Marietta, Georgia Dear B.J., W's good that you have a microscope Remember that nearly all inexpensive microscopes are adequate for viewing most aquatic protozoan skin and gill parasites, 4s well as your "small white worms,” which dare planaria. Planaria are w of overfeeding our discus a diet of heavy ually the result Tioplcal Fish Hobbyist 1m The clscus diet con be supplemented with algae foods such as Spirulina and Chlorella ‘animal protein food. You sald nothing about the dict f A bloom of planaria can quickly « place in any tropical fish tank if an excessive ‘amount ef food is fed 10 our discus on With good aquarium filtration, the planaria can be picked up and carried fo the filter, but in time a number af them will find their way to the aquarium 44 continuous basis, sglass—wheve they can he easily seen, Are they dangerous in the aquarium? Yes, and no, tn small numbers, they can quickly be removed by feeding much less food, and by wiping them off the glass when seen. With a large infestation, there is another way in saying adios to the bothersome planaria: the common guppy Guppies can be considered safe in discus fanks, with the discus virtually ignoring the guppies. Guppies in any aquarium with vwwwafhmagazine.com 4an injestation of planaria will look upon them as food, and with enough guppies to do the job, planaria should be gone within approximately 48 hours. But if guppies are used, is important not to use feeder guppies hose used for live Jood for other tropicals) and invest in regular guppies. They don't have to be show-quatity fish, but you should be certain they dont carry any harmful parasites that some feeder gupples and goldfish have. Ina 55-gallon tank, with five for six adult discus, the addition af about 12 {guppies should make che ank planaria-free Dut not guppy-free And what if you hit the tropical fish lower when purchasing your guppies, and they turn ‘out to be the very best quality guppies seen here in the United Stace Beautiful discus and show-quality guppies breeding in the same tank Asia, or Europe?cichlid world Spawning Cichlids, Part 1: Natural Act, Unnatural Setting Tela sansa thor 25 os Satherang ad dng expr Hee gras vio ens il ype: ‘Joh om ache ts, ‘heaps fey of pce {ion er ps foarte ‘Spr ede ei ed a, ‘Shoo the Bd oT of ‘rian ‘Coie Seta, od xin eb fe Mn Aaron Sty lar eas hes pen wv ted judy photographs by the author 26 ‘ome cichlid species do not require ‘much prodding to reproduce, while others can be frustratingly stubborn, Most fish breeders will eventually keep a species that proves to be a challenge to breed (it once took me six months 10 ‘get a pair of conviet cichlids to spawn), so decided to write a few columns to share some of my observations and experiences swith breeding cichlids Cichlids Want to Spawn "Nature ison the fish breeder’ side. Cichlids are instinctual driven to reproduce (as areal, living things), and the trick is how t facilitate this natural act in the unnatural setting of ‘an aquarium, There are hundreds of factors ‘at can come into play, but I have become convinced that the ist thing a breeder should be paying attention to is usually the lat thing, considered—the behavior of the species. Color and form draw us 10 cichlids, but it Js thelr behaviors that engage us. And most behaviors can be divided into two categories: feeding or breeding, Saying that cichlid behavior is. “teritorial” is oversimplifying ‘a complex concept. Cichlids ae teritorial because they need that teritory to breed (and perhaps to feed) A Specific Point in Space ‘Cichlids dir from most other eg ayn, fish in that they choose a specie spot to lay their eggs. There ae exceptions among cater groups of ish, species that do choose a specie spawning ste, but all cichlids spawn, ata particular poi in space, and that location isthe focal point of te terior. Inthe of mouthbroeding cichld species that do not form pais, a male will defend the spawning site and atract the females to it. That spot may shift postion between spawns, but the ww waflmagazine.com Ibehavior is sill che same: The spawning fish are breeding in one spot, and their eggs are then incubated together, Know THE NeeD ‘Some cichlid species are very picky about that point in space. Take the obligate shell- dwelling pecies from Lake Tanganyika, These lamprologine cichlids are closely associated swith empty snail shells that are used as shelter from predators and for raising offspring, Most ‘ofthem will notspawn without shell, though sometimes they can be fooled into using litle pieces of PVC pipe or ceramic caves. Natural shells are the preferred spawning sites, however, and providing shells will encourage the fish to spawn more frequently and with greater success, "Another example from Lake Tanganyika 4s Gnathochromis permaxillaris, a deepwater species that is associated with sandy ‘open spaces adjacent t0 rock structures, Successful spawns of this biparental ‘mouthbrooder in an aquarium were very rare until someone discovered that the preferred point in space is an enclosed cavity—a cavel G. permaxillaris will excavate the sand from under a rock in a pinch, but when provided a roomy cave (with an opening just large enough for the pair to ship into), a pair will spawn much, more frequently. This 18 an example of hhow just one missing piece of the equation, cean Stop the entire process. Luckily, most cichlids are not as picky'as G. permaxillaris, Nor Just Any Cave Witt Do Most cichlid keepers underestimate hhow important the cave can be because most cave-spawning species make do with, whatever eave is available. The fish do have preferences, however, and if dhe right January 2012cave is provided, they will spawn more frequently and with greater success, Several years ago, 1 was working with the species Pelvicachromis taeniatus and obse preference firsthand, [purchased a group of 30 wild-caught young adult P taeniaus collected from the Molive area of northwestern Cameroon, and placed the whole group into a 75-gllon aquarium decorated with piles of driftwood and about 20 different caves. There were cxacked flowerpots, half and whole coconut shells, ceramic caves ofall shapes and sizes, breeding tubes and cones (more commonly used with spawning catfish), and anything else I had Tying around. Whenever a male ‘and female paired up and moved into a cave T would move them (with their eave) 0 a spawning tank, Te was prety obvious that the preferred type of eave—one that has a bottom, and a top, @ roomy interior large enough for the male to maneuver in, snd an opening that is small enough for the female to lock with her head. No opening is too small unless the ‘male cannot fit trough it Twas also able to do some experime 1h pat was housed in a 20-gallon high aquarium with a sponge filter, a Yainch layer of sand, « couple pleces of driftwood for structure, some floating plants (ister, hormwort, and! Anubias), and three cave choices: a coconut shell with a small opening, and a ceramic dome with an opening on the side The location of the cave is probably also fmportant, so to control for that factor, 1 aced all three caves next to each other in the center of the breeding tank, with theie openings all facing the front glass. During this experiment, | observed 34 spawns over a period of six months. Twenty four took place in the cramic buttito, a whole rami burito,cight, wed in the ceramic dome, and only two spawns occurred in the coconut shell (both by a single pair, and those two spawns were the only attemapts that pair made), OF the 24 spawns that took place in burrito caves, all, nd the average number of fry per spawn was 274. The eight spawns that took place in the dome caves were less produced fry, and the average brood was 19.7 fy: One of the two spawns in the coconut shell produced 14 fy, while the other was not success but wo produced fry successful: only i THERE Has To Be A REASON The results of my litle test do not mean that B taoniatus will not spawn successfull Tioplcal Fish Hobbyist aie (ont) and female (back) Pelvicachromis fasnfatus ho ight type of cave goes @ long way toward he successtl Breeding of cichlids in other types of caves. When given only one choice, most cichlids will lear to make it work. I have been to Moliwe, Cameroon, and can say with full confidence that there are ceramie bueritos in the stream, so the fish in ry tanks had unnatural spawning ste. They chose one specific type of anifcial cave more frequently than others, ‘and there has to be a reason why I suspect that eg predat the development of eave spawning. Caves that are easy 10 defend should be preferred over caves that are To test this hypothesis, 1 set up another study. Five of the pairs were given a burito cave with a one-inch diameter hole for an opening, The other five were given a tube cave with one end wide open G-inch diameter) and the other end pinched closed. So, the dlilleence between ther is that the burrito has both ends pinched closed and just a small, Team to use ww Caves with smaller openings ate ideal, as hey ate much more easly defended. access hole, Each pair was permitted two undisturbed spawns, which took a couple months to complete for the entre group, ad then a single small egg predator was added 10 ‘each aquarium, This predator was Mlcrosynodontis bates, ‘avery stall catfish Irom West Alica, which ‘poses no threat to the adult cichlids but ismost problem for eggs and fry. They ike caves as well 0 if the cichlids were going to spawn successfully, they would have to be diligent at keeping the catfish out Over the next three months, the number ‘of successful cichlid spawns was greatly reduced. Only six spawns produced fry, and all six occurred in the caves with a stall ‘opening, There were no fry produced in the ‘caves with a large opening. I removed the catfish from the tanks with the caves with large openin; to successfully tnd the pairs were then able aise some fry