SaltwaterSense

The Responsible Aquarist

Responsibility. That’s a huge word, and, I suppose, it might have different meanings—different implications—to different people. What does it mean to be a responsible aquarist? And is it even necessary to be a responsible aquarist? I have no obligation, after all, to be a responsible reader, painter or coin collector, do I? These are hobbies, like the marine aquarium hobby, and so long as I don’t break any laws, I am free to conduct my hobby in any manner I see fit. Right?

I think most of us who keep marine aquaria do not agree with the above sentiment. It is not enough to not break the law in the pursuit of the marine aquarium hobby. First of all, there is no law about the ethical treatment of animals to which I am responsible, but few, if any, of us would suggest that justifies inhumane husbandry practices.

Most of us approach the hobby as something more than a hobby. Some of us turn it into a profession by writing about it or breeding animals to sell, but even when we are not earning money from the hobby, we still tend to come at it with a heightened sense of responsibility. We consider it an obligation to read up on the newest husbandry techniques, and we observe our animals with a scientist’s eye. Yes, while it is not the law, most of us are responsible aquarists.

But what about the interface of hobby and industry? What does it mean to be a responsible hobbyist there? Most aquarists I know will not support a local fish store or online retailer of marine livestock that clearly mistreats the animals and appears, at best, shady. But is this what it means to be a responsible hobbyist when it comes to purchasing livestock? Or should we hold ourselves to a higher standard?

The most unethical operation can have the slickest website. The most heinous retailer can have the most beautiful brick-and-mortar store front. Healthy animals can be (and, unfortunately, are) obtained through unsavory (even illegal) channels. There is one Pacific Island nation at present where fish have been collected at the expense of human life. That’s right—collectors have died at the hands of greedy exporters who forced these novice divers to dive too deep, too often and too quickly in pursuit of a small fish that often sells for less than $100.

Have you bought that fish? Wait, you say. There is no way for me to know, is there?

The fish was probably exported to LAX for a wholesaler who may or may not have known the unethical character of the exporter. After quarantine, the fish was probably then shipped domestically, with many other animals, to a local fish store where the owner almost certainly did not know the way the fish was collected. In the tank at the local fish store, the fish looks healthy. You buy it. Does that make you irresponsible?

As hobbyists, we sometimes forget to look behind the curtain, but I would argue that part of being a responsible hobbyist is doing just that. It’s not always easy to do, but understanding the chain of custody for the animals we purchase is something we all should strive to do. Unfortunately, we simply can’t trust that everyone in this industry is in it for the right reasons, and while other accountability plans (e.g. certification) are ongoing, for most of us right now, it really comes down to taking the initiative and taking responsibility.

So what does this look like? While there are some very specific questions you can ask your retailer about the chain of custody (I’ll cover some of those in a future blog entry), the most important thing you can do is have the conversation. Don’t be afraid to ask the retailer where the animals were collected, what collection techniques are being used, and from which importer they buy (unless they buy direct). If the retailer is not conversant in the chain of custody regarding their own animals, that may be a red flag. If the retailer is not willing to find out or share the information you are requesting, that should sound an alarm bell.

Since the SaltwaterSense Blog's home is Saltwaterfish.com, it seems only fair to ask Scott (the owner of Saltwaterfish.com) about Saltwaterfish.com's animals. "We are the importer, wholesaler and retailer combined," says Scott. In short, Saltwaterfish.com buys direct from fishing villages that employ Saltwaterfish.com's protocols, and then they sell direct to their customers. Want to know more? Check out theQuality and Sustainability Video on the Saltwaterfish.com homepage.

As hobbyists, we have purchasing power, and, as responsible aquarists, we can use that purchasing power to build a more responsible industry.

Experimentation in the Hobby

There is a very interesting discussion in the Saltwaterfish.com forums regarding experimentation in the hobby. Henry, who goes by "Spanko" on the Saltwaterfish.com board, started the thread with a pretty simple question: “Is experimentation part of the hobby?" The thread brings up some interesting ideas and questions—not least of which is what is the difference between experimentation and research. The general consensus of the thread seems to be that experimentation is part of the hobby.

I’d have to agree.

After all, it was amateur experimentation that yielded the first successful, so-called “balanced marine aquarium” in England during the first half of 19th century, was it not? It was also experimentation that perfected that aquarium and led to the widespread popularity of keeping marine aquaria in the parlors of Victorian England.

In the first years of the hobby, there was little distinction between experimentation carried out by the inquisitive hobbyist and research conducted by the accepted scientist. In the past 160 some-odd years, the distinction between hobbyist who experiments, professional aquarist who makes a living caring for aquarium species, and scientist who uses aquaria as part of his or her research has become far clearer—often, in my opinion, to the detriment of all concerned. To state it another way, more collaboration between hobbyists, professional aquarists and scientists would benefit the hobby, the science, and the animals (and ecosystems from which they come).

I recently learned that in the second decade of the twentieth century, the New York City Board of Education was funding marine aquarium-based experimentation in public school biology classrooms under the guidance of the New York Aquarium. That’s right, in the years directly following the First World War, many school children in New York City public schools were exposed to marine aquaria as part of the standard science curriculum. By 1919, New York Aquarium staff had installed “balanced marine aquaria” (see above picture) in more than 300 city schools for free and instructed the educators as to appropriate husbandry practices to maintain the aquaria for classroom use.

Today, due to funding shoratges, many public school science classrooms lack hands-on displays that can bring science to life for students. Thankfully, some public institutions are stepping into that vacuum. San Francisco's Aquarium of the Bay, for example, hosted 15,549 students for free during the 2007-2008 academic year (see "Aquarium Serves Students Through Free Education"). "Aquarium of the Bay recognizes the continuous budgeting challenges that Bay Area schools and educators face, and is pleased to supplement science-based education with our classroom and tour programs," says Aquarium of the Bay's Education and Conservation Director Carrie Chen.

But I digress...

So yes, Spanko, I do believe that experimentation is part of the hobby. I think the hobby is where it is today because hobbyists experimented, and many of those so-called experiments have now become SOP. I’m thinking of wet-dry filters, natural systems, UV lighting, species tanks, refugia—the list goes on and on.

While experimentation may have focused largely on equipment in the 1980s and early 90s, I suspect the next wave of hobbyist-centered experimentation that will affect (dare I say revolutionize?) the hobby will be captive breeding experiments by hobbyists. Of course those who experiment must be committed to sharing their experiments in hobby forums, magazines and through local clubs—an experiment in a vacuum, after all, is of little value to your fellow aquarists.

Beyond experimentation in our own aquaria, I think we should also strive to promote responsible hands-on experimentation in schools. What might this look like? Call up a local school and offer to collaborate with a science teacher on designing curricula using a marine aquarium. Invite a neighborhood kid to develop a marine aquarium experiment using your aquarium and under your supervision for which he or she may receive extra credit. Perhaps you are in a position to donate a marine aquarium set-up to a local classroom.

In short, get creative, get involved and, most importantly, get experimenting!

Add Some Flash, Baby!

One of the joys of being a freelance writer with a penchant for marine aquaria is that I frequently get the opportunity to combine researching my own tank with earning a buck by writing about the species we keep (of course the irony is that the buck earned, more often than not, goes to researching the species researched). This week I have been drafting an article on what must be one of my top five favorite groups of marine aquarium fishes--the flasher wrasses from the genus Paracheilinus and I wanted to take a moment to  share some of the love I have for these animals with you.

Flashiest Wrasse

These small fishes (usually less than three inches, although some approach a half foot) are remarkable animals that have developed a unique behavior called "flashing." Flashing, performed only by the males, aids in both courtship and establishing territorial and social superiority. To flash, these fishes use their showy finnage, fast vertical and lateral movements and rapidly changing colors to assert themselves when in the presence of females or other males. Observing a group of these fishes in a large peaceful community reef tank has to be one of the most stunning displays in the entire hobby.

If you have no experience with flasher wrasses, I suggest you give it a go. Consider beginning with the popular Carpenter's flasher wrasse (P. carpenter), which remains small, is readily available, fairly inexpensive, and remarkably hardy. If available, get one male and two or three females. Alternatively, consider getting one male Carpenter's and another male flasher wrasse from a different species. Note that flasher wrasses are most likely to flash when housed in the same aquarium as two or more females of the same species or another male of a different species. A lone male flasher wrasse may rarely if ever flash and its color may fade over time.

Tankmates and Compatibility

Flasher wrasses do need relatively peaceful tankmates such as fairy wrasses Cirrhilabrus spp.), Centropyge angelfishes, rabbitfishes, small clownfishes, blennies, peaceful damselfishes, gobies, assessors, dartfishes, and cardinalfishes. There are obviously many more peaceful fishes that will do quite well with flasher wrasses.

Flasher wrasses, in my opinion, really need an aquarium of at least 30 gallons (larger if you are going to keep a large group, which I strongly suggest). The aquarium should have plenty of live rock and lots of swimming space. Flasher wrasses do not need a sandbed, as they make mucus cocoons in which to sleep (many other wrasses bury themselves in the sand to sleep). Standard reef filtration and circulation is sufficient, and, perhaps best of all, flasher wrasses are indeed reef-compatible.

Feeding

Plan to feed flasher wrasses a frozen, flake or freeze-dried food designed for carnivores (these guys are zooplanktivores). I have never kept a flasher wrasse that did not readily (even eagerly) accept a captive diet, although a new specimen may be shy at first. Supplement the diet with small meaty pieces of marine flesh (e.g., table shrimp, scallops, clams, etc.). It is a good idea to also offer a herbivorous food several times a week. I like to pre-soak their food in a vitamin supplement like Selcon.

For the Collector in You!

For those of you who really take a liking to flasher wrasses, there is a lot more to learn. For example, flasher wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites (juvenile females can turn to males) that live in harems with one dominant male, possibly one or more subordinate males and several females. With experience, it is possible to successfully mix groups of juveniles of the same species and observe the establishment of the social packing order complete with sex changes--truly a remarkable thing to see!

Hopefully you might share my enthusiasm for these remarkable animals. I'll let you know when the article is published, but in the meantime, seriously consider adding some flash to you tropical marine aquarium today!

Stocking Your Saltwater Tank Like the Dubai Aquarium...NOT

You may or may not have heard about the shark issues facing the Dubai Aquarium. In what is being billed as the world’s single largest captive school of sharks (over 400 sharks and rays), sharks are killing sharks at an alarming rate. Some reports have suggested that the Dubai Aquarium’s sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus), of which there are at least 45 individuals, have killed up to 10 percent of the entire population of sharks housed behind the world’s largest viewing panel. As aquarists, we might look at this as a stocking issue of unprecedented proportions.

A Significant Error?

Like the Dubai Aquarium, marine aquarists commonly keep multiple species together in their aquaria. The aquarium-going public is used to seeing tanks that house an impressive array of species that live together in what appears to be a relatively peaceful environment. The Dubai Aquarium, which is set to open at the end of this month (October 2008), will house more than 33,000 aquatic animals representing 85 marine species, but—given the sand tiger shark’s behavior—it seems a significant error may have been made in either the Aquarium’s stocking plan or in their approach to husbandry.

As marine aquarists know, a great deal of forethought must go in to planning any marine aquarium be it a fish only system, an invertebrate aquarium or a full-blown reef tank. Of course there are the equipment considerations, but there is also the all-important stocking plan. A stocking plan is simply the roadmap outlining what animals will be housed in the aquarium and the order in which those animals will be added to the aquarium. While there are many ways to go about creating a stocking plan, I personally prefer the biotope approach.

A Biotope Approach

The biotope approach to stocking an aquarium is, in my opinion, an excellent approach. While not the only approach, it lessens the chances for aggression, provides the opportunity for creating some stunning symbiotic relationships and allows the aquarist to better understand wild ecosystems. The word biotope comes to us from the Greek and literally translates as “life place.”

A biotope approach to stocking your aquarium begins, usually, with a single species that defines the biotope being replicated. This species is generally an animal or plant that spends its whole life within a very small area. In most cases, we are speaking of sessile animals (ones that do not move about very much if at all). In the wild, a coral, anemone, or even a marine plant will attract a host of other organisms that will develop a relationship with the biotope species. Replicating these relationships in the aquarium is a good approach to planning your next tank.

Increasingly Larger Animals Round Out the Aquarium

Working up from the biotope species, the aquarists may choose increasingly larger organisms that are less associated with the biotope species, but which are also native to the biotope being replicated. A commensal invertebrate such as a coral or anemone crab may, for example, spend its entire life within the branches, polyps or tentacles of the biotope species. On the other hand, a reef-associated fish may move through many biotopes in the course of its day.

A nice byproduct of the biotope approach to stocking your tank is that, in addition to coming up with a stocking list, you also develop an appropriate stocking order. One way to think of the biotope approach is that a full tank picture of your fully stocked aquarium may well look like a photograph taken on the reef. Does this mean that every photograph taken on the reef can be the roadmap to your stocking plan? Definitely not.

Research Still Needed to Avoid Problems

As most aquarists know, although a large shoal of yellow tangs may be a common site on some natural reefs, more than one adult yellow tang in a saltwater aquarium (unless it is very large) generally means trouble. As such, even with the biotope approach, it is important to consult compatibility charts and research each individual species before finalizing the stocking list.

Would a biotope approach to stocking have helped the Dubai Aquarium avoid the shark killings they have experienced to date? It’s hard to say given the unprecedented nature of the intended display. It is clear, however, that individuals associated with the Dubai Aquarium had some very specific ideas in mind regarding what would draw the crowds. After all, the Dubai Aquarium is, at least on some level, a means to an ends, and that ends is to bring more people to the world’s largest retail real estate project—the Dubai Mall.

The Dubai Mall's own literature advertises the shark exhibit as “an adrenaline-fueled visual experience.” I would hazard to guess that a biotope approach may have produced a somewhat different result.