SaltwaterSense

Take it Slow When Starting a New Saltwater Aquarium

Thousands of new saltwater aquaria were born yesterday, as people across the country gave and received fish tanks for Christmas. Whether a “Nemo” tank for the kids, a predator tank for dad or a gorgeous reef for mom, all of these new systems have one thing in common—their success will depend on patience.

The single most important thing a marine aquarist can and should do is “go slow.” Very few things done on impulse or quickly end well in this hobby. Whether it’s taking the time to properly cycle your new tank or appropriately quarantining new arrivals, taking it slow is critical.

There will be many animals you want to add to your system based on the tank you envision having set-up and running next Christmas, but remember—that’s a whole year away. Do your research up-front. Establish a stocking list based on compatibility and budget. Then go slow.

Get online and join a good forum for marine aquarists (like the one here at Saltwaterfish.com). Join your local marine aquarium society. Hang out at local fish stores. Visit public aquaria. If you live near the ocean, go diving and snorkeling more. Everything you read, observe and learn will make you a better marine aquarist in the long run.

I know it’s so tempting to run out and stock your tank to the gills, but this will surely lead to disaster. Trust me, and you will have a marine aquarium to enjoy for years and years to come.

Saltwater Fish Don't Get Ich; They Get Crypto

I was talking to a friend the other day, and he told me that he had "ich." In any other context, that would be a baffling statement, but, as a marine aquarist, I knew exactly what he meant, even though he was using the wrong terminology.

Wrong terminology? How so, you ask.

Saltwater Fish Don’t Get “Ich”

Simply stated, marine fishes don’t get ich. The term “ich” refers to the parasite Ichthyophthirius multifilis, which is a freshwater parasite. When marine aquarists speak of “saltwater ich,” they should be saying “crypto,” as the saltwater condition is called cryptocaryonosis, and it is caused by the parasite Cryptocaryon irritans.

Why Do Marine Fish Get Crypto

It is my contention that there is a lot we don’t know about crypto. The one thing I do feel confident saying, however, is that the leading impetus behind a crypto outbreak is stress. Obviously stress in and of itself does not cause crypto, but stress challenges a fish’s immune system, and it is when the fish is in this compromised state that the parasite most easily gains a foothold and an outbreak may ensue.

It doesn’t matter if you bought your new fish at Saltwaterfish.com or your local fish store—that fish may well be stressed, and adding that new fish to your established aquarium may cause your other fishes to become stressed. All this potential stress provides an ideal environment for a crypto outbreak, which is why it is essential to eliminate stress wherever you can. Now rest assured, the majority of first time marine aquarium fish buyers don’t experience a crypto outbreak, but to make your husbandry practices bullet proof, be sure to watch the acclimation video on Saltwaterfish.com, take things slowly and do all you can to reduce the stress.

As Scott Hughes, owner of Saltwaterfish.com, says in the acclimation video on the website, a quarantine tank (or simply QT) is “a small investment that pays great returns.” I strongly suggest you have a QT tank and that you quarantine nearly every new fish before adding it to the display tank. Let me repeat that, as there is no more important single piece of advice when it comes to avoiding cryptocaryonosis: ALMOST EVERY NEW FISH SHOULD BE QUARANTINED BEFORE BEING ADDED TO YOUR DISPLAY TANK. As you will hear every experienced hobbyist reiterate until they are blue in the face, patience is the key in the hobby. Don’t rush anything.

The Life Cycle of Cryptocaryon irritans

Let's get back to crypto itself, however. A fish infested with Cryptocaryon irritans is sometimes said to be suffering from “white spot disease” because this is how the parasite is most observable to the aquarist. The so-called white spots are actually the trophant phase of the parasite’s life cycle. The trophant phase is where the parasite is attached to the fish (its host) and feeding. After a period of days (up to one week), the parasite drops off the fish and becomes free-swimming. It then divides (the tomant stage) and can lay dormant as cysts for nearly a month (depending on temperature) before the cysts break apart and the parasite, now in the tomite stage, seeks out a host. We are now back to the trophant phase and “white spot disease.”

Did I lose you? As I explained this to my friend, his eyes glazed over—he just wanted to save his fish, after all. I know. I know. But it is essential to understand how Cryptocaryon irritans works if you are going to successfully eradicate it from your system, and that is the goal, correct? So let’s now talk about getting rid of a crypto outbreak.

Treatment

Above I outlined the three life stages of Cryptocaryon irritans. They are:

1. Trophant (up to one week)

2. Tomant (up to one month)

3. Tomite (one or two days)

It is important to understand that it is only during the tomite phase that the common treatments for crypto are effective, and this phase, as mentioned above, lasts only a day or two.

Copper

Most commonly copper is used to treat crypto, and because copper is lethal to almost all invertebrates, the treatment usually happens in a separate hospital tank. Because the life cycle of the parasite can be as long as a month, with only a small one to two day window, when treatment is truly effective, the fishes must be kept in the medicated hospital tank for four weeks. During this time, the display tank must have no fishes in it so that any tomites that hatch will not find a host.

Unfortunately copper, despite its effectiveness, is known to have long-term negative effects on certain fishes. This has led some aquarists to seek alternatives to copper treatment, and there are several.

Hyposalinity

Hyposalinity (again in a hospital tank, as it will harm or kill inverts) is one possible alternative to copper, especially if combined with dips (see below). Effective hyposaline conditions require the specific gravity to be around 1.010. It is recommended to use hyposalinity in conjunction with copper, if copper is the treatment employed.

Dips

Using freshwater dips dosed with formalin and malachite green for a period of three to four weeks can be effective, especially when the water in the hospital tank is changed out (otherwise reinfestation may occur). In my opinion, the dips can be as effective as treating the hospital tank with formalin and malachite green, and you run less risk of endangering the infested fish’s immune system. Having said that, some aquarists forgo the dips and simply treat the hospital tank with formalin and malachite green. Whichever you choose, follow the directions or seek out the advice of an advanced aquarist.

Chloroquine Phosphate

Using chloroquine phosphate to treat crypto is a relatively new protocol with which I do not have first-hand experience, but I have heard very good things. Bob Goemans and Lance Ichinotsubo discuss this treatment in their book The Marine Fish Health & Feeding Handbook (Microcosm/TFH 2008). If you want to know more about chloroquine phosphate, just ask (or get the book).

Review

Okay, let’s review:

• You observe white spots on your fish.

• You do not refer to the condition as “ich”; instead you call it crypto or, if you want to sound really cool, cryptocaryonosis.

• You move all of your fish to a hospital tank leaving the display tank without any hosts for the parasites in the tank.

• You decide on a treatment protocol and begin treatment.

• You stick with the treatment for four weeks.

• You reintroduce your fishes to the display tank and go about your merry way.

Gift Certificate! The Best Gift for the Marine Aquarist

There has been some buzz this Holiday Season about gift cards given the rocky economy. This got me wondering about gift cards in the marine aquarium industry, and today’s blog entry offers my musings on the topic.

The Best Gift for the Marine Aquarists on Your List

If you know someone who has a saltwater aquarium, the best possible gift for them is probably a gift certificate. When it comes to the saltwater aquarium hobby, everyone’s tank is different, and I’m not just talking reef tanks versus fish-only systems. No, I’m talking about systems with protein skimmers and systems without. Predator tanks and peaceful community tanks. Systems where dosing a variety of supplements is a regular part of daily husbandry, and systems that have never had a supplement added. In short, there are way too many configurations and personal preferences that go in to each aquarium for anyone besides the aquarist themselves to buy anything for the system.

So what are the options if a marine aquarist is on your list? You could always buy the aquarist a sweater with a fish on it (which they will probably never wear)…

…or you can buy a gift certificate. Now wait! you protest. Why can’t you just ask the person exactly what they want for their aquarium and then buy it, wrap it up and give it to them? Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I for one really like the surprise part of giving (and receiving) a gift, and here’s where a gift certificate comes in to play. A gift certificate allows the giver to maintain the surprise AND give the aquarist exactly what they want. Further, for the aquarist who has everything, a gift certificate is one of the few gifts that will definitely be used, as no aquarist ever has everything he or she needs.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving for a Lifetime

Know someone who doesn’t yet have a saltwater aquarium but may like to have one? A gift certificate can be the perfect way to introduce someone to the hobby. Consider giving a gift certificate AND a “card of commitment” promising that you will help guide the set-up of the new tank. What a cool way to give a gift to a child, niece or nephew that will keep on giving over a lifetime of involvement in the hobby.

Finally, I like the fact that giving a gift certificate is something that can be done online—no traffic, no malls, no gauntlet of well-intentioned money collectors asking for a holiday donation. With the Saltwaterfish.com gift certificate, for example, you simply go to the “Gift Certificate Purchase Page” and purchase it just like you would purchase anything else from the site. You can add a note and then either print it out and wrap it, or Saltwaterfish.com will deliver it for you via e-mail on the date you determine. AND a Saltwaterfish.com gift certificate never expires!

What could be easier? So if there is a marine aquarist (or a potential marine aquarist) on your list this year, seriously consider giving him or her a gift certificate—it is, in my opinion, the ultimate gift!

Marine Monuments and Marine Aquarists

A Proposed Marine Monument off the Northern Marianas

In U.S. territorial waters off the Northern Marianas is a remarkable piece of marine real estate which the Bush Administration is considering designating a marine monument. If this area is protected as a marine monument, it will likely insure that George W. Bush will go down in history as the United States president who has, at least on paper, done the most for marine ecosystems (remember the marine monument established off Hawaii two years ago?).

A Unique Underwater Ecosystem Worth Preserving

The area in question is unique for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that it is home to the ocean’s deepest trench—the Mariana Trench. It is also an area that is relatively untouched and, as such, exists in as close to a pristine state as almost any marine ecosystem on the face of the Earth.

Worthy of protection? Indeed, as a marine aquarist, I think it is.

Opponents to the Marine Monument

Unfortunately, the plan to preserve and protect this area may not become a reality. Because the land is public land, various constituencies are having their say as to why this area should not be designated a marine monument where many activities will be severely limited or even forbidden altogether.

For example, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is against the marine monument because recreational fishing would be limited or banned. Energy developers worry that the area could, at some point in the future, be used for energy development, which would also be banned. While the area is not currently critical to the marine aquarium industry, some may wonder if it could be, or they may worry about the precedent set if an activity such as fish collection was banned.

Principles and Motives

While I appreciate in principle the idea that this is public land and everyone has a right to it, I believe strongly that the intrinsic value of the area trumps special interest groups who want to preserve certain forms of recreation or development there.

Now I understand that as a marine aquarist, the formation of a marine monument off the Northern Marianas will probably not directly affect me in the same way that, for example, the ban on Tonga live rock has affected the industry as of late. This, however, is not the reason I support the White House’s plan to create a marine monument there. My motives are quite simple. As marine aquarists, we appreciate the sublime beauty of the undersea world, and I want to do whatever I can to insure that future generations will have a chance to see that beauty in places other than a marine aquarium.

What are Copepods and How Do You Use Them in the Tropical Marine Aquarium

“Cutting edge fish production could be centered around the proper nutrition that could come from copepods.” –Erik Stenn, AlgaGen

Let’s talk a little about live food for marine aquaria, shall we?

Before we get into the actual husbandry practices, I want you to meet Erik Stenn of AlgaGen. AlgaGen, which started as a microalgae producer, is now one of the leading suppliers of rotifers, artemia and copepods for the marine aquarium industry, and, as such, he is a good person to know.

Scott Hughes of Saltwaterfish.com, one of the first retailers to carry AlgaGen products, says, "Algagen has been on the forefront in developing live aquaculutred foods. We saw the potential very early for our business and have been pleased to offer Algagen products like ReefPods to our customers from the beginning."

Copepod Starter Cultures for the Public

Erik started AlgaGen in 2002 with the purpose of using microalgae to produce hi-value products for human and animal health, as well as for biomedical purposes. Erik began working with Andrew Rhyne at the Florida Institute of Technology, and it was Andrew who recognized that producing microalgae could lead to the production of copepods. “There were a number of vendors producing copepods,” he acknowledges, “but no one was offering a collection of starter cultures to the public.”

Enter AlaGen.

Today AlgaGen works with Andrew Rhyne (Roger Williams University), Dr. Adelaide Rhodes (Essential Live Feeds) and Dr. Cortney Ohs (University of Florida) to offer an extensive production-oriented collection of copepods to anyone interested in using them to raise fish. Why so much effort on copepods? “As bizarre as it seems to me,” says Erik, “cutting edge fish production could be centered around the proper nutrition that could come from copepods.”

Wow! But How?

Okay…so most marine aquarists have heard of copepods and some may have even bought them and poured them into their tank because they….well…they do something good, right? But what are copepods really? And, perhaps more importantly, what do they do?

In short, copepods are a small crustacean, and there are seven orders of them (calanoida, harpacticoida, cyclopoida, misophrioida, monstrilloida, siphonostomotoida, and poecilostomatoida). Aquarists are interested in the copepods that are useful, non-detrimental food sources. With Erik’s help, let’s cover the basics and touch on how to use the right copepods in your tropical marine aquarium.

Calanoids

Calanoids (the nauplii pictured here is a baby copepod from the calanoids) are pelagic copepods—they spend their entire life cycle in the water column—and they are an essential food source for any marine organism that feeds in the water column including fish, larval fish and coral. “These copepods eat microalgae,” explains Erik, “and they concentrate the fatty acids from the microalgae in their bodies.” In short, when marine organisms eat the copepods, they obtain the essential fatty acids concentrated in the copepods. This is the number one reason why feeding these copepods to marine ornamental fishes is highly recommended.

In addition to being nutrient rich, these copepods display, what Erik refers to as “a very spastic movement,” which may well trigger a more enthusiastic feeding response. “When I drop calanoids into my tank,” Erik says, “the anthias feed with real vigor.”

While the calanoids are great food items, they do not survive for long. “Life cycles can typically be 20-30 days,” says Erik. “The calanoid will either release eggs or brood them and release live nauplii that will go through several molts to become juveniles then adults.”

Harpacticoids

Harpacticoids (e.g., Tigriopus and Tisbe like the one pictured at the top of this entry) are, unlike calanoids, benthic copepods. “They like substrate and will feed on microalgae, detritus or other copepods,” explains Erik. “Tigriopus is carnivorous; Tisbe is a detritivore, and both are cannibalistic. They will also eat fish flake food and microalgae.” These are the "ReefPods" sold at Saltwaterfish.com (and, by the way, they are on special right now! Buy one get one free!).

These are the copepods aquarists have probably seen on their live rock, and they are the ones most commonly sold. “They can handle harsh conditions such as being stored in a bag or bottle for weeks, and they can survive in a reef tank,” adds Erik. Harpacticoids make great food items for seahorses, mandarins (which, at the time of publication, are on special) and wrasses. They can and should be added repeatedly to ones' tank, and, depending on how the tank is stocked, these copepods can easily be “grazed back” to a minimal population fairly quickly.

Other Copepod Groups

The cyclopoid, monstilloid, siphonostomatoid, poecilostomatoid groups of copepods are not as good as a live food source as these groups contain the commensal and parasitic copepods.

Husbandry How-To

Okay, so now that we know which copepods to use, how should we incorporate copepods into our regular husbandry practices? It’s simple, says Erik.

“They can be added to an aquarium as often as one wants. If there is a refugium as part of the set-up, copepods can be added to the refugium. They should reproduce there without being grazed as long as there is food. Copepods growing in the sump or refugium are potentially introduced into the top tank by the return pump. They can also be added directly into the top tank. The safe way to add them is without the skimmer on but it is not necessary to turn it off. Some people add them during the dark cycle when fish are not about.”

In terms of food for copepods, AlgaGen offers microalgae starter cultures for aquaculturists, researchers and hobbyists.

Bottom Line for Copepod Use in the Saltwater Aquarium

What’s the bottom line? “Whether they are THE food source or one of THE critical food items,” says Erik. “the use of copepods in fin-fish production has demonstrated greater survivals and lower deformities for specific species. Copepods may be critical to raising species of ornamentals that cannot be raised on rotifers or brine shrimp.”

While some argue that its husbandry, not a specific food item, that has led to success with certain species that appear to do well with copepods, there is little doubt that employing copepods as part of your regular husbandry practices is a very, very good idea.

A special "thank you" to Erik at AlgaGen for the images above.