Fish nutrition, algae, moolah
Hi Bob
How many kinds of marine fishes feed on algae?
<Many... thousands... a huge resource as you know>
Do they feed on specific kinds of algae? 
<Most are generalists, consuming many types of available greens, reds... some browns... others are filter feeders of other groups... diatoms, Euglenoids, dinoflagellates....>
We all know that Koi are fed with pellets made of Spirulina which is a kind of algae.
<Yes>
What do you know of the fish flakes that Tetra manufactures. Are the green ones just made from normal garden vegetables or something else?
<Algae... that they harvest and process in Melle, Germany>
In the three weeks that I have worked for Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon I have seen the boys clearing at least 50 - 70 kg of algae from the lagoon everyday. Dolphin poo, working in conjunction with the hot weather in Singapore creates an ideal situation for the algae bloom in the Dolphin pens. If somehow we could turn these algae into fish food...
<Ah, Perry, you should be running Singapore! Wait, your talents would go unrealized there! You should be advising companies to reduce their wastes, and improve productivity. Bob Fenner>
Perry

Tank Temperature, shrimp longevity, necessity of adding phytoplankton...
Hey Bob,
Hope this finds you well; the reef-keeping efforts are going well on this end (currently have a coral beauty and three Firefish seemingly happy in my 60 gall).
Some questions I have that I can't seem to resolve through research, so I thought I'd go straight to the guru (you) on these issues:
1.) What's your take on the great temperature debate for reef tanks? High 70s, low 80s? I keep my tank at 80-82. I've heard of people talking about corals "melting" at temps higher than this; which corals, if any?
<This whole range is fine... there are some important factors to take into account with the high and low end... issues like the desired results of the aquarist: growth, color, shortened life spans... need for added circulation, aeration at elevated levels... Some species of corals have shown difficulties in thermal adaptation... ones collected from "cooler" latitudes, deeper waters... but most all will/can adapt...>
2.) How long do inverts live in aquariums? Shrimp, crabs, snails, etc. Do any last more than a year?
<Yes, most live a few years...>
How about fan worms? 
<A couple to a handful of years for some larger species>
I'd like to get more shrimp or a fan worm, but wouldn't be so interested if they weren't long lived in the aquarium.
<All relative my friend. To us Drosophila come and go, for Galapagos tortoises, we're moving along...>
3.) How do you feel about the use of phytoplankton in aquariums? Necessary? Is it possible to have phytoplankton reproducing in your tank if you add it frequently enough?
<Good idea, yes either produced endogenously and/or added... Yes... with "proper" size, set-up...>
4.) I've read a lot of anti-anemone-keeping sentiment in various posts. Some say less than 5% of anemones in aquariums make it past a year. You say they're hardy, though? What's your take on all this?
<They're "hardy", considering the amazing trying environmental fluctuation they encounter in the wild... and how long many apparently live... but not tolerant of the abuse generally encountered in "extraction", handling, then poor conditions afforded them in most cases in captivity...>
5.) Is it possible to have too much Caulerpa or macro-algae in a tank? I've read that excess algae can cause too much oxygen in tanks and be harmful to corals (evidenced by little bubbles on rocks or micro-algae, which I occasionally see). I have three clumps of red ferns (small fist size), and another clump of maiden hair algae. What do you think?
<Yes, not so much for "excess oxygen"... but production of other by-materials, over-competition for carbon dioxide, other nutrients>
6.) Lastly, and not so interesting, my two leather corals seem to be shrinking (I've had them for about 2 months -- they used to open fully, but not in the last three weeks). I have no idea what gives -- parameters are in usual accordance to recommended guidelines (with temperature being the high exception). I guess my question is how to tell when, if at all, to throw in the towel with these guys; once on a declining path, do they have good chances for recovery? Or do I just let nature and time take its course?
<Go with nature... you will be able (sight, touch, smell) to tell if/when your Sarcophytons are on the way out. In the meanwhile, check on water quality (esp. alkalinity, pH, calcium), look closely for parasites (even at night), pesky predators, add a bit of iodide/iodine weekly. Feed them... and if/when/where in doubt a couple of ten percent water changes, a unit or two of carbon in your filter flow path... may work wonders. Bob Fenner>
Thanks again Bob!
 

Flower Pot Coral II
Dear Crew,
As you remember, I wrote concerning my G. stokesii (thanks for the correction). I wrote Kent and awaited a response. The response is in and I value your opinion as much and possibly more (your helping the amateurs, he is selling a product). Please do not take offense to my quotation of expert as I am unfamiliar with your staffs qualifications.
<No problem. If you are interested, there is a page on the crew, who we are, what we look like, what we do, etc. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/wwmcrew.htm>
I simply didn't want some smug response from them saying "who this guy, we are the pro's"
<No, I am the Pro, Steven Pro to be exact. :)>
You seem to overqualified to say the least and I am interested in your response. By the way, they asked If I am skimming. I said yes 4 hours per day venturi style. Effective today I have 3 inches of aragonite live sand and the stokesii are on the bottom. Thanks Steve-
HERE IS THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM KENT
Hello,
Thanks very much for your inquiry; I'll do my best to try and clear up some confusion. Goniopora, in general, has a poor track record for survival in captivity, and the reasons for this aren't very clear to even the most experienced hobbyists and professionals in the industry. There are many factors, however, that are often observed and/or theorized to have an influence on the survival rate. Certainly, water temperature, nitrogenous waste concentrations, light characteristics, water flow, dissolved oxygen concentration, nutrient input, and presence of toxins excreted by nearby corals and other cnidarians play roles in the relative survival rate of Goniopora. I will, at this point, say that I am not aware that any specific studies have been performed on "bottled phytoplankton" and the size of the species included as they pertain to the feeding habits of Goniopora. Our product, Phytoplex, contains three species of phytoplankton in a size range of 2-15 microns, and our ChromaPlex contains two species with a size range of 5-25 microns. The recognized lower limit on size of phytoplankton as noted by Marine Biologists and Oceanographers is 2 microns; therefore I find it difficult to believe that Goniopora, which feed not only on phytoplankton (all 2 microns and larger), but also on zooplankton (also 2 microns and larger) are not able to feed on organisms present in our products. In other words, the insinuation or claim that the phytoplankton in Phytoplex are too large for Goniopora doesn't hold water. Corals and other organisms that feed on the smallest classes of plankton, femto- and picoplankton, at 0.02-0.2 microns and 0.2-2.0 microns, respectively, often use a visible mucous to aid in the capture of such small particles; Goniopora do not display that characteristic. Note that the femtoplankton class is composed wholly of virioplankton (virus'), and picoplankton is composed of bacterioplankton. Again, I believe that an individual would be hard-pressed to locate a study performed on Goniopora citing their feeding schemes, but perhaps I'm just not reading enough these days. Now, allow me to say that if the coral isn't getting the amount of nutrients it needs (i.e. the coral is simply not capturing enough of the plankton to meet its nutritional requirements) in order to survive and thrive, that's another matter, more easily solved. You didn't mention that you have a protein skimmer on this aquarium, did you omit that information or is the tank skimmer-less?
Kindest regards,
Chris Brightwell
Marine Scientist
Kent Marine, Inc.
www.kentmarine.com
<While I know of no studies involving Phytoplankton and Goniopora, Dr. Rob Toonen did perform a study on bottled Phytoplankton products. You should be able to easily find this on the net. The basics are what Anthony gave you in the last email. To be useful, it must be fresh, refrigerated, and whisked to ensure proper particle size. While their live Phytoplankton is probably of the sizes he quoted, Dr. Toonen's study showed that all of these products have a tendency to clump, making them worthless. They must be used up in less than six months, refrigerated the entire time (wholesale, retail, and your home), and need to be blended for a few minutes to minimize clumping. Do read the article for yourself, though. -Steven Pro> <<Gonioporas do not eat much in the way of phytoplankton... but each individual polyp DOES feed on good sized zooplankton. RMF>>

Feeding Algae to corals
Bob, one more question....how do you feel about feeding micro algae, sparingly, twice a week for the corals??
I mix  about 1/4 or less phytoplankton using my tank's water, and shut the pumps off for a little while, and administer it with a feeding tube.
Pat Marren
<Very few corals actually feed on micro-algae. Am not a fan of administering for this purpose. If you feel the entire system is benefiting from such application... Bob Fenner>

Macroalgae 08/04/03
<Hello, PF with you tonight>
I have a 80 gallon fish tank that I would like to put some Caulerpa in but, I don't know if my fish will eat it before it has time to establish itself.
I have:
three stripe damsel x1
yellow damsel x1
Gregory damsel x1
Clarkii Clown x1
Do you know if my fish will eat the Caulerpa if I were to put em in my tank or any other species of macroalgae.
<Well, from what I know, they are all primarily planktivores (i.e. eating small floating things). Then again, they don't read the same books and articles we do. I would think though, that your algae would be safe. Do look into it's light requirements, and remember, Caulerpa can grow like a weed. If you want a tank full of it for a planted FW tank look, then you're set. It will spread to all available space, it took me months to get it all out of my tank, and in the end I had to get a tang to handle it. Read up on it here, www.wetwebmedia.com/caulerpaalg.htm  lots of good info for you to use.

DT's... not delirious tremens
Dude, you are so cool!  Thank you!!
<Hee hee. Now I can't get scenes from "The Big Lebowski" out of my mind!>
P.S.  My buddy here at Cordis just told me your thoughts on DT's.  I always thought they were great for clams, gorgs, etc.  but I guess not huh?  Waste of $$$$$$?????
Dude
<Mmm, actually, am quite a "fan" of this product (the nanophytoplankton mix eh?)... Useful as a food and more. Bob Fenner>

Phytoplankton reactors 9/18/04
I was able to meet Bob Fenner recently in Raleigh and really enjoyed this.  
<he is larger than life... blessed to know him>
I also now have Anthony's propagation book and it is outstanding.  I was hoping to get feedback about a phytoplankton reactor.
<all good... but do realize that in aquaria, the overwhelming demand is for zooplankton. Very little phyto is needed to support this. It is commonly abused as a supplemental staple IMO>
My interest is in diversity and nutrition, especially nonphotosynthetic animals.  I'm trying to replicate cryptic environments.  The Dendro thing fascinates me (as it does everybody).  
<do consider other/better aposymbiotic cnidarians like Scleronepth.s and Chile corals>
My background is clinical neurology. The experimental system I have consists of a 120 connected to an Ecowheel with a wave 2K, a 120 with Turbelle stream 6200 on controller set up for laminar flow around a  central divider, two twenty five gallons for experiments with refugia, and a 75 sunlit and compact fluorescent tank DSB currently culturing Chaetomorpha.  I am underwhelmed by the Ecowheel.  The system has a 75 gallon sump with a large Reef Concepts skimmer;  automatic top off and water changes via LiterMeter, SG 1.026.  I have tried feeding Corals and Clams cryopaste and am still working with it.  I have plans to construct a small greenhouse to continue this type of research.  
<fantastic to hear... do let me/us know if we can be of help with shared opinions>
I do think that stirring the sand bed is the best thing going for nutrition.  
<very helpful... agreed>
The detritus is recycled not added, and interestingly I have noticed that the sand bed diversity is clearly greater in areas that are gently blown off twice daily compared to nonstirred areas.  I really think a little storm activity is good for the sand bed.  I drain off the turbidity slowly over the overflow into the sump, and then to the tanks.
<the reef is quite dynamic even in the calmest parts... much more than our tanks>
My question is about a phytoreactor that I have going in one of the 25s. I have grown green water for years- sometimes unintentionally!- and this is my first attempt at a phyto reactor.  I used DT's to start;  I currently add no nutrients.  I am not stirring- this setup reminds me of the saltwater tubs Joyce Wilkerson described that she keeps outside for rotifer cultures, and that emboldened me to try not stirring, no airstone.  The pH gets high and slows down the growth.  I think the pH is more steady when the lights are turned off at night allowing some digestion and co2 release.  Perhaps the lack of stirring will help phyto diversity. I am concerned about toxins generated from this reactor.  
<weak issue... no worries>
I'm not sure of the benefit compared to Reed Mariculture cryopaste.  
<live is better than any processed product IMO on one glaring point - particle size. Most always smaller with live (no clotting or coagulating in time)>
The green water probably contains lots of things- ciliates, bacteria- and it does seem (Bob Stark) that there is already plenty of bacteria in our tanks. The reactor does seem to pull out nutrients well- discarding the stuff seems to be an effective microalgae scrubber.  I think we know a lot about many of the filter feeders- and the ones of most interest to me, the "Dendros", seem to only take SOME of their nutrition from phyto.  
<true... some take none at all... bacteria, floc, other nanoplankton>
     So, the questions-
1)  Do you know anyone who has long term success with a phyto reactor like mine?  Any suggested improvements based on this experience (stirring/air, UV, getting rid of it and using cryopaste)?
<phyto culture is a science... many people have refined techniques to learn from. Have you chatted with the folks at Florida Aqua farms? Pioneers and suppliers>
2)  Any news about successful experience with Dendros from somebody knowledgeable?
<none I am aware of recently... rather that not all aposymbiotic Nephtheids in the trade are Dendros... which is a good thing. Seek Scleros instead when you can find them>
3)  I am going to visit GARF, inland seafarm, and Tropicorium in February for my 50th birthday.  Do you know of any really professional greenhouse outfits I might also need to visit?
<I like Tropicorium and Inland Aquatics very much. medium sized scale but quality personnel. Most of the outfits farming reef inverts in the US are cottage industry sized. But you may want to see about a visit to ORA in Florida some time... after they recover from hurricane damage>
Thanks so much for your advice Charles Matthews MD
<best of luck, Anthony>

Feeding A Finicky Tang
I just purchased an Achilles Tang, because I could not resist.
<Can't blame you- they are gorgeous fish and great to have if you can meet their needs>
It is about 4 inches, beautiful color, and in my quarantine tank for 4 days (will stay there for 4 weeks).
<Excellent! A key to success with this fish!>
It gobbles up Nori, but nothing else.  I have tried frozen brine, Mysis, and Cyclop-eeze all soaked in garlic or Selcon.  But he still only eats the Nori, should I be concerned?  Is there anything else I can do? Thanks for your help!
<Well, the fact that he is eating is a great sign! Nori is marine-based, so it does provide valuable nutrition. However, you do want to get him eating as many different foods as possible, of course. I would look for a source of my favorite macroalgae, Gracilaria, which is an excellent supplemental food. You can get a starter supply from e-tailers like Indo-Pacific Sea Farms or Inland Aquatics. You can easily cultivate it yourself with a little effort. In the meantime, just keep trying a variety of frozen foods. Hopefully, he'll come around at some point. Keep it up! Regards, Scott F>
 

Is Nori really nutritious?
Hi all,
I have a Paracanthurus hepatus in quarantine and he is doing well but I noticed that when he eats red Nori his excrement seems to look just like when it went in.
So common sense tells me that this red seaweed that is supposed to be so nutritious for tangs in just going
right thru him with no nutritional absorption, << Think of it as corn for humans.  Okay not a pretty picture, but you get the idea. >> if you will. Can some one please help shed some light on this, I am also feeding Mysis shrimp and my own mix (muscles, crab, squid, oyster, shrimp, octopus, and flake food - blended then frozen) so the diet is varied. << This sounds absolutely wonderful.  Yes I do believe Nori (including red) has nutritional benefits. >> I was just wondering if there is any point to feeding the Nori because seriously it looks the same coming as it does going. << So does corn, but it's good for you. Difficult to see sometimes, but as long as you are providing a varied diet you should be fine. >> Thanks for any input you might have. Also, I would like to thank all of you at WWM whom I directly attribute my success in reef keeping to. It's just nice to have a resource that encourages education so much. Cheers, keep up the good work! << Thanks Ryan good luck with your fish. >>
-Ryan
<<  Blundell  >>