Nano Gobies

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Left: Oolitic sand, mixed with a number of larger pieces of bivalve shell; the roundish ooids can be seen under magnification. Right: Live sand, which is available freshly imported or preserved in plastic bags or boxes. The basis is oolitic sand, and the rounded grains can be clearly seen when magnified. ple in Indonesia, so that trading in it has become more difficult and the product is less frequently seen on the market. LIMESTONE GRANULES By contrast, limestone granules for use as substrate are commonplace in the trade, and can also be used to fill calcium reactors. This material consists of crushed limestone deposits from fossil reefs, and is also used in horticulture—for scattering on paths in parks, for example. This substance was formerly part of living organisms—the endo- or exo-skeletons of corals, gastropods, bivalves, and sponges. The fact that it is readily available without export restrictions is a plus, but the downside is its unnatural appearance: all the grains are a similar size and have relatively sharp edges. Its precise mineral composition depends on the source; calciferous deposits originating from living organisms differ somewhat from one another, and the release of undesirable substances, such as phosphate or silicic acid, can also vary considerably. It is a good idea to test the material by putting a small sample of it in seawater and measuring the rise in phosphate or silicate using proprietary reagents. OOLITIC OR OOIDAL SAND Oolitic or ooidal sand is particularly popular in the U.S., where it comes mainly from the state of Utah. Ooids are tiny balls of limestone that originated in the sea during past geological epochs. They form in supersaturated seawater when deposits of calcium carbonate form by crystallization on tiny particles of calcium carbonate in suspension (such as grains of coral sand or bivalve shell fragments). Layer after layer is deposited until the little ball of limestone has become heavy enough to sink permanently. In earlier geological periods the resulting layers of sediment solidified into rock (oolite or oolitic limestone), and its globular components are today offered for sale in some countries as oolitic sand for use as aquarium substrate. However, ooids can also be formed from other substances, such as iron- or phosphate-based minerals, so not every ooidal sand is suitable for the marine aquarium. LIVE SAND Live sand is also now available. Originally this was mainly supplied loose and stored in aquariums in the store, but now it usually comes damp and pre-packed in breathable plastic bags. Those who advocate its use point to the fact that the material is so heavily colonized with bacteria that the newly established reef aquarium gets a boost and can be biologically loaded (livestock can be added) considerably earlier. But critics maintain that the bacterial fauna required by an aquarium cannot be preserved for long periods in a bag, but has to develop in the aquarium and will vary according to the specific organic loading. The storing of live sand for weeks or months in an aquarium—in a layer 8–12 inches (20–30 cm) thick and without any livestock—inevitably leads to the demise of the bacteria or, at the very least, a significant reduction in the bacterial population. The fact is that substrate that has been stored and transported wet releases fewer minerals of the sort that encourage algae (in particular diatoms) in the aquarium. Why is that? On the one hand, there is less erosion (by friction) of the surfaces of the grains in the transportation liquid, and because the grains are already in liquid, the mineral elements capable of being released from their surface into a liquid medium will have been released already. On the other hand, dry granulate is produced by the crushing of fossil limestone. Its surfaces are produced by the milling process and not depleted of minerals by long contact with water. That is a good thing when we want to dissolve a small amount in the calcium reactor, but disadvantageous if we want to use a large amount as substrate. In the case of coral sand, the individual components have already spent a lot of time in contact with water, so their surfaces have already become mineral-depleted, but the friction that occurs between the individual grains when the material is handled, during transportation and manual washing prior to introduction into the aquarium, will rub away the surface layer and reveal deeper layers that are not yet depleted of minerals. In some cases this can lead to more silicic acid being released, for example, and ultimately to a more serious problem with diatoms during the maturation period. So the more we rub the grains together during washing, the more mineral substances are likely to be released. In a future issue we will talk about grain size, sand bed depth, and the correct method of cleaning aquarium substrates. LEFT: J. SPRUNG; RIGHT: D. KNOP 122 CORAL
“I have traveled thousands of miles in a bag of dirty water. I am hungry and stressed. I don’t feel very well. How long do you think I will last in your tank?” Insist on buying Tank-Bred Clownfish and Aquacultured Corals Bring the beauty of corals and fish into your home and office without depleting our oceans Aqua Engineering & Equipment 7208 Aloma Ave.Suite 600 Winter Park, FL 32792 http://www.aquariumwaterfilters.com CORAL 123
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THE REEF & MARINE AQUARIUM MAGAZINE
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EDITOR & PUBLISHER | James M. Lawre
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CORAL 5
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getting a species out of the endang
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Purchasing Marine Animals Will Neve
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Hatchery in Puerto Rico, which was
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The coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae
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of the warming of the Mediterranean
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Parenting comes at a price for male
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Inspired by Mother Nature. Engineer
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Text & images by SCOTT W. MICHAEL E
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off the coast of East Africa, east
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ONLY POLY-FILTER®AND KOLD STER-IL
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Photo courtesy of Georgia Aquarium
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eef structure. One thing to keep in
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thrIVE CORAL 33
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ILLUSTRATION: JOSHUA HIGHTER ums. F
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CORAL 37
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TK CORAL 39
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ecord of a single ornamental marine
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Seven reasons why you should use R
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WHITE & BLUE LEDS BLUE LEDS ONLY
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CORAL 47
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Size impresses humans. We marvel at
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CORAL 51
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TK I. KRAUSE CORAL 53
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Redhead Goby, Elacatinus puncticula
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TK Like mythical dwarfs, elves, and
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nonetheless a number of typical cha
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The aquarium for pygmy gobies The p
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Greenbanded Goby, Elacatinus multif
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Top left: Green Clown Goby, Gobiodo
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Candystripe Goby, Trimma cana Redfa
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69 CORAL 69
Page 73: Genus Gobiodon G. acicularis G. alb
Page 77 and 78: PREVIOUS SPREAD: ERIC MATSON/AUSTRA
Page 79 and 80: Australian researchers taking core
Page 81 and 82: TABLE 1. Measured or determined cor
Page 83 and 84: that anchor themselves in soft, unc
Page 85 and 86: TK CORAL 83
Page 87 and 88: species of Acropora. Acroporids mad
Page 89 and 90: Aquarists armed with nets go huntin
Page 91 and 92: Above: A frequent summer visitor of
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Page 97 and 98: Far off the south coast of Cuba lie
Page 99 and 100: we found here were very different f
Page 101 and 102: The Green Finger Sponge (Lotrochota
Page 103 and 104: CORAL: What do your rearing tanks l
Page 107 and 108: aquarium portrait | INKEN KRAUSE An
Page 109 and 110: an air-handling unit located in the
Page 111 and 112: “Wow!” AMAZONAS Volume 1, Numbe
Page 113 and 114: The Reef Care Program Accelerated C
Page 115: EASY - ACCURATE - AFFORDABLE The Wo
Page 118 and 119: Above: Ambon Scorpionfish (Pteroidi
Page 120: The Ambon Scorpionfish (Pteroidicht
Page 123: for novices in the marine aquarium
Page 127 and 128: Get an Edge Introducing ZeroEdge’
Page 129 and 130: Sterling Silver Fits every Wallets
Page 131 and 132: Pet Friendly 845 Manitou Rd Hilton,
Page 133 and 134: genus, and species, the source of t
Page 135 and 136: Over the last four years we also id
Page 137 and 138: tually, tissue. Large water changes
Page 139: An enhanced, natural salt manufactu
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