Davis Family "Reef Tank"
CURRENT RESIDENTS
a/o May 2004
"Who" is checking out "Who"?
http://homepages.tscnet.com/omard1/aquarium.htm
Rose Bubble Tip Anemone
"Entacmaea quadricolor"
&
Maroon Clown Fish
Premnas biaculeatus
(14 Feb 04)
The Rose Bubble Tip Anemone is a very rare
Anemone in the aquarium industry.
The Bubble Tip Anemone, a.k.a. Bulb Anemone, is a very popular Anemone because
it readily hosts most Clownfish species. These Anemones are on the smaller side
and have tentacles which form swelled bulbs at their tips. The Bubble Tip
Anemone is known to "split" quite readily in the home aquarium, producing
additional Anemones. They should be provided strong lighting and a decent water
flow.
Anemones are solitary polyp organisms which are supported internally by water.
Anemone species are differentiated by the color, shape, placement, and length of
the tentacles. These Cnidaria feed off of zooxanthellae within their bodies and
need a strong light source in order to survive. They will also take in food by
using their tentacles to slowly move the prey to their mouths which is a slit in
the center of the body. This single opening also serves as its way of expelling
waste. Anemones use tiny stinging cells in their tentalces called "nematocysts"
in order to stun their prey. The nematocysts within these tentacles are also
used as a defense mechanism. The nematocysts can also disturb human flesh and
should be considered dangerous, especially to those that have known allergies.
Anemones found in the wild usually have found a crevice to hide their foot, or
base, leaving only the tentacles exposed.
"Marlin"
& "Coral" -(spot on tail))
Family: Pomacentridae
Range: Eastern Indian Ocean to Western Pacific
Size: Up to 6 inches
Diet: Omnivore
Tank Set-up: Marine: Coral or rock, plants
Reef Compatible: Yes
Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Minimum Tank Capacity: 30 gallon
Light: High
Temperament: Aggressive
Swimming Level: Bottom
Care Level: Easy
Reproduction: Egg Layer
The Maroon Clownfish, also known as the Spine-Cheeked Anemonefish or Maroon Anemonefish, has a bold, red body color with a broad white stripe on the forehead, and white stripes on its midsection and in front of the anal fin.
A 30 gallon or larger aquarium is desirable as is a host anemone such as Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor). It is aggressive towards other clownfish.
The Yellow Hawaiian Tang
Zebrasoma flavenscens
"Bubbles"
(15 Feb 04)
Family: Acanthuridae
Range: Central and South Pacific
Size: Up to 8 inches
Diet: Herbivore
Tank Set-up: Marine: Coral or rock, plants
Reef Compatible: Yes
Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Minimum Tank Capacity: 50 gallon
Light: High
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Swimming Level: No specific level
Care Level: Easy
Reproduction: Group Spawner
Cleaner Shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
"Sebastion"
The Cleaner Shrimp may grow to 2 inches. Omnivore. The Lysmata amboinensis is generally peaceful toward other tankmates. Reef-safe. Many consider the Lysmata amboinensis a low-maintenance specimen. Not venomous. Scavenger, eats parasites & dead tissue. Scavenger that likes to sift through sand. Be careful with copper-based medication and extreme nitrate levels. Requires iodine for proper molting. All Cleaner Shrimp species prefer subdued lighting, plenty of rocky cover, nooks and crannies, molt every 3-8 weeks normally, consume most all foods in addition to cleaning, and are sensitive to fast changes in water chemistry, particularly salinity... New synthetic water should be pre-made, stored for a week and matched to their systems specific gravity. Keep water quality high (SG 1.023 - 1.025, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Temp. 72 - 78° F). The Cleaner Shrimp is commonly collected from the Indian Ocean.
Pacific Blue Tang
Paracanthurus hepatus
"Dory"
Family: Acanthuridae
Range: Indo-Pacific
Size: Up to 12 inches
Diet: Herbivore
Tank Set-up: Marine: Coral or rock, plants
Reef Compatible: Yes
Tank Conditions: 72-78؛F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Light: High
Temperament: Peaceful
Swimming Level: No specific level
Care Level: Moderate
Reproduction: Egg Scatterer
Coral Beauty Angel
Centropyge bispinosus
"Beauty"
The Centropyge bispinosus grows up to 4 inches. The Coral Beauty Angel prefers a tank of at least 30 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim. The Centropyge bispinosus is an omnivore and likes to eat marine algae, mysid shrimp, Spirulina, and other seafood based items. The Coral Beauty Angel is a medium maintenance fish and may act semi-aggressively toward other fish. The Coral Beauty will not get along with other dwarf angels, except in larger aquaria. Keep with caution in a reef aquarium; may eat/nip sessile invertebrates. Keep water quality high (SG 1.020 - 1.025, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Temp. 72 - 78° F). The Coral Beauty Angel is commonly collected from Fiji and Tonga.
Sailfin Tang
Zebrasoma veliferum
15 Feb 04 - "Saltwaterfish.com")
The Sailfin Tang can be recognised by its pointed snout, tall dorsal and anal fins, sharp spine on the caudal peduncle, and colouration.
Adults have broad dark bands on a whitish background. Thin yellow lines run through this dark and light banding. The head is white with a black bar through the eye, and yellow dots and lines. The tail is yellow with a blue-white margin.
The Sailfin Tang grows to 40cm in length.
It is found on coral reefs throughout the Indo-West Pacific.
In Australia it is recorded from southwestern to northwestern Western Australia and the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef.
Banded Watchman Goby
(15 Feb 04 - "Saltwaterfish.com")
Pink-Spotted Shrimpgoby
Cryptocentrus leptocephalus
(15 Feb 04 - "Saltwaterfish.com")
Psychedelic Mandarin Dragonet
Synchiropus picturatus
(15 Feb 04 - "Saltwaterfish.com")
Bar Goby
(Ptereleotris zebra)
(Shark Reef 23 Apr 04)
The Bar Goby is also referred to as the Zebra Dart Goby, Zebra or
Barred Dartfish, Zebra Goby, or Chinese Zebra Goby. Both the head and body of
the Zebra Dart Goby are light green. Its attractive slender body has numerous
vertical, evenly-spaced thin orange stripes displaying an intricate pattern.
Bi-Color Blenny
(Ecsenius bicolor)
(Shark Reef 23 Apr 04)
Generally found amid crevices and rocks on the bottom of its
environment, the Bicolor Blenny needs a tank of at least 30 gallons with
scattered rocks for perching and hiding. Opinions are mixed as to whether the
Bicolor Blenny is a peaceful tank member and safe for invertebrates. Some
believe the Bicolor Blenny is not safe with other species members and may pick
on gobies and firefish. Others say the Bicolor Blenny is a peaceful community
fish. Some say the Bicolor Blenny is safe around invertebrates and other sources
say it will eat them. The best alternative is probably to combine these groups
cautiously. The diet of the Bicolor Blenny should include vegetable
matter, including frozen and dried foods containing marine and blue-green algae.
It will also feed on (and help control) algae growing in the aquarium.
Tridacna Clams
Tridacna crocea (Top), Tridacna squamosa (bottom), Tridacna maxima (middle)
Tridacna crocea
| — | most commonly available as 2 to 3 inch specimens |
| — | maximum shell length is approximately 6 inches |
| — | shell is moderately asymmetrical in form, typically being somewhat longer than tall* |
| — | shell typically has 5 to 6 low ribs |
| — | ribs have numerous tightly-spaced, but light scutes; however, these are typically eroded away by the natural burrowing activities of this species when in their natural habitat. Those specimens that have been collected "in the wild" typically have no scutes present, or have only a few scutes at the upper margin of the shell. Those raised in captivity are not provided the opportunity to burrow into substrates and thus retain most, or all, of the scutes. |
| — | upper margin is moderately curved and each side is symmetrical to the other* |
| — | byssal opening is very large in size* |
| — | mantle extension can be well past the margin, completely hiding the shell and scutes |
| — | incurrent siphon is ringed with numerous small, simple tentacles* |
\
Tridacna maxima
| — | most commonly available as 2 to 4 inch specimens |
| — | maximum shell length is approximately 16 inches (typically 12 inches, or less) |
| — | shell is strongly asymmetrical in form, typically being much longer than tall* |
| — | shell typically has 5 distinct ribs |
| — | ribs have numerous very tightly-spaced, but light scutes; however, these are typically eroded away by the burrowing activities of this species when in their natural habitat. Thus, specimens that have been collected "in the wild", typically have numerous scutes present only on the upper portion of the shell. Those raised in captivity are not provided the opportunity to burrow into substrates and thus retain most, or all of the scutes. |
| — | upper margin is strongly curved and each valve is symmetrical to the other* |
| — | byssal opening is variable in size, being moderate to relatively large |
| — | mantle extension can be well past the margin, completely hiding the shell and scutes |
| — | incurrent siphon is ringed with numerous small, simple tentacles* |
T. maxima is occasionally confused with T.
squamosa. However, the overall elongation/asymmetry
of the shell, the closely spaced nature of the smaller
scutes, and the presence of small, simple siphonal
tentacles of T. maxima help in differentiating
the two.
Tridacna squamosa
| — | most commonly available as 4 to 6 inch specimens |
| — | maximum shell length is approximately 16 inches (typically 12 inches, or less) |
| — | shell is strongly symmetrical in form* |
| — | shell typically has 4 or 5 large, well-spaced distinct ribs |
| — | ribs have numerous relatively large, well-spaced, heavy scutes* |
| — | upper margin is strongly curved and each valve is symmetrical to the other* |
| — | byssal opening is variable in size, being moderate to almost non-existent; typically smaller in larger specimens, as they rely more on their own weight to hold them in place rather than a byssus |
| — | mantle extension can be well past the margin, completely hiding the shell and scutes |
| — | incurrent siphon is ringed with numerous large and often elaborate tentacles* |
Feather Dusters
(Misc.)
Halimeda Algae
Halimeda discoidea
(6 Dec 03)
Scientific Name: Halimeda sp. (Halimeda
discoidea shown)
Classification: Algae
Common Names:
Description:
Halimeda is a slow growing calcareous algae. It has a holdfast (root)
which is normally attached to the sandy substrate, but which may also attach to
the live rock. The body of the algae grows in a jointed plate fashion.
Good
or Bad?:
Halimeda is probably the best macro algae to have in a reef tank. It is
slow growing, so it cannot easily become a nuisance. It grows from a
holdfast rather than runners, so it does not spread and take over the reef.
It also does not spontaneously combust as easily as Caulerpa, but the fronds
will occasionally die and turn white due to the high percentage of calcium in
the algae where as Caulerpa turn clear. These actually contribute a great
deal to the sand in many beach areas.
Notes:
Halimeda requires fairly high calcium and Alkalinity levels similar to stony
corals to survive. Halimeda also prefers higher intensity lighting.
Amphipod
Amphipod crustaceans are peracarid crustaceans, typically ranging in size from 2 to 50 mm, although a few may be larger. Amphipods are common in aquatic ecosystems throughout many parts of the world, inhabiting marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. A few species also live in terrestrial ecosystems. The order Amphipoda, which contains nearly 7,000 described species, is divided into three and sometimes four suborders: Gammaridea, Caprellidea, Hyperiidea, and Ingolfiellidea. The latter, however, are probably highly specialized gammarideans and therefore do not merit recognition as a suborder.
Copepod
(
Kope = Greek for "oar" Podos = Greek for
"foot")
Hence Copepod = oar-footed, referring to their broad
paddle-like swimming legs
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/iz/copepod/
What is a copepod?
These aquatic crustaceans are very diverse and are the most numerous metazoans in the water community ("metazoan" means all multi-celled animals). Copepod habitats range from fresh water to hypersaline conditions, from subterranean caves to water collected in bromeliad leaves or leaf litter on the ground and from streams, rivers, and lakes to the sediment layer in the open ocean. Their habitats also range from the highest mountains to the deepest ocean trenches, and from the cold polar ice-water interface to the hot active hydrothermal vents. Copepods may be free-living, symbiotic, or internal or external parasites on almost every phylum of animals in water. The usual length of adults is 1-2 mm, but adults of some species may be as short as 0.2mm and others may be as long as 10mm.
Ecologically they are important links in the food chain linking microscopic algal cells to juvenile fish to whales. Copepods also have the potential to act as control mechanisms for malaria by consuming mosquito larvae, and contrariwise are intermediate hosts of many human and animal parasites.
"KILLER CRAB!!!"
(DEAD!)
10 Dec 03
A "REEF TANK MONSTER" - "hitchhiker" on Florida Live Rock - doubled in size every 2 weeks. Destroyed 2 feather dusters, untold number of smaller crabs, snails and other invert life on rocks. Smart/"Strong" - was very difficult to catch, using improvised "traps" - but finally got him. Good Riddance.
"OM"
