THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[albertthiel]

Large BLACK Worm - Has anyone seen one like this ?

 

 

I PM'ed Wombat about this worm since no one seems to have come up with an ID and he had not seen one like it either but he is going to have one of his researchers try to figure out what the ID is.

 

Albert

[eitallent]

Wow that is indeed quite something but I have not seen Aiptasias with a green center. This could be what is called a Tube anemone instead of what you were sold it as. Could be a Cerianthus type anemone. You could google it and see if that is what you have indeed.

 

The problem with that anemone will be getting it out of the tank unless you can remove the rock and get it to crawl out and bag it so you can return it. Odd though as normally those type bury themselves into a sandy type bottom but this one looks like it is inside a crevice in a rock but maybe it is near a rock and in the substrate as when I see you touching it I see pieces of substrate being moved and if it is in the gravel like substrate it should be easy to get out. Did you notice whether it had a soft type tube as a base?

 

Cerianthids have tentacles that consists of two sets of distinctly different sizes. The outer set consists of large tentacles that extend outwards. These tentacles taper to points and are mostly used in food capture and defence. The smaller inner tentacles are held more erect than the larger lateral tentacles and are used for food manipulation and ingestion.

 

Here is a link to a video that shows one:

Albert

 

Thank your for the link, Albert. I looked at the video and remain unsure of what I have. I searched for tube anemones and Cerianthidss and mine do not look the same. However, mine may be too immature to ID properly. (?)

The tentacles of my anemones (there are two on opposite sides of one small live rock) do have two different sizes and are held at different angles. However they are very short, like a Zoanthid's tentacles. Also, when they are stretched out their stems are soft in appearance. Both are recessed into the rock. They picked up bits of sand when I flipped some their way. The tentacles seem to be sticky as sand always adheres to them. I am keeping a close eye on them.

 

Would you believe I saw a barnacle move across my tank waving hello? See for yourself:

Click the pic

[gobyguy123]

ok and i dont feed it but i feed my fish i havent feed it with a tube yet... i cant really because i have to go to sleep at like 8:30 and i never see them at that time.... i hope there coming out at night i only saw tentacles the first week after i got them and then it was school.

[eitallent]

Feature Article:

 

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and the Reef Aquarium: an Initial Survey, Part I

 

© By Ken S. Feldman, Kelly M. Maers and Advanced Aquarist Magazine

 

Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. Ken and Kelly report on their work on Total Organic Carbon and how it relates to the reef aquarium.

 

 

 

A very interesting Article for those who want to learn more about DOC and POC and TOC.

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/8/aafeature3

 

Albert

 

Thank you for the links.

Without good water, nothing is possible.

Edited September 16, 2012 by eitallent

[albertthiel]

Thank your for the link, Albert. I looked at the video and remain unsure of what I have. I searched for tube anemones and Cerianthidss and mine do not look the same. However, mine may be too immature to ID properly. (?)

The tentacles of my anemones (there are two on opposite sides of one small live rock) do have two different sizes and are held at different angles. However they are very short, like a Zoanthid's tentacles. Also, when they are stretched out their stems are soft in appearance. Both are recessed into the rock. They picked up bits of sand when I flipped some their way. The tentacles seem to be sticky as sand always adheres to them. I am keeping a close eye on them.

 

Would you believe I saw a barnacle move across my tank waving hello? See for yourself:

Click the pic

 

eitallent :

 

Can you have a look at this link and see whether what you have corresponds to the Aiptasias shown on that page, and let me know what you think. It could be an Aitpasia after all but I since it was sold as a green polyp I need you to look at that page and tell whether you can match that up with what you have:

 

http://www.saltyunderground.com/pages.php?pID=11

 

On the organism crawling on your tank's glass are you sure that is a barnacle?

 

To me it looks like a snail that is moving across the glass pane but I cannot see what the top looks like but normally barnacles would not be crawling on your tank's glass ... also it looks rather large for one.

 

If you can get a picture of what it looks like on the top side I will be easier to figure out what it is exactly.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Thank you for the links.

Without good water, nothing is possible.

 

You are welcome and that is indeed so ... as soon as the water quality deteriorates and is not brought back to acceptable levels all kinds of problems can start, not the least of which is all kinds of nuisance algae and red slime appearing

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

ok and i dont feed it but i feed my fish i havent feed it with a tube yet... i cant really because i have to go to sleep at like 8:30 and i never see them at that time.... i hope there coming out at night i only saw tentacles the first week after i got them and then it was school.

 

I understand gobyguy123 and I hope that it will recover.

 

It may get some food from what you feed your fish but IMO that would be very little as its real feeder tentacles come out at night ... hopefully it will do well without supplemental feeding.

 

I know you are young and so yes, I am sure you are not up late so you can feed when its polyps close up and the large tentacles come out.

 

Hopefully all will be all right with.

 

Keep us posted ... thanks

 

Albert

[gobyguy123]

ok it doesnt seem to be getting whiter... should i frag it... and wehn i got it in summer the tentacles only came out at like 11 and im not aloud up that late for school so i dont know.

 

Also this is completly different but... what is the stuff that a frogspawn coral needs to live? My cousing has a 30 gallon tank with frogspawn and it looks awesome. I wanted to know what it needed. If i got one could i fit it near the top of my tank? I posted a picture of my tank a couple pages earlier. (not saying im getting one soon im thinking if i can like in a couple months maybe for christmas)

[eitallent]

eitallent :

 

Can you have a look at this link and see whether what you have corresponds to the Aiptasias shown on that page, and let me know what you think. It could be an Aitpasia after all but I since it was sold as a green polyp I need you to look at that page and tell whether you can match that up with what you have:

 

http://www.saltyunderground.com/pages.php?pID=11

I have read the article completely and have decided that my anemones are too close to some that I see pictured there. I have removed them from the tank to be safe now rather than sorry later.

 

On the organism crawling on your tank's glass are you sure that is a barnacle?

 

To me it looks like a snail that is moving across the glass pane but I cannot see what the top looks like but normally barnacles would not be crawling on your tank's glass ... also it looks rather large for one.

 

If you can get a picture of what it looks like on the top side I will be easier to figure out what it is exactly.

 

Albert

 

Exactly so it is a snail, and on the snail is the barnacle. Can you see the delicate fan coming out of the white spot on the snails back waving for food?

[albertthiel]

Link to an interactive slide show of Algae that you may have or may not have in your tank

 

Some you do not want for sure ... but this site shows pictures of the algae and you can set the speed at which the images rotate.

 

© Sarah Lardizabal and reefkeeping.com

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/...lides/index.php

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

I have read the article completely and have decided that my anemones are too close to some that I see pictured there. I have removed them from the tank to be safe now rather than sorry later.

 

Exactly so it is a snail, and on the snail is the barnacle. Can you see the delicate fan coming out of the white spot on the snails back waving for food?

 

Yes I think that was the wise thing to do indeed if what you saw looked close to what was shown on that link.

 

On the barnacle: yes now I see it ... how interesting indeed ... Snail carrying barnacle ! The waving is of course their feeding mode but then I am sure you know that.

 

That was cute to watch now that you pointed it out to me better, as the first time I looked I focused on the large one and did not notice the barnacle ...

 

Thanks for the post and tanks for the update on the anemones.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

ok it doesnt seem to be getting whiter... should i frag it... and wehn i got it in summer the tentacles only came out at like 11 and im not aloud up that late for school so i dont know.

 

Also this is completly different but... what is the stuff that a frogspawn coral needs to live? My cousing has a 30 gallon tank with frogspawn and it looks awesome. I wanted to know what it needed. If i got one could i fit it near the top of my tank? I posted a picture of my tank a couple pages earlier. (not saying im getting one soon im thinking if i can like in a couple months maybe for christmas)

 

gobyguy123:

 

My honest feeling is that before you add anything to the tank you should get your water quality under control.

 

Right now from the last picture you posted I had the impression that you have a lot of slime algae in the tank and that you are still struggling with some hair algae.

 

Also if that Candy Cane is not getting better and unfortunately I don't think it is going to, then there must be other things wrong with your water quality.

 

As long as that is so it is not wise to add other animals to the tank as they are going to suffer and be stressed and maybe overgrown with algae, and die.

 

So before you add anything to the tank you have to make sure gobyguy123 that your water quality is up to par and that you do not have algae or red slime problems and that whatever else is in the tank is doing well.

 

You cannot except a coral to do well in water conditions that are not where they should be.

 

So my suggestion is: clean up the water and get it right and once that is done and you no longer have algae and red slime problems or hair algae problems, then you can start to think about adding something new.

 

I suggest that for now you focus on getting your tank in the shape it should be. Once that is done then you can start thinking about adding more life forms

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

ok it doesnt seem to be getting whiter... should i frag it... and wehn i got it in summer the tentacles only came out at like 11 and im not aloud up that late for school so i dont know.

 

Also this is completly different but... what is the stuff that a frogspawn coral needs to live? My cousing has a 30 gallon tank with frogspawn and it looks awesome. I wanted to know what it needed. If i got one could i fit it near the top of my tank? I posted a picture of my tank a couple pages earlier. (not saying im getting one soon im thinking if i can like in a couple months maybe for christmas)

 

If that coral does not show any signs of improvement you can try and frag the dead pieces off it yes.

 

The other heads however should open fully or they will die off as well.

 

Try spot feeding them when they have small tentacles out although that will not really be as good as feeding at night it "may" help although I have not tried it myself but it is worth a try so the coral does not die off on you completely.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Aquarium Fish International shutting down, closing its pages

 

October 2012 will be the last issue available in print

 

 

Read more: http://reefbuilders.com/2012/07/16/aquariu.../#ixzz26fyDNiP2

 

or http://reefbuilders.com/2012/07/16/aquariu...-international/

 

 

Albert

[gobyguy123]

umm just saying thats how i got them... they never opened more when i got them... at the place they were like that to... i bought them at That Fish place

[albertthiel]

umm just saying thats how i got them... they never opened more when i got them... at the place they were like that to... i bought them at That Fish place

 

gobyguy123:

 

If they were not open at the LFS, I would not have bought them. My feeling is that you got a coral that was already on the way down and was not going to make it.

 

My suggestion is that after you get your tank in top condition that you only buy corals that look healthy, are open and extended if they should be and carefully inspect any coral for possible damage as you do not want to start off with one that is not in top shape.

 

When you buy fish my suggestion is that you ask the LFS to feed it and make sure that the fish eats. That way you know that it will eat in your tank too (find out what the LFS feeds the fish) and that it will not starve to death as happens too often because people buy fish that are stressed and have gone into a starvation mode.

 

And as I said when it comes to corals, know what they should look like when they are healthy, and when you see a similar one at an LFS only buy it if it looks like it should (meaning what a healthy one looks like).

 

These are my suggestions and they work for me and I am sure for many other hobbyists as well.

 

And as I said in a previous message, my suggestion is that you do not add anything to your tank until all conditions are under control and the water quality is as it should be.

 

Hopefully if you follow the directions I have given in several messages you will get your water quality up to the level where it should be and have no more algae or anything undesirable.

 

I know I keep repeating myself but that is really where you have to focus your efforts IMO right now.

 

Albert

[gobyguy123]

oh sorry i saw a poic of it online and it looked exactly like that so i thought it was healthy...

[albertthiel]

Mushrooms, Elephants Ears, And False Corals: A Review Of The Corallimorpharia

 

© By Julian Sprung and Advanced Aquarist

 

Whether you have a large reef aquarium or a simple small aquarium, any of the corallimorphs can be easily maintained and enjoyed for decades.

 

The order corallimorpharia, in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, includes anemone-like and coral-like creatures that are very popular in the aquarium hobby due to their hardiness and fantastic range of color and form. Corallimorphs are, as their name implies, very coral-like, but they do not secrete a skeleton.

 

Great article with plenty of photographs and pictures to illustrate what Julian is describing

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/10/inverts

 

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

oh sorry i saw a poic of it online and it looked exactly like that so i thought it was healthy...

 

It's not your fault but sometimes you need to do more searches on the Net to see what a healthy coral should really look like

 

If you go to the link below, you will see a the top of the page a few pictures of it and what it should look like. You can also click on some of the links and find out more about that Candy Cane.

 

http://tinyurl.com/8p5stt9

 

Several vendors will also list a lot of information about the corals they sell, what lighting is right for them, what water flow is suggested, whether you should feed them or not, etc.

 

Albert

[atoll]

Hi Albert sorry I never got back to you yesterday.

 

Nice video indeed, and I have to say that I was not expecting to see THAT many tanks with THAT many frags in it as I see in the short video. There must be hundreds and it looks like there are a number of other tanks there too that the video does not show from close up but that I can see as part of the overall pics you took.

 

There are a few other tanks that I could see but they were dark and I guess not much in them but I am not sure. The room was full of people on the tour well I say tour as we were allowed to wonder at will from room to room unmolested. I went back in that room after people were going to the raffle to take the video. BTW I didn't win anything in the raffle and there was many great prizes.

 

Looks like they "really" are into growing out quite a few corals there, far more than I actually expected, at least it looks like that based on what the video shows. Good for them.

 

They had a BIG problem in their main large coral display tank. SPS were starting to die for no good reason they could find as all perams were V good. They eventually found the cause however. They found a large piece of copper wire the electrician had dropped in the tank while wiring up the lights. The wire must have dropped behind the rock work. They saved many corals and fragged the rest ,many of which you can see in the vid. Such a shame as up until then the coral tank was looking spectacular I was informed.

 

Did you get an idea or details of what type of filtration they run on those frag tanks (and I imagine they are not connected to any of their other systems). If you do, let us know will you? Thanks.

 

I was very busy talking to many of the guys and didn't get to ask the questions to answer you however I did notice a large skimmer in the corner but it and the rest of the filtration was difficult to get to from where I was no doubt access from the other side would have been better,, sorry.

 

BTW, do they have a Web site (I am pretty sure they do but did not find a link for it). Maybe you can post it when you get a chance and some time to do so.

 

Only within the museum's own web site I think and not a dedicated web site for the Aquarium look here.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/vis...s/aquarium.aspx

 

How long have they been keeping those frags in those grow out tanks do you know as some seem to have been there for some time looking at the size of them, of course pictures can be a little deceiving depending on how they were taken.

 

I wish I had your questions before I went as again I can't answer that however I bought a few frags to donate along with others but I am unsure how many others did as well. I couldn't find my frags when I looked but I was told by Paul the main guy there that my gorgonian frag had already put out it polyps soon after introduction. My Duncan's was also open but not fully I was informed which is hardly surprising as it will take a day to settle in IME.

 

On Liverpool, thanks for the video. Very NICE. I liked it a lot and it shows that fragging and growing out frags is happening everywhere.

 

Albert

 

Thanks Albert I will post some pic's later as promised.

 

Les.

Edited September 17, 2012 by atoll

[albertthiel]

Book Review:

 

The Reef Aquarium, Volume 3: Science Art and Technology

 

Review is © By Doug Robbins, Ph.D. & advancedaquarist.com

 

Doug reviews Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung's latest addition to the Reef Aquarium series, published a few years back, but more than a great addition to anyone's Library on books dealing with Reefs, whether large or small.

 

Books I and II were both a great success, and acclaimed by all levels of experience of Hobbyists, and Volume III is certainly not an exception to that rule. It is a book full of must knows.

 

You can find it on Amazon for as low as $ 48.00 or so (used) and it is IMHO a very worthwhile investment for all who are involved in this hobby. Charles and Julian are so knowledgeable about all things "Marine Reefs" that even the most experienced hobbyist will find information in the book that they were not aware of.

 

 

 

Book Design: Daniel N. Ramirez

Published 2005

Two Little Fishes

4016 El Prado Blvd.

d.b.a. Ricordia Publishing

Coconut Grove, FL 33133 USA

 

Web Site : http://www.twolittlefishies.com/

Email: info@twolittlefishies.com

 

Book ISBN: 1-883693-14-4

 

680 pages, profusely illustrated with excellent photographs, diagrams, and charts and with extensive 11-page bibliography and index.

 

Hardcover - $78.99

For prices on new and used copies check Amazon at the link Link to Amazon for Volume III of The Reef Aquarium by Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung

 

Link to the Review:

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/1/media

 

IMHO this is a MUST HAVE book, and since I do not have it myself yet (it came out during the years that I was out of the Hobby), I will be getting one myself from Amazon or another source.

 

Albert

Edited September 17, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Spectacular Video by Richard Ross of a Philippine Soft Coral spawning Event

 

© Richard Ross and advancedaquarist.com

 

A team from California Academy of Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium (including Advanced Aquarist writers/biologists Richard Ross and Matt Wandell) is currently at work in the Philippines.

 

Thus far, they've managed to observe (and capture on video) many corals spawning.

 

Today, Richard Ross posted their latest video of a Cespitularia soft coral spawning event taking place right now.

 

Great Video to watch

 

Albert

 

EDIT ... gee forgot to add the link ....

 

http://vimeo.com/24080492

 

Definitely a video to watch

Edited September 17, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Also this is completly different but... what is the stuff that a frogspawn coral needs to live? My cousing has a 30 gallon tank with frogspawn and it looks awesome. I wanted to know what it needed. If i got one could i fit it near the top of my tank? I posted a picture of my tank a couple pages earlier. (not saying im getting one soon im thinking if i can like in a couple months maybe for christmas)

 

Here are some good links for you on Euphyllia spp. (Frogspawn) coral, so you can read up on them, but as I said clean up your tank's water chemistry before getting one of these.

 

http://tinyurl.com/9fxuo2l

and

http://tinyurl.com/9cn7h8p

and

http://tinyurl.com/9mbn4gg

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Zoanthids: Polyps As Cute As A Button

 

© By Julian Sprung and advancedaquarist.com

 

I have always been and will always be impressed by such common things as “button polyps,” the many-hued and mostly simple to care for zoanthids.

 

Reef keeping aquarists develop an aesthetic judgment about what's “cool” to keep in their aquariums, and they are often influenced by the rarity of a particular type of creature.

 

While I too admire a rare specimen, I have always been and will always be impressed by such common things as “button polyps,” the many-hued and mostly simple to care for zoanthids.

 

Covers:

- Genera

- Reproduction

- Competitive interactions

- Zoanthus

- Protopalythoa

- Palythoa

- Isaurus

- Yellow Polyps

- Acrozoanthus

- Neozoanthus

- Parazoanthus and Epizoanthus

- Predators

- A word of caution about Zoanthids

- References And Suggested Reading

 

LINK: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/2/inverts

 

Covers lots of information on P's and Z's, and much more ... ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Hi Albert sorry I never got back to you yesterday.

 

There are a few other tanks that I could see but they were dark and I guess not much in them but I am not sure. The room was full of people on the tour well I say tour as we were allowed to wonder at will from room to room unmolested. I went back in that room after people were going to the raffle to take the video. BTW I didn't win anything in the raffle and there was many great prizes.

 

They had a BIG problem in their main large coral display tank. SPS were starting to die for no good reason they could find as all perams were V good. They eventually found the cause however. They found a large piece of copper wire the electrician had dropped in the tank while wiring up the lights. The wire must have dropped behind the rock work. They saved many corals and fragged the rest ,many of which you can see in the vid. Such a shame as up until then the coral tank was looking spectacular I was informed.

 

I was very busy talking to many of the guys and didn't get to ask the questions to answer you however I did notice a large skimmer in the corner but it and the rest of the filtration was difficult to get to from where I was no doubt access from the other side would have been better,, sorry.

 

Only within the museum's own web site I think and not a dedicated web site for the Aquarium look here.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/vis...s/aquarium.aspx

 

I wish I had your questions before I went as again I can't answer that however I bought a few frags to donate along with others but I am unsure how many others did as well. I couldn't find my frags when I looked but I was told by Paul the main guy there that my gorgonian frag had already put out it polyps soon after introduction. My Duncan's was also open but not fully I was informed which is hardly surprising as it will take a day to settle in IME.

 

Thanks Albert I will post some pic's later as promised.

 

Les.

 

Les:

 

Thanks for the update on your visit to the Liverpool Aquarium and for the video you posted. Sorry to read you did not win anything in the raffle :0 ... sounds a bit like me, I never seem to win anything either when I enter them or buy tickets for them. Oh well ... no big deal.

 

Wow ... talk about sloppy by that electrician ... dropping a copper wire in the frag tank and not removing it or letting someone know that he/she did so one of the aquarium attendants could remove it before any damage occurred. No wonder their frags and corals in there were not doing well at all. Hopefully none died or were severally damaged but from what you wrote it seems that they may have lost some indeed.

 

Pity you could not get more info on their filtration but now that you have met Paul maybe the next time you talk to him you can find out. Would be nice to know how it was set up so we could compare it to what we, as hobbyists do. But I understand, sometimes on tours like that it is not all that easy to get the information one would like to get and take pictures and videos of the set-ups as organizers tend to want to get people to keep moving and not fall behind.

 

Got the link on the Museum itself and will check it out. I guess that one of these days they should add a section on the Aquarium part of the Museum so they attract more visitors .. hopefully that will come. I guess you can always suggest it to them.

 

Good to read that your donated frags were doing well so soon, and on the Duncan, yes that is not unusual at all, when moved they seem to close up and just put out some really tiny tentacles for a while and gradually open more and more as they get adjusted to the new tank (btw did they do any acclimating with the donated frags - I did not see you mention that).

 

Since the frags came from so many different tanks and environments I would imagine that they would have done so or put them in a tank of their own, separated from the main frag tank to prevent introducing HH's or parasites/bacteria etc. Maybe you just did not see it as you were going around to the various areas.

 

Thanks for the update on your visit. BTW have you been to the London one recently? Wonder how that one is doing after all those years since we were there for that large Conference.

 

And yes do post whatever else you may have as pics for us to see.

 

Thanks

 

Albert