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SUMMER 2007 | Volume 1

Part 2

Zenand
theArt
of...part
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cover photo by Wayne Lai
 Features Summer 2007 | Volume 1

RHM Staff
President
Harry T. Tung
Executive Editor
Jim Adelberg

4 Zen and The

Art of New Tank
Decision Making Jim
Adelberg is an advanced
hobbyist and industry
professional from the San
Francisco Bay Area. In this
article, the author guides
us through the details of
planning for a new tank.
Photo by Wayne Lai.
16 The Clowns
Have Eggs!
Robin Bittner
is a professional clownfish
breeder in Northern
California. Here Robin
shares his extensive
knowledge of clowns with
his fellow hobbyists. In
this article, Robin provides
an in-depth look at the
equipment required to raise
baby clownfish. Photo by
Khem.
8 What’s on
Your Bottom?
Art Director
Tamara Sue
Advertising
The A-Team
Richard Ross is Special Thanks
a San Francisco Bay Area Greg Rothschild
coral farmer and cuttlefish gregrothschild.com
breeder. He has kept many Norman Tom
Monica Hong
different types of sand beds Kalyakorn “khem” Kasemsri
and here, shares some of Kalyakorn.Kasemsri@gmail.com
Wayne Lai
his expertise. This article is a
must-read for new hobbyists
making substrate decisions!
Photo by Khem. Tell us what you think:
comments@rhmag.com

On The Cover Come visit us online at

www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com
And see what we have to offer you!
• Read Reef Hobbyist Magazine online.
• Ask our editor questions in the Q & A section.
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• Participate in our photo contests for cool reef prizes.
• Communicate with other reefers and manufacturers

12
on our forums.

Steve Tyree’s Interested in Advertising...

AWESOME STONY CORALS
Steve Tyree grows some of the rarest and most desirable
corals in our hobby and has been an avid collector of
...with Reef Hobbyist Magazine?
rare corals for many years. In this installment, Steve Email advertising@rhmag.com for information on the
shares his fascination with the genus montipora. Photo most cost-effective advertising package in the industry!
by Wayne Lai.

Join Us! Refill

RHM WANTS YOU!
We’re constantly looking for the best
writers and photographers to contribute
to our free magazine. We believe that free
quality information is the key to helping our hobby
advance. If you’d like to join us in our mission, please
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TANK DEVELOPMENT

Zen and the Art of

New Tank Decision Making
by Jim Adelberg
photo by Khem

lanning for a new tank can be a fascinating experience, however, at times it can also be very frustrating. The choices
you make during this planning process are the choices you and your animals will have to live with. Let’s start with a
top down question: why are you setting up this tank?

Certainly there are as many answers to this question as there are tanks and hobbyists, but examining the question in
detail will aid in our planning process. If it’s to be a utilitarian tank (hospital, quarantine, prop tank etc...), it may be planned
more for ease of use than aesthetic considerations, but the same planning process will still be helpful.

For many people starting out in this hobby, just like anyone else in abandoned in a race to the next quick fix. If you change something,
a new hobby, there can seem to be a bewildering array of choices. give it a few months before judging the outcome.
And, like any technology intensive hobby, there are new items on
the market every day. Having a grand vision of what you would
like to achieve will guide you to make appropriate equipment and
livestock choices.

For a tank to be what I would call “successful” it has to be

appropriate for everyone involved. Fish, coral AND hobbyists must
be considered carefully during the planning. We’ll talk to the corals
and fish a bit later, but for now I ask you again: why are you setting
up this tank? Is there a picture in your mind of what you want to
photo by author of a reef crest in Tonga
see? Do you want the same type of tank you saw in the store?
Inspired by a dive location? Perhaps there is a fish species you just
love, or maybe seeing long sinuous tentacles swaying in a gentle Budgeting, space and maintenance concerns should be addressed
current is just the ticket. Think hard about this because you will be early on and appropriate compromises made based on the final
making some decisions right away that may have to be specific to vision for the tank. As said earlier, corals love stability. Larger
one vision or another and changing your mind later can be costly. volumes of water are inherently more stable. Please choose the
largest system volume whenever possible. You will never regret
While we are speaking in generalities, I would also like to warn having extra gallons!
new reef hobbyists about believing everything they read online,
and about trying many different things in rapid succession to try That said, there are a number
and succeed. Corals love stability, and often the perfect solution is of fine saltwater ready nano
tanks (6-29 gallons) available
for limited spaces or budgets.
These systems are quite
appropriate for miniature
displays and as long as they
are not overstocked, can be
quite successful. For more
on these tanks, please visit
the nano forum at www.
reefhobbyistmagazine.com.

photo by author at Atlantis Aquarium

4 Enter the Blue Life sponsored photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
I generally prefer shorter, wider tanks to taller tanks for two reasons
based upon increased surface area: oxygen exchange and heat
Protein Skimmer
In a very real way, your protein
exchange. Most oxygen exchange in home reef tanks occurs at the
skimmer is the life support
surface of the display tank. This is also true of evaporative cooling
system for your reef. It takes
especially if your sump area is not well ventilated.
poisons out of your tank that
would otherwise injure or kill
Once you have chosen a tank, stand and sump combination
your sensitive fish and coral and
appropriate to your space and budget, you will still have some
allows your animals to breathe
important equipment choices to make.
and grow without choking on
their own waste. A high quality
protein skimmer for a reef tank is
Lighting a large part of the total system
Choosing between the
cost. I generally advise people
different types of reef lighting
to plan on spending almost as
is a decision you will have
much for the skimmer as for the
to make right at the outset.
lighting. Always get the largest
Essentially you will choose
skimmer you can fit in the sump.
between metal halide lighting or some sort of fluorescent lighting,
PC’s , VHO’s, T-5’s and others.

Metal halides are extremely bright and run extremely hot. They
Water Movement
The current standard reef
generally cost more than fluorescent lighting, however the bulb
setup involves the use of at
replacement schedule and cost are roughly comparable. Some of
least two pumps for water
the most desirable corals in the reef-keeping hobby can only be
motion. The first pump
kept under very high intensity lighting so ask for advice from friends,
provides the return from
fellow reef club members and aquarium store owners before
your sump moving water
choosing a lighting system. If you choose metal halide lighting for
back up into the display,
your reef tank, be aware that you may need to purchase a chiller as
and is often the smaller of
well and be sure to budget for one if needed.
the two pumps.

The larger pump is used

in a configuration called a
“closed loop” which is simply an external pump plumbed directly
into the display. The water goes from the tank to the pump and
back to the tank in a closed loop. Essentially the pump functions
as a large, external powerhead. In-tank powerheads are another
popular option for water movement in reef tanks and can be used
to relieve localized dead spots in the tank’s water flow.

In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the need

for higher flow paradigms in our reef tanks, even at the expense of
random, turbulent flow. In the wild, reef crest corals, which include
many of the most popular acroporids and some of the popular LPS,
are exposed to many different types of currents from pounding surf
to upwelling surge, and high velocities of linear water flow that could
never be duplicated in our home tanks. Buying a slightly larger
sump return pump is often a good idea as it will allow you some
extra options later besides just increasing flow without buying a
new pump. Many of our favorite toys (chillers, reactors, fuges etc...)
are easily driven by small taps into your main return line. Leave your
options open as much as possible.

In the next installment of this series, we will walk through the initial
set-up of a reef system. See you in Issue 3! -Jim Adelberg

? If you have questions about your set-up, ask

Jim and fellow reefers for advice in our Q&A
forum at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com.

Want to win cool reef stuff? Visit us online at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com today! 5

 Sponsored by BLUE LIFE
ISSUE 1 WINNERS
“Large Polyp Stony Corals”

1st Place Winner 2nd Place Winner 3rd Place Winner

“Wayne Lai” “Jendub” “Sierra Saltwater Systems/
Robert Ordway”

ISSUE 2 TOPIC:
“SHRIMPS and CRABS”
Submit your original Shrimp and Crab
Photo by Khem
photographs for a chance to win Blue Life prizes! Photo by Khem

1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place

METAL HALIDE BULB BLUE VET REMEDY PACK CHOICE OF TWO
(250 or 400 watt) (Aiptasia, Redslime, and Phosphate control) (KH Buffer, PH Buffer, or Kalkwasser)

CONTEST RULES: Log onto www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com to submit your photos. Each registered user may submit up to 3
original photographs. Photographs can not have been previously sold, published, or copyrighted. Any participant entering 4 or
more photographs will be automatically disqualified, no exceptions. Photographs that are not within the topic of the said contest
will not be considered. Three winners will be voted upon by the entire staff of RHM. Winners will receive their prizes directly from
Blue Life USA and have their pictures published in a future issue of RHM and on reefhobbyistmagazine.com. Once photographs
are submitted, RHM reserves the right to publish the photographs in future issues of the magazine and on our website. Winners
will be asked to submit high resolution photos after they win.
7
SANDBEDS

What s on Your Bottom?

by Richard Ross
photo by Khem

eciding what to put or not to put on the bottom of your new reef tank can be areas and oxygen poor areas for these
daunting. Proponents of several popular methodologies make it seem like if types of bacteria. It is important to note
their way is not used, your tank is doomed. Allow me to alleviate this anxiety at that the biological filtration capabilities of
the outset – ALL the methodologies can work. This article will attempt to give sand can also be provided by live rock so
you a general understanding of what is involved in the most popular methods. As with sand is not the only option for biological
everything in reef-keeping, the key to success is understanding the limits of each method, filtration.
choosing the method you feel will work best for you, and taking steps to make sure you
keep up the maintenance on the method you choose. A general benefit to a sand bottom is that
the light color of the sand reflects light
Many people believe having sand on the bottom of their tanks makes their tank look more back up from the bottom of the tank,
natural. After all, the bottom of the ocean is covered with sand. Even though that may be making the tank look brighter. It may be
the case, it isn’t necessarily true that the corals you choose to keep occur anywhere near the case that this reflected light also aids
sand in nature. Most stony corals in the wild seem to actually do their best to get as far in the growth of photosynthetic corals.
away from sand as possible; they grow up and away from the sand, each generation of
coral growing on top of the previous generation. Sand is abrasive, so in storms, or during When I talk about sand, I am primarily
normal wave action, being right on the sand can feel like the inside of a sand blaster. In referring to aragonite sand, as it is the
almost all of the wild reef systems which I have had the pleasure to dive, most of the most widely used. There are other
corals have been several feet above the sand, often on rocky outcroppings far above the alternatives, but aragonite is most widely
bottom. used for a number of reasons which are
outside the scope of this article.
Besides aesthetics, the main argument for putting a sand bed in a tank is for biological
filtration. Sand offers a great deal of surface area for aerobic (oxygen using) bacteria to Deep Sand Beds (DSB s)
colonize. These bacteria are responsible for converting toxic ammonia from animal waste
and decomposing matter into toxic nitrite and then to less toxic nitrate, a process called A DSB is exactly what the name purports
nitrification. Denitrification is a similar process driven by anaerobic (non-oxygen using) – a deep bed of sand. The top layers
bacteria that takes place in anoxic, low oxygen areas. Sand beds offer both oxygen rich of sand provide a lot of surface area for
nitrification, while the deeper part of the
sand bed provides a good environment
for denitrification. However, it can be
difficult to tell exactly how deep the sand
bed should be, and hobby literature is
filled with ideas. Some say that the anoxic
zones needed for denitrification can
occur in as little as one inch of sand, but
many proponents of DSB’s recommend 5
inches or more. I have seen some display
tanks with as much as 10 inches of sand!
Regardless of the argument regarding the
optimal depth of a DSB, most agree that
the deeper the sand bed, the greater the
potential for denitrification.

Lots of interesting, tiny animals including

starfish, copepods, worms and other
photo by Khem

8 Enter the Blue Life sponsored photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!

A field of xenia over a poured, faux sand bed. Photo by Jim Adelberg at New
Alameda Aquatics- Alameda, CA.
crustaceans will populate a DSB. These critters arrive in your tank
either as hitchhikers on live rock and corals, via inoculation of live
sand from another reefer’s tank, or from commercial microfauna
“kits”. Some DSB advocates claim that the population of these
microfauna is critical to the proper running of a DSB because they
help break down detritus, and periodic microscopic sampling of
the bed is recommended to ensure proper population levels. Many
people who run DSB’s say that the microfauna that populate sand
beds will produce food for fish and invertebrates, but it is unclear
how much food can and will be produced and what overall effect
this food will have on the system. Regardless, these tiny animals
can be interesting to watch, many of them emerging only at night
to go about their business of eating and breeding.
One of the main concerns with DSB’s is the space they take up
in a display tank. If you have a 55 gallon aquarium that is 20
inches tall with a 5 inch sand bed, and you realize that a running
aquarium is filled generally to an inch below the top of the tank,
you are left with only 14 inches of space for fish and corals. Sand
also displaces water, so the more of it you use, the less overall
system volume you have and the smaller the system volume, the
less stable that system is in terms of water quality. The investment
in real estate that’s used to display coral, combined with having to
look at the dark matter that grows between the sand and the front
of the tank are two of the reasons often cited for avoiding DSB’s.
There are two DSB dangers that are small, but still important to
note. First, DSB’s can consume a lot of oxygen. This concern
generally only comes up during a power outage, when the water
in the tank is stagnant for any length of time. As the oxygen
depletes, animals that need oxygen begin to suffer, and may die as
they compete for oxygen with the sand bed. Secondly, hydrogen
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sulfide can build up in the anoxic layers of a DSB. If these layers
are disturbed by moving rocks that are deep in the sand, or by
a fallen power head, it is possible that hydrogen sulfide can be
released into the water, possibly killing animals.
Over time, generally between 3-5 years, tanks with a DSB can
begin to decline or “crash”. This kind of event has been loosely
termed “old tank syndrome”. Corals begin to die back, grow slowly
or have tissue recession while nuisance algae species begin to
thrive. At the same time, water tests may show that ammonia,
nitrite, nitrate and even phosphate are within acceptable levels.
Most likely, this problem is due to the incorrect idea that a DSB
is a “set it and forget it” method, and since no maintenance of
any kind was done on the DSB, it wasn’t able to process all of
the waste. There are many theories as to the exact mechanism
responsible for these tank crashes including phosphate build up
in the sand, heavy metal build up in the sand, or simply an over
abundance of detritus that filled up the sand in the same way
that detritus fills up a filter pad. Regardless of the mechanism,
proponents of the different DSB methodologies agree that some
kind of upkeep is necessary, but what that upkeep consists of
depends on which DSB methodology you agree with. Some
claim that you should never disturb the sand bed, some claim you
should “siphon vacuum” the bed, some claim you should “siphon
vacuum” only part of the bed. Some say microfauna populations
are key. Some persist in the “set it and forget it” idea. Details
about each of these ideas (and more!) are beyond the scope of
this article, and I urge anyone considering a DSB to do lots and
lots of research before making a decision.
Remote Sand Bed (RSB)
The RSB is very similar to the DSB except the sand is not in the
show tank, rather in an auxiliary vessel plumbed into the system.
A RSB is used for denitrification purposes only, does not need
microfauna, and should be kept as free from detritus build up
as possible through “vacuuming” or prefiltering the water before
pumping it into the RSB vessel.
9
Shallow Sand Bed (SSB)
SSB’s are generally 2 inches deep or less. SSB’s are used
primarily by people who like the look of sand, but don’t want to
lose too much display area. Some microfauna will colonize the
sand, but the shallow depth has less potential for denitrification
than a deeper sand bed – this does not mean that sufficient
denitrification won’t occur. Most people who run SSB’s agree that
“vacuuming” the sand, or a portion of it, is necessary for regular
maintenance.
The shallow sandbed of a reef in Derawan, Indonesia. Photo by Khem.
Bare Bottom (BB)
A BB system is exactly what it sounds like – no sand on the
bottom of the tank. Maintenance can be simple; change the
water regularly and siphon out any detritus that collects on the
bottom of the tank.
Recently, BB methodology has focused on high water movement
in the display tank to keep any detritus in suspension, combined
with aggressive skimming to remove the detritus before it has a
chance to break down into any toxic substance. Most BB tanks
also contain “live rock” for nitrification and denitrification.
Some find the BB system look ugly, but many proponents of BB
disagree because without the sand, your eye focuses on the
coral – the main reason why most people set up reef tanks in the
first place. Often coralline algae will quickly cover the exposed
glass or acrylic giving the tank a nice pink/purple bottom. Some
people add an inert, marine safe material to the bottom of the
The author’s faux sand bed reef tank.
10 Ask our advertisers questions about their products in our forum at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com!
tank – most often a material called starboard. Initially, white
starboard was used to add the same upward reflectivity of light
that a sand bed provides, but people have started using black
or other colors depending on personal preference. The choice
of color may not matter in the long run since starboard will also
become covered with coralline algae over time. Starboard also
has the benefit of protecting the bottom of the tank from breaking
in a catastrophic rock collapse (though the necessity of such
protection is questionable).
A bare bottom reef in Derawan, Indonesia. Photo by Khem.
Faux Sand Bed (FSB)
The FSB is simply making the bottom of a BB tank look like it
has sand. This allows for the benefits of BB while keeping the
aesthetics of sand.
There are basically two ways to make an FSB - cast a mixture of
marine safe epoxy mixed with sand directly into the tank or glue
sand to something like starboard. Casting it directly into the tank
can be problematic because the heat of the hardening epoxy can
cause the tank to crack, so it is important to apply several thin
layers. Gluing sand to starboard requires that the starboard be
scuffed, and the glue or epoxy needs time to cure and offgass
any volatile compounds left over from the glue. FSB’s will also
become covered with coralline algae over time, so some people
add a few cupfuls of sand to the tank. This loose sand moves
around due to the water flow, and helps prevent the coralline from
taking hold. If you are interested in making an FSB, please do
some research for the latest information and methods.
 STONY CORAL SERIES
Part >>2
Awesome
Stony Coral Series
by Steve Tyree
The Amazing Montipora
The different growth forms within the Montipora genus of corals
define it as one of the most diverse groups of corals to be found
within the SPS Reef Building Stony Corals. In general the polyps
for most species are very small, but this group of corals includes
species that develop almost every different stony coral growth
form. There are massive, encrusting, plating, whorling, columnar
and branching species. Many of the Montipora species can
even develop into multiple distinct growth forms. For example,
some plating and encrusting species can also develop branching
growth forms. We have also found that this genus of corals
contains a very diverse assemblage of pigmentation patterns.
Polyps frequently develop pigments that are distinct from the
main body pigmentation. Sometimes the polyp center can also
contain pigments that are different from pigments found within
the polyps’ tentacles. Some Montipora corals can also develop
leading growth edge pigments that are distinct from the main
body pigmentation. The Awesome Stony Coral Series begins
our coverage of the Montipora stony corals with a discussion
of three very popular and very colorful corals. We will primarily
identify these corals with their common marketing label because
accurate species identification has yet to be performed.
photo by Wayne Lai
12 Would you like to contribute to Reef Hobbyist Magazine? Visit us at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and find out how!
photo by Wayne Lai
Sunset Monty
The ‘Sunset Montipora’ or ‘Sunset Monty’ is one of the most
brilliantly colored Montipora corals that we have maintained in
captivity. The base pigmentation on the surface of the coral is
a brilliant fluorescent orange. The coral has very large polyps for
a Montipora and they are a brilliant fluorescent green. The two
distinct colors give this coral a spectacular color pattern (see
image 2a). We are referring to this coral as a Montipora, but we
have not done an accurate species examination and the coral
has some very unique characteristics. When the coral is stressed
from fragmentation or transportation, it can retract living tissue
deep into its calcified skeleton. If extremely stressed, the coral
can actually appear to be dead. The basic form of the corallite’s
structure is also rather distinct and is only visible when the coral
is stressed and tissue is retracted (see image 2b). The corallites
have a funnel shape to them similar to the corallites found within
the Montipora venosa. When the coral is completely healthy with
tissue expanded and polyps extended, the corallite structure
cannot be seen (see image 2c).
Hugo Zuniga acquired the original imported Sunset Monty colony
in a reef store in Fountain Valley, California. A section of the original
coral colony was purchased by three collectors (Hugo Zuniga,
Steve Tyree and Frank Burr) and this section itself was divided into
three parts. The Sunset Monty has been distributed on a limited
basis and has a strong demand. Reef aquarists and collectors
should be aware that there are corals that are similar to the
original Sunset that do not develop its spectacular pigmentation
or intensity. An orange Montipora efflorescens has been imported
for years from the Solomon Islands, but that coral’s polyps are
smaller and do not develop the intense green pigment levels.
There are also different morphs of the Sunset Monty species. For
example, a white polyped Sunset has also been maintained in
captivity (see image 2d). Collectors and aquarists should exercise
caution when purchasing a “true” Sunset Monty. By making your
purchases from reputable coral farmers, and asking for images
of the actual coral fragment before it is shipped, you can avoid
getting Sunset-like corals.
 2a: Tiny Sunset Montipora fragment close-up image taken by Steve Tyree.
The brilliant orange base color as well as the brilliant green polyp color are very
apparent within this close-up image. This image represents the true spectacular
pigmentation that can develop within the original Sunset Montipora coral. The
coral in this particular image was being maintained under a 14,000 K Hamilton
Tech 400 Watt Halide.
2b: Original imported Sunset Montipora colony image taken by Steve Tyree.
The funnel-shaped corallites are plainly visible within this image. On the extreme
right edge of the coral there is a severely stressed region where the tissue has
significantly pulled back into its skeleton structure. When this happens to a small
fragment the coral can appear to be dead for a day or two. Complete recovery
and expansion of the tissue will often occur.
2c: Completely healthy small Sunset Monty colony image taken by Steve
Tyree. When this coral is completely healthy and fully colored-up it can be quite
spectacular. The Sunset name was given to this coral because the orange base
color is similar to a Pacific Ocean sunset. Healthy Sunset Monty corals can
develop new encrusting growth at fast rates. The best pigmentation is developed
under moderate to strong lighting levels and metal halides are recommended.
2d: There are different color morphs of the Sunset Montipora coral species. This
image taken by Steve Tyree is of a white polyped Sunset coral where only new growth
polyps developed a white pigmentation. Old growth polyps lacked any pigmentation.
The base orange color within this particular morph was also not as intense as the true
Sunset Monty coral.
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Rainbow Monty
The Rainbow Montipora was one of the first captive Reef Building
Stony Corals that displayed the unusual ability to develop polyps
with multiple pigmentation patterns. At about the time that Matt
Juner found the Rainbow Montipora, the only other corals that
displayed multiple pigmentation patterns were a few Acropora
corals. These corals were developing green polyps in their new
growth areas that later developed into other colors as they aged.
The Rainbow Monty has the unusual ability to develop orange
and red colored polyps in new growth areas that later turn into
green colored polyps as they age (see image 2e). Polyps located
between the leading growth edge areas and the inner older
sections of the coral can develop a rainbow pigmentation pattern
that varies across the color spectrum from red to orange to yellow
to green. When first imported the coral originally had a greenish
colored base, but after one month in captivity it developed a bright
blue base coloration.
We currently believe the coral is probably a Montipora danae
species. The early first generation fragments of this coral
were very sensitive to changes in light intensities. These early
fragments would frequently bleach when transported to captive
systems with different light environments. Within the past year, we
have seen some very healthy third and fourth generation captive
fragments that are very robust. They appear to have fully adapted
to captivity. Some of these newer morphs have also adapted to
strong metal halide light intensities. These brighter light morphs
13

2e: Rainbow Montipora Seed Colony image by Steve Tyree. Note the orange
colored polyps located within the new growth areas. Older growth polyps
located within the center section of the coral have a bright green coloration.
Between these two areas there are polyps with orange and green pigments
that can develop a slightly yellowish coloration. Note the bright blue base
pigmentation.
2f: Image by Steve Tyree shows why Matt Juner called this coral the
Rainbow Montipora. This new morph of the Rainbow Montipora has fully
adapted to brighter metal halide light and the polyps’ pigments have intensified
into a multiple rainbow of coloration. Some of the polyps located within areas
between the green and red polyps clearly have red tentacles with green
centers.
It’s going to be a hot summer.
SeachillAD_final.indd 1
14 Enter the Blue Life sponsored photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
have developed orange and red polyp pigments within larger areas
of the coral colony (see image 2f). The newer, more colorful morphs
can handle light intensity changes better and have developed
some fast growth rates. We are currently seeing this newer morph
become more widely distributed throughout the captive market.
True Undata
Another one of the Amazing Montipora species is the Montipora
undata coral. This coral occurs in many different growth forms
that range from horizontal and vertical plates to thick columns and
branches. The surface of the coral contains tuberculae (bumps)
that can fuse together into longer smooth ridges. One of the most
incredible looking growth morphs of M. undata has a smooth
surface that contains scattered fused smooth ridges over its
surface. Captive coral farmers call a specific morph of that growth
form the “True Montipora undata” or True Undata. The True Undata
also has bright whitish colored polyps that are very distinct (see
image 2g). The color of these polyps can vary from bright white to
greenish white. Growth edges and fused ridges of the True Undata
develop solid purple and blue pigmentation. When very healthy
and maintained under bright metal halides, the base of this coral
can develop purple and blue pigments across its entire surface.
The coral also develops a weak green fluorescence within its lower
light sections.
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The original True Undata was exported from Indonesia and
imported by Eddie Hanson who owned a retail reef shop located
within the San Francisco Bay Area. That particular morph now has
the ability to develop very strong purple and blue pigmentation
across the coral’s surface when exposed to strong light levels.
Captive grown fragments from the original True Undata have
been distributed on a limited basis since the summer of 2004.
We have just recently begun to see cultured Montipora undata
corals imported into the US from an Indonesian coral farm. These
newly imported cultured corals appear to be very similar to the
True Undata. We have not, as of yet, seen these corals develop
purple and blue pigments over their entire surface. These new
True Undata corals appear to develop a primarily purple colored
pigmentation across a majority of their surface area. The original
True Undata is able to develop some intense pigmentation patterns
(see image 2h). It is possible that corals maintained within captive
systems for long periods are able to better adapt to the artificial light
sources. This adaptation might include enhanced pigmentation
capabilities. We have seen that type of morphing occur within
the Rainbow Monty. It is theoretically possible that pigmentation
enhancement could occur as recently imported second and third
generations of True Undata are maintained for a longer period in
captive systems. As of right now, the original True Undata appears
to have the ability to develop a stronger coverage of purple and
blue pigments, while the newly imported True Undata corals can
develop purple pigments across a majority of their surface. We will
report any observed changes in future sections of the Awesome
Stony Coral Series.

2g: The distinctive polyps of the True Undata can clearly be seen in this image
by Steve Tyree. This particular fragment is from a second-generation imported
True Undata morph. Note how the coral has developed purple pigmentation
over a majority of its surface area. It is possible that these second and third
generation imported True Undata corals might develop the more intense purple
and blue pigmentation over time.

2h: This True Undata captive grown coral has developed some incredible
pigmentation. The purple and blue pigments have developed on every area of
the coral that is exposed to intense light levels. That pattern can clearly be seen
in the green spots that occur around the corallite centers. These spots have
developed because the coral actually shaded these areas when it extended its
polyps during the daylight photoperiod. Image taken by Steve Tyree.

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CLOWN FISH
The Clowns Have Eggs!
by Robin Bittner
Hey, What’s That?!?
For many aquarium enthusiasts, the true holy grail of the hobby
is to create an artificial environment that closely duplicates the
best features of nature. While in the eyes of some hobbyists this
includes neon gravel and sunken pirate’s chests with glow-in-the-
dark skeletons, there has been increased movement in recent
years towards creating aquatic dioramas with rocks, plants, and
invertebrates that come from a specific area of the world or section
of the reef. However, once an aquarist recreates a portion of a
deep water Caribbean reef wall or an Indonesian tide pool, the
question still remains – how truly “real” is the aquarist’s creation?
Fortunately, the answer is readily provided by the animals residing
in these underwater artistic creations.
Probably the most exciting event for anyone who keeps living
creatures – be they fish, dogs, horses or earthworms – is the arrival
of a bunch of “little ones”. Not only is this tremendously exciting
since the new arrivals generally are really, really cute, but the event
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photo by Khem
signifies that the parents are so happy in their captive artificial
world that they have decided to make more of themselves. For
those hobbyists trying to recreate a little slice of the wild ocean,
there is nothing quite as rewarding as finding hundreds of tiny fry
in the tank after the lights go out in the evening, or seeing a pair of
fish vigorously defending a nest against their tank mates. Usually
these discoveries are made by chance (and often by someone
other than the hobbyist), so the big event usually proves to be
quite an exciting time.
My Fish Had Babies...
What do I do Now?
As the arrival of a nest or fry is usually unexpected, the hobbyist
is often ill-prepared to take care of the fry. This often results in
great sadness on the part of the hobbyist, for while it is hard to
lose an adult tank resident, it is absolutely excruciating to let
several hundred cute babies expire. On any given day a quick
scan through the species specific forums on various aquarium
websites will usually contain a posting or two entitled “HELP!!! My
Fish Had Babies, What Can I Do?”. While there is not much that
can be done in the case of pelagic spawners (angelfish, butterflies,
anthia, etc.), the good news is that clownfish are one of the easiest
marine fish to raise and there is plenty of help available.
The first thing the aspiring breeder should do is take a step back
and conduct a bit of background research on the adventure that
they are about to embark upon. While in some cases this may
be a bit painful since this means sacrificing the current batch of
fry, it may be possible to put together a suitable hatching and
grow-out setup if the happy clownfish pair have recently put down
a new nest. With a nesting period of 8-10 days and a typical
nesting cycle of two weeks, it is quite reasonable to assume that
a simple system can be setup and early stage foods purchased
online before the fry’s hatch date. This also gives the new breeder
a chance to purchase various reading materials on breeding,
conduct online research, and speak with fellow hobbyists while
assembling a new set of tanks and exclaiming, “But I can’t just let
the babies die!”
Not Quite As Simple As Guppies
In Mason Jars
For clownfish, the size and sophistication of the hatching and
grow-out system really depends upon the amount of time and
money that the hobbyist intends to invest. In the vast majority of
cases where the hobbyist is simply interested in trying to raise a
batch or two of fish for fun and the sense of accomplishment, the
overall system can be quite simple. However, baby clowns can
be highly addictive, and when the hobbyist sells their first batch
there usually is a renewed enthusiasm to return home and setup
more tanks! For this reason it is important to think about the
following questions when contemplating your setup:
• What are my goals in breeding?
• How much time can I dedicate?
• How much money am I willing to invest?
• What will I do with the babies if I’m successful?
Assuming that you’ve discovered a nest of clown eggs and want
to take the conservative approach to breeding and raising the
fry, then your effort could be quite simple. In fact, even if you
have a couple of old 10 gallon tanks with silicone sealed cracks
sitting in your garage, you could be well on your way to being a
bona fide breeder! Many, if not most, successful breeders started
with old, worn equipment and then re-invested the proceeds from
their sales back into new and improved equipment. Using this
approach over time, you can fund your expansion into bigger and
better equipment without adding a lot of extra money from your
own pocket.
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A Basic Hatching & Grow-out
System For Under $150
Any grow-out system must be able to care for the babies from
the time they hatch to when they are ready to go to market (a
minimum period of 4-6 months for most clownfish). Since many
of the commonly available clowns (Ocellaris, Tomato, Clarkii,
and Maroons) can put down nests of a few hundred to several
thousand eggs twice per month, the number of nests that can be
collected will depend upon the size of the nest and the amount of
space that you have available for grow-out.
Taking the simplest and least expensive approach when a nest is
taken out every six weeks, the basic grow-out system must have
a few tanks in which to grow-out the baby clownfish to market
size, and a place to grow the food needed for the earliest stages
of fry. Under such an approach, your list of needed equipment
would be as follows:
• 1–10 gallon hatching tank with darkened sides, heater,
light aeration, and overhead light for hatching nests and
growing out fry to the post-metamorphosis stage
• 3–10 gallon bare grow-out tanks with heaters, sponge
filters, and lights for various sizes of larger fry
• 2–5 gallon buckets with light aeration to maintain rotifer
cultures
• Air pump to aerate the tanks and buckets
• GFI protected electrical supply and moisture resistant
power strips
• Ready supply of aged salt water for daily water changes
in the hatching and grow-out tanks
• Level, clear, and readily accessible location to place the
tanks and supplies
• Bare floors and plenty of towels to clean up all the drips
from frequent water changes!
The above materials can be purchased for a surprisingly low
sum. Many local fish stores (LFS) will sell bare 10 gallon tanks
for $10-$15, while an economical heater can be purchased for
around $15-$20. A simple air pump and sponge filters can be
purchased from your LFS, while an outdoor power strip and a
basic 48” shop light to light all the tanks can be purchased quite
cheaply from a local hardware store.
Once all the equipment is purchased, set up, and tested, the
hobbyist can sit back and let the clownfish parents take care of
the process until the eggs are ready to hatch. This is an excellent
time to catch up on your research and also to prepare yourself
for the flurry of activity that will follow the hatching of the babies.
In the next installment of this series, we will talk about how to
recognize when the babies are ready to hatch, methods for
collecting the newly hatched fry, and how to care for them during
their early days. Until then, get those tanks ready and catch up
on your reading!
Rotifer Cultures
17
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1 2

3 4 5 6

7 Down Across
8
2. device that bubbles waste to top 1. animals lacking backbones/spinal columns
3. red starfish 5. often a one bar clown
9 10 11 4. aka Turkey Fish and Dragon Fish 7. some pulse, some do not
5. cover coral 8. purple hairy and bullseye are types of these
6. origin of the Kaelini rock 9. tank for breeding algae and tiny inverts
12 13 11. RHM photo contest sponsor 10. sun coral
14 15 16 12. fake sandbed is called 14. common carbonate mineral for sandbeds
13. largest of wild clams 18. glass anemone
15. Ron Johncola named a coral this 20. Sarcophyton trocheliophorum
17 18 19 16. rare black fish with "sparkles" on it 21. hero montipora
17. cone shaped snail 22. nitrite becomes
19. neurotoxin in zoanthids 23. # of weeks for clown nesting cycle
20 24. euphyllia divisa
21

22

23

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