This unedited article first appeared in Aquarium USA 1994.
7) The Addition of Corals and Fish
At this point you can begin to add corals. A tank filled with soft
corals is probably amongst the easiest to keep for a beginner. What
usually happens, however, is that the beginner falls victim to impulse
buying and ends up buying every stony coral in sight. Try to avoid this
impulse and do not be swayed by a retailer who carries mainly stony
corals. Hard corals should be among the last additions to your tank,
if at all. What follows is a brief listing of soft corals that would
make good first additions.
Mushroom Anemones (Family Actinodisciidae)
Various species are available in a variety of colours and forms. Some
forms do well in lower light areas of the tank (i.e. brown varieties)
while others require more light (blue varieties). In general, they
require gentle current flows, not strong and do not need to be fed.
Keep them away from stony corals as they tend to damage them quite
easily. See Delbeek (1987) for more detailed information on keeping
mushroom anemones.
Star Polyps (Family Clavulariidae)
These soft corals come in a variety of colours ranging from brown to
iridescent green. They do well in medium to strong light and if given
a strong current, will rapidly spread over rocks and glass. No feeding
is required. These corals can be easily propagated by cutting off
small pieces and placing them in other areas of the tank. If you have
no substrate try placing some sections of star polyp on the bottom of
the tank. They should spread out over the glass making a nice "lawn"
of soft coral.
Leather Corals
There are many different species of corals that fall under the
category of "Leather" corals. Most belong to the genera
Sarcophyton, Lobophytum and Sinularia. Generally
speaking they do well in moderate to strong lighting, and require a
good current with frequent strong bursts. No feeding is required. Be
careful when placing them in the tank as some varieties can sting
other corals badly. These corals can be easily propagated by cutting
off small sections with sharp scissors and fastening the cuttings to a
rock with thread or elastics.
Colt Corals (CladiellaD> spp.)
These soft corals include the common Colt Coral as well as a number
of other varieties. They do quite well in medium to strong lighting
with a moderate current. No feeding required. Can be propagated by
gradual pinching off of branch tips.
Other Soft Corals
There are a variety of other soft corals, most of which are very easy
to keep such as zoanthids (Button Polyps), which come in numerous
colours and shapes. They form colonies on live rock and spread as an
encrusting growth. They require moderate to strong light and some
genera such as Palythoa spp. will feed. Another common soft
coral is Anthelia spp. These have large polyps with long stalks
(6 inches). They grow as an encrusting mat and require moderate to
strong lighting and moderate current. Closely related to
Anthelia is the genus Xenia<D>. There are many species of
Xenia available some which rhythmically pulsate their polyps.
Xenia tend to be rather delicate and are not recommended for
the beginner. Sometimes seen for sale is Clavulariaspp.,
commonly called Glove Polyps. These are large polyps some iridescent
green in colour, that have a feathery appearance to them. They require
a moderate, to and fro current and do not need to be fed.
Photosynthetic Gorgonians
The majority of Caribbean gorgonians are photosynthetic and are
therefore easy to keep without direct feeding unlike their Pacific
cousins that are not photosynthetic. Most have brown, blue or purple
stems, some are yellow, and all have brown polyps. The thicker
branched varieties are the easiest to keep. Some forms will grow very
quickly (inches per month) while others grow more slowly. They can be
easily propagated through cuttings and can be given supplementary
feedings with live baby brine or adult brine shrimp. I have also fed
them successfully with live black worms. Not all species will feed and
it is not mandatory to feed photosynthetic gorgonians. Specimens
belonging to the genera Pseudoplexaura, Pterogorgia,
Pseudopterogorgia, Eunicea and Muricea are all
easily maintained. Gorgonians require moderate current with the
occasional strong burst and medium to strong lighting. Many
photosynthetic gorgonians are sensitive to ultraviolet light. If your
specimens do not open after a period of time try placing a piece of
U.V. absorbing material under your light source such as glass or
Plexiglas; the recovery is often dramatic. If there are bare portions
of the skeleton showing, these can regrow very quickly provided the
specimen is healthy and no microalgae is growing on it. Sometimes
there are numerous bare spots, especially at the tips, when a specimen
first arrives from the collector. If you take a pair of scissors and
cut these bare areas off, as close to the living tissue as possible,
the ends will quickly (within a day) seal over and no algae can invade
the colony.
Stony Corals
If, after 6-12 months, your tank is doing well and you have no
microalgae problems then you can try some stony (hard) corals.
However, I hesitate to recommend them to beginners and you can have a
very nice and interesting tank without them. If you can concentrate on
soft corals you should have a very stable tank that will grow quite
nicely. Eventually you can propagate many of the soft corals from
cuttings and trade them for other species you may not have.
If you would like to try keeping some stony corals, the following is a
listing of the common stony corals offered for sale. First, however,
there are a few points you should make note of before you purchase a
specimen. Number one is to make sure that there are no bare areas on
the coral skeleton. These areas may recover but more often than not,
they only become substrate for microalgae. Once microalgae takes hold
you can pretty well say goodbye to that particular piece; eventually
the algae will spread and destroy the rest of the coral. It is
possible for such a piece to heal but this requires that no microalgae
be present in your tank and that none has begun to grow on the damaged
areas. Secondly, check to see that the tissue of the coral extends
well over the edges and down the sides of the skeleton. This is not
always easy to see, as the polyp(s) may be so large that they obscure
the skeleton underneath e.g. Euphyllia and Catalaphyllia
corals. Usually, if all other conditions are optimum (i.e. calcium
levels are over 420 mg/L and adequate lighting) the coral should
regrow these areas without too much difficulty. The exception is when
microalgae has impregnated the skeleton already. Ask the salesperson
to gently agitate the piece so that the polyp begins to retract, this
will give you a good view of the skeleton and the associated tissue.
The easiest to keep stony corals are Plerogyra sinuosa (Bubble
Coral), the Euphyllia spp. corals (i.e. Hammer Coral E.
ancora and Octobubble Coral, E. divisa, are the two
hardiest) and Catalaphyllia (Elegans Coral). Several of the so-
called open brain corals (Trachyphyllia) are quite hardy as are
the Turbinaria (Chalice/Plate) corals and Cynarina corals
(Meat Polyp). Most require only moderate lighting to do well, while
Turbinaria does best under stronger lighting. They will also
accept feedings of shrimp and clam but these should be kept to a
minimum (e.g. once every two weeks to a month), if at all. For stony corals
to do well you should maintain a calcium ion level of at least
420 mg/L, there should be NO microalgae present in the aquarium and a
strontium solution should be added weekly. These corals do well in
gentle to medium currents. The Euphyllia and
Catalaphyllia do enjoy the occassional strong burst of current.
Plerogyra, Euphyllia and Catalaphyllia corals are
capable of strongly stinging other corals. Make sure they are placed
far enough away from other corals such that their long "sweeper"
tentacles can not touch them (see Ates 1989, Delbeek 1990d and Paletta
1990 for detailed discussions on coral aggression).
I definitely recommend that you DO NOT PURCHASE Goniopora
(Flower Pot coral, Sunflower Coral etc.). This coral has RARELY been
kept alive for extended times ( > 18 months) in aquariums. The
only reason that stores still sell this species is because it DOES
sell. If we all stop buying them then they will not be imported and
these beautiful corals can remain in the ocean where they belong. Your
goal should be to keep stony corals for years. To simply keep replacing
corals just because they look "pretty" is not acceptable. Hobbyists
must get away from the attitude that losses are acceptable and can be
easily replaced. When it comes to marine organisms, losses are NOT
acceptable for various ethical reasons but also because these are not
domestically grown species, they are taken directly from coral reefs.
When adding stony corals to an aquarium it is often best to place them
lower in the tank. This will avoid adverse reactions to strong light.
Over a period of a few weeks you can begin to move the piece higher,
until it reaches a point where it looks the best. The same applies to
soft corals but sometimes, if you leave the piece too long in one
spot, it will begin to attach to the rock and you will have a tough
time removing it.
Fish
I feel that the longer you can hold off the addition of fish (other
than herbivores) the better the microfauna (copepods, amphipods,
mysids) in the tank will develop. What follows is a list of fish
families that do well.
Damsels
Most damsels do well in a reef tank but I tend to stay away from them
since, in my opinion, they are too aggressive and most lose their
colours as they grow. When I look at an aquarium I want to get a
feeling of peace and serenity. Watching a bunch of damsels zip around
the tank, chasing and nipping each other does not meet that goal. One
or two damsels of different species can be manageable as long as they
are varieties which stay relatively small and hold their colour into
adulthood such as Chrysiptera spp. and Chromis spp.
There are a few genera of damsels that eat only corals and these
should be avoided e.g. Paraglyphidodon spp., especially P.
melas which feeds on soft corals and is commonly seen for sale, and
Plectroglyphidodon spp. (Carlson, 1987).
Clownfish
Again, in my opinion, many clown species are not suited to reef tanks
because, if they feel at home and setup residence in an anemone, they
can become very territorial, especially if they start egglaying.
However, the Common Clown, Amphiprion ocellaris, is one of the
more docile species and does quite well. Mixing several species of
clowns in one tank often leads to territorial squabbles and should be
watched closely.
Blennies
Although there are many different species of blennies only a few of
them are commonly seen for sale. The Red Lipped Blenny
(Ophioblennius atlanticus) is often imported from the Caribbean
but I find them much too aggressive and in nature it has been shown
that they are extremely territorial too. The Bicolour blenny
(Ecsenius bicolor) is the other common blenny seen in stores.
As with most blennies, they are microalgae feeders but they are not
adverse to nipping at coral polyps and Tridacna clams. This may
be a reflection of a lack of other suitable food stuffs in the tank
but nevertheless, they will nip off polyps. There are some blennie
species (e.g. Exallias brevis) that eat ONLY hard coral polyps
and these should not be purchased by anyone.
Dottybacks
Dottybacks are quite common in retail outlets and most are suitable
for reef tanks. One per tank is the usual rule, unless you are
prepared to lose several before you get a stable population of them.
Some of them can become very aggressive as they get larger (max. 10
cm). These should be amongst the last fish added so that they will not
pick on new additions to the tank. For further information on suitable
types see Delbeek (1991) and Michael (1990a and b).
Angels and Pygmy Angels
Most pygmy angel species are suitable but there is a great deal of
individuality within a species, some may bother corals and macroalgae,
and some won't. The Coral Beauty, Centropyge bispinosus, is a
hardy and commonly available Pygmy Angel that usually does quite well
with corals.
Larger angelfishe are similar to pygmy angels in that they tend to be
individualistic. This basically means you take your coral's lives into
your own hands when you add one! I have seen Regal Angels
Pygoplites diacanthus, Blue-Faced Angels, Pomacanthus
xanthoetapon and Navarchus Angels, P. navarchus do quite
well in reef tanks but I have also heard reports of them decimating
coral populations. Large angels are best left to those with more
experience.
Gobies
Just about ALL gobies are suitable and will do very well. Particularly
desirable are the so-called Watchman Gobies belonging to the genus
Amblyeleotris spp. and Cryptocentrus spp., and the
Sleeper Gobies, Valenciennea spp. These fish will help keep
your substrate clean and will keep detritus in suspension for easy
removal by your overflow.
Butterfly Fish
The common belief is that butterfly fish cannot be put in reef tanks.
This is true for most species but there are some exceptions and both
Longnose, Forcipiger flavissimus and Copperband (Chelmon
rostratus, butterflys have been kept successfully with corals. The
only losses were with small fanworms that one usually finds growing in
perfusion in older tanks. The Banner fish, Heniochus
acuminatus, may also be suitable but they should be watched closely
(Carlson, 1987). The Pyramid Butterfly, Hemitaurichthys
polylepis, is a planktivore and can also be safely kept in reef
tanks.
Tangs and Surgeonfish
There are a wide variety of tangs and surgeonfish that can be easily
kept in reef tanks as long as they are not larger growing species.
Desirable species include any from the Zebrasoma and
Ctenochaetus genera. Those of the Acanthurus genus tend
to be more difficult to keep, grow fairly large and can be very
aggressive.
Dragonettes
The Mandarin, Psychedelic Fish and Scooter Fish are amongst the common
dragonets available. They either do very well or waste away. This
seems to be a reflection of collecting practices and lack of
nutrition. They rarely accept prepared foods and seem to do well
enough feeding on the organisms found on live rock. Purchase only
those specimens that have nice full, round bellies.
For further suitable fish types for reef tanks see Delbeek (1991) and
Debelius (1986).
Fish to Avoid
Triggerfish have no place in a reef tank because they tend to be
rather destructive. They like to rearrange and crush rocks and corals
with their teeth. Large puffers such as the Arothron genus feed
exclusively on live corals. The majority of the lionfish family grow
too large and their mouth is always hungry! Any of the coral eating
butterfly fish family are definitely no-nos such as the Raccoon
Butterfly (Chaetodon lunula). [1996: These will not
do any damage to small polyped stony corals.]
Before buying any fish check with your retailer as to their
suitability in a reef tank AND check as many reference books as you
can, find out what they say about the natural diet of the fish in
question. Finally, a good source of objective information is your
local fish club. There are many saltwater clubs in North America now
and most freshwater clubs have members who are also saltwater
hobbyists.
Sidebars
1) Cost Breakdown
Below is given a rough outline on the costs involved in setting up a
65 gallon reef system. It is very difficult to give an accurate cost
breakdown due to the wide variety of equipment and prices available.
Careful comparison shopping should lower the total.
65 Gallon Aquarium $200
Stand $100
Light System
Fluorescent $400
Metal Halide $500
Trickle FIlter $300-$400
Water Pump $200
Powerhead $30
Plumbing Materials $200
Protein Skimmer $200-$400
Live Rock $5-$8 per lb.
Salt $20
Test Kits $150
_________________________________
Total: ~$2500
2) Regular Maintenance
Daily
Although these items are listed as daily you will find that as the
tank matures you can do some of these less frequently.
1) Check that corals etc. have no become dislodged. If corals have
fallen replace immediately.
2) Check the sump level.
3) Check that skimmer is properly tuned.
4) Look for leaks in the plumbing.
5) Check the temperature.
6) Replace evaporated water with pure freshwater. This is best done
through the use of a float valve attached to a reservoir.
Weekly
1) Replace/clean the prefilter every 2-3 days.
2) If you have a freshwater reservoir refill it with kalkwasser.
3) Check specific gravity, pH, alkalinity and ammonia. As the tank
ages and you settle into a routine you will find that these
measurements can be performed less frequently. I only check S.G.,
pH, and alkalinity about once a month. I only check ammonia if the
tank does not look healthy
4) Add weekly additives such as strontium and iodide.
5) Clean viewing areas with a non-scatching pad.
6) Clean skimmer foam riser tube and collection cup (2-3 times a
week).
Monthly
1) If using wooden airstones in the skimmer, replace with new ones.
2) Siphon out detritus from bottom.
3) If you wish to do water changes, the standard 10% a month is more
than enough.
4) Measure the calcium ion level.
Yearly
1) Every 6-8 months replace fluorescent lamps, metal halides should be
replaced once a year. Do not replace all lamps at once.
2) At least twice a year dismantle, clean and lubricate if required,
all major water and air pumps. Clean all powerheads.
4) Suggested Water Chemistry Values
pH 8.2-8.4
ammonia 0.0 ppm
nitrite 0.0 ppm
nitrate < 40.0 ppm (the lower the better)
phosphate < 0.2 ppm (the lower the better)
temperature 74-78oF
specific gravity 1.022-25
alkalinity (dKH) 2.3 meq/L or 8 dKH
calcium ion 380-450 mg/L
Suggested Readings
Carlson, B.A. 1987. Aquarium systems for living corals. Int. Zoo
Yb. 26:1-9.
Debelius, H. 1986. Fishes for the Invertebrate Aquarium.
Aquarium Systems, Mentor, OH.
Fox, N. 1993. "Berlin school" aquaria. Freshwater and Marine
Aquarium 16(1):8-12,14,16.
Moe, M.A. Jr. 1989. The Marine Aquarium Reference: Systems and
Invertebrates. Greenturtle Publications, Plantation, FL.
Paletta, M. 1992. Starting a marine aquarium. SeaScope 9
Summer:1,3.
Spotte, S. 1979. Seawater Aquariums: The Captive Environment.
Wiley-Interscience, Toronto, New York.
Sprung, J. 1991. Gaining confidence about calcium. SeaScope 8
Fall:1-2.
---------- 1992a. Part I: Micro reefs. Seascope 9 Spring:1-2.
---------- 1992b. Part II: Micro reefs. Seascope 9 Summer:1-2.
---------- 1992c. Reef notes. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium
15(12):85.
---------- and J.C. Delbeek 1990. New trends in reef keeping: Is it
time for another change? Freshwater and Marine Aquarium
13(12):8-22, 180-184.
Stuber, D. 1992. Saltwater reef aquarium technique: A point of view
from Berlin. SeaScope 9 Fall:1,3-4.
Wilkens, P. 1990. Invertebrates: Stone and False Corals, Colonial
Anemones. Engelbert Pfriem Verlag, Wuppertal, Germany.
----------- and J. Birkholz 1986. Invertebrates - Tube-, Soft- and
Branching Corals. Engelbert Pfriem Verlag, Wuppertal.
References
Ates, R. 1989. Aggressive behaviour in corals. Freshwater and
Marine Aquarium 12(8):104-105,107,110,112.
Carlson, B.A. 1987. Aquarium systems for living corals. Int. Zoo
Yb. 26:1-9.
Debelius, H. 1986. Fishes for the Invertebrate Aquarium.
Aquarium Systems, Mentor, OH.
Delbeek, J.C. 1987. The care and feeding of mushroom anemones
(Corallimorpharia). Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 10(10):4-6.
------------- 1990a. Reef Aquariums Part 2: Filtration. Aquarium
Fish Magazine 2(3):28-37.
------------- 1990b. Reef Aquariums Part 3: Chemical Filtration.
Aquarium Fish Magazine 2(4):16-28.
------------- 1990c. Reef Aquariums Part 4: Lighting. Aquarium
Fish Magazine 2(5):26-37.
------------- 1990d. Reef Aquariums Part 6: Coral Aggression.
Aquarium Fish Magazine 2(7):26-32.
------------- 1991. Fishes for the Marine Invertebrate Aquarium.
Aquarium Fish Magazine 3(11):18-31.
Dyer, S. and J.C. Delbeek 1991. To skim or not to skim? That is the
question. Aquarium Fish Magazine 3(4): 32-43.
Fox, N. 1993. "Berlin school" aquaria. Freshwater and Marine
Aquarium 16(1):8-12,14,16.
Michael, S. 1990a. An aquarist's guide to Dottybacks: Part 1.
Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 13(10):8-15.
----------- 1990b. An aquarist's guide to Dottybacks: Part 2.
Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 13(11).
Moe, M.A. Jr. 1989. The Marine Aquarium Reference: Systems and
Invertebrates. Greenturtle Publications, Plantation, FL.
Paletta, M. 1990. Coral aggression in reef aquaria. SeaScope 7
(Winter):1-2.
----------- 1992. Starting a marine aquarium. SeaScope 9
Summer:1,3.
Spotte, S. 1979. Seawater Aquariums: The Captive Environment.
Wiley-Interscience, Toronto, New York.
Sprung, J. 1991. Gaining confidence about calcium. SeaScope 8
Fall:1-2.
---------- 1992a. Part I: Micro reefs. Seascope 9 Spring:1-2.
---------- 1992b. Part II: Micro reefs. Seascope 9 Summer:1-2.
---------- 1992c. Reef notes. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium
15(12):85.
---------- and J.C. Delbeek 1990. New trends in reef keeping: Is it
time for another change? Freshwater and Marine Aquarium
13(12):8-22, 180-184.
Stuber, D. 1992. Saltwater reef aquarium technique: A point of view
from Berlin. SeaScope 9 Fall:1,3-4.
Wilkens, P. 1990. Invertebrates: Stone and False Corals, Colonial
Anemones. Engelbert Pfriem Verlag, Wuppertal, Germany.
----------- and J. Birkholz 1986. Invertebrates - Tube-, Soft- and
Branching Corals. Engelbert Pfriem Verlag, Wuppertal.