Fish Spotlight:
Seahorses
They are the most recognizable fish in the world, captivating
all who view them. Seahorses belong to the genus Hippocampus. They vary in size from dwarf
adults measuring 0.5 inch to larger species reaching 12 inches. If you are interested in
keeping seahorses, design the aquarium for them. Create a habitat tank that mimics their
natural environment. Seahorses have the ability to change their color and texture to mimic
their surroundings. Encourage this with colorful liverock, sponges, seafans and algae.
As for foods, seahorses are very efficient hunters. Feed them
live brine and feeder shrimp, they can (and should) be trained to eat frozen mysis shrimp
as well. Give seahorses plenty of open areas, include some branching rock and algae for
them to hang on. Good news as well... Males and females will breed readily in the aquarium
too!
Peppermint Shrimp
These shrimp are part of the cleaner family. They average two
inches in length with red thin stripes from head to tail on a clear body. There are two
species available Lysmata wurdemanni, the Caribbean peppermint shrimp and Lysmata
californica from the west coast of North America. Both are available seasonally with most
caught in traps as a by-product of the food crab industry. However, tank raised
peppermints are now entering the hobby as well. Both species of peppermint shrimp eat
those pesky Aiptasia sp. anemones. Making them extremely popular with the reef aquarist.
They tend hide during the daylight hours... in fact most hobbyist don't see them or the
Aiptasia either!
AquaTouch News:
News of the Month
A couple of items we are extremely excited about... We have
Tank Raised Seahorses from Hawaii. We have been working to get them in for several months.
We highly recommend that you choose captive raised seahorses as the wild supplies are very
limited.
Other great news... we have found a new source for Gamma
Frozen Foods. We apologize to everyone for the inconvenience of having limited stock in
the past. Those days are over!
Another great product to hit our shelves is the new Hang-on
Turbofloater. This skimmer will give those without a sump a chance to hang on an efficient
unit.
Also we have the new Rio1100 & 1400 powerheads, creating
good water movement from a compact size.
Q: I live in Arizona... a heater is not really necessary... is it?
A: Yes, absolutely! They are needed to insure environmental stability. The animals we
keep in our aquariums are primarily wild caught. They are accustom to temperatures that
remain stable. Generally speaking the oceans are very consistent when it comes to
temperature. However it does fluctuate, but typically this is seasonal. Although our fish
and invertebrates can adapt to temperature changes in our aquariums. They have a difficult
time adjusting to daily temperature swings, even a few degrees adds stress. Many people
rely on the room temperature to maintain their aquarium reading. That's good in theory,
however equipment like lights, pumps and powerheads can generate heat making it increasing
difficult to cool the tank. Worse yet many hobbyist unplug or remove their heaters during
summer months.
Remember that a heater only operates when the water temperature drops below the
thermostat setting. A properly adjusted heater insures the minimum temperature remains
close to the maximum (two degree swing is recommended). As fall season approaches, people
are caught off guard when the night-time temperature drops. Quickly stressing the fish,
causing an outbreak of parasites and other ailments. To avoid this, place an appropriately
sized heater in an area with good water flow and where invertebrates, like anemones will
not attach to it. Allow the heater to acclimate to the water temperature before plugging
it in. Use an accurate thermometer to regulate the heater setting. Do not rely on the
heater dial for proper temperature setting. Be sure to use a fully submersible heater and
have a drip loop in the electrical cord.
