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AQUATECH

A publication of AquaTouch containing Tips & Techniques for being a successful Marine Aquarist...

AquaTips:

	The monsoon season in Arizona has just arrived! You should anticipate power outages, have at least one battery powered air pump for each of your tanks. These inexpensive pumps can provide the dissolved oxygen needed for your animals & bacteria. Make sure you have fresh batteries too!
	If you are using a protein skimmer that has wooden airstones... try soaking the new stones before putting them in the skimmer. Fill a ziploc bag with saltwater, add stones, remove any air from bag, soak for up to 24 hours. This gives the wood a chance to swell, improving it’s performance.
	When adding macroalgae to your tank, acclimate just as you would for fish. The cell walls of algae are delicate and can rupture if not acclimated to your water conditions.

Fish Spotlight:

"Tiny" Clown Trigger

The Balistoides conspicillum or Clown Trigger, is a popular addition for the marine swim tank. It comes to us from the Indian and Pacific oceans. As with all triggers, most Clowns' posses a moderate to highly aggressive nature. Best purchased small, the "tiny" Clown will adapt well to a varied community of fishes that it can grow up with. These fish include Tangs, Angels, Puffers, Eels, Groupers and others triggers to name a few. The season for "tiny" Clown triggers available in the trade usually occurs from April to June. Their black, yellow and orange colors coupled with its detailed markings continues to make this fish highly desired. Just remember that triggers are carnivorous, so feed them a meaty diet consisting of squid, krill, silversides and chopped shrimp.

Invert Spotlight:

Royal Urchin

This unusual sea urchin (Mespilia globulus) is well suited for the reef aquarium. It is herbivorous, feeding on microalgae twenty-four hours a day! The Royal Urchin is imported from the island of Vanuatu in the Coral Sea. Unlike most of the sea urchins that we are familiar with, this species has the interesting habit of decorating itself with small pieces of shells, macroalgae, and even living coral like zoanthid polyps. The most distinguishing feature of this animal is its dark, majestic blue bands which run longitudinally over its body. Within these bands no spines or tubular feet are present. The coloration coupled with its habit of adorning itself, gives it its common name “Royal”. .

AquaTouch News:

Customer Service

The term "Customer Service" means a lot to us at AquaTouch. Our goal is to make you a better hobbyist. This however takes time... every hobbyist has a different circumstance. So please be patient while waiting your turn. Also we ask that you do not bring food or drinks; wear a shirt & shoes; please no packages, bags or baskets; and no pets or cameras. We also require Adult supervision. Please keep close tabs on your children. Do not allow them to scare fish or move around unattended. The fish are sensitive and products break! Please help us with these issues. In doing so, it will help AquaTouch provides you quicker Customer Service.... Thank you!

Question of the Month:

Q: What do I do with my tank during a power outage?

A: If you have a sump, make sure it does not overflow . You can check this in advance. Unplug all pumps, make sure all shut-off & check valves are working correctly. After the water finishes flowing, check that the sump level is at least one inch from the top. Turn the pumps back on, make sure all equipment is operating correctly. Now mark the water level on your sump (while tank is running). This is the maximum running water level. You should never overfill this mark. So if there is a power failure... and all plumbing is operating correctly, you will not end up with water on the floor.

Everyone's concern needs to be the amount of O2 (oxygen) in the water. With no water motion, CO2 (carbon dioxide) builds up quickly and O2 cannot enter. To prevent your fish from slowly suffocating, keep fresh batteries and a battery powered air pump on hand. Placing an air stone in the tank creates water motion which allows CO2 to escape and O2 to enter. Next concern... your biological filter. With liverock in the tank the bacteria are safe. However, if it is in a remote location, like wet-dry bio-media, do not let them dry out. You can avoid this by occasionally pouring system water over them. For other filters, make an attempt to get some water movement through it either with a battery operated air pump or by occasionally exchanging some water.

If a generator is available, use it to run the pumps. Be sure to follow all safety precautions. Make sure to run the generator in a well ventilated area away from your tank. The main thing is to plan now. This will keep your animals alive and healthy through a power outage.

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