Fish Spotlight:
Grey Poma Angelfish
The angelfish family is well know to hobbyists. One
particular species can often be overlooked however. The Chaetodontoplus melanosoma often
goes by the name Grey Poma or Black Velvet Angel. It will grow to a moderate size of seven
inches in length. It’s distinguished black body gives way to a pale grey facial color
with yellow margins on the tail, caudal and anal fins. The females maintain a solid yellow
tail.
This mild tempered animal gets along well with other
semi-passive fishes including some angelfish. Provide this fish with plenty of swim space.
Unlike its cousins it does not prefer to have rocky hiding places. When choosing a Grey
Poma, its body weight and consumption of prepared foods are most important. Be sure the
animal eats both dry and frozen foods.
Colored Sponges 
Sponges belong to the phylum Porifera and encompass about
20,000 species. Only less than ten percent have been described. Today collecting and
shipping techniques have improved allowing healthy specimens to be made available. They
act as natural filters, removing water born bacteria, zooplankton and dissolved organics
as food.
Place them shaded from direct light, on the liverock, out of
the sand or substrate. They have an amazing ability to move water through their pores, so
water flow is not important in most cases. Choose sponges that don’t have damaged
areas and when possible attached to rubble. Feed weekly with foods 50 micron or less in
size. Sponges are poorly understood by most hobbyists, give them a try!
AquaTouch News:
Store & Web Update
We are approaching our busy season and would like to inform
our customers that we are diligently working to prepare for the holidays. Our last
livestock system is starting to come together... about 1/3 of the tanks now have animals
and we hope to have it completed before December is over. This is going to give you even
more choices for your tanks. These tanks will be setup for the lower-light loving animals
such as sponges, zoanthids, mushrooms, crabs, shrimp, octopus, etc. Come check them out!
We have also revamped & updated our Website at
www.aquatouch.com you will definitely want to check it out for all the current stuff. This
includes all back issues of this newsletter, internet specials, etc. Let us know what you
think of our "new look". We hope to get a chance to see you and your family
through the holidays!
Q: Which kind of aquarium should I choose? Glass or acrylic?
A: This is ultimately a question of personal preference but we can point out some
pluses and minuses. You should then choose which is best for your situation. Acrylic tanks
have two primary attributes; First is the clarity which is best noticed when no lights are
on over the tank. Second are the rounded front corners on tanks 100 gallons or less.
Acrylic offers more unusual shapes and sizes than glass tanks. Although some shapes are
not the best choice for marine use due to limited surface space, etc... Cost is always an
issue too! Acrylic generally is twice as expensive. It is lighter in weight, has smaller
openings on top which can limit decoration and rock sizes. Acrylic as well is an
insulator, this can make it difficult to keep running cool in the summer.
Tanks fabricated from glass do not scratch as easily as acrylic, both inside and out.
Glass maintains rigidity, acrylic can bow out along the vertical panes as it is a softer
material. This allows acrylic to handle shock better, so if the tank is near a billiard
table or small children are around, it may be your best choice. Cleaning is another issue;
on acrylic exterior, no ammonia based cleaners can be used as they can cloud the material
or create "crazing" (which looks like fine stress cracks). Interior cleaning;
for glass the removal of encrusting green algae or coralines is best accomplished with a
new razor blade. Much more care must be taken with acrylic, specialized plastic scrappers
or credit cards are often used. Ultimately for the long-term marine reef tank, glass is
your best choice. In a species or marine fish tank it becomes a matter of personal
preference. Both styles are always available through AquaTouch.
