FOXTEL AWARDS LOCAL LOGANHOLME BUSINESS WITH $10,000 BUSINESS COACHING PACKAGE

QLD company, Aqua Blue Distribution, named the first Australian business to be awarded the Foxtel Business Grant Award.

10 April 2013 – Foxtel has today announced that local aquarium, aquaculture and reptile supplies wholesale company, Aqua Blue Distribution, will be awarded the inaugural Foxtel Business Grant. The prize consists of tailored business coaching from Switzer Group valued at over $10,000.

Husband and wife team, Tim Jacobson and Robin Brown, started Aqua Blue Distribution in 2002 and have since steadily grown their business year on year. Tim and Robin import quality products from all over the world, and also manufacture in Australia where possible. They proudly represent some of the world’s most innovative and premium brands, and back this up with exceptional customer service.

As the Managing Director of Aqua Blue Distribution, Tim said “This award has come at an ideal time for us – both Robin and I are thrilled to have won. We’re so excited to start the coaching; having a customised, one-on-one session with an expert is absolutely invaluable for a small to medium business like ours”.

Tim said they will use the coaching session to find new ways to actively grow their expanding business in a sustainable way, and to simply gain some insights into more efficient business practices.

Marco Miranda, Sales Director at Foxtel said “Foxtel is delighted to provide Aqua Blue Distribution with the very first Foxtel Business Grant Award. Tim and Robin are very deserving winners and Foxtel is proud to provide them with the opportunity to grow their business and improve their trading practices”.

About the Business Grants Promotion

Foxtel for Business, in collaboration with the Switzer Group, will provide four $10,000 business coaching packages to Australian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) quarterly in 2013.

Foxtel for Business understands the challenges facing Australian SMEs and so has created the Foxtel Business Grant Award in a bid to further support these organisations and provide the opportunity for selected businesses to develop and grow their practice.

Foxtel for Business is passionate about providing simple and cost-effective business solutions, through tailored entertainment packages and is one of the most efficient ways to create atmosphere, keep staff motivated, attract new customers and keep them coming back.

Foxtel also has the unique ability to tap into talent and expertise not only in the business space, but across a range of industries through their entertainment network, which means they can deliver better experiences for their customers.

For more information about the Foxtel Business Grant Awards or to apply in the next draw, visit myfoxtelenews.foxtel.com.au/business/grants/. The current round runs from 18 March – 3 May 2013.

Endangered Species Listings Could End Trade in Stony Corals
URGENT Call for Concerned Aquarists to Write Objections

Will U.S. Fish & Wildlife inspectors be able to ID incoming stony corals?
Photo Credit: Scott W. Michael/Aquarium Corals (Unidentified Acropora, Indonesia.)

PIJAC, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, issued a call to action on April 3rd, 2013, for everyone involved in the aquarium industry and hobby to submit public commentary in response to the NOAA Proposal to list 66 CORAL Species on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as we first reported late November, 2012.

You have less than 48 hours remaining to submit your public comment (electronic submissions are closed after 11:59 PM EDT, April 5th, 2013). Mail submissions must be postmarked April 6th.

Public commentary is a fundamental core part of the ESA listing process, so don’t think what you say won’t make a difference – it certainly could.

We are providing expanded commentary on the NOAA ESA Coral Petition issue in another article today; if you’re unfamiliar we encourage you to become invested in the implications this proposal has for you as an aquarist.

For those already familiar with the issue and simply looking for instructions, you can view the full PIJAC press release with instructions.  We’ve also excerpted a portion here.

Recommended Action:

PIJAC urges people involved with the ornamental marine trade and hobby to not only submit their personal comments, but also forward this PetAlert to others involved with marine organisms, marine products, and marine retailers. COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY APRIL 6, 2013. See below for instructions on how and where to submit your comments.

Comments should include a brief description of your involvement with coral activities. Your comments should be in your own words – do not simply copy the talking points.

Comments should be addressed to:

Regulatory Branch Chief
Protected Resources Division
National Marine Fisheries Service
Pacific Islands Regional Office
1601 Kapiolani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
Attn: 82 Coral Species Proposed Listing

Or

Assistant Regional Administrator,
Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service,
Southeast Regional Office,
263 13th Avenue South,
Saint Petersburg, FL 33701,
Attn: 82 coral species proposed listing

Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments NO LATER THAN APRIL 5 via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, first click the “submit a comment” icon, then enter NOAA-NMFS-2010-0036 in the keyword search. Locate the document you wish to comment on from the resulting list and click on the “Submit a Comment” icon on the right of that line. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. E-submissions must be filed by 11:59 pm EDT on April 5 when the system shuts down. If you encounter problems filing electronically FAX and mail a copy.

Mail: Submit written comments to Regulatory Branch Chief, Protected Resources Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814; or Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701, Attn: 82 coral species proposed listing. Must be postmarked no later than April 6 and to be safe send April 5.

Fax: 808-973-2941; Attn: Protected Resources Regulatory Branch Chief; or 727-824-5309; Attn: Protected Resources Assistant Regional Administrator.
Postal or Fax Submissions: If responding by mail, make sure the envelope is postmarked/date stamped on or before April 6. PIJAC recommends that you also FAX a copy to NMFS.

For any questions about this proposal and responding to it, contact PIJAC at info@pijac.org or Marshall Meyers at marshall@pijac.org.

Download or view the full PIJAC release

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COMMENTARY:
What’s Being Proposed and What’s An Aquarist to Do?

Acropora verweyi, one of 66 stony coral species proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Opinion By Matt Pedersen,
Aquaculturist & CORAL Magazine Senior Editor
EXCERPT

“Don’t overlook the at-home implications of an ESA listing.  Being listed as an endangered species under the ESA makes it illegal to own or propagate the species under the “Take Prohibition”—”Endangered species, their parts, or any products made from them may not be imported, exported, possessed, or sold” according to the Earth Justice Citizen’s Guide to the ESA.

“It is unclear that there would be any legal way to provide exceptions or grandfather in past legal ownership or propagation.  Could your next “20,000 Leagues Lokani” frag be your last, or worse, do you have to grind your entire Candy Cane Coral colony into a pulp or risk jail time or fines for owning it, despite having purchased it legally years prior?

“Should these listings go into effect, will the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have a “Reefer’s Amnesty Day” where we can all turn in our then contraband livestock?

“Pragmatically, the aquarium-industry implications of this proposal are such that we could quite literally all return to keeping fish-only marine aquariums.  That is, we’ll be fine with fish until we have to deal with any successful efforts by the Center for Biological Diversity to list Amphiprion percula as an endangered species under the ESA (at which point am I required by law to flush the 200 baby Percula Clownfish I spawned and reared in my basement or risk civil and criminal penalties for owning a newly-dubbed “endangered species”?).”  Read the full commentary…

CITES Moves to Protect Sharks & Rays

26 Mar, 2013

Manta Ray, Manta birostris, now protected by CITES Listing. Photo Credit: Guy Stevens

BANGKOK   Five species of oceanic sharks along with two species of manta rays will now be subject to international trade regulation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, a move that some shark advocates hope could save these threatened species from total collapse.

The required two-thirds of the 177 CITES member governments voted to protect these animals, the Oceanic Whitetip and Porbeagle Sharks, three species of hammerhead sharks, and two species of manta rays‚ marking an increase in the number of sharks protected by CITES from three to eight species. The Freshwater Sawfish, Pristis microdon, or “Sawtooth Shark,” is actually the member of a small family of rays and is found in fresh water and brackish waters in the Indo-Pacific and Australia.

The presence of healthy shark populations has been found to be a key bioindicator of the health reef ecosystems, including corals, herbivorous fishes, and food webs.

Scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) are listed as globally Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Photo Credit: Shawn Heinrichs for the Pew Environment Group

CITES has been the subject of intense criticism for its unwillingness to protect other large oceanic species, such as the Bluefin Tuna, that are heavily exploited for food fisheries.

“Today was the most significant day for the ocean in the 40-year history of CITES,” said Susan Lieberman, director of international environment policy at The Pew Charitable Trusts who have expended vigorous efforts to establish protections for these species.

“This is a major win for some of the world’s most-threatened shark species, with action now required to control the international trade in their fins. This victory indicates that the global community will collaborate to address the plight of some of the most highly vulnerable sharks and manta ray species.”

Scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) are listed as globally Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Photo Credit: Shawn Heinrichs for the Pew Environment Group

Lieberman added that the gridlock created by those who oppose such controls has been broken. Sharks are primarily traded to Asia for use in shark fin soup. Manta rays are caught and killed for their gill rakers‚ the part used to filter their food from the water, to make a purported Asian health tonic.

“The tide is now turning for shark conservation‚ with governments listening to the science and acting in the interest of species conservation and sustainability,” said Elizabeth Wilson, manager of Pew’s global shark conservation campaign. “With these new protections, Oceanic Whitetip, Porbeagle, and Hammerhead sharks will have the chance to recover and once again fulfill their role as top predators in the marine ecosystem.”

Oceanic Whitetip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus). Photo Credit: Jim Abernathy

Pew added that this commitment by the global community to shark conservation needs to be fully implemented and enforced, and it should be coupled with national and regional efforts to ensure a sustainable future for these and other top oceanic predators, all of which are critical for the health of the wider marine ecosystem.

Fisheries biologist Dr. Daniel Pauly and others have documented the fact that an estimated 90 percent of the world’s large marine predatory species (sharks, tuna, swordfish) have been depleted, and fishing efforts are being focused on ever-smaller forage fishes, such as herring, anchovies, and sardines.

“We are eating bait and moving on to jellyfish and plankton,” says Pauly, of the Fisheries Centre at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Largetooth or Freshwater Sawfish (Pristis microdon), Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main. Image: EvaK/Wiki

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 143 shark species are threatened with extinction, but few management measures exist to protect them.

SOURCES

Many of these fins come from pelagic shark species. According to the IUCN, over 50 percent of pelagic sharks are Threatened or Near Threatened with extinction. Photo: Shawn Heinrichs for the Pew Environment Group

From materials released March 12, 2013 by the Pew Charitable Trusts Environmental Initiatives.

A Mexican Crayfish for Nano Aquariums

15 Mar, 2013

Male Dwarf Orange Crayfish, Cambarellus patzcuarensis “Orange,” an ideal invertebrate for a nano freshwater aquarium.

Lobster-like Mexican Native with Good Manners for a Nano Aquarium

By Rachel O’Leary

Excerpt from AMAZONAS Magazine, May/June 2013

The Dwarf Orange Crayfish, Cambarellus patzcuarensis “Orange,” is a petite and colorful crustacean that is not as well known to freshwater aquarists as it should be, but that makes a sassy and active addition to a nano aquarium. While some crayfish and “mini lobsters” can be destructive, this species has proved safe with plants, fishes, and other invertebrates.

In its wild form, it originates in Lake Patzcuaro, about 38 miles southwest of Morelia in Central Mexico. It is thought that the first orange offspring originated from a pair of hobbyists from the Netherlands in the late 1990s. They started becoming available in the United States several years later, and are casually referred to as the CPO. ‘Cambarellus” is a diminutive species, reaching around 1.25” (3 cm) at the largest, and averaging about 1” (2.5 cm).

Dwarf Orange Crayfish in palm of the author’s hand.

Its native water is relatively cool, averaging about 72 degrees, and is moderately hard. These crayfish do not require a heater, but because of their stature, any intake on a power filter should be covered with a prefilter sponge. CPO have an average lifespan of two years, with warmer temperatures accelerating their growth and breeding. Adult crayfish molt about twice a year, and young crayfish generally will molt every 3-4 weeks, until they hit maturity, at about .7”.

They are fairly easy to breed, the male pinning the female to the substrate and then placing his sperm packets near her seminal receptacle. In a matter of days to weeks, she will molt and then produce from 20 to 50 eggs, which she attaches to her pleopod and covers with a protective mucus. The female carries the babies, even after hatching, until they are ready to venture out on their own. The adults do not predate on healthy young, so the survival rate is high.

Ventral side of male showing sex organs.

Ventral side of female showing detail of her seminal receptacle.

Feeding is very straightforward, with the crayfish readily taking most prepared or gelatinized foods. Specialized feeding is not required for the young, though as with all invertebrates, they are sensitive to water quality so care should be taken to not overfeed. They do well with a varied diet with both meaty (live or frozen worms and pellets designed for bottom feeders) and herbivorous foods (vegetables or algae-based foods), and appreciate having leaf litter for grazing. To keep colors bright, include occasional feedings of color-enhancing foods containing natural carotenoid pigments such as the astaxanthene found in Cyclop-Eeze.

“Berried” female carrying ripening eggs under her abdomen. Note developing dark eyespots.

While peaceful to other inhabitants, these crayfish can threaten each other especially after molting, so ample hiding places or cover should be provided utilizing plants, small stacked driftwood, or caves of clay or PVC. A pair can easily live in a five gallon (20-L) tank, or can be part of a larger, peaceful community of small fish and invertebrates.

About the Author

Rachel O’Leary lives in York, Pennsylvania and operates Invertebrates by Msjinkzd, specializing in hard-to-find nano invertebrates, fishes, and plants.

AGA Aquascape Winners 2012

15 Feb, 2013

CRIMSON TIDE: A 48-gallon (182-L) tank created by Sim Kian Hong. (Detail. Full aquascape shown below.)

Amazing Underwater Gardens
By Karen Randall

Excerpt from AMAZONAS Magazine, March/April 2013

The Aquatic Gardeners Association Aquascaping Contest is the world’s oldest contest of its kind. This was our 13th year, and I have been privileged to judge both this contest and the Aqua Design Amano IAPLC from the inception. Over the last 13 years we have seen a tremendous growth of interest in aquatic gardening both in the U.S. and worldwide. One of the nice things about our AGA contest is that anyone can go onto our website, www.aquatic-gardeners.org, and see every tank ever entered, including all the details on the tanks and the judges’ comments.

In the United States we come from a long, organized hobby tradition of fish keepers/breeders. It is often easier to teach a new hobbyist how to set up and manage a planted aquarium than it is to “unteach” much of what experienced fishkeepers take as gospel. (Fishrooms run on powerful air compressors just don’t work for planted aquaria!) In North America, most of us live in areas with ready access to the outdoors—yards and gardens to feed our “natural souls.” In many Asian cities, however, most people live in small apartments with no outdoor space.

I suspect it is very tempting to have a little slice of nature in the apartment.

As to why we don’t see more North American winners in the major aquascaping contests, I think fewer Americans and Canadians are willing to constantly ’scape, tear down, and re-scape a tank just for the sake of entering contests. Personally, I value long-term aquascapes that are beautiful for a number of years. But these tanks with longevity are not the ones that typically garner the highest honors in aquascaping contests. Remember, also, how many tanks are entered in these contests. A tank can be very, very good and still not win a prize. Many of these tanks would be astoundingly beautiful if seen by themselves in the owners’ homes. I regularly remind people: Aquascape for yourself. You are the person who needs to live with the tank!

I am very excited about the growth of interest and knowledge I see in the world of aquatic gardening. It is easier than ever to get the equipment and plants you need and the information to do it right. There is help in stores, books, on the Internet, and from members of local aquarium clubs. There are also small, local aquatic gardening clubs springing up everywhere. So if you don’t belong to one yet, find one and join it—and enter an aquascaping contest!
—Karen Randall

©2012 Zhang Jian Feng

“Rainforest”

Larry Lampert Most Innovative Award / Aquatic Garden, 200–320-L category

Zhang Jian Feng
Macau, China

Aquascape Details:
Tank Size: 120 x 50 x 50 cm (47 x 20 x 20 in)
Volume: 210 L (56 gallons)
Lighting: 4 40-W
Plants: Riccardia chamaedryfolia, Marsilea quadrifolia Linn., Myriophyllum mattogrossense

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: I absolutely love this tank…There’s nothing else to say!
Kris Weinhold: Incredible scene—a perfect picture out of the rainforest. You’ve taken the treescape, upped the ante, and produced a forestscape. Well done!
Bailin Shaw: Very well-made trees incorporated into an aquascape that has depth and balance. The river running through the aquascape is very nicely defined and the hatchetfish are an excellent choice for this aquascape—they appear to fly in the tank! Good job!

Click for additional views of “Rainforest” on the 2012 AGA Contest website.

©2012 Hong Te Syu

“SPRING”

Aquatic Garden, Under 28-L category

Hong Te Syu
Ji’an Township, Hualien County
Taiwan, R.O.C.

Aquascape Details:
Tank Size: 36 x 22 x 26 cm (14 x 8.7 x 10 in)
Volume: 20 L (5 gallons)
Plants: Eleocharis sp., Hemianthus callitrichoides, Java Moss, Taxiphyllum barbieri. Treetops: unidentified, but possibly Christmas Moss, Vesicularia montagnei or the very similar Triangle Moss.

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: I can’t quite decide whether I like this tank or not. I am thinking it must be
a maintenance nightmare with all those vertically placed sticks!
Kris Weinhold: Very serene forestscape, particularly given that this is just a 5-gallon aquarium. The mossy treetops might be slightly too thick, but overall it’s very nicely executed.
Luis Navarro: Congratulations, your layout is great.
Bailin Shaw: Stunning tank with excellent use of rocks, roots, and plants to create depth.
The stick that lies across the middle of the tank is not needed and detracts from the
overall effect. Very well done!

Click for additional views of “Spring” on the 2012 AGA Contenst Website

©2012 Prociuk Mikola

“On the Edge of the World”

Aquatic Garden, 60–120-L category

Prociuk Mikola
Kalush Iwano-Frankiwsk, Ukraine
Website: Aquafanat, www.aquafanat.com.ua/forum/index.php

Aquascape Details:
Tank Size: 60 x 40 x 30 cm (24 x 16 x 12 in)
Volume: 72 L (19 gallons)
Background: White film
Lighting: SunSun HDD600
Filtration: SunSun HBL-701 II
Plants: Aegagropila linnaei, Eleocharis “parvula”
Fishes/animals: Hemigrammus rhodostomus, Neocaridina sp. “Red Cherry”
Decorative materials: Substrate Hagen 1–2 mm and mountain stone

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: The rockwork is very nice. While the Aegagropila is interesting, there is SO much of it that it makes things look rather flat. I’d like to see a LITTLE more variety in the plants.
Kris Weinhold: Very creative use of algal Aegragopila in an aquascape.
Bailin Shaw: The arrangement of your hardscape is expertly done and the use of the Aegagrophila is a great choice to soften the lines. Very nice!

Click for additional views of “On the Edge of the World” on the 2012 AGA Contest website.

©2012 Sim Kian Hong

“Crimson Tide”

Aquatic Garden120–200-L category

Sim Kian Hong
Senai Johor, Malaysia
Website: Little Green Corner, www.littlegreencorner.com

Aquascape Details:
Tank Size: 90 x 45 x 45 cm (35 x 18 x 18 in)
Volume: 182 L (48 gallons)
Background: Black cardboard, paper
Lighting: 6 T5HO 36-W, 10 hours per day
Filtration: Eheim 2217
Supplementation: EI with KNO3, Iron and Trace elements, twice a week with every water change.
Plants: Eleocharis acicularis, Eleocharis sp., Glossostigma elatinoides, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Ludwigia arcuata, Rotala sp. Goais, Taxiphyllum sp.
Fishes/animals: 50 Hyphessobrycon amandae, Caridina japonica, Otocinclus affinis
Decorative materials: ADA Amazonia 1 Aqua Soil, Seiryu stone

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: I love the contrast of color and texture in this tank. Even the fishes are perfectly chosen. Nice job!
Kris Weinhold: While the Ludwigia arcuata is striking, it may overpower the rockwork surrounding it. The rock is nicely placed and the plants are perfectly manicured.
Bailin Shaw: Absolutely LOVE this tank and its use of the Ludwigia and Rotala to provide color and contrast to the rest of the aquascape. Your use of the Seiryu stones is expertly done! Great tank!

Click for additional views of “Crimson Tide” on the 2012 AGA Contest website.

©2012 Piotr Dymowski

“The Virgin Stream”

Aquatic Garden, Over 320-L category

Piotr Dymowski
Warsaw
Mazowieckie, Poland
Website: Design EliteAquarium, http://eliteaquarium.pl

Aquascape Details:
Tank Size: 120 x 60 x 50 cm (47 x 24 x 20 in)
Volume: 360 L (95 gallons)
Background: White wall
Lighting: 6 54-W T5s
Filtration: Eheim Filters
Fertilizers/supplements: Ferka Balance K, Ferka Balance N, Ferka Aquatilizer, Ferka Aquashade, Ferka Rosetta, Ferka Stemma, Ferka Aquabase
Plants: Anubias, Hydrocotyle sp. “Japan,” Rotala rotundifolia, Microsorum pteropus narrow, Taiwan Moss

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: There is a lot to like about this tank…the roots, the rockwork, and most of the planting. I just can’t get past the bunches of moss on the tops of those heavy branches, though.
Kris Weinhold: The peaks in this aquascape are quite intriguing and immediately draw the eye. You’ve done a masterful job of trimming the Rotala and keeping the Hydrocotyle from taking over. Well done!
Luis Navarro: The way you blend the driftwood in with the rocks in this layout is really good; the use of moss is also remarkable. I really enjoy how balanced the whole layout is, from the plants to the fish. I get what you tried to accomplish here. Keep up the good work. Congratulations.

Click for additional views of “The Virgin Stream” on the 2012 AGA Contest website.

©2012 Luidi Rafael de Souza Doim

“Butterfly Life”

Paludarium category

Luidi Rafael de Souza Doim
Ponta Grossa
Paraná, Brasil

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: Beautiful tank with good use of both hardscape and plants. I love that you’ve chosen the Tiger Barbs; these “common” fish are often overlooked by experienced aquarists, but they are just beautiful animals!
Kris Weinhold: Excellent wood work, and the moss growing on it looks fantastic!

Click for additional views of “Butterfly Life” on the 2012 AGA Contest website.

©2012 Lee Nuttall

“Lake Petén Shallows”

Biotope Aquascape category

Lee Nuttall
Wolverhampton
West Midlands,
United Kingdom
Website: The Central Scene, http://centralscenemagazine.blogspot.co.uk

Aquascape Details:
Tank Size: 244 x 120 x 60 cm (96 x 47 x 24 in)
Volume: 1,474 L (390 gallons)
Background: Modified Back-to-Nature
Lighting: 2 T8 freshwater lamps
Filtration: Biological filtration behind the background, powered by 2 maxijet pumps rated 1,700 LPH and 2,300 LPH
Plants: Ceratophyllum sp. Hornwort
Fishes: 5 Vieja melanura
Decorative materials: Large river stones and cobbles, sand with fine gravel mix, beech tree branches

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: Not only is your tank faithful to the biotope, but it is a beautiful home for your spectacular fish as well. Great job!
Phil Edwards: You’ve created a lovely home for your large cichlids that makes me think of the rocky littoral zones of many lakes I’ve visited. The judicious use of Hornwort is well done. In this case less is definitely more. It adds a realistic touch of vegetation without overpowering the rocky theme.

Click for additional views of “Lake Petén Shallows” on the 2012 AGA Contest website.

©2012 Leandro Artioli

“Unknown Way”

Best of Show / Aquatic Garden, 28–60-L category

Leandro Artioli
São Paulo, Brasil
Website: Aquabase, www.aquabase.com.br/2008

Aquascape Details:
Tank Size: 60 x 30 x 30 cm (24 x 12 x 12 in)
Volume: 54 L (14 gallons)
Background: None
Lighting: 6 T5 14-W fluorescent bulbs (84 W total)
Filtration: 2 Eheim canister 2213
Supplements: Full set ADA liquid fertilizer and substrate system
Plants: Fissiden fontanus, Nambei Moss, Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides (maritima), Rotala indica, R. sp “Nanjenshan,” R. rotundifolia, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Micranthemum glomeratus, Riccia fluitans, Anubia barteri “nana petite,” Limnophila “Vietnam,” Echinodorus tenellus “blood”
Fishes/animals: 20 Paracheirodon simulans
Decorative materials: Driftwood and rocks

Judges’ Comments:
Karen Randall: The rich tapestry you have created in this small tank is stunning. Fabulous job!
Kris Weinhold: Very nice ’scape! The Rotala rotundifolia is beautiful and adds just the right amount of color to the green mosses and delicate stems. The hardscape isn’t overpowering, but sticks out of the plants just enough to add intrigue. Very nicely done!
Bailin Shaw: Gorgeous tank and beautiful use of different species of Rotala. The hardscaping adds to this impressive tank. Well done!

In Search of the Blue-Eyed Pleco

06 Mar, 2013

Blue-eyed Pleco, Panaque cochliodon, from Colombia’s Río Magdalena, near Cambao.

It was April 2011, and it had been over 20 years since my last visit to the Magdalena Valley in Colombia. This time, my objective was to discover why the export of the legendary Blue-Eyed Pleco, Panaque cochliodon, from this region came to a standstill in the mid-1990s. What could have caused this sudden change?

Text & images by Heiko Bleher
Excerpt from AMAZONAS, May/June 2013

For many years the Blue-Eyed Pleco, Panaque cochliodon, was sold incorrectly as Panaque suttoniin the aquarium hobby, and even called by this name in the scientific literature. The type locality of P. cochliodon is the Río Cauca in Colombia. Another species that purportedly has blue eyes isPanaque suttunorum from the Río Negro, Maracaibo basin in Venezuela. P. suttunorum has not so far turned up in the aquarium trade, while the opposite is true of P. cochliodon. I first imported both sexes of this fish with the intense blue eyes as long ago as the late 1960s. These catfishes were not very popular initially, but from the mid-1970s to around the mid-1990s it was virtually impossible to get enough of them to meet demand.

The high losses among imports were attributable to the difficulty of transporting the specimens, which were usually large. There were virtually no specimens smaller than 6 inches (15 cm) total length caught, let alone shipped from Bogota, Colombia, the only export location.

I traveled on several occasions to the collecting area. Every time this involved a hellish journey down to the middle of the Magdalena drainage along one of the most winding and dangerous roads in South America.

Colombia’s Río Magdalena flows through a gigantic valley.

The majority of Blue-Eyed Plecos were collected from Honda and Cambao. Drivers transported the fishes from the Magdalena Valley, just a few hundred meters above sea level, to an altitude of almost 9,843 feet (3,000 m) in Bogota. I repeatedly tried to educate the collectors and drivers and asked them to be careful, but this didn’t help much—most of the numerous exporters in Colombia shipped these beautiful fishes far too tightly packed and often still chilled.

You should know that an eternal spring, so to speak, rules in Bogota, and it is much too cold for all tropical fishes. The water temperature in the holding tanks of many exporters weren’t adequately monitored, and the fishes, usually packed in simple cardboard boxes or just lying in the vehicle in plastic bags, were subjected to continually decreasing temperatures throughout the long journey up through the mountains. There was no question of quarantine in the randomly heated aquariums in Bogota, let alone the prophylactic treatment that might have increased the fishes’ chances of survival. Normally they were packed and exported right away.

Travels in the Magdalena Valley

In Bogota I was greeted enthusiastically by my good friend Pedro Zea at Eldorado Airport, which has remained unchanged during the more than 40 years I have known it. Now, it is slated to be demolished. Pedro runs what is hands-down the best export station in Colombia, which he established almost four decades ago near the town of Villavicencio in the warm Amazon basin. All of his fishes are acclimated for a month there before being shipped out.

Pedro had reserved a car for me, and his brother-in-law, Antonio Salamanca Barrera, was to be my companion. Every week for 15 years, Antonio transported 500–600 Blue-Eyed Plecos from the Magdalena Valley to Bogota for Orinoco Aquarium, but that ended in the mid-1990s. Antonio and Pedro, and most other exporters and importers, were convinced that the Blue-Eyed Pleco had died out due to environmental destruction, so they were naturally very surprised that I had come to Colombia to look for it.

The road was as full of bends as ever and though it was somewhat improved, there was a corresponding increase in truck traffic. Many hours later we reached La Vega at an altitude of around 3,600 feet (1,100 m), a once-tiny village that has now grown into a veritable town. We then descended to 2,297 feet (700 m) and then climbed again to 5,249 feet (1,600 m), and it was evening before Honda, down in the Magdalena Valley, came into view. This town, too, has grown; it has now expanded to both sides of the eternally murky Magdalena, and the two parts are connected by an iron bridge. The old town has been very beautifully renovated, and we stayed in a nice little hotel there.

We caught Hypostomus hondae in the Río Magdalena near Cambao.

Poison

I wanted to seek out Antonio’s fisherman contact right away the next morning. We made our way through narrow alleys, inquired all over the place, and eventually found his house a long way outside of town. I don’t think he recognized me any more, but he knew Antonio, who had regularly purchased his fishes for 15 years. When I asked him about cuchas de ojo azul, he looked at me and said only that it would be easier to win the lottery than to find a cucha—there were none left and he had long since given up looking for them, since the “American millionaire had poisoned everything.”

When I heard that, I was more than a little surprised, because even Antonio knew nothing about it. The fisherman told us that a little over 12 years ago, an American was there visiting with his daughter. She was stung by a freshwater ray while swimming and fell into a coma. Her father thought he was going to lose his only child, and wanted to avenge her. He had experts develop a poison that would sink immediately in the water and kill the bottom-dwelling fishes—that is, the rays he hated. Tons of it were tipped into the upper course of the Magdalena and killed thousands of stingrays, as well as everything else that lived on the bottom, including the Blue-Eyed Plecos and seven or eight other loricariid species.

Local fishermen kept trying to catch cuchas de ojos azul for around two years, but without success. They gave up trying. In Cambao, further up the Magdalena, another fisherman, Jawel Gomes Perrera, and three others told me the same thing. The American had put the poison in therepresa of the Lago Prado and the Magdalena had been full of dead fishes for weeks.

A lighter variant

We spent two days in Cambao with Jawel, who nowadays catches only food fishes such asPseudoplatystoma, Ageneiosus, Pimelodus, Hypostomus, Cyphocharax, and a Leporinus species. Nevertheless, he was prepared to accompany me in my search for cuchas de ojos azul. But we couldn’t find any Blue-Eyed Pleco. We didn’t find anything in the Rio Seco, either.

This Isorineloricaria species, very likely undescribed, was a spectacular catch. This monotypic genus had been known only from the west Andine rivers of Ecuador.

The story of the Blue-Eyed Pleco is really tragic, and once again demonstrates what Homo sapiensis prepared to do to destroy aquatic fauna. I also made searches in the upper Río Magdalena in the Departamento del Huila, but without success. However, I did find a population of the Blue-Eyed Pleco, albeit a lighter variant, in the Río Cauca in the vicinity of Tamalameque, before it empties into the Río Magdalena. This variant looks very similar to another blue-eyed species, Cochliodonsoniae (L 137), which I found in the middle Tapajós many years ago.

This form doesn’t have such a black body coloration as the form that formerly lived in the Magdalena. When I showed the owner of Stingray Aquarium my lighter-colored Blue-Eyed Plecos, he told me that the lighter form had also been brought back from the region of San Martin de Loba by his collectors.

Adult Panaque cochliodon from San Martin de Loba.

A few specimens of this lighter variant from Colombia have been offered for sale—at $250 U.S. each from Bogota—a serious price for serious catfish breeders only. The average aquarist will have to wait and hope.

Subscribe to AMAZONAS and read this article in its full printed form with additional images.

References

Burgess, W. 1989. An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes. TFH Publications, Neptune City, NJ.

Ferraris Jr., C. 1991. Catfish in the Aquarium. Tetra Press, Morris Plains, NJ

Stony Coral Fluorescence as a Measure of Health

13 Mar, 2013

Branching Acropora displays vivid green fluorescing proteins when conditions are ideal. Loss of intensity can predict bleaching or growth retardation. Wild colony, Bali.

A new study by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego scientists has revealed that fluorescence, the dazzling but poorly understood glow produced by many corals, can be an effective tool for gauging their health. The researchers suggest that measuring the intensity of fluorescence in stony corals could be a non-invasive test to be used when assessing the effects of weather events that stress corals.

As described in the March 12 edition of Scientific Reports (a publication of the Nature Publishing Group), marine biologists Melissa Roth and Dimitri Deheyn describe groundbreaking research using fluorescence to test coral stress prompted from cold and heat exposure.

In experimental studies conducted at Scripps, Roth and Deheyn tested the common Indo-Pacific reef-building branching coral Acropora yongei, known in the aquarium trade as the Bali Green Slimer, under various temperatures. Test groups were subjected to 5-degree C water temperature changes (both warmer and cooler) conditions.

Representative Acropora yongei samples from different treatments and time points during temperature change experiment. Each sample includes an image under white light (left panel) and blue light (excitation 470 ± 40 nm and longpass emission filter ≥500 nm; right panel); the same coral sample from each treatment is shown through time. Scale bar represents 2 mm. Photo credit: Dimitri Deheyn and Peter Kragh.

Branching corals are susceptible to temperature stress and often one of the first to show signs of distress on a reef. Roth and Deheyn found, at the induction of both cold and heat stress, corals rapidly display a decline in fluorescence levels. If the corals are able to adapt to the new conditions, such as to the cold settings in the experiment, then the fluorescence returns to normal levels upon acclimation. While the corals recovered from cold stress, the heat-treated corals eventually bleached and remained so until the conclusion of the experiment.

Coral bleaching, the loss of microscopic symbiotic zooxanthellae that are critical for coral survival, is a primary threat to coral reefs and has been increasing in severity and scale due to climate change. In this study, the very onset of bleaching caused fluorescence to spike to levels that remained high until the end of the experiment. The researchers noted that the initial spike was caused by the loss of “shading” from the symbiotic algae.

Reef-building corals create an oasis of life and diversity in a sparse ocean. Because branching Acropora corals such as those pictured here in the Central Pacific are in peril from climate change, the whole ecosystem is in danger of collapse. (Credit: Melissa Roth)

Branching and table-top corals of the genus Acropora dominate coral reef ecosystems such as those pictured here from the Indo-Pacific. Branching corals are amongst the most sensitive to temperature change and often the first to bleach under stress. Photo credit: Melissa Roth “This is the first study to quantify fluorescence before, during, and after stress,” said Deheyn.“Through these results we have demonstrated that changes in coral fluorescence can be a good proxy for coral health.”

Deheyn said the new method improves upon current technologies for testing coral health, which include conducting molecular analyses in which coral must be collected from their habitat, as opposed to fluorescence that can be tested non-invasively directly in the field. Corals are known to produce fluorescence through green fluorescent proteins (GFPs), but little is known about the emitted light’s function or purpose.

Branching and table-top corals of the genus Acropora dominate coral reef ecosystems such as those pictured here from the Indo-Pacific. Branching corals are amongst the most sensitive to temperature change and often the first to bleach under stress. Photo credit: Melissa Roth

Scientists believe fluorescence could offer protection from damaging sunlight or be used as a biochemical defense generated during times of stress. “This study is novel because it follows the dynamics of both fluorescent protein levels and coral fluorescence during temperature stress, and shows how coral fluorescence can be utilized as an early indicator of coral stress” said Roth, a Scripps alumna who is now a postdoctoral scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley.

The National Science Foundation (NSF), an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research’s Natural Materials, Systems and Extremophiles program supported the research. Birch Aquarium at Scripps provided the corals and technical support for the experiments.

ABSTRACT

Widespread temperature stress has caused catastrophic coral bleaching events that have been devastating for coral reefs. Here, we evaluate whether coral fluorescence could be utilized as a noninvasive assessment for coral health. We conducted cold and heat stress treatments on the branching coral Acropora yongei, and found that green fluorescent protein (GFP) concentration and fluorescence decreased with declining coral health, prior to initiation of bleaching. Ultimately, cold-treated corals acclimated and GFP concentration and fluorescence recovered. In contrast, heat-treated corals eventually bleached but showed strong fluorescence despite reduced GFP concentration, likely resulting from the large reduction in shading from decreased dinoflagellate density. Consequently, GFP concentration and fluorescence showed distinct correlations in non-bleached and bleached corals. Green fluorescence was positively correlated with dinoflagellate photobiology, but its closest correlation was with coral growth suggesting that green fluorescence could be used as a physiological proxy for health in some corals.

Journal Reference

Melissa S. Roth, Dimitri D. Deheyn. Effects of cold stress and heat stress on coral fluorescence in reef-building corals. Scientific Reports, 2013; 3 DOI: 10.1038/srep01421

Crested Oyster Goby – A Breeder *Almost* Overlooked

26 Feb, 2013

Crested Oyster Goby – Cryptocentriodes gobiodes – male above, female below – image courtesy Matthew L. Wittenrich / Rising Tide Conservation

We can add another species to our ongoing captive-bred marine aquarium fish list this week with the announcement of successful captive breeding of the Crested Oyster Goby,Cryptocentroides gobiodes.  At first glance, it’s safe to say most aquarists are going to credit Rising Tide with claiming another “species first”.  However, Rising Tide’s story is much more complicated, since Dr. Matthew L. Wittenrich and the rest of his team at the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory were actually working with “F1″ broodstock.  More explicitly, the broodstock used was itself captive-bred.

According to Wittenrich, it turns out that Amy Drehmel, an aquarist based in South Carolina, obtained broodstock in 2010 and by 2011, had quietly succeeded in being the first to rear this attractive goby species, unknown pretty much to everyone outside of a very small circle.  Of course, in attempting to double check that fact, we couldn’t find any information published by Drehmel beyond a short note about her obtaining the species.  So while Wittenrich et. al. have done a good job of citing Drehmel’s prior work and building upon it, we wonder if Drehmel’s success will be truly recognized by the aquarium hobby at large.  More to the point, if the Rising Tide team had omitted this information, it’s fair to say that the world would automatically presume that they were the first to spawn and rear this species, not Drehmel.

Crested Oyster Goby, from egg to juvenile – image courtesy Matthew L. Wittenrich

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In the past few years, I have repeatedly encountered aquarists who have accomplished amazing things, yet no one knows about them.  Sometimes, this lack of notoriety and due respect is even annoying to said aquarist, particularly when some other aquarist later succeeds in a similar project and receives the accolades and attention of the community.  Of course, I often find that such accomplished aquarists failed to do one thing; they failed to document and share their discoveries and findings with the world!

Some might ask why “credit” matters.  It matters when you realize that for most innovative aquarists, “credit”, and the recognition and respect that comes with being the first to accomplish something, is often the only external motivator and reward provided freely by our collective community.  Case in point, it is not Amy Drehmel who has leveraged her discoveries into a commercial offering of the species, rather it is FishEye Aquaculture (who announced the commercial availability of the species today).

Certainly, I assume Drehmel was ecstatic about her accomplishment, being the first to breed a species (having done so myself, it was the culmination of a boyhood dream to innovate, and immensely satisfying).  Imagine how it would feel if someone else had come along in 2012 and claimed to have been the first to breed the species.  Frame this with the added reality that since this hypothetical “second” success would’ve been the first publication of the accomplishment, the collective world would have accepted this other aquarist as the pioneer, not Drehmel.

When it comes to being recognized for innovation, I’d encourage aquarists to be proud of their achievements and not keep them quite.  After all, the entire aquarium hobby and industry thrives, and grows exponentially, when information is shared and collaboration is fostered.  A story like this potentially points dozens of hobbyist marine breeders in a new breeding direction, searching out other attractive species of Cryptocentroides gobies as breeding project candidates, while a formerly rare species may now become more available (and presumably affordable) as a direct result of this breeding success.  None of that would have happened without Drehmel sharing her success with Rising Tide, who then repeated the success and has finally broadcast it to the masses.

Meanwhile, there are stories just like Drehmel’s that to date have failed to make it to the public’s attention (insert personal nudge at new-father and talented fish breeder friend Mike Hoang).  Some stories are currently being worked on as future articles for CORAL, but other successes may be destined to remain unknown, or in obscurity, due to a lack of time or interest on the part of an innovator to make the story come to life.  Sadly, I can’t write the story for these aquarists; it is their story to tell!

I believe CORAL Magazine plays a critical role in bringing innovation to a greater audience, especially given our roles as curators of information, weeding through the clutter of the internet.  In my role as a Sr. Editor, it’s my job to help innovative aquarists like Drehmel, or you, tell the story. I realize that the thought of drafting an article is often intimidating, but I promise to do my best to make you look good!  The recognition and seeing your name in print is certainly worth it.  That said, we do pay our authors too, so there’s even a financial incentive to telling your story.  Perhaps most importantly, by publishing your discoveries, you are helping the next aquarist succeed just as you currently stand on the shoulders of all the aquarist who came before you.  Yes, you are giving back to the community.

It’s safe to say that Amy Drehmel’s name will live on in association with the story of the captive-bred Crested Oyster Goby, but it’s also safe to say that it might not have happened that way. “Credit where credit is due” sometimes means making sure you claim the credit that’s rightfully yours!

CORAL loves stories of innovation and chasing the frontiers in the marine aquarium hobby; please don’t hesitate to contact us with your successes.  A word of advice for future innovators, start taking tons of high-resolution photos and good notes now; while they don’t seem important at the start of a project, they will be by the end!  We’d love to hear about your latest innovation – tell us about it!

Congratulations to Amy Drehmel, Rising Tide, and FishEye Aquaculture for sharing a wonderful story about how a fish went from unknown to the latest commercially-available captive-bred marine fish species.  We applaud these ongoing efforts, and keep an eye on a future issue of CORAL for more on this project.