Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

Tank of the Month Contest Reminder

Reminder: don't forget to submit your aquarium for the Captive Aquatics blog Tank of the Month Contest! 

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Q&A: A Troph Kiku with a tumor!

Q: Hi there!

I bought a colony of Kiku from a friend of mine who is still holding the last female in his hospital tank.  I noticed in your title that you're a marine biologist. I am hoping you might have come across this before and potentially know what to do.

This fish has now had this problem for about 8 months and is still eat/fighting with the neighbor in the tank etc.. wants to play etc. I want to take her home and re-introduce her to the colony, and the fish that has been in the hospital tank with her has not gotten anything from her. We have tried almost every medication you can think of, but I am looking for any insight and potentially know a way to diagnose the problem so we at least know what the problem is so we know either what to do with the fish or if we can safely return it back to the colony. Potential surgery?
Hope to hear from you.

Thanks
Jesper

A: Hello Jesper!

From what I have seen in your pictures and what you have explained (it grew in a few weeks, she behaves normally, the growth is hard, and that she eats and poops normally) I would agree it is a tumor.  Since she is happy and showing normal behavior you can easily introduce her back into the colony.  The only thing about the tumor is that you could  do is give her surgery, but since she is a small fish, she would probably not make it.  So, just make sure she is having a happy life and that is about all you can do for her.

Thanks for the question!
Merritt Adkins

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Four ways to get a cheap tank!

Got the aquarium bug?  Have to urge to keep fish?  Then don't run to the nearest pet store and spend over $200 on new equipment, find a deal instead!  Here is a list of 4 different ways to find the perfect aquarium for your house and wallet.

1.  Join a Forum:  Forums are great places to meet people whom love keeping aquariums and people who are constantly trying to get rid of old aquariums.  You can easily find a slightly used aquarium of any shape or size that will cost you less than what you would pay if you bought it from the store.  I personally have found aquariums greater than 400 gallons selling for less than $800 that include stands, canopies and equipment!

2.  Search "Mom & Pop" Pet Stores:  The "Mom & Pop" pet store is always trying to make a deal.  You can easily find aquariums that have small leaks, scratches or just need some TLC that you can easily (and cheaply) provide.

3.  Garage Sales:  Everyone at some point in time had a ten gallon tank and want to get rid of it now.  Many people list aquariums in garage sales that are dirt cheap and usually have only been used once.  With this deal you can easily obtain everything for your aquarium (pumps, fish food, filtration, lights).

4.  Craigslist:  Aquariums are always on craigslist, from $10 to $2000, you can find your perfect aquarium.  The only draw back is usually the distance the aquarium is from you (Houston is huge!) and that costs gas and time.  If you have an extra three or four hours you can spare to pick up an aquarium, go for it!

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How to Care for Carpet Anemones

 Stichodactyla spp anemones, otherwise known as carpet anemones, are fascinating creatures, and are highly sought after by hobbyists but have very specific care requirements.  Carpet anemones are very challenging to maintain in the home aquarium, and few hobbyists are able to attain long term success.  After caring for my own carpet anemones for the last few years, I’d like to offer my insight into these fascinating and beautiful anemones, and try to point out why aquarists so often fail to maintain these animals in the long (and short) term, and better prepare you for success.

Product Review: Red Sea Berlin X2 Turbo Skimmer

Welcome to aquarium product reviews at the Captive Aquatics blog, your source for accurate aquarium product reviews, and more! 

We begin May's protein skimmer roundup with a classic protein skimmer line that has been serving the hobby well for nearly two decades.  Red Sea was kind enough to donate their latest skimmer for review, and now it's time to see if the Berlin X2 Turbo maintains the same standard of quality and versatility that the Berlin series of skimmers is known for! 

 

Photo of the Week - 5/4

The Drowned Cayes, Belize.  Click the picture for a full-sized version! 

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The Saltwater Newbie - The Unexpected

When you own a fish and have no real knowledge about them, anything they do can seem fantastic or out-of-the-ordinary. For example, when your Snowflake Eel ends up in the partitioned-off section of your tank that houses your pump; (Built in sump - Editor) it lends itself to a question: How the hell did you do that?

Enter the Tank of the Month Contest!

It's a new month, and time for May's Tank of the Month contest, here at the Captive Aquatics blog!   for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Reefcleaners!  Enter the Captive Aquatics Tank of the Month contest to show off your aquarium to the world!

Captive Aquatics Blog: May Features

The Captive Aquatics blog is bringing a lot of neat features to you during the month of May!

The Protein Skimmer Roundup begins!  We review and compare four protein skimmers from the top manufacturers (Red Sea, Aqua Euro, Hydor, and Marineland).  A skimmer review being posted every Tuesday for the month of May! 

Nature Aquariums!  Merritt Adkins will be showcasing a step-by-step guide to building your own Nature Aquarium starting next week!  She will be covering everything from the proper sediment to use to optimum lighting for plant growth!

Aquarium Questions & Answers

Protein skimmer effectiveness varies, and depends a great deal upon the salinity of the water that's being 'skimmed'

Daniel P. asks the following questions:

"Should I have a protein skimmer for a 150g brackish tank at a specific gravity of 1.010, or a 46g brackish at 1.006?  Would it be helpful for a 150g freshwater tank or a 250g freshwater tank?"

Protein skimmers are widely believed to only function in saltwater, but this isn't the case.  Brackish water and freshwater aquariums can make use of protein skimmers, albeit less effectively than saltwater aquariums.

To answer your questions, a protein skimmer is advised to a brackish aquariums if you have a large bio-load in the aquarium, and/or have problems maintaining adequate water quality.  I would not recommend purchasing a protein skimmer for a 150 gallon freshwater, and only very hesitantly for a 250 freshwater.  The vast majority of freshwater aquariums are not going to benefit from the addition of a protein skimmer!

If you missed them earlier, here are 3 reasons you need a protein skimmer!

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