Interesting Facts (3)

As you may have noticed, a special category has now been created for these types of info files. The Webmaster thought that these informational files would better fit into a category of their own, a thought that I fully agree with.

Here are some interesting facts and observations, the third part in this series which will be continued..

  • The so-called Black Coral is not black at all (Cyrrhipathes species). In fact, it comes in various colors. yellow, brown, orange, grey. Only the dead skeleton is black. It is a plankton feeder altough it may trap very very small animals as well.
  • The polyps of Alveopora remain constantly extended and open. The same is true of Goniopora, a close relative. This assumes that the water conditions are, of course optimal. Alveopora has 6 tentacles per polyp and Goniopora has 12.
  • The pulsating motion of Xenia is brought about by the continuous opening and closing of the polyps. At times this pulsating will stop for no apparant reason. To my knowledge no one has come up with an explanation for this strange behavior.
  • White long filaments coming out of rocks, are the tentacles of the so-called sphagetti worm, a terrebelid worm that anchors its body inside a small crevice in a rock and sends its tentacles out looking for food. It is interesting to note that the length of these tentacles can be quite substantial. They are harmless and feed on small particles of food and plankton.
  • Blue coral (Heliopora species) is actually very dull in color: it is brown. Only the skeleton is blue and prized by collectors of dead corals skeletons just as Black coral is.
  • The polyps of Zoanthids are interconnected with tube-like extensions. On the reef these colonies can grow to extremely large sizes and take up square meters of space. Zoanthids reproduce easily in an aquarium with high water quality conditions.
  • Tubeworms (Sabellastarte) do not like strong currents. If strong currents are aimed at them for too long they will, more than likely shed their crown. Keep them in medium to low currents.
  • The term mushroom coral is a very confusing term. Depending on where you are and who you talk to, it can refer to corals such as: Fungia, Heliofungia, Actinodiscus, Diaseris, and others still. It is always best when talking or writing about a c oral to use its latin name. This will avoid such confusion.
  • When diatoms start growing on the skeleton of a coral and start rising in heigth along the skeleton, closer and closer to the polyp itself, you need to intervene immediately. When diatoms reach the polyp, they will literally push it out of the way and the coral will start to recede. This often leads to the loss of the coral. When this happens the tank contains excess silicates which must be removed by silicate removing compounds. Encrusting diatoms kill corals!
  • Dinoflagellates belong to the phytoplankton group. They are more evolved than diatoms and cyanobacteria and possess strings that give them more mobility than the others. As these strings move back and forth very fast, they can move. Because they are s o small it is highly unlikely that you will ever see them.
  • Most corals exsude toxins to protect themselves. Of course other corals do so too. Some toxins are stronger than others and can therefore affect other corals. If you see a coral being affected and retracting, it is good idea to move the coral t o another location in the tank. It should do better there.
  • Using mechanical filtration may remove too many small food particles from the water in aquariums where phytoplankton feeders are present. Present day thinking is that such filters should not be used and that one should rely on an efficient protein ski mmer to remove debris and larger particulate matter from the water.
  • Euphylia ancora is very sensitive to high phosphate levels in the tank. High, in this case, means greater than 0.2 ppm.
  • To keep micro-algae to a minimum PO4 (ortho-phosphate) levels should be kept below 0.03 ppm.
  • Feather stars need not be fed. They trap phytoplankton.
  • Crinoids do need to be fed.
  • Anemones that have lost their Zooxanthellae and are white or creamish in color need supplemental food at least twice a week. Small pieces of cooked shrimp or scallop meat make an ideal food. Place the food close to the mouth opening.
  • Diatoms consist of two porous structures that fit tightly together. Both are made up of, amongst others, silica coming from silicates. When they agglomerate they appear as slimy patches or strings, depending on how they attach to each other. Fat is st ored as a by-product of feeding. This fat can be released and give the slimy appearance to the patches. The waste material that is excreted may mix with this fat, making the whole look even more slimy. Diatoms also store wax, which they use as a me ans to control their floating position in the water.
  • Although small amounts of diatoms will not create problems in your aquarium, their tendency is to multiply rapidly and form string like masses and slimy patches, that make the tank look very unsigthly.
    Should you have any questions about any of these trivia items feel free to leave us a message:

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