Fish 'N' Chips
A Monthly Marine Newsletter
November 2001 Issue

Index

From Liz
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/26/01

Tank Showcases Needed! I have no showcase for you this month since I've received no submissions lately. I don't have the time to search the net for tanks and ask if it's OK for me to showcase them. So, if I don't start receiving Tank Showcase Submissions, I'm just going to stop doing them. If you want me to show off your tank, please submit it to me as soon as possible. Submit your photos to fishnchips@mindspring.com.

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Saltwater & Electricity Comment
By Gavin Lotter 9/3/01
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/26/01

Just a short note to give you some experiences that I have had with saltwater and electricity.

I once received a shock because I was grounded and I touched the tank water at the same time. After I installed a ground probe, this problem went away until I touched a fluorescent tube and the water at the same time. According to my oscilloscope, the potential difference between ungrounded water and ground was 117 volts. Just enough to give a good rev in the morning ;-) After doing a few tests with the oscilloscope, I found that the major portion of the charge came from the fluorescent tubes which are 3 inches above the water, the pumps playing a very minor role.

Editor's Comments:
The above was emailed to me as a comment to Judy Shaner's August 2001 article entitled "Avoiding Problems with Saltwater and Electricity." You can read Judy's article at http://www.marinefiends.com/2001/fnc0801.html#electric.

As for Gavin's comment, my editing was limited to checking spelling and grammar and putting it into the Fish 'N' Chips format. Thanks for the comment Gavin.

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Critter Corner
Macro Algae
By Hennie Landman
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/27/01

Mention the word ALGAE to any aquarist, and you will most likely conjure visions of the dreaded hair algae, or Heaven forbids, slime algae. Fortunately for marine aquarists, these primitive plants also have some beautiful and beneficial cousins, the so-called Higher Order, or (Macro) algae.

I will not delve into the structure or identification of these plants, as I'm not a biologist or a botanist. However, from observations in my own tank, and by using some common sense, the following is quite obvious:

• Macro algae compete with the nuisance algae (such as nitrates and phosphates) as food. Having a good quantity of macro algae in your tank will thus inhibit the proliferation of the unwanted "nuisance" algae.
• The faster growing types, such as some Caulerpa species, can be used to actively export nitrate and phosphate "pollutants" if you harvest and remove some of the growth on a regular basis.
• Macro algae are an important food source to many herbivorous fish, such as Tangs.
• Many green, red and brown algae are beautiful to look at, and give a much more natural look to your tank.
• The faster growing Caulerpa species can sometimes die back suddenly (probably due to a lack of nutrients, such as iron), releasing a large amount of organic matter into the water. This could cause blooms of unwanted "nuisance" algae.
• Macro algae could also shade your corals, thus depriving them of essential light. Regular "pruning" can prevent this problem and the problem of sudden die-off.

Codium (green) and unknown Red algae	Geniculate (bushy) coralline algae
Unknown green algae	Brown leafy algae about 250mm high
Bubble & Fern Caulerpa, from when my tank was still young	Halimeda, and an unknown red bushy hair-algae, which is very attractive, IMHO.

Editor's Comments & Photo Credits:
The above article and photos are the property of Hennie Landman and have been republished with his permission. My editing was limited to checking spelling and grammar and putting Hennie's article into the Fish 'N' Chips format.

Please visit Hennie's site for this article, a huge collection of beautiful photos and much more. Hennie's "Indoor Reef" can be found at http://home.gardenet.co.za/landman/.

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What's Up @ Reefs UK
- http://www.reefsuk.org -
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/27/01

11/2/01:

• Reefs UK has set-up the first stage of their coral farm to provide propagated corals with the UK. They have started with the more common types of corals such as Leather corals (Sarcophyton sp.), Star polyps (Actinodiscus sp.) and soft branched leathers (Cladiellia sp.).
• Reefs UK is looking for anyone currently propagating corals on a medium to large scale. They would like to create a network of coral farms so the United Kingdom can provide hobbyists with the corals they wish to purchase.

To join the Reefs UK Mailing List, send an email to post@reefsuk.org.
To join Reefs UK Chat (Email Discussion Group), visit the Reefs UK Website for instructions.

Editor's Comments:
Information in this section covers the latest happenings at Mark T. Taber's Reefs UK Web Site. Mark has given me permission to publish any information from his mailing list that I feel would be of interest to Fish 'N' Chips subscribers. So, the above, although reworded by me, should be credited to Mark or to Derek Scales who works closely with Mark on the running of Reefs UK. The dates in bold coincide with Mark or Derek's mailings and are provided as a reference.

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Marine News
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/27/01

10/29/01 - California, US: An international research consortium has completed a draft sequence of the genome of the Japanese pufferfish, Fugu rubripes. The Fugu draft sequence was announced at the 13th International Genome Sequencing and Analysis Conference in San Diego, California, US. The Fugu genome contains many of the same genes and regulatory sequences as the human genome. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/oct2001/2001L-10-29-09.html.

11/2/01 - DC, US: A team of scientists has succeeded in conducting the first ever DNA sequencing experiments at sea. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/nov2001/2001L-11-02-09.html.

11/6/01 - Boston, US: Researchers at the University of Illinois say a combination of human sewage and shipyard discharge may be responsible for the development and spread of deadly black band disease in corals. The scientists say pollution may be major contributor to the worldwide decline of coral reefs, playing as big a role as global warming. The entire news release can be found at http://ens-news.com/ens/nov2001/2001L-11-06-06.html.

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Chips...er...Tips
Cleaning an Empty Tank
By Carol E. Keen 9/30/01
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 10/29/01

You know it happens, you have to take a tank down and clean it up. Every fish keeper I know, freshwater or saltwater, dreads this time. Now, there is something that will make it so much easier. Some of you may have seen it on T.V., but now you can get it at Wal-Mart. "It" is Oxi-Clean. A product made of oxygen that will clean the worst tank in no time.

You do have to have the tank empty, so this isn't for tanks that are running or have fish in them! But, it is for all tank decor that you need cleaned! Statues, base rock, things that got covered in algae or the dreaded "red slime," Oxi-Clean will fix all that with minimum strain on your part.

You need the Oxi-Clean, hot water, and a bucket. Unless of course this is a tank you are cleaning. Fill the bucket or tank with hot water. Add a scoop of Oxi-Clean. If you are cleaning a tank, I throw in the dirty nets, and decor as well. The Oxi-Clean will foam and fizz, but you don't need to worry! It works for up to 5 hours. You just leave it, and go on with your life for a while! WOW!

When you come back, dump, or siphon the Oxi water out of the tank, dump if you used a bucket, and rinse each item well. Most decor will not even need to be rubbed off. The algae will usually come off while it is in the Oxi-Clean, so you often don't need to scrub!

Many of my seahorse keepers are now using Oxi-Clean, and I haven't heard any bad reports. We all just really like this product, and this great tip to save you time and get your tank and decor sparkling clean!

Editor Comments:
The above was written by Carol E. Keen of Fish To The Nth. Editing was limited to spelling, grammar, and putting Carol's writing into html and the Fish 'N' Chips format. Please visit Carol's site at http://www.fishtothenth.com/.

To Submit Your Tip: Send your tip via email to fishnchips@mindspring.com and I'll publish it in an upcoming issue of Fish 'N' Chips. I'll write it up for you or you can do it yourself if you are so inclined. Make sure you let me know if I can include your name and email address or if you'd rather go anonymous.

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Upcoming Events
By Elizabeth M. Lukan ?/?/01

To Submit Your Event: Send your event and all the specifics (date, time, location, pricing, contact info, etc.) via email to fishnchips@mindspring.com and I'll publish it in all issues of Fish 'N' Chips prior to the event.

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Prove It!, a Bibliography
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/27/01

Article: Marine News

• Environment News Service, http://ens-news.com/

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