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FIRST QUARTER 2008 | Volume 2

THE PERFECT
NANO
REEF FISH –
Trimma
Gobies
8 Things To
Consider Before
Buying A Coral
The Zoanthid
Eating Nudibranch:
a new approach

Hikari FREE sample

offer inside!

AWESOME STONY A M A Z I N G CO R A LS

CORAL SERIES F ROM D OW N U N D E R

Marine Aquarium Expo and Mid West Frag Fest

Sponsored by RHM! Details inside
 Are you attached to your corals?
You should be, because they’re not only beautiful, they’re precious. That’s why
you have to give them a secure attachment too. Two Little Fishies, Inc. has the
tools you need to easily secure them, because bonding with corals promotes a
long-term relationship.

AquaStik™ 2oz Red Coralline and 4oz Stone Grey are underwater epoxy putty
sticks that have clay-like consistency for easy attachment of coral “frags,”
gorgonians, and other items where there is a mechanical connection that can be
filled and secured by it, like concrete around a post.

CorAffix™ is an ethyl cyanoacrylate bonding compound with viscosity similar to

honey. Use it for attaching stony corals, gorgonians, and other sessile invertebrates
in natural positions on live rock. Use in combination with AquaStik™ to attach
larger coral heads, or for attaching cultured coral “frags” to bases. 2oz bottle

CorAffix™ Gel is an ethyl cyanoacrylate bonding compound with a thick gel

consistency. It is very easy to use for attaching frags of stony corals, zoanthids, and
some soft corals to plugs or bases. 20 gram tube

All work on dry, damp, or wet surfaces, cure underwater, and are non-toxic to fish,
plants and invertebrates.

Two Little Fishies

Advanced Aquarium Solutions
Two Little Fishies, Inc. 1007 Park Centre Blvd. Miami Gardens, FL 33169 U.S.A.
Tel (305) 661.7742 www.twolittlefishies.com
 Features First Quarter 2008 | Volume 2

RHM Staff
President
Harry Tung
Executive Editor

16
Jim Adelberg

4
Art Director

14
Tamara Sue

8
Graphics
David Tran
8 Things To The Ponape The Amazing Corals Advertising
Consider Bird’s Nest and Zoanthid The A-Team
From Down
Before Buying A Coral: Triple Threat Eating Nudibranch – a Under: A photo Special Thanks
Richard Ross is a San Favia Corals: Steve new approach: Miguel essay by Jim
Francisco Bay Area coral Tyree grows some of the Toluosa has been an avid Richard Ross
Adelberg, Matt
farmer and cuttlefish Gresham Hendee
rarest and most desirable reef aquarium hobbyist Juner and Mingwei
breeder. In this article, corals in our hobby and and coral collector for Parks.
the author provides has been an avid collector many years. Miguel
advice on choosing of rare corals for many shares a new approach
healthy coral. Cover and years. In this installment, to the Zoanthid Eating Tell us what you think:
Image above by author. Steve shares the history [email protected]
Nudibranch. Image above
of the Ponape Bird’s Nest by author.
and Triple Threat Favia
Copyright© 2008 Reef Hobbyist Magazine.
Corals. Image above by author. All rights reserved.

On The Cover Come visit us online at

www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com
And see what we have to offer you!
• Read Reef Hobbyist Magazine online.
• Ask our editor questions in the Q & A section.
• Watch and submit videos in our video library.
• Participate in our photo contests for cool reef prizes.
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on our forums.

12 THE PERFECT NANO REEF FISH

– Trimma Gobies
Local Fish Stores
• Find out in advance what products will be advertised in the
upcoming issue so you can be stocked up and ready.
Matt Wandell has been an avid reef aquarium hobbyist • Receive specials and rebates from our advertisers.
for 8 years and is an aquatic biologist at the California • Drive more traffic to your store by listing in our national online
Academy of Sciences-Steinhart Aquarium. Matt here store directory of RHM partners.
profiles a group of perfect nano reef fish, the Trimma
Gobies. Image above by author. Email your store information to [email protected] to take
advantage of these services now.

Join Us! Refill

Are you a retailer looking to stock RHM for
RHM WANTS YOU! your customers? Contact one of our distribu-
We’re constantly looking for the best tors! Hobbyists, ask your LFS to contact our
writers and photographers to contribute to distributors if they don’t carry RHM!
our free magazine. We believe that free • Sea Dwelling Creatures – www.seadwelling.com
quality information is the key to helping our hobby ad- • Pacific Aqua Farms – www.pacificaquafarms.com
vance. If you’d like to join us in our mission, please contact • Aquatic Specialties and Pets – 510-477-9683
our editor Jim Adelberg via email: [email protected]. • Sea Logic International Inc. – 510-780-0876
CORAL

Things To Consider
Before Buying
A Coral Article & Images By Richard Ross

Stocking your tank is a big part of what this hobby is

about. This article presents some considerations to keep
in mind before bringing a coral home – especially if you The white, freshly exposed skeleton on this LPS could indicate a
health problem.
have a new system or are new to the hobby. With just

3
a little forethought, the buying experience can be fun,
successful, and can support the future of the hobby.
Is it wild collected?
With the amount of captive grown coral available
through frag swaps, coral farmers’ markets and
conscientious vendors, there are alternatives to

1
obtaining only wild collected corals. One basic issue
Is your tank ready? with wild collected corals is acclimation to captive conditions – it
can take a wild coral a year or more to adapt to artificial light,
It seems like a rudimentary question, but far too
flow and nutrition. Sometimes the wild coral doesn’t even survive
many reefers purchase delicate animals before their
long enough to adapt. Another issue is collection impact - wild
tanks are stable. We all understand the desire to fill up
coral collection has an impact on the wild reef itself, and even
our tanks quickly, but the potential loss of life and money are only
though other factors such as dredging and pollution often impact
two of many good reasons to be patient. Deciding that your tank
the reef more than coral collection for the hobby, collection still
is ready isn’t quite as straightforward as we would like, as different
has impact. Some collectors are responsible and do all they can
tanks mature at different rates. When you decide that your tank
to harvest corals without damaging the reef or over harvesting.
is ready for its first few corals, proceed slowly by adding only one
However, there are some who don’t pay attention to such things.
hardy coral and watch it for a couple of weeks before deciding to
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to determine if a certain
add anything else. Since stability is key to maintaining new coral
coral was harvested in a sustainable fashion or not. Another
in captive systems, people with well established tanks should
less obvious consideration regarding wild collected corals is the
consider the timing of any large scale maintenance activities
amount of resources needed to get them from the reef to the
that can affect a system’s stability, such as large water changes,
hobbyist – the list includes Styrofoam shipping boxes, plastic
replacing calcium or phosphate reactor media, or even replacing
bags, and jet fuel amongst others.
bulbs. These system changes should be completed before adding
new corals whenever possible.

2 Do you really want it and

will it get along with its
4 Is it captive grown?
In my opinion, everyone should be doing their best to
obtain captive grown corals. Let’s consider “captive
grown” coral to be a coral grown in an aquarium or
new tankmates? propagation facility from a fragment of either a wild
collected coral or from another captive grown colony. Either way,
Avoid impulse buys, and know that a little bit of research
a captive grown coral is not from a wild reef, and obtaining corals
before a purchase can save you a lot of headaches after the fact.
that are propagated in other aquaria is one of the best ways to
It’s easy to buy a galaxia coral at the LFS because it’s pretty, but
lessen the pressure of coral collection on wild reefs. Equally as
if you don’t know about the long stinging sweeper tentacles that
important, a captive grown coral has already been acclimated to
can damage or kill other coral, you may be in for a heap of trouble
captive conditions in regards to light, synthetic saltwater and flow.
once you get it home. Learning about the coral before you take it
This increases the coral’s chance of successful acclimation and
home will also help you prepare an appropriate site in your tank
long-term survival in your system.
that will provide it with the flow, food, light and space it requires.

4 Enter the RHM photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
 5 Is it aquacultured/
maricultured?
Generally, aquaculture refers to growing animals in
controlled environments, while mariculture refers to
growing animals in the ocean itself. I am putting the two concepts
in one section because, sadly, common usage in the hobby has
blended them together making it difficult to know the reality of
a particular coral’s origin. If you can confirm that a vendor is
aquaculturing coral, then you can consider those corals to be
captive grown. However, many ‘aquacultured’ corals for sale in
the hobby are really maricultured in the ocean from fragments of
wild colonies, and are subject to all the same issues of acclimation
to captive conditions as wild collected corals. Maricultured corals
can be a great way to support sustainable use of wild reefs and
the local communities that surround them.

6
Is the vendor reputable?
If you are buying coral online, buy from a vendor
that has a guarantee and that offers a WYSIWYG
(what you see is what you get) selection. A picture of
the actual coral will allow you to make a determination
of its health and a guarantee will provide you some recourse
if something goes wrong. Also, take some time to research
feedback from online communities or your local reef club about
the particular vendor – knowing that a vendor consistently
receives good or bad feedback can save you time, money and
heartache. If you are shopping locally, support local fish stores
that have knowledgeable staff, clean systems, quarantine tanks
and healthy animals. Shop for quality instead of price. Although
we all want to save money, saving money on a coral that dies isn’t
extremely faded colors. It is sometimes tempting to buy a coral that
really a good deal in the long run. Please support a high standard
isn’t looking so good to try and ‘save’ it, but this often ends with
of animal care with your purchasing power.
a dead coral in your tank, your well intentioned purchase wasted,
and a vendor that thinks it’s ok to stock unhealthy coral. Sure,

7
some coral can be saved, but a little patience will often allow you
Is it healthy? to find a healthy specimen that will thrive in your tank right away.
If you are buying from a local fish store, you have the
luxury of examining a coral before purchase. Since
there are many different kinds of coral, you will be Are you prepared to deal

8
relying on your research to know whether that particular
coral is healthy. There are some generalities to keep in mind. Look
with potential pests?
for coral with good color, polyp extension, and/or tissue inflation. The list of possible coral pests in aquaria is
Most importantly, look for coral without tissue recession or daunting: acro-eating flatworms, montipora eating
nudibranchs, zoanthid eating nudibranchs, zoanthid
eating sea spiders, red planaria, red bugs, clam-killing snails and
more. These pests are an issue both in wild collected corals and
captive grown specimens, so be ready to deal with them regardless
of where your new coral was grown. Whole tank treatments can
be stressful at best, and ineffective or deadly at worst, so it is of
great benefit to avoid introducing pests into your show tank in the
first place. At bare minimum, you will want to develop a dipping
regimen for newly acquired corals. In the long run you will be
better off setting up a quarantine tank to hold newly acquired
corals for dipping, treatment and observation. A quarantine
tank can be simple and inexpensive, and has become a must
for many reef hobbyists. The details of dipping regimens and
quarantine tanks are outside the scope of this article, so
please check online and with your local reef club for up to date
and detailed information.
Old tissue recession, such as on this Blastomussa, is less of a concern.

RHM sponsored Mid West Frag Fest is coming to Rockford, Illinois May 2008 – www.midwestfragfest.com 5
EVENTS
Sneak Peak Marine Aquarium Expo “MAX”
sponsored by Reef Hobbyist Magazine

Where: The Orange County Fair & Event Center — located at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, www.ocfair.com
When: Saturday, April 5th 12pm to 8pm
Sunday, April 6th 10am to 6pm

Adults $10 > Seniors $5 > Children 12 and under FREE!

If you attended Reef-A-Palooza earlier this year in Costa Mesa, California, you were treated to an event filled with rare livestock for
sale, educational speakers, and our hobby’s most relevant vendors and equipment manufacturers. Marine Aquarium Expo, which will
also take place at the Orange County Fairgrounds in April, promises not only a much larger venue (nearly 30,000 sq. ft.), but more
speakers, more vendors, and more rare livestock for sale. Some of the quality vendors that will be featured at MAX include: Blue Life
USA, Brightwell Aquatics, Hikari, and Reef Nutrition. With a children’s touch pool sponsored by Casco Group, Inc. and Fish Heads,
Inc., informative speakers, and world class vendors, there will be something exciting for everyone. Plan ahead and save on your
travels! Discounted hotel rooms and complete event information can be found on the MAX website (www.marineaquariumexpo.com).

6 Enter the RHM photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
STONY CORAL SERIES
Part >> 5
The
Ponape Bird’s Nest
and Triple Threat Favia
Corals Article & Images
By Steve Tyree

I
n this installment of the Awesome Stony Coral Series, I
will discuss two of my favorite corals - the Ponape Pink
and Green Seriatopora Bird’s Nest coral and the Triple
Threat Favia coral. Although both of these corals have
some absolutely incredible pigmentation patterns, their
typical prices range in the lower end of the captive grown
exotic scale. The mainstream exotic stony coral market
does not typically expect that Bird’s Nest or Favia corals
will contain exotic pigmentation patterns. While the Ponape
Bird’s Nest is certainly one of the most exotically pigmented
Seriatopora corals, we are starting to see a wider variety of A | On closer inspection, the Ponape Bird’s Nest coral actually appears
spectacularly colored Faviid corals. The Triple Threat Favia to possess more than just two pigments. Its base branch stems have a
fluorescent green pigment, while its branch tips have bright pink pig-
was one of the first of these spectacular Faviids. ments. The coral only develops this pigment pattern in low to moderate
light levels. As seen in this close up image, the polyp tentacles of this
coral located within the pink branch areas appear to have some bluish
The Ponape Bird’s Nest Coral pigments on their tips. In the green branch areas, the tentacle tips de-
velop a dark green pigmentation.

Bill Schroer discovered the Ponape Pink and Green Seriatopora

Bird’s Nest coral while he was working as a collector in
Pohnpei. Bill has been an avid collector of exotic stony corals
in California and he has an incredible eye for finding unusual The Triple Threat Favia Coral
and exotic corals. Bill located what appeared to be an unusual
bicolor Seriatopora during the summer of 2003. The coral One of the first Favia corals that contained a spectacular
had green branch stems and pink tips. Typically, Seriatopora pigmentation pattern was the Triple Threat Favia imported
corals are either pigmented solid pink, solid green, or brown. by Mingwei and Joleen Parks. This encrusting massive stony
Bill also initially suspected that this coral was a low light coral. coral has a steel blue base coloration that is visible in-between
After experimenting with the captive requirements of this coral, the corals’ medium sized corallites. This blue is very bright and
we eventually verified that the coral appeared to prefer low it is unusual for a Favia species coral to contain this pigment
light levels. In those conditions, the coral grows the fastest (see image B). The corallites themselves are pigmented with a
and develops the most colorful pigmentation patterns (see solid bright medium red coloration. The blue and red contrast
image A). I have now been farming the coral for over 5 years is quite spectacular. Along the outer ridges of the corallites,
in captivity. Large and show size colonies of the Ponape Bird’s partial rows of green spots can also occur. This green third
Nest can make for a spectacular sight in a captive reef. This pigment is what gives the coral its Triple Threat Favia common
coral also helps to demonstrate how collectors possessing name. The green pigments can develop quite extensively
captive care experience can actually be very good at finding when a corallite is splitting or cloning a second corallite (see
some very exotic stony corals in the wild. Since wild stony image C). I have been farming a seed section of this coral for
corals were only briefly exported from Pohnpei, this particular just over one year. During this time, it has been determined
coral is now only available to reef aquarists within the U.S. that the coral does better in low to moderate light levels where
through captive farming. the red, blue and green pigments seem to develop very well.

8 Enter the RHM photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
 C | This image is the other side of the Triple Threat Favia seed colony. The
green pigmentation is very apparent in-between the corallites that are
splitting or cloning. A solid red mouth of the coral’s polyp is also visible
in the upper main corallite and appears as a small volcano-like structure
located in the center of that corallite.

Both of the corals grow very well in captivity. Stony coral

B | This is a seed colony of the Triple Threat Favia sp. coral maintained by farmers should be growing and distributing these two corals
the author. The bright blue pigmentation located in-between the corallites
is very visible and quite spectacular around the lower corallite. This pigment for many years to come. The Triple Threat Favia can be
appears to require at least some light to develop because the vertical side harvested as single corallites if the farmer uses an appropriate
wall of the main upper corallite has only small amounts of the pigment. The
third green pigment occurs in short rows of dots located along the outer cutting device (such as a dremel or thin rotary saw). The coral
edges of the inner corallite. images of the Triple Threat Favia in this article are of a seed
that grew from a single corallite section that was cut out from
a small colony. This seed has developed into a dramatic
looking small coral colony as new growth has spread out, and
down, along the outer walls of the single corallite. The Ponape
Bird’s Nest coral is a branching coral that only develops a very
minor encrusting base growth. Branches can be easily cut or
broken from the seed colony. Super glue gel works best when
attaching the harvested branches onto a base rock or disk. If
healthy and growing, this coral will eventually develop a small
encrusting base over its super glue attachment point.

RHM sponsored Marine Aquarium Expo is coming to Los Angeles April 2008 – www.marineaquariumexpo.com 9
Photo contest page.
TRIMMA GOBIES

THE PERFECT
NANO
REEF FISH
Trimma Gobies
By Matt Wandell

T
he increasing popularity of nano reef aquariums has goby in anything but a palmtop aquarium, however. Small flasher
sparked a concurrent demand for small fish whose lifestyle wrasses, fairy wrasses, dartfishes, damselfishes, shrimp gobies,
and size allows them to thrive in tiny tanks of 20 gallons blennies, dragonets, pygmy angels, pipefish, and other similar
or less. When selecting a fish for a nano aquarium, only species that either consume very small crustaceans or algae will
the smallest of the small will do, and no coral reef fish are smaller all get along fine with the Trimma gobies, with the caveat that the
than the gobies. Successful stony coral reef aquariums as small size differences are not too extreme. It is never a bad idea to add
as one and two gallons are now almost commonplace among the the Trimma gobies to the tank first before any other tankmates.
hobbyist community, and tiny gobies that thrive in these tanks are In general these gobies are not very secretive and will hover or
now being collected for the aquarium trade. Among the smallest rest on the substrate in plain sight as long as they do not feel
of these are the dwarf gobies of the genus Trimma. There are threatened by larger fish. They do not require a sandy or rubble
at least 50 species of gobies in the Trimma genus, and almost bottom and can be kept in bare bottom tanks without concern.
certainly many more waiting to be discovered. Only a handful of There are some unique tank and equipment concerns one must
the species that occur in the Western Pacific regularly make it take into account due to their tiny size, mostly to prevent them
into the US aquarium market. Although they are common, easy from being sucked up. Certain types of propeller (rather than
to catch, and widespread in the wild, the Trimma gobies were impeller) driven powerheads with large intake strainer holes may
relatively unknown and virtually unavailable for purchase in the be an issue, as well as high flow overflow chambers. The Trimma
US aquarium hobby until early 2004 when dedicated collection gobies are adept swimmers but can be sucked up and possibly
began in Cebu, Philippines. Since then, collection has become injured or even killed by such hazards. Ideally, the overflow area
more widespread and at least 5 species are sporadically available would be screened off and have a very wide surface area or
for purchase. reduced flow to reduce the intake water velocity.

T. tevegae
The maximum size for Once these unique considerations are taken care of, these
most species is just over endearing fishes make wonderful additions to a peaceful
one inch! Such a tiny size community tank. They are hardy and disease resistant and will
precludes these gobies readily acclimate to an aquarium. Feeding them is simple enough,
from the typical large reef although it should be done frequently. Trimma gobies may need to
aquarium filled with larger be fed small live crustaceans for the first few weeks until they learn
fishes. Anthias, basslets, to eat flake or frozen food. Live enriched, or newly hatched brine
cardinalfishes, wrasses, shrimp make an ideal food for Trimma gobies. Ideally, one would
and even tangs will chase drip in a small supply of baby brine shrimp to the tank during
down and consume these daylight hours, or at least feed the fish several times a day. There
fish, whether they are are several types of small live and frozen whole marine copepods
normally fish predators or available through local aquarium stores, and all will make fine
not. Large boxer shrimp, food for Trimma gobies. There is, of course, the option of feeding
hermit crabs, and sea these fish the way nature intended, and a large attached refugium
anemones are likewise and/or area devoted to culturing copepods and mysid shrimp
to be avoided in tanks within the tank will aid in this goal. Once established, these fish
with these gobies. This are not shy about eating flake food, biting off chunks of frozen
does not mean that you mysis shrimp, and inspecting just about anything that floats by
can’t keep a Trimma that might be considered food. The only challenge is to feed them
(Continued on page 18...)

12 RHM sponsored Mid West Frag Fest is coming to Rockford, Illinois May 2008 – www.midwestfragfest.com
Looking for a reef club in your area? Search online at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com today! 13
PEST CONTROL

The Zoanthid Eating Nudibranch:

a new approach Article & Images By Miguel Toluosa

O
ne of the most difficult pests to fully eradicate in Each container held two cups of water from the tank. I added 4
our reef systems is the zoanthid eating nudibranch. drops of Salifert’s FWE into one container. Nothing was added
With their uncanny ability to hitchhike into the tank into the second container (control group) in order to monitor
on nearly any coral colony, and to grow to plague the effects of the FWE versus nothing at all.
proportions at record speed, they have fully established their
reputation as a pest that cannot be taken lightly. Over the I had initially created a control group because I expected
years, several methods for treating coral infested with these that this experiment would run its course over several hours,
pests have emerged, from freshwater iodine dips to manual possibly days, and that it may or may not work. I had no idea
removal, but all seemed extremely stressful to the zoanthid how amazing the results would be, or how quickly I would
colonies as well. receive them.

I had initially set out to remove another pest: a large mass of In 30 seconds, one of the nudibranchs in the test cup was
flatworms that were on a colony of zoanthids. The red flatworms falling from the side of the cup.
had reproduced to the point that they were completely choking
out the zoanthids, and the colony had been closed for nearly 45 seconds 60 seconds
a week. I placed 8 drops of Salifert’s Flatworm Exit (FWE), an
excellent flatworm treatment medication, into 3 gallons of tank
water in a bucket.

After dipping the zoanthids for 10 minutes, I removed the

colony from the bucket and noted that all of the flatworms
were dead at the bottom. Much more interesting however, was
that I noticed a few zoanthid eating nudibranchs were also at
the bottom of the bucket. Whether they were alive or dead The results were fast, effective, and much, much less stressful
was hard to tell, but they had certainly been removed from for the zoanthid colony than the freshwater iodine dip.
the colony. Immediately curious, I collected some nudibranchs
from a colony of zoanthids that was still acclimating, and The control group showed no ill effects during this time.
waiting to be dipped in iodine and freshwater for nudibranch Obviously, the control group was not going to be “released
removal. back into the wild,” so I attempted to repeat the experiment
by adding 4 drops of FWE since they were in better locations
The nudibranchs were placed in two containers – one containing for pictures. In 30 seconds, stress sets in:
the test group and the other containing the control group.
30 seconds: 45 seconds: 60 seconds
Test group: control group:

Lesions appear on the

side of the nudibranch. Lesions spread.

14 Ask our advertisers questions about their products in our forum at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com!
 80 seconds: 90 seconds: 2 minutes bucket than in an entire system. Since this dipping system
works with your regular tank water, you can leave the colonies
in the bucket for nearly 30 minutes to several hours with no ill
effects. They can then be placed into a bucket of clean tank
water for 10-30 minutes to remove any remaining FWE that
may still be on the colony. Then, the colony can be placed
One of the nudibranch Nudibranch is falling
to pieces.
This photo shows all that’s
left of the nudibranch.
back into the tank or quarantine system.
appendages falls off.

This method is also highly recommended for new colonies

This treatment certainly seems to work wonders against being introduced into your tank to avoid any future infestations.
zoanthid eating nudibranchs. In fact, Salifert’s FWE seemed After being dipped in FWE, the colonies should be closely
to be completely safe for zoanthid colonies. It is the only inspected for nudibranch eggs, which are not affected by
treatment I’ve discovered for zoanthids that not only has a FWE. The eggs appear as a thin strand of very bright white
100% death rate for the nudibranch, but will also leave the eggs approximately 1⁄4” thin, and are not hard to find. Remove
zoanthids unaffected. them with a pair of tweezers, give the colony a good shake in
the bucket water to clear any residue of the eggs, and place
FWE is also reef safe! This means that if you have an infestation the colony into quarantine. If you do not have a quarantine
in your entire tank, you can now treat with a heavy dose of system, you may want to consider one to avoid any future
FWE and get all of the nudibranchs, then re-treat every week pest introductions. Alternatively, the colony can be placed into
for three weeks to deal with the newly hatched eggs. Finally, your main system as long as it is very carefully monitored for
a new treatment which seems safe, effective, and extremely a few days.
easy for ridding your system of the zoanthid eating nudibranch.
It is important to exercise extra caution since 4 drops per 2-4 I hope that this approach can help you as much as it has
cups is nearly 4 times the recommended dosage. It is much me, and that you can appreciate the beauty of your zoanthids
easier (and much cheaper) to carry out the treatment in a without letting them ever become food again!

If your local fish store doesn’t give away RHM already, ask them to contact our distributors on the table of contents! 15
AMAZING CORALS FROM DOWN UNDER
A Photo Essay
by Jim Adelberg,
Matt Juner and
Mingwei Parks

16 Enter the RHM photo contest at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and show off your photo skills!
Want yourRHM sponsored
LFS to Mid
carry free Westof
copies Frag FestVisit
RHM? is coming to Rockford, Illinois May 2008 – www.midwestfragfest.com
us at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com and email us your LFS’s information! 17
17
 NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

(Continued from page 12... Trimma Gobies) commonly called the “Blue Stripe Cave Goby” or “Tail Spot Goby”,
often enough. Inspect the fish on a regular basis to see that they because it sports three bright blue stripes that run through the eyes
are thick around the midsection and do not have concave or and down the back and terminate in a bright purple spot in front of
“pinched” stomachs. the tail. It is unlikely to be confused with any other Trimma goby. T.
tevegae is less likely to fight with members of its own species and
Same or mixed species groups of these fish can easily be maintained will form small schools in captivity. In at least one Trimma species
in modest sized tanks, although all members of the group should (T. okinawae) studied, sex change has been shown to occur in
be added at the same time. The most common species available both directions, meaning that any grouping of gobies of the same
are T. rubromaculatus, T. cana, T. macrophthalma, and T. striata. species, placed together, may potentially co-exist and reproduce.
T. rubromaculatus is perhaps the most commonly available, and Eggs are laid on the roof of small caves and guarded over by the
sports an irregular pattern of red blotches or polka dots with a parents. To my knowledge there have not been any successful
white stripe that runs from the nose along the lateral line. T. cana rearings of Trimma goby larvae in captivity.
is often called the “Barber Pole” goby with good reason - it has
8 red vertical stripes on a white background. T. macrophthalma
and T. striata may sometimes be sold as “Trimma sp.” or as an
“unidentified goby”. Both are generally bright red overall, while T.
striata has several radiating dark red stripes on the face and head.
The drawback of all the aforementioned species is that they tend
to be rather pugnacious with other Trimma gobies. A 10 or 20-
gallon tank is suitable for a group of 5-6 of these gobies, but they
may initially fight with each other. There are several uncommon
species of Trimma, which form small schools that hover in the T. tevegae
water column rather than rest on the substrate. Only one of these,
T. tevegae (also known as T. caudomaculatum), is available in the
aquarium hobby as of this writing, though infrequently. T. tevegaes

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