In this months Reefkeeping edition of the Talkingreef Podcast, we are joined by a new Reefkeeping author, Chris Jury.
Chris is joining us this month to discuss the myths and concerns about the way hobbyist name and classify corals.

Get the show notes here (http://www.talkingreef.com/ShowNotes/TR-Ep-37.html)

Here is the link to subscribe to the feed

<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Talkingreef"><img src="http://www.talkingreef.com/podcasts/podcast-feed.gif">

<a href="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://www.talkingreef.com/podcasts/CoralNaming-TR-Ep37.mp3"><img src="http://www.talkingreef.com/podcasts/podcastIcon.gif"></a> Or click here to download the individual episode
And Please consider taking the listner survey
<a href="http://www.podtrac.com/audience/start-survey.aspx?ver=1&pid=-XLkuU37Aw8$"><img src="http://www.talkingreef.com/podcasts/podtrac_survey_microbar.gif"></a>

Wow, can't wait to listen to this!

Great episode Rob. Thanks for clearing up the nitrate issue.

I have to stop taking Fridays off. I can't get the show now until Monday! Yeah.. how addicted am I? I'm now checking out the board and replying via internet connection at Toyota Rockinham in New Hampshire :D Waiting to get my car back from service.

D

lmao.. that's great to hear Dave, we have another TR addict...

*stands up and says* "Hi, my name is Rob, and im a TR'aholic".. i love it.. :)

maybe its time to plunge into broadband... ;)
which would make future shows easier for you to do.. *hint, hint* lol... :D

so... Rob... apparently you are now going smiley happy!!!

geez.. i guess so.. at least there normal small smilies...

*thinking* ~~im never going to hear the end of this...lol~~

thought I'd put my 2 cents in before gwen

"Hi, my name is Rob, and im a TR'aholic"

LOL....I can see the T-Shirt now....:p

Another great show! Keep up the good work.

Still working on the small screen version of TR? I could read the boards in Starbucks with my PocketPC then.

geez.. i guess so.. at least there normal small smilies...

*thinking* ~~im never going to hear the end of this...lol~~

rut roe http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_33.gif

Another great show! Keep up the good work.

Still working on the small screen version of TR? I could read the boards in Starbucks with my PocketPC then.
lol.. yes, actually i am..
i am trying to find a free solution..
i have found a couple, but haven't been able to get them to work right..

Would be really cool if i could read it from my phone!!! I'd be on even more often, uh oh!

yep.. thats exactly what im working on..

LOL....I can see the T-Shirt now....


how 'bout..."TalkingReefers do it in Saltwater!" :-)

Very informative show. But, here's my question...I have a hammer coral AND some leather corals. The hammer is not looking so good lately. Does this mean it is doomed? Until I heard this last show, I did not know that it was incompatible with leather. :( Anyone have any advice?

I have a hammer coral and toadstool leather and they are fine. Are you running carbon? Do you have a picture?

(sorry but I haven't listened to the show yet) shhh don't tell Rob

same here..hammer coral and a toadstool....

here is a picture of the hammer....along with a clown who seems to have made it his home.

recently the hammer has not been opening up as much...

i am runing carbon..in fact, I just replaced it today...I use Marineland's Black Diamond in my sump. And yes...i also run a skimmer...berlin turbo triple pass....lots of UV also.


http://www.nittany.net/tony/aquarium/clown-coral.jpg

I have a HUGE hammer, frog spawn and finger leather. They are looking great. All growing steadily. I am running carbon

M,y hammer is fine, run carbon and Rowaphos in sump on phosban reactor.Had a toadstool but lost it in what I call the disasterous summer of 2005.

Hey guys,

Just to clarify a bit:

As I said in the interview, I've seen lots of cases where Euphyllia doesn't seem impacted by certian soft corals at all, but I've seen plenty of other cases where they are severely impacted. By my estimation, I'd say there are problems somewhere around 30-50% of the time. If a Euphyllia isn't doing well in the presense soft corals, I'd probably remove it. If everything is doing well, keep on doing what you're doing. My contention is not that these should never be housed together, but that it should always be done with care. A lot of folks wouldn't keep a Sarcophyton sp. (mushroom leather) with an Acropora because they'd be concerned for the Acropora, yet wouldn't think twice about putting in a Euphyllia. If anything, it should be just the opposite.

Chris

Welcome to TR Chris ;)

Glad to be here :)

thanks Chris for adding your input, we all appreciate it.. :)

And I will just reitterate that... there is not a Black and white Rule... IMO, its a "be aware" type thing... for example, in my case I could not keep a toadstool leather alive in my display tank for the life of me.. this is not because of water or light, but do to the fact that i have a tank that is dominated with Acropora sp, and many other stony corals that prevent this type of soft coral from thriving.

Are there any resources out there that list Maximum, Minimum, and Ideal parameters for a given animal?

For instance something like:

Acropora Ficticia: Needs between 50 and 250 lumens with 200 lumens as the ideal. 5 to 15 tank volumes of flow per hour with 12 volumes per hour as ideal. etc.

Yeah...it's called Eric Borneman's "Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History" It is a MUST have for your library....if you ask me ;)

Dave

Yeah...it's called Eric Borneman's "Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History" It is a MUST have for your library....if you ask me ;)

Dave
lol.. i second that... GRRRRRREEEAT book... :D

Are there any resources out there that list Maximum, Minimum, and Ideal parameters for a given animal?

For instance something like:

Acropora Ficticia: Needs between 50 and 250 lumens with 200 lumens as the ideal. 5 to 15 tank volumes of flow per hour with 12 volumes per hour as ideal. etc.

Yes and no. Eric's book is by far the best coral book out there IMO. This book will not tell you, for instance, that Acropora ficticia needs conditions such as you've listed. The reason for this is that such a recommendation isn't possible for most corals. First, even if we did know the species we were dealing with in captivty (we don't >95% of the time) most species are so adaptable that designations such as this wouldn't be useful in most situations. Not only that, we don't have the slightest idea of what the fundamental tolerances are for most species of coral, not to mention all the regional variants of all the species.

Let me give an example: you might find Pocillopora damicornis growing in an intertidal position on a reef crest. The brightest light it recieves is 2000 umol/m2/s. The average amount of water flow it gets in this position is 20 cm/s, but at times is up to 1 m/s. You drop down the reef 30 m and find the same species, though a very different growth form. The brightest light this coral gets is 80 umol/m2/s. The average water flow is 10 cm/s with a max of 15 cm/s. There is no obvious differenc in health between either.

If in captivity we suggest that the acceptable range for lighting is 80-2000 umol/m2/s and water flow is 10 cm/s-1 m/s things are not going to go well because we haven't fully taken into account the other caveats that are important for the survival of these corals. The coral in shallow water is actually photoinhibited for half the day and does the lion's share of photosynthesis in early morning and late evening. It doesn't bleach because of the strong water flow--othewise it might. The coral in deep water is able to do well due to the high availability of food (since light isn't very highly available). Without enough food at lower light levels it starves.

You see, for most corals we just can't give particular ranges like this for various parameters because, even if we had established these ranges, other caveats which we don't necessarily consider are critical for these species. So, in my experience, it is better to get as best an idea as possible of a highly acceptable environment and to watch the corals.

For instance, there's no reason any coral at all (including Acropora) shouldn't do just fine under PCs, yet people often have better success under halides. Perhaps the problem is that we aren't feeding these corals enough. Under halides we get a bigger margin of error (due to the photosynthate provided by the zoox.) but in lower light they are forced to be more reliant on food. In nature this isn't a problem, but in captivity it is.

So, perhaps I'm rambling at this point. My suggestion would be to get as familiar as possible (Eric's book is the best one out there for this IMO) with a relatively optimal environment for each coral you're interested in and to observe them carefully in captivity. Keep corals together that 1. thrive in the same environments in nature and 2. are relatively likely to coexist peacefully.

Chris

Grreaaaat information Chris!! Thanks so much! :)
I also have the EB book.

OMG.. Chris.. amazing post. I love when folks have both the understanding, and the talent to put such information in 'lay terms' for boneheads like me :D

D

yes, Chris.. great explanation.. thanks.. :)

Awesome explanation Chris, thanks.

No problem guys. As I was writing it I thought I rambled too much and wasn't sure I was making a coherent argument...but hey, if you guys understood it...;)

Boy if that's the case, ramble on!!!

Chris,

I for one, enjoyed your show and your other work/writing. You think, speak and write a lot like I do. So, selfishly, you are a very "easy" resource for me to use. Plus, after listening to your show, you say "absolutely" as often as I do ;) You sure you are not my brother?

In any case, I appreciate your support of our site, your affiliation with the magazine and all you do for the hobbyist. Keep up the great work brother!

Dave

Plus, after listening to your show, you say "absolutely" as often as I do ;)

is it as much as i say "GREAT"???

lmao...

That's what makes the world go 'round... that's why I'm a "sociologist" at heart. People, in general, are awesome. All the 'particulars' are what make y'all special.

D

Rob - as long as your "uh...great" doesn't sound like Bill Lumbergh's (Office Space), we'll continue to love you! :-)

Rob - as long as your "uh...great" doesn't sound like Bill Lumbergh's (Office Space), we'll continue to love you! :-)
lmao...
"uhhmm o..k... great..."
damn.. only if i could attach it as an audio file...lol

lmao- great movie!! "accounts payable, Nina speaking...*pause* just a moment* ha ha lmfao!!

the flair thing too- ha ha... or him saying "i never liked paying bills, I don't think I'll do that either" ha ha

what an awesome movie!!

I want my SWINGLINE STAPLER!

ha ha ha!!
I'm ready to start playing the movie on my laptop, BUT the city manager is here--- what do I care? I quit anyways! ha ;)

exactly...

Gwen...just don't burn the place down!

Kevin...umm...if you could just go ahead and...move your desk down to the storage room....that'd be great....yeah...

lmao...

you guys are umm... grreat.. yeah...

Did you get the MEMO?

Gwen...just don't burn the place down!

Kevin...umm...if you could just go ahead and...move your desk down to the storage room....that'd be great....yeah...

ha ha Christi & Kevin!! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_11_6.gif

Dang, I just love that movie!!

*whisper under my breath* i better burn the building down

I'm with Jimm, that would be a great resource! I was wondering if Chris or anyone else could give us a list of some of the resources they are using to help them meet the needs of their coral.