Q: Which Sp. of Acropora have you had the most success growing and propigating?

JT I have had best success with Stuber's Which is A. formosa... Although I have recently encountered... A disease that specifically attacks it in one tank... The disease does not affect other corals as badly... as it does Stuber's coral....strange! There are other hardy species of course... Hard to say what is the most hardy.

Q: What is your opinion of Leng Sy's Mud filtration method?

I'll have to see one of Leng Sy's tanks before I can say... But based on the description I wonder if the system... below the tank is really benefitting what's in the tank... or if it is just as good a s a refugium anyway... Maybe I'll see them at MACNA JS What I meant... was that I wonder if the system offers something new... in addition to the proven "natural systems" Ok that's all

Q: How do I eradicate a red soft hairy algae (Wrangelia Argus - I think) from a reef tank.

Easy one... Or it should be at least! Most tangs love to eat red seaweeds and filamentous algae... I'd try a sailfin tang, Z. desjardini... Have you tried this unsuccessfully?

I have 4 tangs and they dont touch it.

Hmmm... That's odd, but possible because some algae... produce bad tasting substances... Well you didn't say whether a long spine was tried... I'd try it...

Q: What do you think of the ATS filters Inland Aquatics makes? Do you feel the same way about ATS as you did when you and Delbeek wrote TRA I?

I haven't changed my opinion much... But want to point out that I had good things to say... And most readers missed that... My criticism was to point out... that the idea that one did not need to add calcium... or that trace elements were not depleted... or that the water does not become yellow... were certainly erroneous claims... In general, proponents of turf scrubber systems... now do pay attention to calcium and trace elelements... another criticism I had regarded the claims about pumps... Plankton friendliness is not an issue for corals chosen... ie, the corals eat plankton, so why should it be an issue... for the pumps chosen... I want to point out that turf scrubbers work well... but they are not required in addition to the filtration from... bacteria in gravel and algae growing on the substrate... The nicest benefit of turf scrubbers... is the reverse daylight stabilization of pH... Comments?

Q: Is there an easy way to feed zooanthe (sp?) besides feeding individual polyps? Zoanthids?

Yeah.. A squirt of brine shrimp in their area... will suffice to hit many polyps at once. Oh yellow polyps? Finishing the last question... Yellow polyps also eat brine shrimp. They... really like black works too.

Q: I have a single irridescent white, frilly mushroom. I have never seen them before, besides this one stragler, and I can't seem to get it to flourish. Any tips?

White mushrooms are bleached... So they need to regain pigment/zooxanthellae... Once the color comes back they/it will flourish... Put it in moderate light, low current feed it blackworms... and add trace elements to the tank... It will develop color I'm sure... Some species are pale gray However. Blackworms are like tubifex, but thicker and darker.

Q: What are your thoughts on High Kelvin (10,000 and 20,000 Lamps?)

High Kelvin lamps are nice for enhancing coloration... which is great for aesthetics... One should be careful when changing the bulbs... I have seen light shock from UV wavelengths with them... causing bleaching (loss of Zooxanthellae)... I like the look of high kelvin bulbs... But also like daylight (MH) bulbs combined with actinic.

Q: Can you give us your take on sandbeds in a reef tank? i.e. substrate composition, depth, all live sand or can some dead sand be mixed in, particle size, plenum or no plenum etc.

Hoo boy! Substrate composition: uniform coarse... I don't make "layers"... I prefer to set the tank up with dead, sterile gravel... I add some live sand/gravel from an exisiting tank... Depth: about 4 to 5 inches... Ok I'll let you know DBW... Particle size is about like oatmeal or gravel pellets... I prefer to use a plenum... I have had good results with plenums... I have also had good results without a plenum... but only with lots of sand sifters... I prefer the engineer blenny Pholydichthys... as a sand sifter... Jawfish are also good, but tend to jump out... I think that covers all the points.

Q: Have you found a plenum worth the sacrifice in tank room/maintenance, or if he's accomplishing nitrate reduction using other methods. My own favorite method is a gigas.

One can add a plenum system in a connected refugium... So it is not necessary to have it in the tank... In my experience, tridacnid clams... do not bring the nitrate down to zero... Only denitirification or turf scrubbing do...

Q: What is the best way to acclimate a tank when changing to metal halides from VHO's or to higher Kelvin rated lamps?

Well, for one thing, don't change the carbon at the same time... Shorten the photoperiod and raise the lights up... temporarily, and slowly get them where you want them... position and time wise. One can use shading... screens, but I've never tried that, so have no experience with them. JS I'll bite, what' s the importance of the carbon when aclimmating to new lights? See Bingman's article about UV transmission... When you change carbon, the water becomes clearer...

Q: If SPS extend their polyps for prey capture...shouldn't they retract them if they have adequate light for their energy budget? I have heard the opposite.

Polyp extension is not just for prey capture... It also is for gas exchange, and regulation of the amount of light... that the polyp needs... If their budget is met, it doesn't mean they must close up... That's all.

Q: Are there any references which shows proper pronounciation of various marine related terms such as "Zooxanthellae"?

Pronunciation varies depending on what country you're from... there's a neat book... called Dictionary of Word roots and combining forms... that explains origins and meaning of names.. and may offer some pronunciation advice.

Q: Have you seen a nnr system in operation for more than 6 years now...? if so can the substrate continue to support the systems for years after in his opinion.

My oldest jaubert style tanks are not yet 6 years old... but they show no signs of winding down... on the contrary, the oldest ones are doing very well... after more than 4 years at least.

Q: What does Julian use for surge system?

I have a Tsunami on one tank, Tunze Turbelle's with power timer on another... am experimenting with some other systems too.

Q: Can you give us your thoughts on lighting, water quality and water movement? What is the best all around lighting to keep a wide range of corals? Are surge makers better than wave makers?

Fshew! Read the book! Hmmm... Best lighting for a wide range of corals... sunlight, probably... Those questions are too broad to answer specifically... try something more specific.

Q: what are your opinions on fluidized bed filters, I have noticed many more on the market lately, they seem to slowly be catching on

I'd say they caught on quickly! I was just given one for testing from Rainbow lifeguard... slow growing tree would be able to pull that much nitrate out fo the water. Have not hooked it up yet... I don't use biological filters of this kind on reef tanks... preferring to use the substrate in the tank for bio filtration... but I think that fluidized bed filters have gained popularity... because of their function in fish systems.

Q: Are you familar with Bob Richmonds research on collecting gammets during the coral spawn and raising them in a open flow system? And if you are, do you think the same could be done in the aquarium?

Yes, I'm familiar with Bob's work... and yes I think we can do it with our aquaria... but spawning SPS corals is rare in captivity... Production of planulae by Pocillopora is common... and spawning in large polyped corals is common... but SPS are best propagated via fragmentation, generally.

Q: What are your opinions on mangroves? I find it hard to believe that a slow growing tree would be able to pull that much nitrate out of the water.

I gave a talk about them at the western marine conf... In it I made the point that in my experience the trees are not good filters... so their use is more aesthetic and habitat related... However, they do send roots throughout the substrate... so they are pumping oxygen there... which means they may help prevent H2S formation... also they may be able to remove phosphate bound in the substrate (not tested). theory not tested that is... I'd compare mangrove trees to tridacnid clams... both surely consume nitrate and ammonia... but they do not denitrify the water. Bothe are pretty to look at.

Q: Do you know if it has been determined whether iodide or iodate is the biologically active form of iodine that marine organisms take up?

Don't know... Craig Bingman had a great article a while back... in AF about iodine... I sus pect iodide is most readily taken up... but iodate is rapidly formed in oxygen rich water... so it is likely also easy to take up for many creatures... Organically bound iodine is common in algae filled areas... and may also be consumed by some creatures directly, or indirectly after bacteria consume or break it down.

Q: Besides the corals that JCD and Carlson mentioned at WMC, what are the next challenging species that we may be able to keep?

If you don't mean to restrict the topic to corals... I think that greater interest in sponges and tunicates is pending... and there are many species that can be kept... and this includes many that are not commonly collected.

Q: Have you heard of anyone testing sand beds and/or sargassum/thallassia filtration systems? Any results or recommendations?

I don't know what you mean by sand beds... I have two Jaubert systems that have Thallasia in them... Sargassum grows too slowly to really be a "filter"... But it is beautiful to grow it... You must add iodine regularly for Sargassum.

Q: Is it better to keep a wide range on animals (from different reef zones) or is it better to specialize in one type? What are your feelings about several tanks to simulate differant zones, all connected to one ecosystem (sump/refugium)? What are your thoughts on Zonation in general?

One can achieve zonation within one aquarium... but it is really interesting to have connected tanks with different zones... I personally combine the ideas, with refugia, and with combinations of light, water flow, and substrate. JS

Q: Will tangs eat sargassum?

In my experience, most tangs don't eat it. JS

Q: With all the talk lately about the destruction of our coral reefs, what do you see in the future for this hobby?

Well, if we kept bigger tanks, the dive industry could be moved indoors... I don't know what impact the current focus on reef health will have... but I can imagine that as our hobby becomes more widely practiced internationally... two things will happen... One: environmental organizations will be alarmed... Two: Scientists will come to recognize the benefit and harmless nature of what we do with corals... So if we can publish and disseminate info about our successes, in time the hobby can hardly be percieved... as a threat to natural reefs.

Q: What LR can do better: Convert ammonia to nitrite, nitrite to nitrate or nitrate to NO2 ? In other words: If you have a well stabilished tank (cycled) and keep adding fishes (and letting it cycle for that fish) What chemical will build up first ?

That's a good question... I don't know what will build up first, ammonia certainly when the fish load is increased, but in my experience... when the fish load is increased in systems relying on live rock (not much sand), the nitrate goes up.

Q: A while back, many months in fact, you stated that the scientific world does not take our hobby seriously. Do you still find this to be true?

Must have been a long time ago... cause I don't remember stating that specifically... I find that while many scientists are not aware of our success with corals... many are aware of it and admire what we do... this is largely do to contacts made by Bruce Carlson, Charles Delbeek, and others, myself included... due to, oops... Word of mouth in the scientific community has spread the word nicely... that reef aquaria are useful tools for growing corals... Dr. Jaubert has, by combining the aquarium in Monaco with coral reef research... made the necessary link between aquaria and coral reef study.

Julian, some members of our audience would like to know how "Big Guy" is doing. ;-)

Um, er, bad news. Big Guy's dead... He developed what seemed like a tumor in one eye...

Sad news indeed Julian.. :-(

and it rapidly grew despite attemps at treatment... So after all he went through... and after the great success, he passed away- very sad.

For those who don't know.. Big Guy a wolf eel Julian wrote about in FAMA a few months back

Q: Do you think there is a significant diiference in growth and health between the 65k and 20k bulbs?

I've never seen a bulb grow... and don't know how to tell if it is healthy... but 65k sounds faster and healthier than 20K! OK, I've not compared them, so I don't know exactly... In general, I think it depends on the types of coral... Higher kelvin light simulates deeper water... Some corals grow faster at depth. Some don't... Combining high Kelvin bulbs with lower kelvin may produce faster growth by providing extra blue... but as I said, I've not tested this.

Q: so what you're saying is, if we use a combination of 65k, 10k and 20k, we'd have all the spectrums covered for all depths of corals?

I didn't say that...no... Hmmm... You'd have a multicolored tank!

Q: How much lighting is too much in regards to sps corals?

You can tell when there is too much light when the corals get very pale... but this can also happen when the water is very nutrient poor... Generally you can't provide too much light, unless the lights heat the tank up too much... Give me a tank size and I'll tell you what's adequate or too much.

Q: isn't nutrient poor water our goal as reef keepers?

Nutrient poor water yes, sort of... If it is nutrient poor and you feed the system a lot of food... you will achieve the ideal... but if you achieve nutrient poor water by starving the system, then no, this is not our goal.

Q: What are your conclusions with lower kelvins such as 4000k??

You can have success with low kelvin bulbs if you use sufficient intensity... When I started with reef tanks (in 1983) I used to supplement the fluorescent lights... with an incandescent spotlight or two... but the color is not great and the heat is another problem.

Q: I have a fire coral that used to extend it's hairlike polyps when initially introduced to the tank, but for quite some time (year) has not extended them. Any thoughts as to why?

Perhaps you have put a shaving shrimp in your tank? or it could be that the coral is going to shed a waxy film soon... Sometimes fire corals close down for weeks at a time... Make sure that you direct a strong water current at it.

could terpenes from adjacent corals cause a fire coral to stop extending its hairlike tentacles?

In theory yes, but probably that's not what the problem is... Usually fire corals compete successfully with soft corals. JS

Q: Which SPS corals could you properly keep with VHO lighting?

All will grow under VHO lighting. Most will grow under standard fluorescents with enough bulbs...

Q: Which Hard Corals do you recommend with VHO?

As I said...all. but particularly lagoon species such as elegance, open brain, Pagoda, Cynarina, etc.

Q: what's your favorite fish to keep? mermaid?

heheheh don't we all Julian ;-)

Fish, yeah right... I like many fish! Mandarins are probably my favorite... but I also particularly like flame hawks... and marine betta's.. and percula clowns... and lots of others... but mandarins are tops. JS

We would like to thank Julian for coming and everyone who submitted questions. Our apologies to those questions that were not answered. We did our best of sorting through them all in the short time I had.