Q&A with Jake Adams of CORALidea

Jake Adams is a professional, practicing aquarist who has been an active participant in the national marine aquarium community for over 10 years. He has been educating aquarists of a wide range of marine aquarium topics through frequent articles, podcasts and presentations around the country. He recently founded www.coralidea.com which provides a free downloadable guide to coral identification for mobile devices and home computers. Jake has a Bachelor's Degree in Marine Science and he will be returning to graduate school to further pursue research in the field of coral reef ecology. (Bio Source: Sierra Saltwater Systems)

Marine Depot: Can you tell us a little about your background in the saltwater aquarium hobby?

Jake Adams: I have been keeping corals and reef tanks since 1996. My first job was at an aquarium store and I have worked and managed several marine aquarium stores in Denver and Atlanta since then. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina and even there I managed a wetlab, where I designed, set-up and maintained aquarium systems tailored for specific research purposes. While in college I carried out an independent research project which showed that water flow is crucial in driving photosynthesis. Soon after graduating I worked with spawning coral in Puerto Rico and learned and developed techniques for handling coral larvae. I would say that my background in the aquarium hobby has one foot in the academic world so I try to bring scientific understanding to aquarium knowledge through frequent articles, podcasts and speaking at national and regional aquarium events. Currently my main focus is on developing CORALIDEA as a free digital media resource for identifying and learning about corals, clams and anemones.

MD: What inspired you to create Coralidea? What role do you see it playing for your average reefkeeper?

JA: Since I travel around to many reef events and visit many reef tanks I get to see many unique, rare and unusual specimens which I enjoy photographing as a natural extension of my passion for marine aquaria. I am also somewhat of a gadget head so I keep many pictures on my iPod and smartphone to show other reefers a particular coral when it comes up in conversation. I am also known as a stickler for proper identification and I often use the pictures on my iPod to settle an identification debate. I was literally driving down the road one day when it occurred to me that I had pictures of many different corals and that I should organize them into an ID guide for other people to use on their portable devices such as iPods and smartphones. One of the biggest advantages of the CORALIDEA guide is that the identification is all in Latin so the guide is useful no matter what language you speak. Since the media is in a digital format and useable on so many platforms like iPods, smartphones, computers, PDAs and more, I hope the identification landscape will become easier to learn for the average reefkeeper.

MD: So … what’s YOUR tank like? A quick breakdown of your system specs and livestock should do the trick!

JA: My big tank will either seem really interesting or really lame. It’s a 115 extra tall tank with the footprint of a 75 gallon tank which I primarily use for water flow research. This tank is used for creating wave harmonics using a pair of wireless Vortech pumps to produce long waves and standing waves to a dramatic effect; there is no rock or livestock, just freshwater. My other real tank is a 29 gallon, mixed reef with just about a little of everything coral-wise. Some of the notable livestock includes a wild Onyx true percula, a sunburst anemone, orange flower anemone, a gold coral banded shrimp, a weeping willow toadstool, a red Cycloseris, lots of brilliant zoanthids and a fuschia Neospongodes. The tank is run with a Vortech pump for flow (either oscillating or constant flow), a remora protein skimmer, an OmegaStar DE 150 watt pendant and a heating element controlled by a Medusa. You might say that this hardware is overkill for this type of tank but it allows me to leave the tank alone for a week or two at a time while I am traveling. I add a two-part solution, feed arcti-pods and roti-feast and I change a bucket of water out every 3-5 weeks. I keep it simple so my brother doesn’t have to do much to the tank while I am out of town. This video shows the wave tank with a standing wave or third harmonic wave and the 29 gallon with a long wave or second harmonic. I am really excited about my next reef aquarium which is will be an industry-supported aquarium to showcase what is possible with efficient design and inclusion of energy-saving technologies such as brushless motors, LED lights and thermo-electric chillers.

MD: If you were approached by someone interested in getting into the marine/reef aquarium hobby, what advice would you give them? Are there any misconceptions you would want to clear up? What sites or resources might you recommend to them?

JA: The biggest misconception people have about reef tanks is that lighting is the most important parameter. The well meaning hobbyist then blast their tanks with too much light for too long leading to problems in the form of nuisance algae and unhealthy corals. Water flow is the factor that drives the light and dark reactions and I would love to see people invest a lot more attention to the water motion within their aquarium. A common response I get from the DSB crowd is that more flow will blow away their precious oolitic sand which leads me to the next big common misconception about reef tanks: sand is not a natural part of most of the reef zones that our corals come from. I am not denying the obvious ecological benefits that a sand bed provides for a reef tank but I believe that this effect is best harnessed in an area which is remote from the main aquarium such as in a sump or dedicated refugium.

Probably the best resource for reef noobs is their local aquarium clubs. Most clubs will have some old salt members who can help them to learn more about their area of interest and point them in the right direction for specific information. There are a lot of old aquarium books on the shelves these days so try to pick one or two that have been published within the last five years. Also, make sure to use some critical thinking when you read anything in an open forum such as the internet.

MD: Are you participating in any forthcoming events we should know about?

JA: As I mentioned earlier, I am very active in the national marine aquarium community and I will be speaking at several upcoming events. I will be in Manhattan April 27^th for their frag swap. The following weekend, May 3-4^th, I will be in Rockford Illinois for the Rockford FragFest. In late May I will be speaking at IMAC in Chicago and finally in September I will be doing a workshop at MACNA XX in my old stomping ground of Atlanta. The talks will be on Atlantic stony corals or on the importance of water flow in reef aquariums. Please visit the event websites for more information.

MD: What’s next for you, personally and professionally? How do you see Coralidea fitting into the hobby? What are the next steps for Coralidea? How can hobbyists support Coralidea?

JA: In addition to developing the low-energy reef I mentioned earlier, I am in the process of working on FISHIDEA as a guide to reef fish identification and as a companion to CORALIDEA. Like the coral guide, the fish guide will also be a free download and supported by sponsors. We reefers don’t carry our books around but we do carry our phones and mobile devices. I hope that CORALIDEA and the related guides will eventually become one of the standards we use to identify our reef animals. Although I have no misconceptions that all of the IDs are correct, the guide will eventually include an archive of changes made to the guide so that we will all be able to track our shifting understanding on the proper identification of certain species.

CORALIDEA is currently a balanced operation which I spend a lot of time and energy developing. Hobbyists can support CORALIDEA by submitting images for use in the guide, either fish, corals, clams or anemones. Additionally, since the guide is still a very new concept I really need feed-back on how the guide works for you on your device and what can be done to make it better. Furthermore, I would love to tailor the guide for optimum performance on a range of platforms but I can only afford one new device every six months or so. There is a (seldom-used) Paypal donation button on the website for the development fund. If you would like to see increased functionality in the guide please consider making a donation with comments as to what device or functionality you would like to see added to the CORALIDEA guide. All submissions and Paypal donations can be sent to corallite at gmail dot com.

MD: Quick, name your top 5 favorite corals (starting stopwatch). Go!

JA: Disc corals Fungia and Cycloseris are first on the list. They have such a neat reproductive strategy and they are one of the few corals you can call a pet because you are looking at the same polyp year after year. We all love Acros but one I like in particular is Acropora abrotanoides. ‘Abros’ have such a thick branching pattern that they make a really majestic staghorn colony, quite different from your typical green slimmer, but they require very fast water flow to grow well. As a group I really like Pavona species and the related Caribbean counterpart Agaricia. Both of these coral genera have very interesting growth forms and intricate skeletal detail which is unique and extremely rewarding to photograph. Stylocoeniella is kind of a weirdo coral which I think I was the first to identify among boulder-shaped Porites. I remember the funny looks I used to get when identifying this coral to old-salts but now it is not uncommon to see several different species properly identified and available for sale. I like Stylocoeniella because it is a primitive cryptic coral which takes a true aficionado to appreciate. The skeleton is very hard, a lot more like marble than limestone and this coral will release brooded larvae in the aquarium much like Pocillopora species. Another weirdo which is infrequently imported from the Solomon Islands is Australogyra zelli. This species has a branching pattern which is unique amongst larger polyped Faviids. A. zelli is a often a poor shipper so it is not available for sale very often. This majestic species was on the cover of Veron’s first major coral ID book, Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Like the ‘Abro’ I mentioned before, the thick branches of A. zelli also need a lot of water flow to survive.

Coral Propagation 101

Materials Needed:

• Propagation Tank or Vat (48X24X8) and Berlin Sump
• Light Source (Ice Cap 400W MH DE HQI)
• Flow and Water Movement (Return Mag 5 + (2) Hydor Koralia 3
• Chiller (Aqua Logic 1/5th)
• Calcium Reactor (Korallin C1502)
• Protein Skimmer (Euro Reef RS 135) Bigger the better!
• Egg Crate, PVC, PVC Glue, and tools/materials
• Medication and Treatments (Joes Juice, Salifert Flatworm Exit, Interceptor*, Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure) Substrate (Live Rock, Live Sand, Big Refugium) Salt, Additives Propagation Tools, Plugs, Glue and Epoxies

Marine Depot is not responsible, for any misuse of products, additives and medications!

My search for more corroborating information on coral propagation led me to Anthony Calfo and Steve Tyree, on proper propagation and filtration. From the articles and setups that I have done in the past and have dreamt about, I wanted to come up with a system that allows the user to be productive and simple at the same time.

The first stage to setting up a successful Coral propagation operation is to plan in advanced, and to have available all the necessary equipment needed for propagation. What I am illustrating to you is one proper method to build, propagate, and effectively conserve and share your corals with others in an all in one package, which will allow you to be successful and productive at the same time be within a reasonable budget.

In addition I cannot stress the magnitude of my concern with cross contamination of pasties and pathogens. I will go into depth on the importance of treatment and quarantine methods to protect yourself and your fellow hobbyist before you introduce any incoming corals to your new system.

One big factor that comes into play is weather or not your are seeking to be esthetically pleasing while your are propagating or you if you are just looking to have more of a commercial warehouse style operation, in my case I choose to have a setup that is not only appealing but is very effective also.I chose to go with a 48”X 24”X 8” all glass tank, that will allow me to have the most amount of space for my current living situation, yet still be a harmonious attribute to my furnishings. Using a “Euro-Braced”, black silicone tank, I choose to go with a stain that would match my current interior furnishings as well.

After applying several coats of stain, I went ahead and let the stand dry thoroughly, and then followed up with a coat of semi gloss all weather protective coat.

This will provide my stand with optimal protection against any wear and tear, which I plan to encounter during my coral propagation operation.

Drilling my tank custom to my needs, using a Diamond Drill Bit, I slowly began to drill my tank at specific locations. I chose to go with a 1 ½” bulk head for my over flow on the bottom right hand corner, and a ½ bulk head for my return on the back pane in the middle. This will allow me to be able to pump sufficient water from my sump to the prop tank, with out any worries of return/overflow ratios and dead spots.

On the return I went ahead and used “Lock Line” return split with a Y connector, so that equal water flow could be dispersed evenly in my tank. While on the over flow, I went ahead and used 1 ½ hard line PVC. After dropping in my Berlin Sump, I placed the tank back on the stand, I spent about 20 minutes cutting and dry fitting every part to make sure that everything would be perfectly situated, then the gluing began.

You will want to make sure that when using the PVC glue you are using it in a well ventilated area, the toxins and chemicals that you can breathe will make you feel as if you just got back from an all-nighter at a Jimmy Hendrix concert.

That wasn’t a recommendation.

If you were to ask an experienced hobbyist how to add substrate to your tank, they would probably know or at least offer some good tips to minimize the actual cycling time and prevent the classic cloud storm which fresh new sand creates.

You want to first start off by having available a couple of 5 gallon buckets to rigorously wash your sand. Live sand is always best, but if not using dried Agronite, will be sufficient once it is washed and seeded with live rock, and a couple of cups of sand from an established tank. The more the better, when it comes to seeding your sand.

Let the washing begin! With your sand ready to be washed, three or four buckets on hand with clean pre-mixed salt water filled about 1/2 of the way up is going to be the best way to wash your sand. You will need at least 30 gallons of water that you are going to use to wash your sand.

You want to use your hand to stir the sand rigorously; you will notice that the water will be filthy with white sediment, and dust. Dump this dirty salt water into your toilet, then fill again, and repeat. I would do this until when you stir the salt water, the salt water is sediment free. The salt water should be very clean; at this point you know your sand is clean and ready to add to the propagation tank.

With your new propagation setup in place, you can begin to add your freshly washed sand. You should add the sand with minimal water as possible; make sure to dump out all of the water from your washing buckets, before you add the sand.

Once you have all your sand in place, you can then use a couple of trash bags, to lie over the sand, to create a barrier from the sand and water. In doing this, when you fill your aquarium with salt water, this will limit the amount of “Cloudiness”, and your turn around time will be much faster before your up and running.

With the tank is full along with the sump, you can then remove the trash bags, if they haven’t already floated up. You will see that your water has great visibility and clarity. Now that your tank is full, you can begin to add your fresh live rock.

If you decided to go with uncured rock, then you will have to cure your rock, along with your new setup. I personally recommend fresh “Uncured Live Rock”, this rock will have many hitch hikers, and beneficial bacteria, that will offer you the best biological filtration.

Keep in mind you will have to wash your rock in the same manner as stated above. You should now have about 3-5 inches of clean sand; along with a couple of larger pieces of rock in your main tank, and the majority of your rubble rock in your sump, I would pack as much live rock as possible. The more the better! Now that everything is in place it is time to turn the pumps on and let the cycle begin.

“You now can start feeding your tank. In doing this every other day, this helps the cycle and bacteria build larger and heavier strains of bacteria, because your are feeding it, and not starving your tank for the cycle period. Which if neglected, may cause many beneficial bacteria’s and pathogens to starve out.”

You can add some additives to aid in this process along with adding some Chromis( atripectoralis) which will help the bacteria cycle progress and establish a solid foundation. Before you add your fish, you will need to wait about 2 weeks, and do a sufficient 25% water change and make sure you Ammonia and Nitrite are within range.

You will not want to add any species until your Ammonia and Nitrite are reading 0. During the gestation period and infancy of newly established tanks, a good idea is to hold off on skimming to allow everything to replenish before stripping your water with over skimming.

I recommend up to three months during this period, before adding any SPS corals. In this case two weeks will be sufficient; if you were to use “Cured Live Rock”, and sand.

At this point you can go ahead and turn your skimmer on. During this period of break in, bringing your nutrient levels down at this point is necessary to sustain healthy vibrant SPS corals. I would also go ahead and add various types of snails and invertebrates, to scavenge and clean you rocks and sand.

Also you may want to begin dosing your bacterial filtration, such as Prodibio, Zeovit, or Ultralith (Fauna Marine). I will be demonstrating the Prodibio system, on my particular system, with before and after documentation as well.

Stay tuned as I will be preparing my tank further for propagation, and setting up my calcium reactor step by step.

Global Worming

I was staring into the Thunderdome (the name my tank acquired after the gut-wrenching loss of 2) recently when I observed an orange tentacle-like creature emerging from the bottom crevices of the live rock.

It looked like a monster R.L. Stine might dream up for his next horror novel. I watched transfixed as the creature began sweeping the live sand for detritus in a slow, hypnotic fashion. I had no idea this thing was lurking around my tank!

Night after night I would go home worried about the orange monstrosity living among my fish. Determined, I geared-up like John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the movie Commando, ready to “terminate” this beast using whatever means necessary.

I first attempted removal of the alien species using some slow-moving tweezer action. Unfortunately, the refraction of the water gave me the dexterity of a drunkard, so I was easily thwarted by the creature’s lightning-fast reflexes.

Defeated, I vowed I would one day return to stop the forces of evil.

My next attempt did not fair much better. I know the critter saw me staring into the tank because he attempted to hide from my scouring eyes. I decided “the heck with it” and lunged for him, like an outstretched ballplayer diving for a hard-to-reach play.

Close, but no cigar. No weird undersea organism, either.

I’d finally had enough and decided to contact a professional: a MarineDepot.com customer service representative. The CSR informed that my beastly invader was actually a bristle worm.

Ha! A puny worm?

I figured a more humane approach to simply crushing him would be to Google “bristle worm” and find out more about the little bugger. I discovered a ton of information and some conflicting views about my wormly visitor. Before I invested in a worm trap or some other, possibly useless paraphernalia, I decided to once again seek the advice of an expert.

The swami of saltwater said I shouldn’t believe everything I read on the Internet and that ‘ol wormy is actually good for my reef system. He taught me that small bristle worms help keep your tank clean by eating fish leftovers.

Like Stan and Kyle, I feel I learned something today. I learned that just because an animal may look ugly, as long as it stays hidden under a rock and cleans up after my fish, it will always have a home in my aquarium.