I stumbled across an interesting read on CORAL Magazine’s website claiming that activated carbon has been determined to be a likely cause of head and lateral line erosion in some marine fish. HLLE, as it is abbreviated, is a type of skin ailment that usually shows up in the form of lesions and torn skin around the eyes, fins, and lateral line of the affected fish. As the problem grows, the skin begins to erode and the fish can become permanently scarred. HLLE isn’t fatal, except in extreme cases, but it can be a very traumatic experience for the fish and concerned hobbyist alike.

There have been many presumed causes of head and lateral line erosion, and people pointing the finger at activated carbon isn’t a novel thought. In fact, the association between carbon and HLLE was first described in the late 80′s. Despite this, documented causes of the ailment are still undetermined because nothing has been published through official scientific studies, though many informal studies and discussions do exist. So what evidence supports blaming carbon for causing HLLE? In addition to casual observations by hobbyist and professional aquarists, the Toledo Zoo has shown a direct correlation between carbon use and head and later line erosion in a very recent study. The zoo setup three systems, with one being subjected to lignite carbon, one using pellet carbon, and one as a control. Thirty-five tangs of the species Anthurus bahianus were then split up and placed into the systems. Two fish in the lignite carbon filtered system showed signs of lesions a mere 20 days after the carbon was added to the system. After four months, several fish in this system had severe lesions. On the system exposed to pellet carbon, none of the fish showed visible lesions, but microscopic systems did show up. A couple of months after the study concluded, two fish from this system did develop minor lesions. The fish in the control group didn’t develop any lesions, visible or microscopic, and six months after the study ended and the carbon was removed from the other systems, all of the HLLE lesions disappeared from the originally affected fish.

Continue below to read about all of carbon’s benefits…

Activated carbon has been in use on both fresh and marine aquariums for decades. It does a great job of removing dissolved organic material, medications, toxins, water staining compounds and so much more. I still use carbon on my reef tanks and will continue to do because their benefit far outweigh their shortcomings. Just be careful with its use, as it can cause other issues other than head and lateral line erosion. Some hobbyists only use carbon a few days out of the month or only when their tanks become a little cloudy or discolored. They limit its use mainly because it strips good things from the water along with the bad, and leaches other substance back into the water. I still recommend using carbon in some form or fashion, but if HLLE shows up in your system, remove the carbon and try a different route like more frequent water changes, biopellet media, or increasing the size of your protein skimmer.

Source: CORAL Magazine

AquaFX Octopus RODI

AquaFX, a very popular reverse osmosis company, has released another fancy RO/DI unit to their lineup. The AquaFX Octopus RO/DI unit is full of bells and whistles and is the most efficient unit AquaFX has to offer.

The Octopus will retail for 389.00 and will feature the following:

• Microprocessor Controlled 1:1 Waste water Ratio
• High Pressure Bracket Mounted Booster Pump (Located Post Pre-filtration for extended pump life)
• Extended DI life via automatic Membrane Flush upon Start-up (Greatly prolong DI life by flushing TDS Creep upon startup!)
• Cyclic Membrane Flush (Full Membrane Flush upon shutdown to help prevent membrane scaling)
• Built in TDS meter with full (0-99)ppm range
• High and Low Pressure Kill Switchs (For pump protection and full system automation)

Here’s a brief statement from AquaFX

AquaFX is proud to release the newest in a line of Green and Effcient units, the first of Which is the Octopus RO/DI unit.

At a glance, the Octopus seems friendly and undaunting, but if you take a closer look, you will see a true RO/DI marvel!

This RO/DI unit is setup for greatest filter life, with least ammount of waste!

All units are made, tested and supported in the USA.

The AquaFX water filtration units are very well built. I own the AquaFX Mako and it’s still producing water at 0ppm dissolved solids over a year since its purchase. I don’t run a whole lot of water through the system, but still, the unit definitely performs well.

There has been quite a bit of debate on which algae, caluerpa or chaetomorpha, is best for the home aquarium. Both perform the same functions and both have the same requirements, but there are stark differences between the two plants that make the choice difficult sometimes.

Caulerpa

Caulerpa comes in a variety of flavors. There is grape caulerpa, razor caulerpa, feather caulerpa, and many more. For the most part, they are extremely fast growers and make an excellent home for amphipods, stomatella snails, bristleworms, and all of the other fantastic refugium life. It also excellent for nutrient control. Some caulerpa species are better than others. Some grow more quickly or more slowly, some lay out “runners” with which to attach to the substrate, and some have long leaves that make them excellent for a seagrass tank. But caulerpa has several severe drawbacks. It can go sexual, overgrow equipment and corals, and can produce chemicals that reduce coral growth and stain the aquarium water.

Caulerpa has a nasty side to it…and that is its ability to “go sexual”. When caulerpa goes sexual, it turns white, dissolves, and releases spores and all of the nutrients it had previously absored back into the system. These excess nutrients and spores can cause a massive tank crash. The tank will become very cloudy and the only way to battle it is a massive water change. But there are methods aquarists use to keep the caulerpa from going sexual. Some swear that keeping the lights on the caulerpa (in the refugium) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week will prevent the caulerpa from going sexual. However, in my experience, caulerpa has done better when given a long period where it is illuminated followed by at least 8 hours of darkness. This just so happens to be one of those “what works best for you” situations. If your caulerpa goes sexual with a 24/7 photoperiod, then change it around to find what works.

Grape Caulerpa

Another downside to caulerpa is it’s destructive behavior. Caulerpa grows extraordinarily fast, sometimes fast enough to destroy equipment. For example, I had a small pump in my refugium to provide a little extra flow. Everything was doing well, and then I noticed a burning smell. I couldn’t find it at first, but following my nose I eventually found it. The caulerpa had grown into the pump and had stopped the impeller from spinning. The motor kept moving, but the pump eventually burned up. Although a blessing for the most part, caulerpa’s quick growth rate has led to other problems as well. Worldwide, caulerpa has grown so fast that it has destroyed natural reefs. There are even organizations that have been established to help erradicate and prevent caulerpa from absolutely taking over. In California, the group SCCAT, or the Southern California Caulerpa Action Team has been established to help educate people about caulerpa and help to rid local waters of it. Caulerpa has even been banned in California for fear of it getting into the ocean and spreading. Also be weary of any caulerpa getting into your display tank. It will overgrow corals and will be extremely difficult to remove.

Finally, caulerpa has a noxious, and sometimes toxic, aspect to consider. It has long been acepted too that grape caulerpa will release chemicals into the water that will inhibit the growth of your corals. This type of “chemical warfare” is a way of insuring its survival. This sort of behavior is similar to what a lot of corals do. Since real estate is usually non-existent on a natural reef, corals and other organisms have developed methods of harming or killing their neighbors in order to either gain space, or fight what they’ve already got. A lot of reefkeepers swear that caulerpa inhibits the growth of their corals…especially SPS, and most fish will not eat it. I have used grape caulerpa for years and have not experienced any of the drawbacks that a lot of aquarists have expressed.

Here is an amazing story of caulerpa going sexual. The author took several pictures leading up to the event.
A Warning Sign of Impending Caulerpa Sporulation

Chaetomorpha

Chaetomorpha is probably the best overall algae for the refugium. It doesn’t attach to the substrate like caulerpa, but sits in a dense ball that looks like a big brillo pad or bundle of spaghetti. There are only a handful of species available to the everyday hobbyist, but the differences between each of the commonly used species are slight and each one serves the same purpose.

Chaetomorpha Macroalgae

© 2009 Foster & Smith, Inc. Reprinted as a courtesy and with permission from http://www.LiveAquaria.com

Unlike caulerpa, chaetomorpha (abbreviate chaeto) does not grow onto the rocks or sand, but stays in a floating mass. It will not grow onto powerheads, and if it were to get into your display, it could easily be removed by a net or by hand. You will not have the same battle with chaeto like you would if caulerpa got into your display. Chaeto also has the huge advantage in that it does not go sexual. It may whither and die in some setups, but overall it is hardy and will not release nutrients back into the system causing a tank crash.

Being dense, chaeto makes for an excellent home for amphipods and other small refugium organisms. The density also has a downside. If the ball of chaeto is too thick, the light cannot penetrate to the underside of the mass. The underside may die or lose some pigmentation, but there is a solution. If you place a powerhead into the refugium and point it at the floating chaeto, it will cause it to spin or tumble. As it rotates in the water, the light will hit most surfaces of the plant and will prevent dead spots from forming.

With all that being said, do not count out caulerpa (unless you are in California). I have used it for years with absolutely no problems. I have never had caulerpa go sexual, but I have lost a cheap pump to it. One further thing I would like to mention is sometimes a tank, for whatever reason, cannot sustain one algae or the other. For example, I had a very difficult time maintaining chaeto in my 90 gallon mixed reef when it was setup. In my 180 I had a much easier time keeping it alive, although it grew very slowly. Caulerpa on the other hand has been rock solid for me. It grows so unbelievably fast and I’ve never had problems getting it to grow.

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© 2009 Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc.
Reprinted as a courtesy and with permission from
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