Kevin Kohen On December 9, 2003, as part of PetHobbyist.com's Sixth Annual Chat Week, Kevin Kohen was our guest on AquariumHobbyist.com
Professionally, Kevin has helped pioneer important research studies in water chemistry management, filtration technologies, fish diseases, and acclimation techniques to safeguard the health of a wide range of aquatic species. He also was influential in the research and development of specialized shipping techniques that are now used by most distributors and exporters in the nation to ensure the health of aquatic life during transit. As a hobbyist/enthusiast, Kevin has bred and reared nearly 100 species of fresh and saltwater fish, and in 1981 was one of the earliest pioneers in maintaining live corals in captivity. He has received the Saltwater Aquarium of the Year and Reef Aquarium of the Year awards from the Greater Dayton Aquarium Society. With membership in both the American Cichlid Association (ACA) and Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA), Kevin has a special interest in SPS coral propagation, performing research on advanced filtration techniques, and writing articles to help fish and coral owners build successful aquariums. PHSplendens: Welcome to AquariumHobbyist's 6th Annual Chat Week! Tonight we are pleased to welcome Kevin Kohen from LiveAquaria.com as our special guest! PHSplendens: Kevin is a lifelong hobbyist/enthusiast with a Bachelor of Science degree from Wright State University, and he has extensive knowledge of and wide-ranging experience in the aquarium industry. PHSplendens: Tonight we are going to be using protocol, and at this time I would like to go over the use of protocol. To ask a question type a ? to make a comment please type a ! and wait to be acknowledged. Your name will then be added to the queue, and you will be called upon in turn to ask your questions. PHSplendens: Welcome Kevin! liveaquaria.com: Glad to be here jeffb: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead jeff jeffb: would it be safe to say that right now your fish are flying somewhere in the US>? liveaquaria.com: That is correct. We use FedEx next day air sevice to expedite customers orders directly to their door the following day. Open Brain_nr: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead open reefaholic_nr: ? Lyra: ? Open Brain_nr: How does that affect your mortality rates when compared to a LFS? jeffb: ? liveaquaria.com: By cutting out one step in the chain of custody in the distribution of marine and freshwater fish it decreases the overall mortality in the industry. Pet stores across the country receive fish the same way and experience a small percentage of mortality as well as us. Overall the mortality rates of our fish are substantially lower than in most pet stores, because we select our fish from the best distributor if marine fish in the country. PHPhoenix: go ahead reef reefaholic_nr: How important is using R/O water in a reef tank rather than tap water liveaquaria.com: RO water is very important in my opinion. The main reason is that reverse osmosis removes so many harmful impurities from tap water. Most of these impurities lead to unsightly algae growth in the home aquarium. PHPhoenix: go ahead lyra Lyra: Hi Kevin! I have always had a fear of ordering fish online, do you guarantee the quality of your fish when they get to their destination? liveaquaria.com: We are proud to offer the longest guarantee in the industry. A full 10 days from the day of departure. Your complete satisfaction is very important to us and is the foundation of our business here at Drs. Foster & Smith. reefaholic_nr: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead reef reefaholic_nr: When lighting a reef when should you go halide? jeffb: ? liveaquaria.com: Halide lighting is important for deep aquariums where light penetration is important. It is also ideal for small polyp stony corals like Acropora sp. PHPhoenix: go ahead jeff jeffb: Is the world still "nemo" happy and what do you think, is "nemo" a perc or an occelaris? Open Brain_nr: ? liveaquaria.com: Nemo in my opinion is an Amphiprion ocellaris due to the location in which the movie is set. PHPhoenix: go ahead open Open Brain_nr: I saw an awesome photo of a SPS aquarium, and I don't know what the fish was, but it appeared to be a large angel? I thought that angels ate corals? Lyra: ? liveaquaria.com: In my experience most Pomacanthus and Centropyge angels are not ideal for reef aquaria as they constantly nip at corals. In a well established reef they can do well, but irritate the corals too much and inhibit the growth of these corals. reefaholic_nr: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead lyra Lyra: Do you think there is a possibility that sometime in the near future we will have to have a license to own certain species of fish? liveaquaria.com: That is a good question. I don't think that will be the case in the foreseeable future. I think that if a license is necessary it will start with other pets first. Open Brain_nr: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead reef reefaholic_nr: What is the difference between tonga kaelini, shelf and branch live rock? Open Brain_nr: What angels common in the hobby are reef safe? liveaquaria.com: Kaelini rock is named after Walt Smithâ??s daughter and is rock that is found in one specific area of Tonga. This rock is more oblong and round in shape with a great deal of diversity of life on the rock. Shelf rock is more flat and elongated making ideal tops to caves in the reef aquaria. Branch rock is just like the name implies, branches like an Oak tree. Branch rock will create a nice display in the reef with great circulation for the corals. PHPhoenix: go ahead Open Open Brain_nr: What angels common in the hobby are reef safe? liveaquaria.com: There is only one genus of angelfish that are reef safe and they consume plankton in the wild. These fish are of the genus Genicanthus Lyra: ? jeffb: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead lyra Lyra: Why do yellowtailed damsels change to a darker color at times? Open Brain_nr: ? liveaquaria.com: May species of damsels change coloration as the mature and age, some more drastically than others. Yellowtails normally do not darken that much, and it may be attributed to either stress or mood. PHPhoenix: go ahead jeff jeffb: What kind of fish are in your office? bruuuusum_nr: ? liveaquaria.com: Wow, I have maintained a great many fish in my time as a hobbyist, working in retail, and wholesale environments. I currently have a Gramma linkii, Stonogobiops yahia pair, several new Eviota gobies that have just recently become available, a few wrasse and a Helfrichi Firefish. PHPhoenix: go ahead open Open Brain_nr: I saw the great article in your catalog about the symbiotic relationship between gobies and pistol shrimp. Will they all form a relationship, or is it a species thing like clownfish? liveaquaria.com: Not all gobies form relationships with pistol shrimp, and not all pistol shrimp form this fascinating relationship. PHPhoenix: go ahead bruuu bruuuusum_nr: i am starting a new reef tank from scratch. Can you recommend a live rock/sand combo? Open Brain_nr: ? liveaquaria.com: I prefer a diversity of live rock. My favorite is a mix of Tongan Lalo, some Fiji, Branch, and some of the new Haitian rock that is coming out of the Caribbean. This makes for plenty of different shaped pieces so you can be creative and make a wonderful display. Live Sand from both the Caribbean and the South Pacific has a lot of diversity of life, so I am not too particular on the sand. Lyra: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead Open Open Brain_nr: How can I tell which ones will form this relationship, and are they ok in a reef aquarium? liveaquaria.com: Stick with gobies of the genus Anblyeleotris, Stonogobiops, and Cryptocentrus , and Pistol shrimp like the Red Banded Pistol or the Tiger Pistol from the Indo Pacific. They will normally create their relationship quickly in the home aquarium PHPhoenix: go ahead lyra Lyra: Do sea urchins go through some sort of molt, if not what would cause them to lose their outer shell? liveaquaria.com: As far as I know urchins and other Echinoderms do not molt. When urchins drop their spines or loose their outer shell they are near death or dead. PHSplendens: If you have a question for Kevin please type a ? if you have a comment please type a ! Lyra: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead lyra Lyra: Kevin, how long have you been keeping saltwater fish? Open Brain_nr: ? islandaquariums: ? liveaquaria.com: I had my first aquarium when I was 6 years old, a 10 gallon community tank. From there I was hooked. I had my fist marine aquarium when I was 10. I have been in the hobby for approximately 30 years. PHPhoenix: go ahead Open Lyra: ? Open Brain_nr: What is your opinion to aquacultured fish and corals and the price and availability differences? liveaquaria.com: Aquacultured corals and fish are an important part of the hobby. Hopefully soon there will be enough supply of these fish, coral, and inverts to offset more of the wild collection in the trade. It is important to remember that may people make a living overseas from the collection of tropical fish so this is important to maintain a balance in my opinion. Aquacultured products sometimes cost a little more than wild caught species, but they are normally hardier and better adapted to life in captivity. PHPhoenix: go ahead island islandaquariums: my system is suffering from low ALK 1.5-2.0 dkh will dosing Kalk help and do you recommend adding anything else with Kalk? or should I just go to a 2 part deal, Also what is the most reliable way to initially raise my ALK# liveaquaria.com: Kalk is a great way to maintain alkalinity in your system, but is not ideal to raise the level. A target Alkalinity level is 7-10dKH. A reliable test kit along with a Buffer and Calcium supplement is a good way to raised the alkalinity and maintain a calcium level of 380-450 mg/L. There are many 2 part supplements available on the market by Warner Research, Kent Marine, and Two Little Fishes. PHPhoenix: go ahead lyra Lyra: What's the most exotic fish you have ever owned? liveaquaria.com: The most exotic fish would have to be my Centropyge interruptus that has been tank bred in Hawaii. I am very proud to own this fish and it resides in our 180 reef aquarium in the call center. It has been pictured in our catalog as well as ads in print and over the net. PHSplendens: I believe we have time for one more question Lyra: ? PHPhoenix: go ahead lyra Lyra: What is the average lifespan of the Centropyge interruptus? liveaquaria.com: I would think that this fish should survive for at least 15 years in captivity of maintained in ideal conditions its entire life. There have been reports of many angelfish living for 15-20 years in captivity. PHSplendens: Kevin, on behalf of all of us at AquariumHobbyist thank you so much for being our guest tonight! Thank you to all who joined us tonight. PHSplendens: Please be sure to join us Thursday night at 8 PM Eastern, when our guest will be Julian Sprung from Two Little Fishies, Inc. PHPhoenix: thank you kevin for answering our questions jeffb: thank you Kevin PHSplendens: Yes thank you Kevin, you were very informative! liveaquaria.com: Thank you for having me and I am always delighted to speak with other hobbyists and professionals.
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As a lifelong hobbyist/enthusiast with a Bachelor of Science degree from Wright State University, Kevin has extensive knowledge of and wide-ranging experience in the aquarium industry.