Tom Lang On December 9, 2003, as part of PetHobbyist.com's Sixth Annual Chat Week, Tom Lang was our guest on AquariumHobbyist.com
Lang and his wife Aletha also own Aquarius Aquarium. Their company provides aquatic system design and consultation services and maintains aquariums for clients throughout Central California. Note: Tom Lang is a member of the staff of AquariumHobbyist.com. PHPhoenix: Welcome to AquariumHobbyist's 6th Annual Chat Week! Tonight we are pleased to welcome Tom Lang, Executive Director of Aquarius Aquarium Institute and President of the Breeders Registry as our special guest! PHPhoenix: 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. Please hold your questions until the end of the presentation, at which time we will begin the queue, thank you. Welcome Tom! Martin Moe_nr: Hi, got to see what Tom has to say and give him some support. TomLang: Thank you, Martin PHSplendens: Welcome Tom! Is there anything you'd liked to say to everyone TomLang: Does everyone know about Aquarium Bred marine fish? TomLang: They are becoming more and more common in the hobby TomLang: One of the challenges is that we need to expand choice of species hamman88: hi skeezer_nr: ? I've heard that captive bred fish are more prone to deformations, is this true? hamman88: ok TomLang: Aquarium breeding tends to negate the effects of natural selection, so yes, deformed fish may survive whereas in the wild they would not. skeezer_nr: ?would you say that the percentage is higher in captivity? jeffb: ? TomLang: Skeezer, I don't think there have been any studies on that specifically TomLang: Certainly culling is sometimes necessary when breeding fish PHSplendens: jeff go ahead jeffb: What fish would you suggesst a beginning breeder start with TomLang: Absolutely something "easier" such as clownfish. Even those are a challenge for anyone who has never bred marine fish before. jeffb: ? PHSplendens: jeff go ahead jeffb: Do you forsee a day when a good percentage of the fish in the trade are captive bred? TomLang: Yes, there is a great interest in the market. But the problem is always economics, of course. jeffb: 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 TomLang: As Martin Moe can attest, it is tough to make a living at raising saltwater fish jeffb: ? PHSplendens: go ahead jeff TomLang: We really need corporate and philanthropic funding to make it work Caridad_nr: ? jeffb: It appears that most commercial operations use large tubs rather than glass aquaria TomLang: Yes, those are typically the grow-out tanks jeffb: is this for maitenance or is it better for breeding? TomLang: The size is better for the crowding of the larvae and makes for a more stable environment PHSplendens: Caridad go ahead jeffb: thanks hamman88: ? Caridad_nr: Tom, I live in the Central Valley and was wondering if you could tell me, how are plans for the aquarium you are developing going? Caridad_nr: ga TomLang: We just submitted our plans to Fresno County on Oct. 3rd and are awaiting their approval Caridad_nr: {sorry I'm wearing an iguana instead of a fish, there were no Xmas fish!} Caridad_nr: Tom do you have all the money you need to build? TomLang: This can take a few months, from what I'm told hamman88: ? PHSplendens: hamman88 go ahead jeffb: ? happyfish: ? TomLang: We have some great sponsors, but we still need more money before we can start construction hamman88: how do u stop fish from being sucked up the filter Caridad_nr: how long will it take once it's approved and you have all your funding, to actually open? Caridad_nr: I am sorry, is my turn over? I can wait. TomLang: hamman88: PHSplendens: Martin go ahead hamman88: how do u stop fish from being sucked up a filter TomLang: The suction in a grow-out tank needs to be nearly non-existant hamman88: oh hamman88: i'v lost like 20 fish that way TomLang: Often, circulation is only provided by an airstone TomLang: for babies Martin Moe_nr: Tom, how is the Breeders Registery getting along, Haven't seen much about it recently. hamman88: never knew TomLang: and you have to be very careful in doing water changes as they grow TomLang: Martin, we have not been getting very many new submissions for articles, so we have not published for a while. The Web site still gets a lot of hits, however. PHSplendens: jeff go ahead PHSplendens: ok happyfish go ahead happyfish: I have put two sets of 2 common clownfish together for over 6 months. They must be > 1 yr old now. No eggs to date. How to prime them?? jeffb: sorry bout that TomLang: It takes a while for them to figure out who's going to be the girl - is one bigger than the other yet? jeffb: is the breeders network open to hobbyists happyfish: Yes, in both cases jeffb: (sorry) TomLang: Yes, Jeff, at www.breeders-registry.gen.ca.us hamman88: ? PHSplendens: hamman go ahead TomLang: Good to hear, happy - now feed high protein food like shaved table shrimp and let nature take its course happyfish: OK hamman88: y are fish so expensive ChaoticReefer: ?! TomLang: hamman88: it takes a lot of work to raise a marine fish from an egg - many months to get it to sale size hamman88: oh jeffb: ? TomLang: Marine fish breeders often do it for the love of the hobby, but we need to support there efforts with our dollars PHSplendens: ChaoticReefer go ahead ChaoticReefer: i have a female chrysopterus that has rejected two males after beng together a year each. why would she do that? Any opinion? TomLang: In the wild, female clownfish get to choose from dozens of potential mates TomLang: perhaps buying a few young ones would simulate this for her TomLang: no guarantees, however! LOL ChaoticReefer: lol, yeah PHSplendens: jeff go ahead jeffb: Is the breeders network just for fish, or are inverts and corals registered there too? hamman88: lol TomLang: Fish, corals and other marine animals jeffb: thanks Tom TomLang: Octopuses too. lol jeffb: ? Caridad_nr: LOL PHSplendens: go ahead jeff TomLang: Bad thing about raising octopuses is that female dies after spawning... Caridad_nr: yikes jeffb: How has technology advanced captive breeding? TomLang: Jeff, technology has improved life support systems which translates into more robust broodstock Caridad_nr: ? TomLang: In the past, we struggled just to keep marine fish alive! ChaoticReefer: ? PHSplendens: Caridad go ahead PHSplendens: Caridad go ahead Caridad_nr: How tough are marine angels to breed in the home aquarium? TomLang: They often breed fine, Caridad - it's raising the larvae that's the challenge Martin Moe_nr: ! TomLang: They often breed fine, Caridad - its raising the larvae that's the challenge! Caridad_nr: LOL, well, that's what I meant! TomLang: Martin can answer this better than I! Caridad_nr: the whole process TomLang: Very difficult Caridad_nr: well, so much for that, thank you! TomLang: to say the least Caridad_nr: ga PHSplendens: ChaoticReefer go ahead ChaoticReefer: Tom, what are your feelings in general about companies like ORA, etc? reefaholic_nr: ? TomLang: I interviewed Dr. David Vaughn, the founder of ORA, and he has a lot of ambition for aquarium propagation TomLang: This is not a bad thing TomLang: In general, we have to have companies that can make a go of it financially TomLang: in order to expand the availability of aquarium bred fish TomLang: and corals Caridad_nr: I must leave, thank you for a great chat, I look forward to the aquarium! PHSplendens: Martin go ahead Martin Moe_nr: I can echo what Tom said on this. Very few angels have been bred (reared) successfully. And those that have have required larval feeding of wild plankton, not a common food source. TomLang: Yep, Martin is right here. A source of food is the big problem for these tiny babies PHSplendens: reefaholic go ahead reefaholic_nr: Can the home hobbyist breed clams? TomLang: reefaholic - I have never heard of anyone who has happyfish: ? PHSplendens: happyfish go ahead happyfish: Are mysid shrimp a better choice for babies than new bbs? ChaoticReefer: ? Alix: ? TomLang: happyfish, as a general rule both are too big for most marine larvae happyfish: OK TomLang: Rotifers and certain copepods are more of the right size PHStray: ChaoticReeder go a head please ChaoticReefer: Aquarium in Hawaii is the one being successful raise angels from larva, correct? and Is it Charles Delbeek the one behind it? Martin Moe_nr: ! TomLang: Improper food is probably the number one cause of larval fish mortality - actually at Waikiki, Karen Brittain is working on the Masked Angelfish and others TomLang: Take a look at the Breeder's Registry Web site to see pictures I took at the Waikiki Aquarium CiChLiD MaN: ? tv1: New,how do I do this? TomLang: www.breeders-registry.gen.ca.us PHStray: Martin your comment please ChaoticReefer: will do, thx jeffb: 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 Martin Moe_nr: There are three operations that are rearing pigmy angels in Hawaii, The oceanic institute, Frank Beanch and Black Pearls Inc. Charles D. is with the Aquarium and they have onlly a very small operation with Karen Britten rearing masked angels. She has only reared one but it was done wiith cultured foods. A first. CiChLiD MaN: ? TomLang: Thank you, Martin. I will be going back there in March PHStray: CichLid your question please CiChLiD MaN: What is a good beginner (saltwater) fish for someone who has only kept freshwater fish? PHStray: Tonights chat will follow protocol. To ask aquestion please type? to the room. To make a comment please type ! to the room. Then please wait to be acknowledged. Your name will then be added to the queue and you will be called on in turn to ask your question. Thank you. TomLang: CiChLid - I really like clownfish. CiChLiD MaN: Are clownfish one of the easiest saltwater fish to take care of? TomLang: Yep, I also think dwarf angel species are also good, as are sixline wrasses and cardinalfish CiChLiD MaN: thanks PHPhoenix: Tom, 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. Please be sure to stay with us for the next hour and our next special guest, Kevin Kohen! For information on all our Chat Week events, please visit: www.pethobbyist.com/ChatWeek2003.html TomLang: Thank you all!!! TomLang: Happy fishkeeping!
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Tom Lang is the executive director of the