Coral Notes & Ethics
- At J&L Aquatics we take extra care in the treatment of our animals. They are kept in holding facilities similar to the conditions that they will be kept in by you, our customer. We employ high powered metal halide lighting, vigorous skimming, and plenty of water flow to ensure that you will receive an animal in the best shape possible. It is our view that by maintaining the holding tanks as if they were our own personal show tanks that J&L Aquatics will be your one-stop internet source for a large selection of high quality animals for your marine aquarium.
- J&L Aquatics does not believe in carrying animals that are extremely hard to care for, or have a proven track record of dying in home aquariums regardless of the care given. As techniques for keeping these corals alive in captivity become available, so will the corals.
- It is our goal for you, our customer, to make an informed decision when purchasing livestock for your aquarium. We want you to have a pleasant experience in keeping saltwater specimens, and want to ensure that the animals you purchase will be suitable for your aquarium.
- We at J&L Aquatics have developed a rating system for our livestock to help guide you in determining the difficulty of care for each animal. This is in no means a bible to aquarium husbandry. It is simply meant as quick way for you to determine if the animal you are interested in would be suitable for your reef keeping abilities.
Fish Notes & Ethics
- We at J&L Aquatics do not believe in the practice of fish caught using drugs. Although these fish tend to be cheaper, it harms the environment, and tends to cause organ failure in fish.We do not purchase or sell drug (cyanide) caught fish.
- We also believe a fish that does not have a reasonable chance to be sustained in a home aquarium should remain in the wild. You will therefore not see many types of fish (certain species of butterflies, filefish, etc.) for sale by us. These fish are better left in the wild where they can flourish.
- We will not ship a fish that is unhealthy or not eating. Our customers deserve the highest quality of fish, and this includes receiving animals that are eating, and free of disease.
- The majority of our fish are gained through the actual collectors not wholesalers or trans-shippers. This means that we have total control over how our fish are collected, handled, and shipped.
Before purchasing fish for your aquarium, it is best to do a bit of research before hand. We have rated all of our fish for ease of care, and reef aquarium suitability.
This is only to be used as a general guide.
We recommend that you purchase a fish identification book, or research your future purchase on the internet.
This is only to be used as a general guide.
We recommend that you purchase a fish identification book, or research your future purchase on the internet.
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ORIGIN CHART
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| AU | Australia | ORA | ORA Farms- Captive Bred |
| P/I | Philippines/Indonesia | RS | Red Sea |
| HW | Hawaii | SA | South America |
| IO | Indian Ocean/Maldives | SP | South Pacific |
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Although some fish may come from many different areas, the regions where we predominately import these fish will be shown.
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Acclimation Procedures
In order to make your livestock shopping experience with J&L Aquatics as enjoyable as possible we have outlined two acclimation procedures to follow when your new fish, coral, or invertebrate arrives to you.
Remember, your critters have probably been in transport for many hours and simply dumping them in the aquarium will be a drastic (and possibly fatal) shock to their system!
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SIMPLIFIED ACCLIMATION PROCEDURES
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These simplified acclimation procedures are the minimum that we at J&L Aquatics recommend for introducing new animals to your aquarium. These must be followed in order for our live arrival guarantee to apply.
Always be aware of what you are acclimating. Many animals when placed together in a confined space may fight, or be predatory. Use caution!
Please note: The water we keep our fish in has a small amount of copper to prevent parasite infection. In addition some fish may be shipped with medication added to the shipping water to ensure a safe trip.
Do not add this water to your aquarium!
Always be aware of what you are acclimating. Many animals when placed together in a confined space may fight, or be predatory. Use caution!
Please note: The water we keep our fish in has a small amount of copper to prevent parasite infection. In addition some fish may be shipped with medication added to the shipping water to ensure a safe trip.
Do not add this water to your aquarium!
- Turn off your aquarium lights (reduces stress), and float the unopened bag for 15-20 minutes to equalize the temperature in the bag with that of your aquarium.
- Open the bag, and float in your aquarium.
- Add 1 cup of aquarium water to the bag.
- Wait 7-10 minutes, and add 1 cup of aquarium water to the floating bag.
- Repeat steps 3 & 4 until bag is almost full.
- Remove half of the water from the bag and repeat steps 3 & 4 until bag is almost full.
Do not add the waste water to your aquarium! - Remove your fish or invertebrate from the bag and add to your aquarium.
Dispose of the waste water. - Leave your aquarium lights off for at least 12 hours. This will allow your new arrival time to adjust to it's new home, and will help reduce harassment from your existing animals.
PREFERRED ACCLIMATION PROCEDURES
These are J&L Aquatics preferred acclimation procedures. When we receive new stock, this is the method with which we acclimate them (although for a longer period of time). Following these procedures will ensure that you are doing everything possible to ensure that your new specimen will have the best chance for success in your aquarium.
Always be aware of what you are acclimating. Many animals when placed together in a confined space may fight, or be predatory. Use caution!
Please note: The water we keep our fish in has a small amount of copper to prevent parasite infection. In addition some fish may be shipped with medication added to the shipping water to ensure a safe trip.
Do not add this water to your aquarium!
Our fish and corals are from separate systems. Do not acclimate these together!
Always be aware of what you are acclimating. Many animals when placed together in a confined space may fight, or be predatory. Use caution!
Please note: The water we keep our fish in has a small amount of copper to prevent parasite infection. In addition some fish may be shipped with medication added to the shipping water to ensure a safe trip.
Do not add this water to your aquarium!
Our fish and corals are from separate systems. Do not acclimate these together!
- Open the bags which the animals were shipped in, and add these to an clean, empty styrofoam container.
- If acclimating corals/invertebrates proceed to step #4. For fish acclimations add Kordon's Amquel Ammonia Detoxifier or Seachem' Prime to the shipping water in the styrofoam container.
- For fish acclimations add Kordon's NovAqua Slime Coat Protectant or Seachem's Stress Guard to the shipping water in the styrofoam container.
- Set-up a slow drip (approximately 2 drops per second) from your aquarium to the styrofoam container. Let this drip for one hour.
- Remove half of the water from the styrofoam container and increase drip rate to a "slow trickle" for one half of an hour.
Do not add the waste water to your aquarium! - Remove half of the water from the styrofoam container and increase drip rate to a "fast trickle" for one half of an hour.
Do not add the waste water to your aquarium! - Remove your fish or invertebrate from the container and add to your aquarium.
Dispose of the waste water. - Leave your aquarium lights off for at least 12 hours. This will allow your new arrival time to adjust to it's new home, and will help reduce harassment from your existing animals.
Note: For more sensitive animals (nudibranchs, cucumbers, echinoderms), increase the acclimation procedure accordingly. Remember, the longer the better!
ONCE ACCLIMATED – FISH & INVERTEBRATES
Once acclimated, we recommend all fish are placed in a quarantine tank (a.k.a. QT or hospital tank) so that they can be observed for a period of time. This time is used to allow them to gain strength after transport, and to detect any unforeseen health issues that may be arising. If you notice anything of concern, please contact J&L Aquatics livestock staff for advice and recommendations. Invertebrates (excluding corals) are generally safe to place right in to the display aquarium after acclimation.
ONCE ACCLIMATED – CORALS
It is possible to quarantine corals, but most people find great success simply giving their corals a "dip" before putting it in their aquarium. It is a widely accepted practice to dip corals in a special preparation that helps remove unwanted "hitch hikers"; pests which may damage the coral over time. Some common pests include nudibranchs, flatworms, crabs, and snails.
Our favorite dip is Coral Rx. Using it involves putting the preparation in a container of salt water and then submerging corals for 5-10 minutes before gently shaking them to dislodge the pests. Most will fall right off, but some such as sundial snails need to be removed by hand. Keep in mind the dip does not harm eggs the pests may have laid on the coral or its rock. This is the reason some choose to quarantine corals as well.
Repeat dipping may be necessary.
Our favorite dip is Coral Rx. Using it involves putting the preparation in a container of salt water and then submerging corals for 5-10 minutes before gently shaking them to dislodge the pests. Most will fall right off, but some such as sundial snails need to be removed by hand. Keep in mind the dip does not harm eggs the pests may have laid on the coral or its rock. This is the reason some choose to quarantine corals as well.
Repeat dipping may be necessary.