How many fish can you stick in a 12-gal aquarium?

[Ninong]

I guess if you are Marineland, the company where Dr. Timothy Hovanec is the Chief Scientific Officer, the number is unlimited!

On page 9 of the February/March 2005 issue of Coral magazine, there is an ad for "Instant Ocean Saltwater Aquarium Kit and BIO-Spira Marine" with a picture of a 12-gallon "Curved-View Aquarium with Eclipse Compact Fluorescent Lighting." There are a minimum of 16 fish pictured in that little 12-gallon tank, including a Flame Angelfish and a couple of Banggai Cardinalfish plus assorted corals, cleaner shrimp, etc. It does not appear to be a cut and paste job because you can see the reflections of some of the fish in the tank walls.

Your Instant Ocean Saltwater Aquarium Kit "contains all the basics that any marine fishkeeper needs to get started and stay successful." Based on what is shown in that picture, I take it that means Instant Ocean salt mix, an Instant Ocean swing-arm hydrometer, a 50w heater, BIO-Blend, BIO-Coat, a test kit and a nifty little plastic plant. They suggest that "once you've got 'The Kit' -- pick up 'The Pouch' -- BIO-Spira Marine, biological filtration in a pouch." "Only BIO-Spira Marine makes saltwater aquariums fish-safe overnight. No more New Tank Syndrome!"

Filtration for that huge bioload is handled by "Marineland's patented BIO-Wheel, the undisputed leader in biological filtration." Perhaps you will remember Dr. Hovanec's 2003 article in SeaScope in which he set out to disprove statements by Delbeek & Sprung (1994) and Paletta (1999), et al., to the effect that trickle filters (e.g., bio-wheels) were not only unnecessary for coral reef aquariums with adequate amounts of live rock but that they could be detrimental to hard corals. Statements like that plus comments about them being "nitrate factories" evidently moved Dr. Hovanec to undertake a study that he says proves that trickle filters are great for reef tanks: http://www.marineland.com/seascope/ss2003_issue2.pdf (Note that all four aquaria in that test were set up using crushed coral as the substrate.)

Amazing that a company that employs people with Ph.D.'s in marine biology as their "Chief Scientific Officer" would promote stocking levels like that for a little 12-gallon aquarium, to say nothing of the inappropriateness of some of the species.

So now all the newbies will be rushing out to buy Flame Angelfish for their one-day-old 12-gallon reef aquariums.

This sort of reminds me of a previous ad of theirs for the same size aquarium that featured an assortment of fish including several tangs. I posted that picture three or four years ago but we lost it in one of the software updates.

P.S. -- When he's not busy proving how great his company's Bio-Wheel filters are, Dr. Hovanec spends his time proving how great his company's salt mixes are: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/index/ (It's in the Sept. 2004 issue!) and also here: http://www.marineland.com/seascope/ss_Issue3_04.pdf

That's Part One of a promised three-part article. Note that Part One appeared back in September 2004. Parts two and three have yet to be published. I don't know why it's taking so long to publish the rest of his study. I'm curious to see the results of his own version of the urchin larvae survival studies since he has been so outspoken in his criticism of a study undertaken by another well known figure in the hobby. Two of his company's products (Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals) were included in that study and I'm particularly interested in seeing how Reef Crystals (with EDTA) did at hatching sea urchin larvae.

[Reefland]

Alright, finally, biological filtration in a pouch! I knew someone would come up with it sooner or later!

I don't have this issue (my first issue will be the April/May issue) but I heard this ad will be placed next to the Tetra ad in the next edition (joking of course). It's nice to know that these companies employee Ph.D.'s who look out for the best interest of our industry.

[Ninong]

Scott,

The "BIO-Spira Marine" contains strains of Nitrosospira, Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira and Nitrococcus nitrifying bacteria. All are beneficial bacteria for any aquarium and all are quite capable of colonizing your tank whether you want them to or not. Paying for them in a pouch just speeds up a natural process that would take place all by itself anyway.

[Reefland]

Sure beneficial, but by no means capable of making a tank safe for any fish, let alone 16 in a 12 gallon aquarium, overnight.

[MarinePig]

I am by no means an expert and this sounds like B.S. to me. I can't imagine how hard the people that have been at this for a while are laughing.

[WHOSYOURDADDY]

I'm no expert but I kind of relate it grits (Southern Dish made of corn) or sod instant lawn. My thought process with this as in grits is that you can only boil grits so fast or sod you can water the lawn so much as with nitrifying bacteria you can only seed an aquarium so fast - obviously a 12 gallon aquarium does not take much time to seed and establish.

I still believe in the tried and true - patience is a virtue and so is cycling an saltwater aquarium but having said, this the point is to SELL THEIR PRODUCTS even if it means these instant aquariums fail within the 1st six months they still made their money.