Julian Sprung is a biologist, author, photographer, aquarium design consultant, and a partner in the aquarium industry manufacturing and publishing company, Two Little Fishies, Inc. Julian graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology in 1988. Since 1988 he has written the column "Reef Notes" in Freshwater and Marine Aquarium magazine, and he was Science Editor from 1993 to 1995 for Aquarium Frontiers.

In 1991 Julian wrote and narrated the video, An Introduction to The Hobby of Reef Keeping, which was the first product of Two Little Fishies, Inc, the company he formed with Daniel Ramirez. Two Little Fishies now publishes books and CD ROM'S, and manufactures a variety of popular aquarium products and foods for fishes and invertebrates.

Julian's Reef Notes, Revisited and Revised, is a compilation of "Reef Notes" question and answer columns plus additional notes pointing out changes of opinion or errors.

Two Little Fishies' Oceanographic Series guides include Julian's Corals: A Quick Reference Guide, Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide, and Julian's latest book, Algae: A Problem Solver Guide.

A common theme in Julian's approach to aquarium keeping is to study the living ecosystem while keeping the technical support system simple. By promoting this philosophy he intends to increase the enjoyment of the hobby and attract those who might otherwise be deterred by the cost and complexity of "high-tech" aquariums.

ABSTRACT: Captive husbandry of Goniopora, spp. with remarks about the similar genus Alveopora

Goniopora spp. "daisy" or "flowerpot" corals have been common imports from Indonesia and other coral collecting regions since the early years of the reef-keeping hobby. Alveopora spp. are less-frequently harvested relatives of Goniopora spp., and are generally grouped together with them by aquarists because they have similarly elongate polyps with daisy-like heads. These corals are among a small group of hermatypes that have both charmed and frustrated aquarists for years. I too have experienced the agony of failure with these corals but, more recently, I have had quite reproducible and gratifying success with many of them.

Goniopora stokesi has demonstrated to aquarists for years that it will die a slow death after months of perfect health. Experiments I made recently have demonstrated that it is possible to reverse this condition, and suggest the causative factors are related to processes involved in coral bleaching phenomena.

The most commonly harvested species for the aquarium trade, Goniopora stokesi, is the one that is most challenging to maintain. However, there are some species of Goniopora that do not usually suffer the wasting condition associated with this one species, and it is a mistake to lump all Goniopora together as "difficult to maintain." Furthermore, Alveopora spp. are also generally quite hardy, though most have a preference for lagoon conditions with respect to light and water motion.

The aquarium literature concerning the difficulties with these corals as well as discussions among aquarists about them seem to focus on issues of water quality, light, and feeding; irritations such as stings, air trapped in the skeleton, boring algae, or clownfish pestering or tearing up polyps; and disease. My lecture focuses on these hypotheses, and explains the process I believe is involved in the decline of Goniopora stokesi.

My lecture also identifies numerous Goniopora and Alveopora species and discusses their specific husbandry requirements.