Frags I am taking to the frag swap tomorrow

[Twisted]

Well, I am going to post the pictures of the frags I am taking to the frag swap tomorrow, then hopefully Sunday or Monday I will be able to post pictures of the stuff I came home with.
This was actually suggested to me by someone to hopefully convince some people to go to the next frag swap that is passing on this one. I know we all have "Life" going on and sometimes giving up a saturday is a pain in the Arse, but the past frag swaps I have been to, have been more then worth it.
So hopefully this works out in a good way, if I have to post a bunch of ugly stuff when I get back, that isn't going to be very convincing is it? :eek:
I only need to take 3 frags for myself, and three frags for my wife, but in the spirit of the frag swap I am taking a few extras, for a total of 13 frags.

Some of these I will be taking more then one piece of and I will indicate that with a X# next to a name.

Orange pimpled yuma X2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0541.jpg

orangish/pinkish zoanthid X3
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0540.jpg

Common green center zoanthid <with a hitchhiker whatermelon zoanthid>
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0539.jpg

greenish/yellow zoanthids X2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0538.jpg

Eagle eye zoanthids <one of my favorite zoos>
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0536.jpg

Blowpop zoanthids
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0535.jpg

Teal colored zoanthids X3
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0534.jpg

[missyshrout]

Those look great Brian. I don't have anything to frag quite yet but I am going to go and put in my money and see what I get. I am really more excited about learning about all the corals out there.

All your frags look great. I would be happy with any of them.

Can you roughly explain to me how this thing works? Or if you want we can wait until tomorrow on our way there.

[Underwaterparadise]

I have been to a few swaps at Pam's and all I can say is you won't be sorry you went. I came home with close to 20 frags one time!! Her husband whips up a mean burger too not to mention all the Geeky reef talk hahahha

[missyshrout]

I had a so much fun at the frag swap and want to say thanks to Brian, Matt and Teresa for taking me with them. What a great way to learn new things and meet more geeky reef people:D :D like me.

Thanks to Matt again for providing me some frags to take. We all did very well coming home with about 40 frags all together. I know Matt ravaged the tables at the free for all and ended up with about 20 frags or so on his own!!!!!!!!

Plus we all won raffle items, I won a green brain coral and a great Tyree chalice frag. I will let Brian and Teresa tell you what they won.

So I counted and came home with 8 frags from the swap and 2 raffle items. I did give back a gift certificate for a store that was in Milpitas. I should have thought than one through but still happy with everything.

Then we stopped in Marysville at Underwater Paradise. What a great store Rob!! Had a chat with Rob and :eek: :eek: :eek: Bought more coral!!!!!!!!! I am an addict!!!!!!!

So looking forward to getting everything out of QT and into the Tanks. Will take pics after everything is settled. Looking forward to our meeting on Friday. I will definitely take another trip to a frag swap. Well worth the drive, I mean ride.

[Twisted]

You are more then welcome Mellisa, the more people that go, the more fun it can be, then we can cycle some of the nice stuff those southern people have had for awhile up into our little towns.
I am pretty sure Matt ended up with 2 frags, Mellisa says she has 10, and between me and my wife we came home with 20, so anyone going would have average about 10 frags.

Here is a rough list of what I brought home and hopefully I can add some pictures a bit later today when it all opens up all the way <sadley I don't have a QT tank, so it's all in my main tank already.>

I got:
Sunrise Monti, probablly the most beautiful piece of monti I have ever seen, if I can keep it alive I will be happy as hell.

Superman Monti another really nice piece.

Bubble gum chalice

Green monti with orange polyps

Flower petal monti <Tan with blue polyps>

unknown purple/tan acro

Cherry bomb zoas <ultra red>

Bam-Bam orange zoas <one of my favorites>

Fire inside zoas

mixed zoas with radioactive dragon eyes on one end, and unknown on the other end.

Bright green mushrooms

Blue spot mushrooms

rhodactise mushrooms

Silver gorgonian <photosynthatic>

Red mushrooms

Pink& green and yellow toadstool <no idea why so many colors, waiting for it to open>

Bumpy brown shrooms <thats what they say!>

and I am missing a couple but I can't remember what.....

Oh My wife also one a nice rock of what was labeled blue Xenia in the raffle. And we one one of the $25 gift certificate in the raffle, so guess I am going to have to plan a trip to milpitas soon.

Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures later today.

[mikekman]

:eek1: :eek1: :eek1: GOOD STUFF at the frag swap.

[Twisted]

Here are a few okay shots I got so far. I still can't seem to get true color, the pictures are all a slight duller then the corals appear in real life.

Here are my new Cherry bomb Zoas. Very nice red on them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0599.jpg

Here are the Bam Bam zoas, nice orange!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0600.jpg

Nice size frag of the Sunrise Monti this thing is awesome! Flame red polyps on it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0601.jpg

And a small but very nice frag of the superman monti
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0602.jpg

[kyletech]

I got 19 frags total twisted is going to take pictures to night for me. not bad, keep in mind I brought 25 frags so I don't feel bad going hard at the end in free for all.

[mikekman]

what kind of corals did you get kyletech???

Mike

[Twisted]

Here is a couple more from the frag swap

the blue xenia my wife won in the raffle
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0607.jpg

and the bubble gum chalice
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0610.jpg

[Twisted]

I know Kyletech also got the cherry bomb zoos, he is the one that actually found them in the pile of stuff on the table and handed me one.

He also got a Tyree Purple Unknown Acro, a Cali Tort, a Steve Eliase acro, a couple other SPS, some Dragon eye zoas, and radioactive dragon eye zoas, that's all I can remember on the top of my head.
He did buy some nice purpleish colored zoas from Rob when we went to underwater paradise.

[mikekman]

Good stuff, the bluish xenia looks like anthelia.

seems like zoos were the big thing at the swap! Lots and lots of zoos!

Mike

[boviac]

Congrats everyone! Thanks for posting here what you all shared/swapped and won! I believe at the next meeting Brian will have a presentation describing the frag swap event for those interested on how it worked and how effective/productive it was.

Thanks again everyone!

[jo kerpaly]

Twisted,

I brought the Bubblegum Chalice I hope that you enjoy it, it is one of my favorites. Also just to let you know, it likes low light and medium flow.

[Twisted]

Thanks a lot for the info Jo Kerplay I will move it then, I have it at the top like an SPS. Do you happen to have a picture you could post of the main colony? It looks purple with pink eyes?
It was actually one of my first picks, I love all the chalices I have seen but have yet to buy one, so this gave me a great chance.

[shelbiesdaddy]

Thanks Brian and Matt for helping Melissa out at the frag swap. You guys are first in line for frags from anything that she got.

The Tyree chalice she won sits proudly in my tank.

[Twisted]

She said you would rob her of that one!.

I did do some reading on chalices since I brought home a bubble gum chalice, and like Jo Kerplay mentioned, they are typically low light medium flow, so you guys should do great with the PC lights on that tank.
I would like a piece of that some day. Maybe when my bubble gum chalice grows up we will be able to swap a frag of them.

As far as helping Mellisa, she was pretty much on her own picking, we talked about a few diffrent pieces before selections started, but she had an idea of what she was getting before we started. Hopefully it is all opening up and looking good.
Hopefully next time you will be able to go too.

[shelbiesdaddy]

She has already told me that I don't have much of a choice about going next time. I just don't like really big crowds but it didn't sound too bad from what she said.

[Twisted]

Well, lets see,there are some photos on the mars forums these were taken by Reef N Madness I think

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1222380&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

Might look like a crowd, but that is just a bunch of people watching, that was the only crowding in the whole giant place.

[shelbiesdaddy]

Nah, that doesn't look too bad.

[Twisted]

Trust me I generally hate crowds too. But I'm not as bad as I used to be about it. But there was no discomfort there at all for me, it was kinda cool to put faces to a few of the RC names I chat with all the time.

[shelbiesdaddy]

Yeah, a face to go with a name is kind of nice.

[missyshrout]

I was really surprised at how much fun it was and how nice most people were when you asked questions. Sometimes when you are new at something people get frustrated with people asking questions when all they are worried about is what they are going to get. I don't remember who the person was that brought all the zoas frags with the cherry bombs and fire inside, but he was nice and even took the time to show me all of them under a light. So thanks to whoever it was.

I believe it was airinhere who provided alot of the great zoas including the cherry bombs, which are the bomb from your pics. And he helped me look at all of them with the lighting he had.

So it was definitely nice to have all the help I had and to realize that maybe I did know a little more than I thought I did.

The only problem that I still have is with the briain coral in my 55 tank that is pulling away from its skeleton the bottom but is otherwise puffing up and extending tentacles to eat. We checked the magnesium levels and they were between 1150 and 1200 which is what we were told was the best place to be. So now I need to do some more research to find out what to do next.

We did put the new mottled green brain coral in my tank and the other brain coral in Dan's tank to see what happened.

So if anyone has any suggestions on the next step for the brain I am open to any ideas. At least the ones that I can afford!!!

Oh and when that blue xenia grows out I would like to swap with you guys for something.

I also would like to share some of my pink flower pot gonipora but I am still a little skittish about fragging it, so if anyone can give me some info on doing it that would be great. It is a great bright pink color and it looks great and adds lots of color.

The Zoas that Matt helped me find are opening up and are turing out to be a great big frag with alot of different color zoas. Still waiting for everything to open up. Now the colt coral is turning out to be a little difficult to keep still. I read some stuff about a reefer putting a toothpick in the middle of it to attach it to some live rock. That just seems like alot more strain on it for right no. So if anyone has any more ideas about anchoring I would love to hear it..

Twisted, thanks for the info on the Tyree chalice, I am kind of excited because it seems to be a rare and doesn't seem to hard to keep alive even with our pc's. And of course you and Matt are first on the list for a frag of that one.

I will be posting pictures of everything that I can tomorrow hopefully so that everyone can see what just a newbie who has never done this before can come away with from a frag swap as far as frags and also able to put faces to names on reefcentral.

Looking forward to the next one!!!

[Twisted]

Ok, I have not fraged a flower pot as of yet, so I will read up before I comment there.

As for the colt coral, the best way I have found is to take like three pieces of rubble or so, about 2 inches for the size of that coral. put the colt on the sand bed, and place the rocks against the bottom of it, so that the actually lean against it. As long as the flow doesn't pull it out, it should grab onto a rock to try and pull itself free, at that point he is now mounted to a nice rock.
In effect you are actually trapping it with the rocks.

[jo kerpaly]

Twisted,

the main colony is purple purple with pink eyes. We don't have the best camera but I will try and get a picture for you tonight. I am glad that you like the piece and hope it does well in your tank.

[shelbiesdaddy]

OK, the colt has become wedged in a Tonga branch and I am fine with that.

The flower pot is not too hard to do, I think she is afraid of hurting it. I don't even have a frag of it yet.

[saltykelly]

for colt coral you can also rubberband it to a rock and it should attach. Just make sure the band is tight enough to hold, but loose enough not to cut through the colt.

[Twisted]

Hey Saltkelly what do you have growing over there in Grassvalley, I go through there every few months for a fmily vist with the in-laws, should be about due for a trip.

[shelbiesdaddy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937318#post10937318 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltykelly
for colt coral you can also rubberband it to a rock and it should attach. Just make sure the band is tight enough to hold, but loose enough not to cut through the colt.

Thanks, I was going to try that but it has been in the same spot for a couple of days so I am not going to mess with it unless I have to.

[saltykelly]

I'm growing all different kinds of corals from softies to sps. I have some oxide, battlefield, eagle eye and other zoas. I have green sinularia, xenia, gsp, pink and purple ricordia, snake polyps, various mushies. I have others, but they would only be frags at this point.

[Underwaterparadise]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10925856#post10925856 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by missyshrout
I was really surprised at how much fun it was and how nice most people were when you asked questions. Sometimes when you are new at something people get frustrated with people asking questions when all they are worried about is what they are going to get. I don't remember who the person was that brought all the zoas frags with the cherry bombs and fire inside, but he was nice and even took the time to show me all of them under a light. So thanks to whoever it was.

I believe it was airinhere who provided alot of the great zoas including the cherry bombs, which are the bomb from your pics. And he helped me look at all of them with the lighting he had.

So it was definitely nice to have all the help I had and to realize that maybe I did know a little more than I thought I did.

The only problem that I still have is with the briain coral in my 55 tank that is pulling away from its skeleton the bottom but is otherwise puffing up and extending tentacles to eat. We checked the magnesium levels and they were between 1150 and 1200 which is what we were told was the best place to be. So now I need to do some more research to find out what to do next.

We did put the new mottled green brain coral in my tank and the other brain coral in Dan's tank to see what happened.

So if anyone has any suggestions on the next step for the brain I am open to any ideas. At least the ones that I can afford!!!

Oh and when that blue xenia grows out I would like to swap with you guys for something.

I also would like to share some of my pink flower pot gonipora but I am still a little skittish about fragging it, so if anyone can give me some info on doing it that would be great. It is a great bright pink color and it looks great and adds lots of color.

The Zoas that Matt helped me find are opening up and are turing out to be a great big frag with alot of different color zoas. Still waiting for everything to open up. Now the colt coral is turning out to be a little difficult to keep still. I read some stuff about a reefer putting a toothpick in the middle of it to attach it to some live rock. That just seems like alot more strain on it for right no. So if anyone has any more ideas about anchoring I would love to hear it..

Twisted, thanks for the info on the Tyree chalice, I am kind of excited because it seems to be a rare and doesn't seem to hard to keep alive even with our pc's. And of course you and Matt are first on the list for a frag of that one.

I will be posting pictures of everything that I can tomorrow hopefully so that everyone can see what just a newbie who has never done this before can come away with from a frag swap as far as frags and also able to put faces to names on reefcentral.

Looking forward to the next one!!!


Your magnesium level should be 1280 1150-1200 is low. HTH

thanks
Rob

[Twisted]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937388#post10937388 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Twisted
Hey Saltkelly what do you have growing over there in Grassvalley, I go through there every few months for a fmily vist with the in-laws, should be about due for a trip.

Wow, I am going to take typing classes.....

Actually this keyboard was built for gaming, and is smaller then I am used too...that's my story and I am sticking to it....

Not sure what my excuse is for not hitting the spell check button yet...I will get back to you on that.

[Twisted]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937569#post10937569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Underwaterparadise
Your magnesium level should be 1280 1150-1200 is low. HTH

thanks
Rob

Just curious Rob, the magnesium level...is the 1280 range for keeping SPS, or is that for anything? I mean if you are all Softies and LPS would you still add magnesium when you are at 1200? I am new to the magnesium part of it all.

Untill recently I tested for Calcium, nitrates, nitrites, phosphate, alkalinity. I have yet to buy a magnesium test...but now that I have more SPS in my tank I need to.

[Twisted]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937560#post10937560 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltykelly
I'm growing all different kinds of corals from softies to sps. I have some oxide, battlefield, eagle eye and other zoas. I have green sinularia, xenia, gsp, pink and purple ricordia, snake polyps, various mushies. I have others, but they would only be frags at this point.

Nice, perhaps I should PM you next time I am on my way over there, and see if we have anything to trade. I am mainly softies and a few LPS, SPS now <not sure for how long> . her parents live in Rough and ready, so pretty close.
I just got a frag of Cherry bomb zoas, and Tubs Blue zoas, so hopefully in the near future I will have some decent trade material.

[shelbiesdaddy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937569#post10937569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Underwaterparadise
Your magnesium level should be 1280 1150-1200 is low. HTH

thanks
Rob

I am not sure where she came up with those numbers.:confused: They aren't even on the chart. I told her it was between 1200 and 1280 (got a tiny bubble in the syringe).

What does HTH mean?

[Underwaterparadise]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937604#post10937604 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Twisted
Just curious Rob, the magnesium level...is the 1280 range for keeping SPS, or is that for anything? I mean if you are all Softies and LPS would you still add magnesium when you are at 1200? I am new to the magnesium part of it all.

Untill recently I tested for Calcium, nitrates, nitrites, phosphate, alkalinity. I have yet to buy a magnesium test...but now that I have more SPS in my tank I need to.

MG. is very important for LPS corals as much if not more then SPS. LPS corals use MG. to adhere the flesh to the skeleton. Also if your MG. levels are below 1250 or so you may have a hard time getting your CA. above 380.

HTH means- Hope That Helps ;)

[shelbiesdaddy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10938029#post10938029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Underwaterparadise
MG. is very important for LPS corals as much if not more then SPS. LPS corals use MG. to adhere the flesh to the skeleton. Also if your MG. levels are below 1250 or so you may have a hard time getting your CA. above 380.

HTH means- Hope That Helps ;)

Ahh. Thanks.

OK, my tank is low on MG and my CA sits around 340. What do you suggest?

[Underwaterparadise]

You need to dose both. First you need to get the MG. up then the CA. You may have to dose some ALK. as well since adding ca. and mg. may lower your ALK. I find the dry MG. and CA. work the best and go farther then the liquid. My personal preference is Kent Turbo calcium,Sea Chem reef advantage magnesium and Sea chem reef builder for the ALK.

[shelbiesdaddy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10938145#post10938145 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Underwaterparadise
My personal preference is Kent Turbo calcium,Sea Chem reef advantage magnesium and Sea chem reef builder for the ALK.

Cool, that was going to be my next question. Thanks for the help.:) I hope you can make it to the meeting Friday.

[Twisted]

I love my two part b-ionics for calcium and alkalinty, but I checked my calcium just this morning and it was at like 520....now what do I do? My alk is at 8. but no idea what mag is yet.

[Twisted]

I guess I should add, my calcium always has been like 480 to 520 range.

[Underwaterparadise]

Bionic has MG in it as well. The only bad thing with it is if you have a tank loaded with SPS and LPS you will go through that stuff like water. Bionic is great for tanks with softies and just a couple LPS,SPS. I have always noticed I have to dose different amounts for each part in order to balance out my system though
(b ionic that is)

[Twisted]

Well with my tank currently it is mostly softies with only 5 small LPS and about 6 SPS frags at this point. In a 55 gallon that isn't much for demand, but I also have a small <2inch Maxima clam, and a nice 7 inch Crocea clam> I have not added B-ionics in about 6 weeks due to running out and my calcium levels being so high, but changed to a two week water change schedule for the last month, so I am sure that it is replaceing most of my needs...but why is my calcium staying so high?

[Twisted]

I almost regret stopping at your store Saturday now Rob, I can't get the day dreams of that bow front you have, and I see it sitting in my living room.....

Makes me wish I had some money!

[missyshrout]

Brian, if you want to test for MG you might ask Dan to borrow the test kit I just bought for him.

[jo kerpaly]

Twisted,
Here is a picture of the Bubblegum Chalice Mother Colony.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z31/jeffkluse/DSCN1703.jpg

[Twisted]

Very nice! thanks a lot for taking the time to post a picture. I haven't been able to find one to explain it to my wife. Now I am going to impatiently wait for it to grow out!

[kyletech]

I ordered the magnisium and stromium kit this morning, I'm sure twisted will just borrow mine, what are neibors good for. :mixed:

[Twisted]

I found this frag of mushroom in my tank the day after the swap. It only truely opened up enough to get a suitable picture today.
This was labled blue spotted mushrooms and was one of my last picks before the free for all. If anyone knew what these actually looked like, they would have most likely grabbed these early in the picks.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/Lordtwisted/IMG_0627.jpg

[shelbiesdaddy]

Hey Brian and Matt,

when I fragged the Blastomussa that Melissa got at the frag swap I got three extra pieces. They only have a couple of heads each but are doing good. Do you want them now or do you want me to let them grow out some more?

[Twisted]

probablly better to let them grow out a bit, atleast to heal over. One thing I am learning in fragging is that if you let a frag heal over in the tank it was originally in, it will usually have no problems, but if moved to a new tank with diffrent parameters of any kind, you will most likely lose it.
Matt would most likely love a piece, myself I have a frag of that same blasto I bought from Rob probablly 3 months ago. I appreciate the offer though. I am sure if you wanted to be generous though that someone in Chico has something to trade you for a piece...

[shelbiesdaddy]

OK, then I will donate one to the next raffle, Matt can have one and one is available for trade. Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?