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#851
10/30/2007, 08:43 PM
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wow that AZNO3 is working great for you. nice job. like I said when I used it I dropped my nitrates to fast to cause a couple of my corals to bleach but are comming back nicely.
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Sam |
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#852
10/30/2007, 08:52 PM
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Come on Chuck, stop trying to pass that thing off as a cat!
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Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
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#853
10/30/2007, 09:03 PM
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How did you manage to arrange a personal visit from "the Melev" Lunch? I have tried to bribe Marc with free skiing to come help me with my tank, but so far nothing.
 P.S. Marc if you get sick of the skiing in the DFW area, I can get you a free pass up here...and you can see my tank. 
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I have nothing to put here because all my writers are on strike! |
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#854
10/30/2007, 09:04 PM
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but gotta admit Chuck's cat it very loveable.
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Sam |
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#855
10/30/2007, 09:17 PM
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Jonathan - I'm impressed with the numbers, period. If you have them too, that's great to hear. We should all have such numbers. Top down pictures will be posted in my next few posts. Keep in mind that my tank is dealing with Cyano bacteria, but I can't do much about it while I'm dosing AZNO3.
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#856
10/30/2007, 09:30 PM
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In this image, you can see my favorite coral, A. granulosa. It is growing out like a snowflake.
 It is a really pretty coral that has been growing out like a table in all directions, and barely encrusts to the rock beneath.  Maxima clam and more  I got this unknown acropora from Keith back in 2005. It has grown out like a table, and is finally starting to grow a few spires upwards.  The A. plana continues to look great from above. From the front, this coral is very unremarkable and mostly brown. It is referred to as a Crayola acro because of the vivid colors, but they are only visible from above.  The Sunset monti (ORA version, I'm guessing) is really only pretty from above, and especially nice during actinics only. It has encrusted nicely over the past few months. You may recall I brought it home from Rochester NY's frag swap.  The Toadstool leather is so large in my tank that it is impossible to get a full shot from above. So here's a shot with one of my Anthias nearby for a scale reference. I've grown this leather from a tiny chunk of meat back in 2003.  More anthias swimming above a variety of zoanthids. 
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#857
10/30/2007, 09:35 PM
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Here's the Birdsnest frags that I got from Brian in Austin September 1. They're doing great, which is surprising considering my tank usually doesn't support them.
 Here is another birdsnest frag that has been quietly thinking about growing. Looks ready to explode with branches soon.  This Echinophyllia has been a bright blue for a long time. Now that nitrates have dropped, the main area has turned more lavendar/purple. I don't know if that means the coral will go up in smoke now or if it is finally changing colors to something even more interesting. The border remains bright blue.  And this is another Echinophyllia that looks fine. The core is more in the green family. I like the perimeter's design and texture.  In this shot, you can see how the sand isn't very clean. Mean Greens to the upper right, and the bubble coral at the bottom of the image.  The Lavendar Frilly mushrooms add a beautiful splash of color in my tank.   Two variations of Pocillopora.   A top down view of the Bubble Tip Anemones. You can see the two clowns as well as the male Anthias. 
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#858
10/30/2007, 09:41 PM
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Green Hammer
 Pink Branching Hammer  One of the frags from the CRASE event earlier this month. A montipora with blue polyps.  A. tenuis from Aaron in Austin.  Blue tipped Staghorn (hopefully) from Aaron  The Blue Milli is making a comeback. Remember I had this huge colony that was nearly 5 years old that began to implode last February. I cut some branches, gave some away, and pulled out the main colony that was RTNing. You can see how it has reencrusted the rock and is colored up again.  That's it.
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#859
10/30/2007, 09:44 PM
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ok, wow...i really need to check out your tank more often, it is ever growing and changing, you have so much more since i last saw it...looks nice...im a big fan of monti, so i think that one looks great...
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DFWMAS Member COMAS Member |
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#860
10/30/2007, 09:45 PM
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Mark, those look awesome. That blue echino is incredible!!!
BTW, back when your zoas were "taking over" the clam, how did you trim them back? I just took out a huge chunk of some palys in my tank with the same mix I use for my aiptasia (kalk paste) but I always fear that it will get on some other corals that I treasure.
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-Thiago- |
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#861
10/30/2007, 09:53 PM
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As usual Marc, your pics make me want to drain my tanks.
Maybe I'll just print out your pics and tape them to the glass. Then I can be like... here is my "Maxima clam and more." Over here is "A top down view of the Bubble Tip Anemones. You can see the two clowns as well as the male Anthias." My tank would be like the plastic plant of the SW reef world. It looks real, but when you touch it, you would know the truth. You would know....
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I have nothing to put here because all my writers are on strike! |
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#862
10/30/2007, 09:53 PM
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Hi Wes - yeah, it is doing well overall. I'm never really truly content, but it could be because I just don't have enough huge colonies to keep my satisfied.
Thiago - I peeled them off the clam with some forceps and dental tools. They weren't really holding on all that securely, which made the job easier for me.
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#863
10/30/2007, 09:55 PM
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Very nice.
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<--That's my boy! |
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#864
10/30/2007, 10:21 PM
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Marc, your tank looks amazing! Kudos! FTS! *cough cough*
I must say with great pictures comes a myriad of questions.. The hammers are simply amazing. Healthy and vibrant. The pink almost looks tri-color if there even is such a thing for a hammer..  I really like that A. Tenuis you have. That's one of the most unique shades I've seen for that acro..somewhere between baby blue and teal...luv it! You mentioned having trouble keepin birdsnests in your system. I'd be curious as to what you attribute this to? I've always thought of them as being fairly hardy for an sps. Do you attribute it to your cyano, or some other type of algae, because I know they have particular difficulty sloughing off algae. It never ceased to amaze me what seemed to be rare and sensitive that would do phenomenal in my system. Other more 'hardy' things would just react poorly. That blue chalice is simply ridiculous.. I don't suspect you're having an issue with it..it's purty. Hmmm that being said is it possible those shrooms are annoying it? The frilly is a nice touch. What are the two green things growing out above and below it, and what are those two pink spots on the rock to the upper right? I really like that green Pocillopora. I'm curious about the other. Is the distance between polyps caused by the new growth? Why is that, when I see Pocills the polyps always seem so evenly spaced... I always like to see clowns and anemones...go figure.. That A. Granulosa is gorgeous. The white outline with the pinkish center really does make it look like a snowflake! What do you attribute the color variation to-from new growth around the fringes- as opposed to new growth near the center? Or is it just not growing up at all? I know it's a table...but shouldn't the center have at least white tips...very unique I'm thinking... How does your blue maxi do with all those zoas devouring it? Is that a touch of PM I'm detecting? Really pretty contrast between the zoas and clam... That unkown acro is going to do well for you...luv the way it is growing out. Have you considered moving that sunset monti to a different location in your tank. It looks healthy but I'm guessing you can get better colors out of it...try moving it from here  to here...That leather is awesome and obscene all at the same time...are you going to frag or move it eventually? Only one day can I hope to emmulate the greats... 
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#867
10/30/2007, 11:30 PM
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Marc, your tank looks amazing! Kudos! FTS! *cough cough*
It is definitely time to take a new full tank shot. The last one I have is from September 20th. I must say with great pictures comes a myriad of questions.. The hammers are simply amazing. Healthy and vibrant. The pink almost looks tri-color if there even is such a thing for a hammer.. That pink hammer is really pretty, and with the green within the polyps it does add some neat color patterns. At one point, this coral looked like a huge softball or soccer ball, but with the Acropoora above it and the BTAs below it, it is really fighting to keep its ground. I really like that A. Tenuis you have. That's one of the most unique shades I've seen for that acro..somewhere between baby blue and teal...luv it! I had a beautiful Tenuis before. I grew it from a frag, and literally the day after I took a picture of its stunning beauty, it declined and was gone in mere days. That was very aggravating. Here's what it looked like:  What a loss! ARGH. Still bugs me. You mentioned having trouble keepin birdsnests in your system. I'd be curious as to what you attribute this to? I've always thought of them as being fairly hardy for an sps. Do you attribute it to your cyano, or some other type of algae, because I know they have particular difficulty sloughing off algae. I've never had much success with birdsnest corals, and thus rarely care to even bother. I had the opportunity to get a few twigs of it in Austin from MakoJ and figured I'd try once again. I like how the second branch seems ready to go crazy, as well as how the one from Brian seems to be so happy. It never ceased to amaze me what seemed to be rare and sensitive that would do phenomenal in my system. Other more 'hardy' things would just react poorly. I don't know why they've not done well in the past. Then again, I've had troubles with Montipora, Blue Torts and Green Slimers. All are considered easy to keep, but have been repeatedly elusive corals in my tanks. That blue chalice is simply ridiculous.. I don't suspect you're having an issue with it..it's purty. Hmmm that being said is it possible those shrooms are annoying it? It is very pretty, but every time a coral does some wierd color morph, more typically than not it was before the coral quickly degraded. I'd like to think lower nitrates is a good thing, but only time will tell what happens with this one. And yes, those stupid red mushrooms continue to be a battle I wage against. They aren't touching it currently. The frilly is a nice touch. What are the two green things growing out above and below it, and what are those two pink spots on the rock to the upper right? They are Green Frilly Mushrooms, which came in as hitchhikers on a coral I was keeping for a guy that moved into the area. A couple snuck into my reef and have been okay. The Lavendar ones are the prettier ones and often people think I have some cool Montipora colony only to be surprised they are merely snazzy mushrooms. I really like that green Pocillopora. I'm curious about the other. Is the distance between polyps caused by the new growth? Why is that, when I see Pocills the polyps always seem so evenly spaced... The green one is growing out like a shelf. I really like that. It was a small sprig a long time ago. The pink one came from MACNA, and I have a feeling my Six Line Wrasse nips at it causing the odd lack of consistent patterns in that picture. There are times it is fuzzy all over, and times it is quite closed up. I always like to see clowns and anemones...go figure.. Me too. That A. Granulosa is gorgeous. The white outline with the pinkish center really does make it look like a snowflake! What do you attribute the color variation to-from new growth around the fringes- as opposed to new growth near the center? Or is it just not growing up at all? I know it's a table...but shouldn't the center have at least white tips...very unique I'm thinking... The Granulosa is such a cool coral. It is on my growth sequence page, showing how it has changed in the past two years. The leading edges where it grows are lighter colored than the main colony. It doesn't seem to create new growth in the center and the entire coral is very flat. And it is perfect the way it is. How does your blue maxi do with all those zoas devouring it? Is that a touch of PM I'm detecting? Really pretty contrast between the zoas and clam... The zoanthids have to be peeled off occasionally. I don't think it is pinched mantle. When I take pictures, usually all the pumps are on and the flow can make things move out of what would be a kodak moment. That unkown acro is going to do well for you...luv the way it is growing out. Yes, that is another cool survivor. When I put it in my tank, it was nice for a while. However, during the Phosphate War of '05, I thought it was dead. I climbed up on a chair to remove the dead skeleton, but saw some bright green within its core. Deciding to just leave it alone, it grew into this. It is a pretty big coral now, though I've never measured its length and width. Maybe 11" long. Have you considered moving that sunset monti to a different location in your tank. It looks healthy but I'm guessing you can get better colors out of it...try moving it from here to here...There is no way to move that encrusting coral, and it is in a nice place to see it. It just isn't nearly as colorful as the Tyree Sunset that I've seen in other tanks. Let's hope the Granulosa doesn't shade it too badly. That leather is awesome and obscene all at the same time...are you going to frag or move it eventually? I don't know. I don't really want to do anything to that coral, since it has become such a gorgeous piece. When the pumps are off, it spreads out widely. Thanks for your comments and questions.
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#868
10/30/2007, 11:33 PM
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At MACNA, I was encouraged by a famous british reefkeeper to dose vodka. He was hanging out in the Deltec booth, but I'm drawing a blank on his name at the moment. David Saxby, I think! Aaron - that coral is SO much prettier in your tank. I can only hope it will do the same in mine one day. That double encrusting section is weird, right?
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#870
10/31/2007, 01:29 AM
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Quote:
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#871
10/31/2007, 08:33 AM
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I always love seeing pics of your tank Marc. Your photography only gets better. Maybe its that your corals keep getting bigger/more beautiful
 I cant wait to get a tank set up again. I can only hope that someday.......
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Landon |
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#873
10/31/2007, 09:23 AM
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Quote:
No kidding... It's interesting to hear the issue with birdsnests as I just had mine RTN and go "poof". Tank looks great and I really find comfort in your discussions about on-going issues as I get really funked out when I lose a coral. Until this recent melt-down, I had a stellar track record. Anyway, all the corals I fragged into the QT are doing well and even some I thought were dead are making a comeback. It's great to see your reef maturing. The last time Weast was over, he consoled me by saying sometimes corals just don't get along well in a particular system, and sometimes there is some unkown to us coral disease that takes them out. He encouraged me to stop trying with problem species, and experiment with ones that seem to do well.
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Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
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#874
10/31/2007, 09:31 AM
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That is good advice. I'm not the kind of guy that is always looking for a new coral or even more corals. Typically I just let what I have do what it wants, and occasionally I'll pick up a new piece I like. All the frags I brought home from CRASE were unplanned. It just worked out that way, and I had to test them all to make sure they were safe to put in my reef.
When I see other people's tanks with fantastic growth, tons of color and seemingly perfect history, all I can do is bow to their skill as reef keepers. Mine seems to always be a work in progress, with minor situations that cause a little havoc and the resulting damage control. If I can just keep the parameters around the current set of numbers, I should see all kinds of cool growth in the coming months.
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS |
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#875
10/31/2007, 09:50 AM
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"seemingly perfect history" is the operative phrase. I know guys with super cool reefs that never let on about their losses.
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Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
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