Our Tbs - Page 20

H2OLUVSME · #**476** 10/05/2007, 12:00 PM

Jay, just make sure you make a clean quick cut. I fragged off a piece of mine (similar to yours but tan base) and traded it for a piece just like yours (with the purple base). I didnt have any problems cutting it with a pair of snips, and the frag I got from my buddy (clipped the same way) faired very well in my tank. It grew into this from one stalk in the few months it was in my tank.

You can see the one I fragged was much smaller than yours and did fine afterwards.

Danielle, get those pics up

Every one else, take Jays advice and do the same

jmait769 · #**477** 10/05/2007, 09:04 PM

Landon! That was exactly what I needed to see and know. How did the area around the cut heal and how fast? I’m just worried about recession of the soft tissue and the core where I cut it off at. I think I will give this a try over the weekend!

Thanks!!!

Jay

H2OLUVSME · #**478** 10/06/2007, 02:18 PM

Jay, mine grew flesh over the spot within few weeks. That stalk regrew to the height of the others within a month or so, then slowed to the same growth speed as the others. I wouldnt worry too much. IME (with all corals) if its happy, it wont mind a small pruning. Yours sure looks happy. If you can, try and keep the new frag close to the colony for a few days to help it recover in the elements its used to. That adds to the survival chances, but the few frags of this stuff Ive traded (and seen traded) faired very well.

jmait769 · #**479** 10/06/2007, 05:02 PM

Here is my first cut! Went better than I thought. Oozed out for a few minutes and after I attached the branch to the rock the polyps started to come back as soon as I put it into the tank. Thanks again Landon for the pics and help!

Horizontal branch I needed to cut as it is up against the glass.

The cut!

New Gorg!!

Jay

patsan · #**480** 10/22/2007, 10:28 AM

It looks good Jay. How is it now a few weeks later?

jmait769 · #**481** 10/22/2007, 10:46 AM

Hi Pat! Thanks! Well, I’m not sure why, but after I made that first cut I had to cut some more! For some reason it has really started to grow at a rapid rate compared to the past. I have cut off two more branches and will need to cut two more soon! The area I cut from healed pretty fast so pruning was actually a good thing and I have traded them for some other corals with my local reef club. Here is a pic of two more branches:

I noticed some nice tank threads on the TBS sponsor forum. Hopefully they will see this thread and post some of their pics here. Inject some new blood into this thread!!

Jay

techreef · #**482** 10/22/2007, 11:23 AM

hey, that's great Jay. nice work! what'd you use to cut it with? a scalpel? i found a medical supply store around me, and now i'm thinking about piecing together a real fragging kit.

jmait769 · #**483** 10/22/2007, 11:33 AM

I just used a small pair of craftsman wire cutters! I sharpened them and removed the plastic hand cushion things. Then I used an Exacto knife. I think that is a good idea on the medical supply store as a scalpel would have been better to use and maybe some medical type cutters. The skin of the gorg is tougher than I thought and smells bad when cutting!

How is your tank now?

Jay

jnb · #**484** 10/22/2007, 11:37 AM

hmmm, I see lots and lots of this when I dive locally - I didn't know they would thrive in the tank - you have to feed it yes? ie it is not all that photosyn dependent (or is it?)

Quote:

Originally posted by jmait769
Hi Pat! Thanks! Well, I’m not sure why, but after I made that first cut I had to cut some more! For some reason it has really started to grow at a rapid rate compared to the past. I have cut off two more branches and will need to cut two more soon! The area I cut from healed pretty fast so pruning was actually a good thing and I have traded them for some other corals with my local reef club. Here is a pic of two more branches:

I noticed some nice tank threads on the TBS sponsor forum. Hopefully they will see this thread and post some of their pics here. Inject some new blood into this thread!!

Jay

jmait769 · #**485** 10/22/2007, 12:00 PM

jnb - Yes it is photosynthetic and I never actually target feed it or anything. I dose cyclopese once or twice a week and maybe some Kent Micro-Vert food once or twice a week. How large do the ones you see get?

Jay

jnb · #**486** 10/22/2007, 12:23 PM

I never took note - off the top of my head - three feet or so branching 1-1.5 foot sections - assuming they are the same as yours - they are the same color - when I go by I usually wave my hand close to them causing currents and they quickly retract - here is a picture I took of them sort of recently

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...026108Tct3LZuQ

Quote:

Originally posted by jmait769
jnb - Yes it is photosynthetic and I never actually target feed it or anything. I dose cyclopese once or twice a week and maybe some Kent Micro-Vert food once or twice a week. How large do the ones you see get?

Jay

jmait769 · #**487** 10/22/2007, 06:46 PM

That is a nice shot!! Makes me wish I lived in Florida!!! Looks the same from the photo.

Jay

patsan · #**488** 10/23/2007, 10:01 AM

That really is a nice shot. I would love to be able to see those color fish around here. I'm sure there are some here and there, right Bob?

jnb · #**489** 10/23/2007, 10:56 AM

thanks - this is some more that I see - never get tired of sharing

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...id=8Tct3LZuyiA

Quote:

Originally posted by patsan
That really is a nice shot. I would love to be able to see those color fish around here. I'm sure there are some here and there, right Bob?

patsan · #**490** 10/23/2007, 01:18 PM

They're all awesome Nick!

phil519 · #**491** 10/23/2007, 02:58 PM

Pat -

Good to hear from you!!!

jnb

nice pic!

krajacich · #**492** 10/24/2007, 08:58 PM

I promised pictures a while ago. Before the most recent pictures I thought I'd post a trip down memory lane....

I received part 1 2/25/2005 & part two 5/17/2005...I can't believe it's been that long ago

Part 1:

Part 1 just before part 2 came:

Part 2:

Here's a FTS from tonight:

On a side note, I'm probably going to be upgrading to a larger tank between now and January. I'm thinking a 150gal but haven't decided for sure.

patsan · #**493** 10/25/2007, 07:06 AM

It looks great Danielle!
That's nice that you posted all those shots. I laughed when I re-saw the picture of right before you got part 2 and that HUGE red microalgae.

H2OLUVSME · #**494** 10/25/2007, 07:55 AM

Very nice Danielle. It looks good. What all is left from the original hithcers after 2 years?

You should also consider a 180 to the 150. The extra width will make a huge difference in aquascaping, IMO.

krajacich · #**495** 10/25/2007, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by patsan
It looks great Danielle!
That's nice that you posted all those shots. I laughed when I re-saw the picture of right before you got part 2 and that HUGE red microalgae.

Me too! That algae got SOOO big. It was really pretty, but I can't imagine still having it in the tank now.

Quote:

Originally posted by H2OLUVSME
Very nice Danielle. It looks good. What all is left from the original hithcers after 2 years?

You should also consider a 180 to the 150. The extra width will make a huge difference in aquascaping, IMO.

I have cup corals, tube corals, fire coral, a couple barnacles, a pink urchin, black urchins, turkey wings, and some random sponges, feather dusters, crabs, hermits, and worms remaining from the initial shipments. Still quite happy with TBS rock

I've thought about a 180 but I'm kind of hoping to stick with a 4 foot tank. Ideally I'd llike a 48L X 30W X 25T 150 gallon tank. But I'll probably end up with a 48: X 24W X 31T because it's locally available. Shipping to Montana is REALLY expensive from any of the aquarium builders across the USA/Canada!

patsan · #**496** 10/25/2007, 08:40 AM

Wow, you still have urchins? Yours must be tame if they haven't eaten your corals and stuff. Mine were beasts and I couldn't get them out of the tank fast enough.

krajacich · #**497** 10/25/2007, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by patsan
Wow, you still have urchins? Yours must be tame if they haven't eaten your corals and stuff. Mine were beasts and I couldn't get them out of the tank fast enough.

I got rid of a ton of urchins but kept 1 pink urchin and 2 black urchins (I meant to only keep one). I keep thinking to get rid of them because they knock things over and the pink one loves to move my frags around. If I get a new tank & a sump maybe I'll stick them in the sump. They're pretty neat to watch so I'm not sure I want to lose them completely.

jmait769 · #**498** 10/25/2007, 10:05 AM

Looks great Danielle! Do you guys have or get cukes with your shipment? I have two that are getting large! One I rarely see but the black one lives under a small rock and loves to move it around.

Jay

phil519 · #**499** 10/25/2007, 10:52 PM

really beautiful pics danielle...what kind of lights are you running?

my cukes didn't adjust well...I think I mishandled them and there were some evisceration/type puking of the guts...rather than chancing one getting stuck somewhere I decided to remove them.

On the other hand the astreas continue to thrive and run around.

I also never captured this giant limpet and it either laid a horde of eggs or a large scale invasion of babies get into my tank via a coral. I dunno. They are all over the place...too many even for the claw.

still have a ton of mini stars, bristle worms and those cup corals are indestructible. I can't say the same for those brains...

Landon...
A 180 is nice - but at 6 feet - it was just a monster of a tank to handle even in my suv and maneuvering thru the door. I'd have to host a major pizza/drink party for all the guys that I'd need to help me get that thing in the door.

I guess I'm with danielle on the 4 foot long tank...but I went with a 120...my arms are too short to handle the 150. LOL! oh and a 30W 150 would be phat...! i mean fat!!

krajacich · #**500** 10/25/2007, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by phil519
really beautiful pics danielle...what kind of lights are you running?

Thanks Phil!

I'm running 2X250W MH with Reeflux 12K bulbs. I have VHOs but they've never seemed to work consistently and I've never been able to figure out why so (for fear of fire) I don't use them...wow that sounds really dumb when I write it out, I paid for them I should just get them fixed so I can use them.

Quote:

Originally posted by phil519
I guess I'm with danielle on the 4 foot long tank...but I went with a 120...my arms are too short to handle the 150. LOL! oh and a 30W 150 would be phat...! i mean fat!!

I know!!!! It's really my dream tank but shipping to Montana is REALLY expensive.