Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread
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melev
Well-known member
Here's that hammer. 
So an hour ago, I pulled it out and put it in a bowl of room temperature RO/DI water to see if I could spy some LPS eating nudibranchs. I'll tell you this, that coral stunk before I was able to submerge it. Several baby brittle starfish fell off of it, as did a collonista snail and some asterinas. But I didn't see any sign of predators. Where it was dying, it was dissolving, but I didn't see the tell-tale signs of brown jelly disease either.
So next I grabbed my shears and the dremel, and cut off the last remaining heads. These were then put in my quarantine tank, and the water felt a tad warm. Oops. It was around 86F because today I didn't run the a/c and just let the outdoor air flow through the house. We've had lots of humidity and some rain, but the temperature was in the 70s. Looks like the MH heated up the fishroom enough to cook the q-tank a tad. So if any nudibranchs survived the ro/di dip, and then the surgical procedure, I think getting a 6 degree raise in temp should have scared them out of hiding.
I don't know if the remaining polyps will survive, but I'm going to keep a positive attitude. I put some ice packs in the tank to cool the water. The temp of my reef was 80.5, so it was definitely a shocker.
The rest of the skeleton was disposed of, instead of putting it in the sump or refugium. I didn't want the dying matter to add issues to the water quality. Does anyone have any idea what to do with hammer tissue (polyps that dropped from the skeleton)? Is there a possibility of growing these out into new hammers perhaps, laying them in a tray of gravel under decent lighting perhaps?
On a nicer note, some eye candy...
Bytor Orange Zoos
A. secale - or Melev's Purple Monster.
Lavendar Frilly Mushrooms
The unknown coral again. I'm sure someone told me what it was called, but I forgot to note it anywhere.
And the Tyree frag.
So an hour ago, I pulled it out and put it in a bowl of room temperature RO/DI water to see if I could spy some LPS eating nudibranchs. I'll tell you this, that coral stunk before I was able to submerge it. Several baby brittle starfish fell off of it, as did a collonista snail and some asterinas. But I didn't see any sign of predators. Where it was dying, it was dissolving, but I didn't see the tell-tale signs of brown jelly disease either.
So next I grabbed my shears and the dremel, and cut off the last remaining heads. These were then put in my quarantine tank, and the water felt a tad warm. Oops. It was around 86F because today I didn't run the a/c and just let the outdoor air flow through the house. We've had lots of humidity and some rain, but the temperature was in the 70s. Looks like the MH heated up the fishroom enough to cook the q-tank a tad. So if any nudibranchs survived the ro/di dip, and then the surgical procedure, I think getting a 6 degree raise in temp should have scared them out of hiding.
I don't know if the remaining polyps will survive, but I'm going to keep a positive attitude. I put some ice packs in the tank to cool the water. The temp of my reef was 80.5, so it was definitely a shocker.
The rest of the skeleton was disposed of, instead of putting it in the sump or refugium. I didn't want the dying matter to add issues to the water quality. Does anyone have any idea what to do with hammer tissue (polyps that dropped from the skeleton)? Is there a possibility of growing these out into new hammers perhaps, laying them in a tray of gravel under decent lighting perhaps?
On a nicer note, some eye candy...
Bytor Orange Zoos
A. secale - or Melev's Purple Monster.
Lavendar Frilly Mushrooms
The unknown coral again. I'm sure someone told me what it was called, but I forgot to note it anywhere.
And the Tyree frag.
Lunchbucket
Premium Member
sorry to hear about the coral marc. just glad you didn't loose more or have a big wipe out
Lunchbucket
Lunchbucket
Electrobes
Montipora type guy
I am a bit confused when you say the polyp fell off.. do you mean the hammer tissue is stand alone from the skeleton?
I find it rare to see a hammer reattach to another skeleton or build its own. They usually die, get lost, etc before it can come back. Just being safe I would unfortunately just hope for the best in the Q tank and possibly get another hammer frag from a fellow reefer. Heck you know everyone and their mothers would give you one!
I am sorry to hear about your recent issues Marc, but as we always see in your tank it tends not to see the same issues again once they are over with.
I find it rare to see a hammer reattach to another skeleton or build its own. They usually die, get lost, etc before it can come back. Just being safe I would unfortunately just hope for the best in the Q tank and possibly get another hammer frag from a fellow reefer. Heck you know everyone and their mothers would give you one!
I am sorry to hear about your recent issues Marc, but as we always see in your tank it tends not to see the same issues again once they are over with.
melev
Well-known member
Losing any coral is aggravating. I got this hammer as a trade from another member over two years ago, and it grew nicely. At one point, I split it in half, and gave that to another member in exchange for my first sun coral that I still have now. I just checked on the remaining heads in the quarantine tank, and they look pretty good. They turned the water in the tank a bit cloudy overnight, but it already is looking more clear.
Btw, here's the same Hammer eating in February '06, at night:
The part about the polyp falling off is exactly that. I see three of four puddles of hammer coral tissue on the substrate in the reef. If there was some way to propagate from that tissue, I'd like to try it rather than wait for it to be consumed or die off. I was hoping someone might have a suggestion.
Btw, here's the same Hammer eating in February '06, at night:
The part about the polyp falling off is exactly that. I see three of four puddles of hammer coral tissue on the substrate in the reef. If there was some way to propagate from that tissue, I'd like to try it rather than wait for it to be consumed or die off. I was hoping someone might have a suggestion.
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Electrobes
Montipora type guy
Man only thing I can think of is a petri dish (or larger like tupperware) with a single piece of bone/rock and netting on top of the container. You can't actually have anything tieing down the tissue... that would prob cause some infection. Best I can come up with..
Mantisshrimp248
New member
Great informative thread. Im impressed by the time you spend to update it and answer others questions. I am sorry about your hammer coral, I hope the rest pulls through. It looks like it will. I am having problems with my frogspawn, but my hammer coral is doing fine.
How deep is your sandbed? Is it a true DSB?
How deep is your sandbed? Is it a true DSB?
melev
Well-known member
Thanks for dropping in.
The hammer frags look okay in my quarantine tank, but it has only been a couple of days. That tank really tends to like staying at 83F for some reason, and I"m having trouble bringing it lower. It must be the maxijet, as that is the only item in the water.
The sandbed in my tank is 3" to 4". The back is definitely 4", but the front is a little more shallow. The flow in the tank has caused this, not my own doing.
The hammer frags look okay in my quarantine tank, but it has only been a couple of days. That tank really tends to like staying at 83F for some reason, and I"m having trouble bringing it lower. It must be the maxijet, as that is the only item in the water.
The sandbed in my tank is 3" to 4". The back is definitely 4", but the front is a little more shallow. The flow in the tank has caused this, not my own doing.
Mantisshrimp248
New member
Hmm i know small fans blowing across the surface of the water work wonders for cooling the tank. I have one on a timer so it turns on with the light. Mind you this is in addition to the fan that is in the light fixture as it is placed over the sump. It keeps the temperature fairly constant too. I have heard that euphylias tend to like higher temps. though.
Would 3-4" inches be considered a deep sand bed and have the benefits of one? Sorry i feel i am taking away from what this thread is about- your tank.
Would 3-4" inches be considered a deep sand bed and have the benefits of one? Sorry i feel i am taking away from what this thread is about- your tank.
msuzuki126
New member
hey melev, do you have any recent pictures of your sun coral? I recently got one and am very interested! thankss
argo
Premium Member
Hey Marc, I probably missed it in the pages of this thread but did you feed that Hammer coral (I remember reading something about it in this enormous thread but can't clearly recall it)? Also, is there any flesh left on Hammer's head(s) or are they bare skeletons now? If there's a bit of a flesh left on a Hammer's individual head - could it be budding?
melev
Well-known member
This is just a little 14g cube that I use for quarantine, and it really is just that, a box with a powerhead, some LR, a heater, a light, water. No really filtration, as the top flange is too large to hang anything on there. It was a leftover from a different project, so I just use it, but I need to come up with something better one day.
Here are the hammer frags as of yesterday afternoon.
4" would be a DSB. 3" isn't quite enough. People have various opinions on substrate. Some want a DSB, others a shallow one, and others want none at all. I prefer the look of a tank with sand over one without for aesthetic reasons.
melev
Well-known member
Yes, I've squirted PE Mysis and Cyclop Eeze at it late night when the pumps are off, and it eats. If you'll go back one page, you'll see a picture of it eating and looking happy last February.
The heads that died, the tissue fell off and landed on the substrate. The skeleton was bone white, and whatever might have been left the hermits and baby brittle starfish consumed. I tossed it out because it smelled horrible, and hope the remaining polyps will survive.
I was wondering if the tissue I see on the sand might be placed on something (crush coral perhaps) and then left in the tank, hopefully to start some new coral growth and not lose it all completely.
Mantisshrimp248
New member
Looking good. Just one more quick question- what type of sand did you use or recommend? Thank you and that sun coral is sweet.
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