My first SPS corals, thanks to Steve and Joe

[srusso]

Hey Joe and Steve, I was wondering if you could each take pictures of your mother colony. Also wondering how long before these frags get happy... After being transported. Everything tests well...

Temp 76 - 77
SG 1.025
pH 8.4
Calcium 415 - 425ppm
Magnesium 1300ppm
PO4 is zero
NO3 is zero

Alkalinity can't test but I am told the other two will let you know if something is off...

Corals

Whole tank shot

 

[RTMA]

not mine, but it looks like this when grown. The higher the light the further along down the body the purple goes.

 

[srusso]

Looks wonderful! Given good growing conditions, how long before a frag my size becomes something that size?

 

[RTMA]

1-2 years. Probably closer to 2. It all depends on conditions of course. So you can never really tell.

 

[scolley]

I like the aquascaping! And as to "how long" on that monti cap... I don't really know, but I'd guess a few months before it fully recovers from being in my sump. And as to growing and taking off... Not much longer than that. In the right conditions it will be growing like gang busters is 3-4 months.

Looks like you've got it in high flow, high light. That's good.

But personally, I think you should test your Alk You comment about Mg and Ca letting you know that something is off... do you really understand water chemistry that well? To know that Alk's off, by how much, and in what direction? From Mg and Ca readings? No way. Until you've got LOTS more experience under your belt, IMO you will benefit greatly from that Alk kit. Not only can you use it to make sure you are "in range". But honestly you should ALWAYS be in range. The value of a kit is in demonstrating that you can keep your Alk stable, and are adjusting your water to keep it that way.

Congrats on getting that monti cap secured! Thinking "eggshell" must have done the trick. :thumbsup:

Also don't forget. If - after it greens up well and is looking healthy (all green except rims) - that if the rims are white, as opposed to purple, something's off... most likely needing more light.

Good luck!

 

[srusso]

Thanks for the reply Steve, could I get you to post a picture of what it looks like in your tank? Also do you know the exact name of this montipora?

 

[srusso]

The only monti that I can find on the internet that matches the description Steve gave me was, a montipora capricornis

Like this...?

 

[scolley]

That's close enough. In my experience this does not grow at thick, and grows flatter, without those little ridges - or at least they are not as promenent.

But as far as color goes, that's it.

 

[srusso]

Oddly enough... I was on my way home today and I was thinking about the OCA Tricolor Valida Staghorn frag, Joe gave me... I was thinking I haven't seen any progress with this frag and I should give up hope I would see any signs of life from the little guy. I also thought about the new duncan coral frag I got and how it would be a nice place to swap the "dead tricolor" out with...

I got home and looked at the tricolor frag and POW!! Have a look!! It opened!!
See the little polyps?!! :lol:


The monti is slowly coming back to life as well... the ridge is much more prominent and the colors are starting to show. Here is a pic from a few hours ago.

 

[Arusso713]

Nice dude good luck with that

 

[srusso]

This was taken with my iPhone so colors are hardly accurate, more so when my actinics are on as they are in this picture.

Joe, are you sure which coral this was when you gave it to me? It seems to be turning a neon green color... Beautiful none the less, but could you be confusing it with a different frag you had with you that day? Or do some SPS corals show different colors in other tanks...?

Please do mistake my curiosity as an insult to your expertise or knowledge!

I love this coral and I am so happy it's doing well. It even looks like a new branch is forming at the base. Only time will tell...

 

[srusso]

Here is a picture I just took with my D3000, it show the color of it much better.

Tapatalk lowered the quality a lot... Oh well...

 

[RTMA]

I'm 100% positive, as I bought it from Unique Corals back in August of 09. And yes, SPS can change colors depending on light. Also when they are small, they seldom exhibit the true colors until they reach a larger colony size. Give it time and stability in your parameters and it will thrive. Are the tips turning purple yet?

 

[srusso]

I'm 100% positive, as I bought it from Unique Corals back in August of 09. And yes, SPS can change colors depending on light. Also when they are small, they seldom exhibit the true colors until they reach a larger colony size. Give it time and stability in your parameters and it will thrive. Are the tips turning purple yet?

No, that's why I asked. The tips seem to be turning a neon green color. It hasn't even been a month yet so it maybe too soon yet.

 

[srusso]

As you can see in that pic in a few posts back I had the birds nest too close to the acro... Now that I moved the birds nest the acro has stopped loosing flesh... Assuming it survives can the acro regrow the lost flesh?

FYI the other side of the frag is still completely covered with flesh. And it's polyps are again out where it still has flesh.

 

[RTMA]

Yeah the prognosis doesn't look good. I have yet to see an acro regrow over dead skeleton. You may want to consider clipping it to the area of all flesh and let it regrow. Good luck.