New to the Nano reef

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If it is anything like the size of a Mysis cube, for just 2 clowns you can chop it in to about 4 or 5 different equally sized pieces...that is what I do with my Mysis...for 1 sheet of frozen Mysis, I am gonna be able to feed my nano for months to come... :D

As for fraggin Xenia...when it is ready to frag...gently scrape it from the rock...right at the base...hold old your hand palm up...place it upside down lying over your index and middle fingers (fingers held together)...using scissors specifically for your aquarium cut the xenia in half...then, half each of these new halfs...take a piece of bridle vail and fold it in to a square several times over...then, fold it in to a triangle and cut it in half (I think ;) )...this makes several circular nettings...take each piece of new xenia cutting and place it on a frag plug with the base of the xenia on the plug...gently place the bridle vail over the xenia, wrap it around and use a rubber band to hold the bridle vail on the stalk of the plug...in about 7-10 days or so you can remove the bridle vail and the xenia should be attached to the plug...now you can place it wherever you want in your tank...

Another option instead of a frag plug is a small piece of live rock rubble...if you use the rubble as opposed to a frag plug, you can place the xenia wherever you want in your tank that is going to become it's "permanent" home...it will grow and soon overtake this small piece of rubble and grow on to the surrounding rock as well...this prevents having to remove it another time from the frag plug...this is the method I'm probably going to use starting really soon when I have to frag my xenia...

Hope that helps...I saw a video on how to do this on the Internet...when I find it again, I'll post a link to it...
 
thanks, i think i will be making a trip to the LFS tonight to get some sand and need one more large rock i think. Just need to find the right one... they were supposed to get a shipment of stuff in this week so we will see....
 
Here is the link for fragging Xenia...it is part of a larger article by GARF (Geothermal Aquatic Research Foundation) about using Xenia as clownfish hosts...

http://www.garf.org/fish3/xeniaclown.html

The article of course describes it better than what I did... ;) Also, there are some pics as well as a movie showing what they did...very easy to do (IMHO) once you watch the movie...I'll be trying this method soon...
 
Greg,

I have the rock leaning "up" against the back wall of the tank and then out from there a bit.

AND...as far as my dearly departed clown....they tested my water and everything was normal. So they replaced it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8964163#post8964163 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slukach
Greg,

I have the rock leaning "up" against the back wall of the tank and then out from there a bit.

AND...as far as my dearly departed clown....they tested my water and everything was normal. So they replaced it.
Click to expand...

Cool deal for you!! Sometimes the livestock we buy just aren't going to make it...they can already be ill, over-stressed, etc...sometimes these little creatures just aren't destined to live outside the sea...and, in cases like this when they can't prove you killed it they will usually replace the little bugger no charge... :D
 
Now I am worried about the 2nd one I got last night (the big moma). She is swimming near the bottom of the tank...same deal, swimming like crazy against the current. The replacement is doing fantastic already though. He is all over the tank. he even nipped big momas tail abit, playing around.

Has anyone ever heard of a "green flower pot"? Almost looks like a xenia, but green and with thicker stalks.
 
Let me clarify...not same deal as my dearly departed, but just same deal as last night, i.e., she is doing the same thing as last night. I have a feeling she might be a little stressed. I found out today when I went for my replacement that they just got the shipment of true percs in yesterday, so maybe a flight from Cali, and a ride from the airport, dumped in a tank and then scooped back up and taken for another ride to my place might be too much.

Shouldn't LFS's acclimate the fish they get for a few days before selling them right away?
 
Flower Pots are also called Gonipora (I think) and are not a starter coral, Don't be offended, I wouldn't keep one :)
I have a friend who kept one for a long time but he is like an expert.

Ask the LFS how long they QT a fish, good ones will keep a fish a couple weeks before selling it to make sure it's healthy, diesese free, eating, etc....
 
Apparently the LFS (which will remain nameless and which will get no more of my business), doesn't QT their fish....that I can tell at least. The shipment of percs came in last night, couldn't have been too long before I got there. I found that out today. Not wanting to lose my $20, I just took a replacement fish. BUT IT IS THE LAST TIME I WILL SHOP THERE FOR SURE!!!!!!!!

Not ****ed about the QT procedures, although I should be. But I am ****ed that they told me the pretty flowery piece in one of their tanks was an easy piece to take care of and that it would be a great addition to my tank (which they know all about since I have explained to them what I was running and how long, etc.). I wasn't going to buy it, but the woman wanted it because it was so pretty. (Guys, never bring your ladies to the LFS, unless they are hobbyists also). So, as I sit here with a green flower pot coral in my tank and get sick to my stomach about its demise, I assure myself that I will not be going to that particular LFS again.

It was a shame, since the LFS workers exhibited some good knowledge about a few different things, but I guess the almighty dollar rules. Thing is, the piece is big (half the size of a baseball), absolutely beautiful, and was only $20. But such a nice thing shouldn't be left to croak in my tank.

I didn't mention anything before because I felt stupid for not researching it first (then Colin filled me in on the info).

Ahhhh, lesson learned.
 
Off Liveaquaria:


Care Level: Difficult

The True Red Flower Pot Coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral often referred to as Goniopora Flower Pot, Ball, Daisy, or Sunflower Coral. The flower names refer to its appearance when all of its polyps are opened. It takes on the visage of a bouquet of flowers. The red form is a bright red color, and illumination by actinic lighting will highlight its true beauty. Once open, the True Red Flower Pot Coral is a gorgeous hard coral with free-flowing short polyps.

It is aggressive, and ample space should be provided between itself and other neighboring corals. Its polyps can extend far past its base into the reef aquarium, where they can sting other species of corals. Clownfish, will often play in its polyps if no anemone can be found in the reef aquarium. This may actually be detrimental to the coral.

Goniopora sp. require PERFECT water conditions, the proper trace elements and the habitat must match its requirements. In general, the Red form of the Flower Pot Coral does better in an aquarium than other Gonipora sp. However, any damage to the meaty section of the True Red Flower Pot Coral almost always means a lost specimen. One can only do this Goniopora Coral justice by leaving its care to the experienced hobbyist with the expertise and time to keep the coral properly.

The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae hosted within its body provides the majority of its nutritional requirements from photosynthesis. It should be fed phytoplankton or brine shrimp daily.



If you see it going south chuck it. That explains why my buddy had one, he had an SPS tank and his water was pristene. No way we could replicate that in our nano's without a huge skimmer going.

Give it a try, maybe you will luck out and find the green one easier to keep or see if someone locally in your club forum will trade you for something easier (Kenya Tree, Mushrooms, Button Polyps, etc....)
 
Colin,

I doubt the green is any easier than the red. But, that is an excellent idea, trading for something a little easier.

The description is right, though. it looks like a bouquet. really nice.
 
I would recommend immediately posting in the Philly club forum and asking for some sort of immediate trade...see if someone with an SPS tank or a pristine LPS tank can trade you a couple of small starter corals...or even easy-moderate care corals and try your hand at those...get that stuff to grow and frag it out for LFS credit or trades from other local members (obviously not the LFS with the clown fish problems.)

I would put in my post if I were you that I wanted to get it traded within 24-36 hrs (48 at the ABSOLUTE most)
 
KF,
Thanks about the clown. There is a ton to learn about all this. I just hope others can learn from my mistakes.

Isn't this what it's all about?
 
Oh yeah, I was a newbie with marine tanks 4 yrs ago! now I am a newbie with corals .Thank god for forums like these!Having trouble with some green star polyps now!

You never mentioned your water parameters ,Have you checked them?
 
hey King,

What wrong with your GSP? I have 3 types of star polyps in my tank, I find they can be perfect then for some reason they get picky and close up for a day or two and come out again like new.
 
Well I have a new 14g biocube I started about 12 days ago!
I used LR and water from my 4yr old 55g tank . The tank had a mild spike and came right back downin less than 3 days . Iwas so anxious i went out and bought a some button polyps and a perc. clown! Both are doing great ! On day 10 i bought some Green star polyps after placing they opened within 2 hours and stayed open all night and were open when i left for work! when i got home all were closed !
Checked all my parameters They were perfect! nitrates, nitrites,and ammonia were all 0. pH was 8.4 salinity where it should be. calcium 480.
I noticed a small brown area with a fungus or film, you can see in the photo near the red coraline.
it was close to the light ,so i just moved to mid level!
i have pc lighting w/ 48 watts at the LFS it was MH lighting!

is this shock? what should i do?
gsp.jpg

sickgsp.jpg
 
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