ORA Hawkins Blue: Hardy or not?

[Mykel Obvious]

Cato,
If you do buy another frag, I'd suggest taking a sample of the water from the bag and doing all your normal tests on it to see if, for instance, the Alk is at 7 or some other parameter is vastly different than yours (if you LFS is amicable, perhaps test before purchasing)... I totally understand your wanting a frag of this, very beautiful coral IMO

It very well could be the dip... as scary as it sounds, I've never dipped any of my frags... I've only purchased from reputable dealers and RC members with good track records... I don't know if enough retailers are treating their tanks for AFEW and Red Bugs or if I've just been lucky... I would imagine that ORA does treat for both else how could they keep everything alive and healthy enough to ship... if you trust your LFS I'd say skip it after a close visual inspection and see if you can hang on to the next one (take this advice at your own risk, as I said, I may have just been lucky)

Good Luck and let us know how it turns out for you!!!

 

[cato]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13389541#post13389541 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mykel Obvious
Cato,
If you do buy another frag, I'd suggest taking a sample of the water from the bag and doing all your normal tests on it to see if, for instance, the Alk is at 7 or some other parameter is vastly different than yours (if you LFS is amicable, perhaps test before purchasing)... I totally understand your wanting a frag of this, very beautiful coral IMO

It very well could be the dip... as scary as it sounds, I've never dipped any of my frags... I've only purchased from reputable dealers and RC members with good track records... I don't know if enough retailers are treating their tanks for AFEW and Red Bugs or if I've just been lucky... I would imagine that ORA does treat for both else how could they keep everything alive and healthy enough to ship... if you trust your LFS I'd say skip it after a close visual inspection and see if you can hang on to the next one (take this advice at your own risk, as I said, I may have just been lucky)

Good Luck and let us know how it turns out for you!!!

You read my mind on testing the stores water params. :rollface: I'll let you know how things go.

 

[StephenInVa]

I had the same issue with the Echinata frag I got from LA. I didn't notice it until it went into the tank after acclimating (dark room for acclimation). It lost everything except a few tiny bits of tissue. It's making a recovery now however and I can see daily that the tissue is growing back over the skeleton more and more.

 

[shelburn61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13386547#post13386547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cato
OK I lost the 2nd one also. I got mine from a LFS that have had them for weeks and were doing well. I typically temp acclimate for 1/2 hr or so then dip in Revive 1.5x rec strength for 10 min. Every other coral I have done this with have been no problems. It's just the Hawkins.

I am wondering if Revive does not agree with it...

Hmm... I use almost exactly the same procedure. Can't see how Revive would be the problem though...

What dip/acclimation procedure are you successful folks using?

 

[cato]

OK, I no longer think it's the Revive dip. I think I found the answer...Bought #3 today as well as a purple plasma (couldn't resist ). After testing my LFS's water I found it had an Alk of 6, my system is 11. Yikes! A spike of 5 dKH I'm betting is the likely cause.

#3 is now under a sloooow drip acclimation in a 5gal pail then I will re-acclimate to temp and in it goes. We'll know in about 24hrs whether this one makes it. Salinity was off too but only .023 vs my .025.

Crossing my fingers...

 

[Mykel Obvious]

6dKH??? They really need to get that to at least 7 (and I'd try and talk them into 8 if I were you )... I figured Alk was the most likely parameter to be vastly different, and I'm sure the salinity difference doesn't help at that point... I'd have to say that we are lucky that all SPS aren't as sensitive as A. echinata or we'd have much more RTN

Good Luck :crossed fingers:

(oh and I couldn't resist the Purple Plasma myself... now if I can just find a frag of the Red Planet somewhere online :lol: )

 

[cato]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13391302#post13391302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mykel Obvious
6dKH??? They really need to get that to at least 7 (and I'd try and talk them into 8 if I were you )... I figured Alk was the most likely parameter to be vastly different, and I'm sure the salinity difference doesn't help at that point... I'd have to say that we are lucky that all SPS aren't as sensitive as A. echinata or we'd have much more RTN

Good Luck :crossed fingers:

(oh and I couldn't resist the Purple Plasma myself... now if I can just find a frag of the Red Planet somewhere online :lol: )

:lol: OK been around 3 hrs of drip so I will now temp acclimate and drop it in...:worried:

 

[57vert]

Good luck CATO

 

[cato]

Here it is today (tonight)...we'll see how it looks tomorrow.

 

[57vert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13392245#post13392245 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cato
Here it is today (tonight)...we'll see how it looks tomorrow.

Got my fingers crossed for you Bud!

 

[Mykel Obvious]

Nice frag!!

Good luck and keep us up to date!! I really hope that your slow drip acclimation eliminated the problem

 

[shelburn61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13391426#post13391426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cato
:lol: OK been around 3 hrs of drip so I will now temp acclimate and drop it in...:worried:

Drip eh? I actually think I get PE quicker with no drip. I just temp acclimate in the bag, expose to air for a few minutes to slime, and drop em in...

That's a monster frag for ORA! I got lucky with a pearlberry like that recently...

 

[flyyyguy]

oops

 

[cato]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13393240#post13393240 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shelburn61
Drip eh? I actually think I get PE quicker with no drip. I just temp acclimate in the bag, expose to air for a few minutes to slime, and drop em in...

That's a monster frag for ORA! I got lucky with a pearlberry like that recently...

shel, I don't typically drip but with the difference of 5 dKH of LFS water compared to mine I decided to this time. Only time will tell.

 

[Paulairduck]

most LFS stores in my experience, run low Salinity( use less salt), Low alk and Low calcium (it saves money) I always ask what the alk is before I purchase a frag, If I have a big difference, the longer acclimation I try to give the coral. This is why most people have better luck with getting frags from fellow reefers

 

[shelburn61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13393484#post13393484 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cato
shel, I don't typically drip but with the difference of 5 dKH of LFS water compared to mine I decided to this time. Only time will tell.

Gotcha.

I never test water from any LFS or online shop beyond SG/temp, but I can also count on 1 hand the new frags I've lost over the last few years. My Hawkins came from a large RC mailorder sponsor so I SERIOUSLY doubt parameters were that off...

 

[cato]

Update: 24hrs later and this one has already lasted longer than the other 2. Just took this pic...

 

[Mykel Obvious]

Looks great!!! That really is a nice frag... about 2x the size of the one I received... I think you might have pulled it off this time...

I hope mine survives the rough treatment I gave it today... I popped it off the plug and mounted it with two part epoxy... left behind a few little chunks at the rim of the pug, so I'm gonna see if they re-encrust

 

[basser1]

I just acquired one of these in a trade today with my LFS. This is my first "smooth" sps. Are you supposed to see polyp extension on the ends of the branches? How do tell good health in these?
Thanks

 

[Mykel Obvious]

Hey Basser,
Polyps only at ends of braches on the Hawkins (and most other "smooth" Acros AFAIK) mine only has PE after lights out... good health, hmm, I'd say nice color with smooth skin all over (no ragged or rough areas) and good PE at night

If you look at cato's two photos, you can see that in the first one the coral is a bit irritated, the second one is how a nice happy Hawkins should look IMO