Announcing the rarest frag from Reef'd Up: The Victoria Elise Bridges, Limited Edition
At 7:32 am on 20 February 2014, the little frag arrived at 7 lbs, 1 oz. After a short stay in quarantine (NICU), she is now doing great in her new home and is eating well!
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As always, nice jobs everyone!!!
SeaBass - that hole in the coral should just heal up over time unless you have a critter (like a gall crab) keeping it open.
BxS_Reefer - thanks! As far as your coral goes, I think the standards still apply. My first thought was was target feed...and keep your nutrients down so algae doesn't grow on the dead parts.
ItzJustin - I wouldn't worry about trimming the skeleton for such a small frag. It should quickly regrow. If it continues to melt, dip it for 20 seconds in a 10:1 water:hydrogen peroxide dip. Then dip it in 0.5ml Bayer Advanced Insecticide to 2 cups tank water for about 15 minutes.
CoralReeForrest - nice job!
Jstn - pics!! We need before (and after) pics!!
I only just noticed it today, but that cup coral has a little critter (perhaps a gall crab) living down in a whole in the center of it. Is this bad?
Also a pink birdsnest colony that I just got has a little pink crab on it. Any ideas what they are?
Mecheng,
Now I've never done you bayer or peroxide dips, as fear of doing something wrong and killing the coral over helping it has prevented me. However I would like to give them a shot since I have a bit more of an idea of what I'm doing and feel more confident.
What are the products you use and the ratios and times in which you use them? Also, do you do them along with the standard iodine dips? I know a lot of people use lugols, but how do you feel about CoralRx or ReVive?
Ah, yes, I see him now! There's a lot of debate on gall crabs (if that is what it is...), but I don't think they're harmful. The female usually leaves a hole in a coral, but that's about it. She usually doesn't leave the hole (the males travel). If it isn't a gall crab, then I'd be worried.
Look up Trapezia crabs - they're symbiotic with birdsnests (among other corals). Does it have black claws? Have a photo of it?
I use the following in this order:
10:1 tank water to hydrogen peroxide for 20 seconds (standard pharmacy hydrogen peroxide)
0.5ml Bayer to 2 cups tank water for 10 minutes (15 min as a standalone dip)
1 ml CoralRx to 1 cup tank water for 10 minutes (15 min as a standalone dip)
I used to use Lugol's iodine, but the corals usually browned out...and the pests remained. I'll still use it if a coral is badly damaged (like a fresh sting), but that's about it.
On the peroxide dip, is that 10cups tank water to 1 cup/ml/? Peroxide?
It's a ratio. Do whatever is easy and will cover the coral. So, you could do something like the following:
100ml tank water plus 10 ml hydrogen peroxide
300ml tank water plus 30 ml hydrogen peroxide
10 cups tank water plus 1 cup hydrogen peroxide