Step-by-step account of my first reef (with lots of pics)

[bcoons]

Yep, you warned me, the xenia critters turned out to be pretty hardy. They grow fast, and need to be trimmed now and then, but I really like them. They give a lot of movement in the tank and the pulsing action is mesmerizing. I wouldn't go without them. Plus, my wife got a real kick out of the fact that we actually sold some of the frags for credit. She, being the frugal Chinese merchant type, immediately saw the business opportunities there. Now she wants to think of us as "coral ranchers."

The sun coral is doing great so far. Boy, that page you pointed me to on melev's site is really nice (thanks melev) and full of info. I put the critter in the tank about 7 pm last night and fed it some of the frozen H2O Coral Food. It opened right up and extended it's yellow polyps. After reading melev's site, I fed it some frozen mysis shrimp tonight, and sure enough, it gobbled them into the mouths of the polyps. I may feed it some zooplex right at lights out. Right now it's the most colorful thing in my tank.

I have it sitting on the sand right next to the clam and the modern coral.

We'll see how it likes the light and flow where it is.

I'll send you a PM on a meet for this weekend.

Bruce

 

[bcoons]

One more pic.......

One more pic.......

Geez, about an hour after lights out I went to look at the tank, and the new sun coral looks really nice. This is a flash pic and the colors are very close to true.

Dudester, I think you might want to move one of these up on your list. AA had another nice one on Sunday afternnon.

Bruce

 

[melev]

I love suncorals. They are awesome. And you've made me go thaw some food to feed mine now.

 

[KingfishJohn]

Bruce-

Really great looking sun coral! Remember to feed him and I'm sure he'll do great in your tank. Also, the sun coral is great but I'm way more impressed by the modern! That is one happy beast!

Mike-

Got your call today and ended up getting distracted. I'll give you a call tomorrow and fill you in on everything and we have much to discuss.

Melev-

You missed a really fun collection trip in Port A this last weekend. Several of your club members came down and I hope to see you there nect year.

 

[divecj5]

Wow...although I'm just getting started with my 55 gallon, I will definitely have to place a sun coral at the top of my list once I gain enough experience in the hobby. They are just incredible creatures and your look stunning BCoons when they are open.

Melev, great article about sun corals on your site. Very informative and it amazes me how the polyps feed like that and try and "share" the mysis. Do sun corals only feed on solid food (mysis) or can they filter feed as well? Just curious for future reference.

All of you guys tanks look incredible and are inspirational to look at and learn from.


Adam

 

[bcoons]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7763277#post7763277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thedude15810
Bruce-

Also, the sun coral is great but I'm way more impressed by the modern! That is one happy beast!

Yep, he looks happy as a clam (oh, wait........)

See if you can show the sun coral pic to Lucy at AA. She's the one who helped me.

Any idea when the next Austin Reef Club meeting will be?

Bruce

 

[bcoons]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7764059#post7764059 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by divecj5

All of you guys tanks look incredible and are inspirational to look at and learn from.


Adam

Adam,

Thanks, but I'm not all that far ahead of you. My little 20L is only 9 months old. And I learned a large majority of what I now know right here on this thread. I discovered this thread early on and have follwed it all the way through. I think of it as my "home" thread, even though it really belonds to Dudester. He, and John, and melev, and bax and a bunch of others who hang out here are really a great bunch of guys.

Be sure to keep us up with how your tank is coming along.

Bruce

 

[divecj5]

I agree Bruce. This thread has been some of the best information and insight that I've gotten thus far. I guess because all of you all's tanks are about what I'm shooting for is why the information has been so pertinnent.

I will definitely be starting up a thread of my own or at least keeping you all up to date on my progress (just sprayed the back of the tank blue this weekend and finishing the stand tomorrow. Rock, sand, and salt maybe this weekend) :dance:

Just to put a plug in for Melev, just listened to the first couple Reefcast's and they're great. Hilarious and informative.

Adam

 

[bcoons]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7765205#post7765205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by divecj5

Just to put a plug in for Melev, just listened to the first couple Reefcast's and they're great. Hilarious and informative.

Adam

Yep, Reefcasts are a kick. BTW, I see you list yourself as a GIS Tech. As in GPS? If so, are you going to the ION GNSS conference in Fort Worth in September? If you are, you'll be on melev's turf. I plan to be there, but I also hope to meet melev for the first time at the MACNA XVIII conference in Houston the week before.

http://www.macnaxviii.com/

And Dudester, where are you? Man, you must be working too hard! :rollface:

Bruce

 

[divecj5]

Hey Bruce. Actually, it's GIS (Geographic Information Systems) so it's more dealing with creating various map depictions and internet mapping sites but we do use data points and the software that I use can utilize all sorts of GPS and satellite info. I'll have to google the ION GNSS conference and see what it's all about. Maybe some point I'll be out that way and be able to meet Marc and others in that area in person. That would be a kick.

Adam

 

[Divetime]

DiveCJ5, Glad to see we have some fellow GIS users out there. I use it mostly for the mapping aspects & would love to get more involved in the data output. I was up in Charleston a few years ago at the NOAA training facility inorder to get some GIS training.

I've been following this thread for a while as well. I really can't say enough about everyone & everything that I have learned from RC. Keep up the beautiful tanks and I'll slowly continue to work on my lil 55 gallon :beer:

Now back to our regularly scheduled program of RC searching

 

[divecj5]

Don't want to get this off track but had to answer Divetime....actually I am working at a GIS Tech. at the NOAA facility you're talking about although I wasn't here when you came for training. Small world

 

[Dudester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7765257#post7765257 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bcoons
And Dudester, where are you? Man, you must be working too hard! :rollface:

What do you mean, where am I? I posted here yesterday at 10:18 a.m. . I've been enjoying sitting back and reading the banter between you, divecj5 and Divetime! Y'all are starving for data, aren't you? Besides, I haven't had anything nearly as good to post as the pics of your beautiful sun and modern corals. I will definitely move the sun up on my list. Yellow is a color my tank definitely lack. Now I just have to find somewhere to put that rock of green zoas to make room for it ... I wonder where that will be?

The next Austin Reef Club meeting has not been definitively been scheduled, but we have a tentative date of Sat, Aug 5. I'm sure I'll see you there!

divecj5 - By "finishing the stand" I hope that includes several coats of some type of urethane finish. You won't believe how many ways there are to spill water onto your cabinet. Sounds like you're coming along nicely - keep us informed :thumbsup:

Rock, sand, and salt maybe this weekend

Don't forget the water .

Divetime - Thanks for the kind words and welcome aboard.

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7764059#post7764059 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by divecj5


Melev, great article about sun corals on your site. Very informative and it amazes me how the polyps feed like that and try and "share" the mysis. Do sun corals only feed on solid food (mysis) or can they filter feed as well? Just curious for future reference.

They can filter feed, but their preference is meaty foods. Cyclop-eeze and mysis are the easiest for us to offer, and they like them both. I tend to mix the two together and baste the corals.

If any of you are in the Ft Worth area, let me know and you can come over to see the tank and chat.

 

[Dudester]

Hey Melev, while you're in the mood for answering questions, have you had a chance to give any thought to my fish question? Just to remind you, I was wondering if there's an alternative to the sixline wrasse that I could have in my tank that eats flatworms. I tried a thread in the fishkeeping forum, but there have been no fruitful responses. As always, your help (and that of ALL thread followers) is most appreciated!

 

[melev]

I didn't answer that question because I don't have a good answer. Sorry about that. The LFS owner I know swears that blue damsels eat them and has one in every tank, but I really have a tough time believing it.

Do you have a mandarin? A Leopard Wrasse may eat them as well.

 

[alexk3954]

Wow, that sun coral looks amazing!

I got back from a short trip today and when I look at my tank, I notice my clam was not where I left it. It was lying on the sand and is not looking to good. Unfortunately it jumped right next to my tube anemone which must have stung it because the edges look a little frayed. Hopefully it will recover, it was looking very good. I can't understand why stuff like this always happens when we are gone on vacation.

 

[Dudester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7767675#post7767675 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I didn't answer that question because I don't have a good answer. Sorry about that. The LFS owner I know swears that blue damsels eat them and has one in every tank, but I really have a tough time believing it.

Do you have a mandarin? A Leopard Wrasse may eat them as well.

I didn't get an email message that you responded, so I'm only seeing this today. Funny that you mention a mandarin, as only last night I was talking with John about this very fish. My 30g tank is probably too small (not enough pods) to support a target mandarin long-term, but John has had success training them to eat prepared foods (like you, Marc) and we decided that once he has one properly trained, then I'll take it. I like the blue ones the best, John, if I may be so picky.

I love leopard wrasses, but with an 89% mortality, I'm a little hesitant so spend that kind of cash for a fish right now. I do see this fish in my future, however.

I notice my clam was not where I left it. It was lying on the sand and is not looking to good. Unfortunately it jumped right next to my tube anemone which must have stung it because the edges look a little frayed. Hopefully it will recover, it was looking very good. I can't understand why stuff like this always happens when we are gone on vacation.

That's certainly a possibility, but you also have to consider pinched mantle disease. If it is the latter, you can potentially treat it with Prazi-Pro (praziquantel). Can you post a photo of what the clam looks like - maybe we can help?

Stuff like this happens when we're away because we're so compulsive, we constantly and immediately intervene whenever something is awry. It's all part of the addiction and our desire to do the best for our tank inhabitants. For example, just the other night I saw the acan lord trying to consume my last lettuce nudibranch. Naturally I rescued it, but if I wasn't at home that frag would have had quite a meal.

 

[bcoons]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7778650#post7778650 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
My 30g tank is probably too small (not enough pods) to support a target mandarin long-term, but John has had success training them to eat prepared foods (like you, Marc) and we decided that once he has one properly trained, then I'll take it.

Just for another point of reference, I had also heard that it takes a large system with lots of live rock to provide enough 'pod for a mandarin. However, for various reasons, I bought a green mandarin goby from my tiny little LFS in Copperas Cove. It's been in my 20L tank with about 20lb of LR for about two months now. It seems to be growing and is noticebly fatter. He has been pretty shy and stays in back of the rockwork, and just recently has started venturing to the front of the tank when I'm around. He seems curious. He doesn't seem underfed.

My modified AC 500 refugium seems to be pretty good at breeding conditions for 'pods. And they are all over my LR.

Granted, I've only had him for a couple of months, and he shows no sign of eating any other foods, but maybe a 30g tank could produce enough 'pods to support a mandarin.

Now that I've said that, my poor mandarin is probably a goner.

Bruce

 

[KingfishJohn]

Mike,

The reason I suggested a target mandarin is for whatever reason, they accept prepared foods much much more readily. Of the 100 or so of both species I've seen and taken care of, 20 or more of the targets have accepted frozen food while only ONE green mandarin made any attempt to eat frozen food.