time lapse Acro growth vid

[Gary Majchrzak]

note: all Atlantic corals in video

A. cervicornis growth BLOWS AWAY the other corals.
I wonder if Ventilina sea fan was being fed (or fragged) and if Ricordea florida was being routinely harvested?

It's pretty obvious the Zoanthids were being culled................

 

[Tank14]

That's pretty cool but I am not sure why you would want to let a coral grow into the glass that way and block out all viewing. Unless it was only supposed to be an experiment

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

true confessions

true confessions

I've been tempted to let Acros grow onto glass and feed my anemone until it takes over the living room :beer:

 

[mr86mister]

Gary-Starting around 54 secs on the top right corner of the screen. There seems to be some type of air bubble movement or is this something else? I can't recognize what it would be, maybe a type of algae that is getting cleaned off at times? Any idea?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

at top right or top left?

I see bubbles at top left............................

 

[mr86mister]

Yeah sorry. My brain was thinking left and my fingers typed right...haha. What are the bubbles from? They seem to develop and then slowly move up.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

even stranger

even stranger

it appears the bubbles are forming on the Acropora.

Because it's time lapse it appears that they are very slow to form. Odd. I've never seen bubbles form on any of my SPS like that.

 

[Dave@ARA]

Hi all,
Funny what others see, and interpret,.. could be dangerous if you are listening to others and using their interpretations as fact;
-Not a single Zooanthid was EVER removed or "culled" from this tank EVER!, all corals were fed, two Ricordea were removed,(total) and there is only air bubbles on the un-encrusted glass in the upper left of the tank, (not on the coral)

...this is an experimental growth study for the National Marine Sanctuary and Coral Restoration Foundation...not a hobbiest's tank created to enhance the aesthetics of a work or living space.

Hope that clears some stuff up about the video -Dave Lackland

 

[Dave@ARA]

Gary Majchrzak I am very impressed,..for you are the first person EVER in the aquarium hobby to note, (from video) that this tank is 100% Atlantic.
Thank you-Dave

 

[Dave@ARA]

Someone else on another forum asked me; "why did you let that urchin eat all the Zooanthids?"

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Hi, Dave...

Hi, Dave...

I'm glad you found this thread!

In the video it appears that large stands of zooanthids grow and then suddenly disappear... is the urchin the culprit?

Since all of the corals in this tank are of Atlantic origin I suspected some kind of experimental growth study and I must say the time lapse photography was done extremely well!

What (if any) significant conclusions were found from this growth study?
Was there a control tank?
What foods were you feeding the corals in this video?
Is it true you're good at growing palmata, too?

Sorry for all of the questions and thanks in advance for any answers/explanations you can share with us.

 

[Dave@ARA]

Hey Gary,
Nope,they, (the Zooanthids) just perished over time,..and now are starting to grow back?

The Sea fan only really grew for a couple years (two) before I started filming this sequence, and as you can see, continues to slowly die off.

I did go in and trim away the dead Sea fan skeleton, with a bone cutting/scissor-like tool, twice I believe.

20cc of a mixed food "smoothie" daily-10% monthly H2O changes- bag of carbon

Thats all,..no skimmer or (other(than the food)) additives of any kind.
Not even for Calcium or Alk.

The control are really the nursery in-situ corals being compared to the tank corals; Growth rates are similar yet the growth form is much more robust, ( thicker) in the wild.

This is the closest to wild growth form, and rate I have ever orchestrated.

Yes, I have had decent success with Palmata as well.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

no alkalinity or calcium supplementation?

no alkalinity or calcium supplementation?

is it an open or closed sytem?

if closed, were regular water changes performed?

I'm assuming natural seawater was being used.... right?

 

[Dave@ARA]

-100% closed
-10% water changer once a month
-Old school Seachem Reef Salt mix for EVERY change.

I would also imagine that someone living were I do,.. would be "all over" using Natural Sea Water, however I am too apprehensive, too afraid,.. of adding something like petroleum products, (boat gas and oil), fertilizers, excess nutrients,etc..or just something else that I am not aware of.

I notice allot of folks down here don't really respect Mother nature,..they just want to catch it, and eat it,..."who cares if you spilled a little gas in the water"? -type attitude,..really kind of sad.