Is this good growth for 8 Months???? Updated!!!

[es355lucille]

I have not got the knack of growing SPS.....I usually just seem to torture the odd frag now and again just "testing the waters" so to speak. It would seem like you have gained some skills with growing SPS quite well. That is pretty good growth IMO. Nice Job!

By the way whats your lighting/dosing/water flow like? just askin!

[Maverick00]

nicely done! Those pictures are getting me excited, i saved a couple branches from a frag that started to die on me a month ago. It now appears to be growing like a weed. Amazing how fast it happens.

[tony_3a]

I would totally be into this, I still have to learn how to frag!!!, I saw a fragging set for beginners at jl looked pretty cool, i might pick one up. Or any better ideas that that??

Thanks a lot
Tony

Originally Posted by VFX

Hey Tony,

I have my SPS under 2 x 250w halides with 2 x 54w T5's.

Wanna try an little experiment? How about trading a coupla frags to try & see how they grow under your T5HO lights compared to my halides?

.

[tony_3a]

Im sure everyone will laugh at me for this.

All I use is normal tap water with prime.
I have never dosed anything except garlic when Im so mad at ich and give up .
For flow, All i have is 2 k4s and a Sedra 9000 return, I have a fair bit of debris in my tank from my diamond goby, so i have spent a lot of time placing the k4s and the return lines where i see the whole tank is getting good flow. The sps also have a 4k pointing pretty much right at them and it works really well.
Also I leave my lights on a long time, the actinic start at around 10, then the growing lights come on at 12, run until 930 at night and then the actinics are off around 1040.

I know thats a long time, but my kid loves the tanks so much and i want them on as long they can be for him to see it. I can say wheres the goby cassius and he runs around the rock the goby has made his home under looking for it.(my son is 16 months)

Anways i know that sounds bad, but im still learning so much more, i dont know where I would be without Paul form oceanic he has helped me since day one.

Thanks again for all the nice comments, its cool to have something work out in the tank.
Tony

Originally Posted by es355lucille

I have not got the knack of growing SPS.....I usually just seem to torture the odd frag now and again just "testing the waters" so to speak. It would seem like you have gained some skills with growing SPS quite well. That is pretty good growth IMO. Nice Job!

By the way whats your lighting/dosing/water flow like? just askin!

Thanks Scubasteve for the tip!!! I will make sure there is good flow right through it.

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

Ya dude, looking good. The second colony is rockin' it. Just you watch, it's going to be the size of a basketball before you know it (I'm not kidding). Good polyp extension too... like that second one is one seriously fluffy SOB.

I'll pass on a little tip that I learned in my foray into SPS. Birdsnest Colonies tend to have a built in self-destruct when they get large. This is because the inner branches don't get light and then die off. Sometimes this will lead to STN and the colonies go off like matches from the inside out. That is, of course... you give them lots of flow so the inner polyps can get some nutrients or keep the areas clean to prevent disease. I lost a canteloupe-sized colony because of this.

Good work dude!

[Gooly001]

Nice work Tony! You've grown leaps and bounds since we first met last summer. Soon we'll be buying back frags from you.

Next challenge, our signature SPS

Cheers,

Paul

[staceyd72]

Hi,

I think you're laughing at us for spending hundred of dollars on RODI units

Your corals are looking great, keep doing what you're doing

Originally Posted by tony_3a

Im sure everyone will laugh at me for this.

All I use is normal tap water with prime.

[Bblinks]

Nice work tony3a, birds nest tend to be a easier sps to keep but that is still some nice growth. scubasteve is a 100% right, you need to frag it frequently so it doesn;'t self destruct. keep up the good work.

[VFX]

Hey Tony,

I wouldn't worry about the fragging set. Just a good (rust proof!) pair of snips, some decent gel glue & live rock rubble is all you need & much cheaper. Plugs are nice if you want to grow out on a frag rack.

Have you tried growing acros? Millies? Pocci's? Monti's? pm me, I'll see what frags I can spare.

.

Originally Posted by tony_3a

I would totally be into this, I still have to learn how to frag!!!, I saw a fragging set for beginners at jl looked pretty cool, i might pick one up. Or any better ideas that that??

Thanks a lot
Tony

[doch]

Excellent growth!! Mine took a long time to start growing, but the'yre doing good now... what bugs me is that you dose nothing, and I dose and test for everything!! GRRR!!

As for the frag kit, find a place in your area that does veterinary supply... pick up a few surgical grade steel snips and tongs... I put my fragging kit together for $10.

[martinmcnally]

That growth is awesome!

On the evaporation. I was the same until I installed a new humidifier in my furnace now its dropped WAY down, before my humidifier was broken so the tank was working as a humidifier for the house

I currently have mine set at 30% and the evaporation is less than a 1/4 of what it was before