Blogs.Frags.org

Amazing Haitian Ricordia!!

2010-03-04 17:47:56

Here's a whole bunch of brain numbingly beautiful corals for you! So many colors you'll think you're lost in a rainbow. These are all very healthy and have been in my tank for 2+ months. Don't miss out on some sweet deals and rare corals!!Cheers,MorganReefgardener.netWe finally have cheap FEDEX Overnight rates!!Fedex overnight is $40 West coast and $35 East coast. There is no charge for the box or heat packs. If you purchase over $100 shipping is free in Florida. If you purchase over $300 shipping is free to East Coast and West coast.Reefgardener.net[IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P2220150.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P2230028.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P2220136.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P2230048.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P3010088.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P2220195.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P3020135.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/PB150079.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P2220133.jpg[/IMG]

General thoughts

2010-03-04 16:18:01

Just started with the whole saltwater deal. it has quickly turned from a hobby into an obsession. i currently have a mixed tank. and just added some mushrooms and polyps and will be adding more and hopefully soon start propagating them. trying to figure out what will be an easy way to start into all of this.

big leather

2010-02-20 14:52:41

i dont have a pic yet but very attached to big yellow show peice yellow finger leather.sorta like my baby will trade for sps or sell for great deal if you have a very clean tank lol.got to big and gotta go bout 11in long by 8 in high green polyps on top very full.pick up only NJ. call keith 609-209-5074 leave msg will call back

Large Frags and Colonies.

2010-02-16 08:42:30

Grade A Blastomussa wellsi8+ polyps! $65.00 Common Name: Blasto Care Level: Moderate Temperament: Peaceful Lighting: Moderate Water flow: Low Placement: Bottom Color Form: Blue, Green, Red, Tan Origin: Eastern Asia Family: Mussidae Polyp Size: LPS - Large Polyp Stony Ricordea yuma4 yumas on this rock!$35.00 Common Name: Ricordea, Yuma, Mushroom, Flower Coral Care Level: Moderate Temperament: Semi-aggressive Lighting: Moderate to High Waterflow: Low Origin: Indo-Pacific Family: Ricordeidae The orange variety of this Ricordea is collected in limited numbers and is in high demand. It has a blueish base with orange berry shaped tentacles. It thrives in low to medium light and low to moderate flow. Favites sp.$30.00 Care Level: Easy Temperament: Aggressive Lighting: Moderate Waterflow: Medium Placement: All Origin: Indo-Pacific Family: Faviidae Polyp Size: LPS - Large Polyp Stony Large Favia Frag. This frag measures 1.5" x 2". Blastomussa wellsiTabling Blasto$35.00 Common Name: Blasto Care Level: Moderate Temperament: Peaceful Lighting: Moderate Waterflow: Low Placement: Bottom Color Form: Blue, Green, Red, Tan Origin: Eastern Asia Family: Mussidae Polyp Size: LPS - Large Polyp Stony This Blasto is more of an encrusting variety. Unlike the more common blasto that grows on pipes. WYSIWYG

Join Reef Frenzy Forums

2010-02-16 02:21:01

I welcome ALL new members to come join Reef Frenzy.Join, Introduce Yourself, Show Off Your Tank...... = Make Some New Friends!!!http://www.ReefFrenzy.Lefora.com Thanks MasterMind aka Founder of Reef Frenzy

Ultra bright flower anemones!

2010-01-26 01:50:09

Here's some ultra bright flower anemones for your viewing pleasure! Flower anemones are one of the easiest anemones to keep and they don't move around like all the other anemones in the hobby. You can keep more than one together for an amazing centerpiece. They are usually sold in white or tan, bright orange and neon green are quite rare.

A Few New Frags Posted!

2010-01-12 14:09:31

I've added 3 new frags today.The first two are fairly common and always in demand.A very nice variety of the Hammer Coral (Euphyllia). A deep purple with nice green tips. The hammer is pretty common, but this one isn't seen as much. I have a couple of these fragged and ready to go. Each frag is either 1 full head or a single head that is splitting.I have several nice Green Brain corals. As you can see these are fully extended and look nice and puffy.These are really nice. It's not often you see Deep Water Lobos (Lobophyllia) fragged up for sale! These aren't very common and I only have a couple of them. As you can see from the picture some have 1 head others have 2. All are nice!Please take a moment to look over the rest of my frags that are available!

Added a Sweet Mixed Zoa Colony!

2010-01-10 08:05:16

I'm calling these Bloodshot Zoas because of the bloodshot pattern in the reds.$40 for the colony. Can't beat that!

Ebay Auctions

2010-01-09 07:26:55

Good Morning all.I just listed 2 frags on ebay. The first is the candy cane listed in my frags for sale. The second is a very nice zoanthid frag consisting of 7 polyps or more. Please swing by and visit. The starting auction prices are lower than I normally list frags for.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260535267736 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260535275391 Have a Great Weekend!

Happy New year !!

2009-12-31 20:02:24

Start your HAPPY NEW year 2010 Right by using our Coupon code for additiional 20% off from already existing sales at our site. Must be purchased at our site.Good from today until this sunday.First time we are giving coupon for 20% .simply enter code newyear20 when check out.www.wetthumbfrags.net

Super Hot Acans & Duncans

2009-12-29 00:28:26

We got in some super hot Aussie Acans, Duncans, and some Vietnam Zoanthids. Check us out at:http://www.atlanticseafarms.net Get updates on stock before it's on the site. Join our facebook blog at:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=1606...rms?ref=profile

Great Deals on all marine life. Come and check us out.

2009-12-26 12:33:29

Hello,We are currently offering some great deals on all marine life. If you would like to check us out please visit the following link. http://stores.ebay.com/Your-Reef-Connection?_rdc=1 . Thanks and have a great day.

Have a Blasto Day!

2009-12-24 13:14:23

I've added 3 different varieties of Blastos! Two are Blastomussa wellsi and one Blastomussa merleti.Australian Blastomussa wellsiThis Australian Blasto grows on large verticle pipes. The pipes get as big around as your finger. As you can sort of see in the picture this frag has a second head starting just under the first one. I describe the vivid red coloring as Velvet Red.Australian Blastomussa wellsiThis is a tabling Australian Blasto. It doesn't get very tall and it spreads out horizontally across a surface. This is a large frag or more appropriately called a small colony.Blastomussa MerletiThis Blasto isn't as colorful as the Australian Blastos, but it is very nice in it's own right. I consider this a small frag of this particular variety of Blasto. This is a fast grower, it grows as small (thin) pipes that are packed very tightly. It will create a very nice mat as it spreads.I hope to be adding additional frags this evening, if not I will get them up after Christmas. Please keep checking for updates on My Frags Page Looking for something specific? A frag or even a large colony? Drop me a message, I can probably find what you want! With that said.........Have a Merry Christmas!

Aussie Duncan and Candy Cane Added!

2009-12-23 06:53:52

Just Added!3 Headed Australian Duncan Candy CaneLet me know if there is something you are looking for!

New Frags Listed.

2009-12-22 23:10:09

Hi All,Thanks for checking out my blog. I'm just getting back into the Wonderful World of Fragging. After a few hours with the dremel I've created several really nice frags. I've been working with The Coral Outlet getting some top notch corals and I've been able to get them at a price that allows me to make some beefy frags at relatively inexpensive prices. I'll be posting more frags and possibly full colonies in the days to come. I just posted the following three frags:Platygyr, an unusual brain coral.Platygyra - Green Brain CoralGoniopora - Flowerpot with Purple Petals. I'll be adding many more frags in the future.I have no feed back on frags.org. You can review my feed back on ebay to get a better feel for how I meet my obligations. My user name on ebay is bychance0.I'm looking forward to working with the community here at frags.org. If any one is looking for a specific type of coral, please drop me a message. I am working with The Coral Outlet who has a number of wholesalers at their disposal. I can get most any coral you may want. The exceptions will be fancy named chalices or zoanthids. I can get many chalice and zoanthids, but I can only guarantee them by species name, not the cheesy pet store names. BC

ANOTHER EBAY MARATHON!

2009-12-10 23:32:14

If our amazing aquacultured corals weren't low enough in price already we have gone ahead and listed quite a few in our collection that are starting as low as $9.99 a frag. These aren't wimpy frags either, we're talking about coral frags that you can actually see and enjoy straight from the bag!You could possibly pick up frags of $30.00+ or more coral for only $10.00! You don't want to miss out on this opportunity. Anyone who wins more than 8 auctions will receive a free frag that we have picked out as well!Here are a couple of links to view the auctions: http://shop.ebay.com/soutassaltwater/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686 http://myworld.ebay.com/soutassaltwater/ Happy bidding, and thank you for your time! P.S. If you haven't checked out our website you might want to. We have an amazing selection of aquacultured corals frags! Over 135+ different aquacultured corals to be exact, and at very fair prices. Best regards, Ricky Soutas Jr. -Soutas Saltwater & Reef Inc.- www.ReefStuff.com

Super Rare Deepwater Acropora -Acropora Pichoni and few others

2009-12-08 08:37:47

check out our site to see these acroporas-www.wetthumbfrags.netSuch as Acropora Pichoni , Acropora Rambleri ! see them at our site www.wetthumbfrags.net[img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/030-6-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/019-7-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/027-4-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/025-6-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/014-6-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/010-7-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/018-7-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/002-7-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/021-6-1.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/013-6.jpg[/img][img]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/019-7.jpg[/img]

AMAZING EBAY AUCTIONS

2009-12-05 03:51:28

BLACK FRIDAY SALE AT WET THUMB FRAGS

2009-11-28 09:42:44

SALE ENDS at the end of November! up to 45% off.did i say we also add Treasure items at a bargain? have to look for it.Freebies as well?( one freebie per order) have to look for it.Our Black Friday sale last until the end of November .www.wetthumbfrags.net

Secret Aquacultured Coral Frags

2009-11-23 06:06:53

www.ReefStuff.com is the biggest, little secret you will ever find. Behind the scenes for many years, Soutas Saltwater & Reef has exclusively been selling aquacultured coral frags to many of the wholesalers in California and Florida, as well as to the locals of Oregon for years. Now you can have access to a wide selection of beautiful aquacultured corals at wholesale pricing! We offer TRUE AQUACULTURED CORAL FRAGS at WHOLESALE PRICES that just happen to be VERY LARGE AND COLORFUL. In fact many of the aquacultured corals that you have seen in your LFS over the years have possibly originated from us. Soutas Saltwater & Reef (www.ReefStuff.com) has been in the aquaculturing business for over 22+ YEARS, and is one of the original pioneers of aquaculturing. With a selection of over 135+ AQUACULTURED CORALS, Soutas Saltwater & Reef (www.ReefStuff.com) is by far one of the largest aquaculturing operations in the world. If you haven't looked at our website yet I guarantee you're missing out on a great opportunity to fill your tank with amazingly colorful, large aquacultured coral frags, at great prices! Awe inspiring coral frags starting out as low as $10.00ea even. We are also one of the only companies to offer you the opportunity to choose whether or not you want fresh cut coral frags or pre-mounted coral frags. Here are just a few samples of the quality aquacultured corals you may view on our website: As you may see we have something for everyone at www.ReefStuff.com, so whether you're into SPS, LPS, Soft Corals, and especially Acropora we suggest that you check us out. We promise you'll like what you see! HURRY, ACT NOW AND USE THIS COUPON ON YOUR SHOPPING CART TO RECEIVE $12.00 OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER! THIS COUPON WON'T LAST LONG! SIMPLY ENTER THIS CODE INTO YOUR SHOPPING CART ONCE YOU HAVE CHOSEN THE CORAL FRAGS YOU WISH TO PURCHASE. Coupon Code: FRAGS

Hot corals at Wet thumb frags -We also wholesale to retailers!

2009-11-16 12:14:30

Wet Thumb frags has been adding a lot of hot corals to our site. We also Wholesale to retailers , please contact us directly at info@wetthumbfrags.net for more info.We got new hot pieces added on to our site. check out some of these pieces. They are just insane.!This acropora below is incredible in color. We have one colony for sale avail at our site as well as a few frags avail.[IMG]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/acropora-1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/FireOrangeLobo.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/applescoly.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/Brickscoly.jpg[/IMG]This piece below is totally insane intense color . We dont run into color like this often. pic does not do justice. look much better in person. [IMG]http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/wetthumbfrags/HotOrangeSymphylia.jpg[/IMG]visit our site at www.wetthumbfrags.netuse your discount code at check out!!

Connecticut Conference - April 25, 2010

2009-11-06 20:45:39

Once again, CTARS will be holding a [url=www.conference.ctars.org][u]Conference[/u][/url] - the date is Sunday April 25, 2010. Again, it is at [url=http://mohegansun.com/gateway/index.html][u] The Mohegan Sun Casino[/u][/url]. Tickets are available on-line for $15 through December 31, 2009 and parking is FREE. As an added feature this year, you can buy your raffle tickets online as well. We have a couple of new speakers scheduled to appear - Chris Clough and Vince Rado. Chris is an LED lighting expert and Vince is a Marine Biologist with 40 years of propagating history. Also speaking will be Sanjay Joshi.We had a full room of vendors. Scheduled to be here are Reef Nutrition, Marco Rocks, Cherry Corals, Reef Koi Corals, Seachem and Wet Thumb Frags just to name a few. We encourage you to get your tickets early and take advantage of the early bird pricing. They make great XMAS stocking stuffers (in case your significant other is wondering what to get you). This is the largest gathering of reef keepers in the Northeast. We hope to see you here.

Zoas and Palys!!

2009-11-02 01:29:04

Hi everybody! i love zoas and palys! i have been in this hobby for about 5 years now and i have been keeping z's and p's for 4 years. My tank is z and p dominated of course :P 120g system 2- 50g tanks, i am going to be upgrading soon though :D . I run 1 14k phoenix with true blue actinics on 1 tank and other is just 20k XM both are 250watt. I do have some frags available for sale right now check them out! :) -Ben

fafaf

2009-10-26 05:37:55

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Wow,My Blog is Open

2009-10-18 22:14:26

Wow,great.With the curiosity i reg on frags.org .Hope it will be a nice trip . : ) !oops...

All my sps........

2009-10-06 02:05:56

Indigo Limeade secaleORA Birds of ParadiseORA PearlberryORA Red PlanetOrenji Juici samarensis14k milleChili pepperPalmer's lookalikeYellow poritesPPE DigitataAlien confusaAqua with Violet Rim confusaTyree Flower petalAmethyst FantasyBlueberry polyp capBlueberry vermiculataCaribbean blue milleDesert Rose milleForest Fire samarensisFurry big foot montiGreen with purple rim cap Radioactive foliosa Red hodgsoni Reef Goddess vermiculata Rose Ice mille Shades of Fall Strawberry mille Toxic Rainbow Confusa Tricolor Secale Tropical Garden mille Tropical tenuis Ultra spongodes X-factor foliosa Ice Queen loripes

Jewel anemones? reef safe?

2009-09-13 02:52:39

i recently found these anemones that only come out at night(jewel anemone)i was wondering if they are reef safe? or any other info on them

Fluorescent Coral Party!

2009-09-10 04:20:05

Reefgardener.net

Fantastic Acan Colony opportunity!

2009-09-09 01:08:20

Here is a brilliant Twilight Aussie Acan! Selling @ $35 per polyp! Half of this colony is going for $450, that's one huge chunk!Care Level: EasyTemperament: Semi aggresiveWaterflow: MediumLighting: ModerateMeasures approximately: 4" x 4 "

Green Ricordea Mushroom - BOOM!

2009-09-08 01:43:48

These are brilliant green and generally 1 to 3 inches across and will be available later this month. We are in the middle of a remodel so hang on, thanks!Contact: 503 710 8179

Wet Thumb Frags YouTube

2009-09-04 19:13:04

subscribe to our Youtube now.http://www.youtube.com/user/wetthumbfragswe will be adding new videos weekly.

I love Rock anemones!

2009-08-25 05:04:18

Rainbow Galore........

2009-08-24 00:38:07

FREE ADMISSION this year ! Steve Tyree IE coral farmer event sept 9th

2009-08-22 00:22:31

2009 Inland Empire Coral Farmers Market SMFirst Annual Fall EventAdmission Now Free !Sunday, September 6th, 200910:30 AM to 4 PMHilton Ontario Airport Hotel700 North Haven AvenueOntario, California 91764 for more info:http://www.ie-cfm.com/we will bring Bazooga Joe watermelon frags.

Isn't it Romantic?

2009-08-20 01:38:59

We have so many different colors of pink zoos on our site right now, that its making me feel romantic....... so put on some Frank Sinatra and check out all the pretty corals! Reefgardener.net Morgan

Abstract Art.........

2009-08-09 20:13:31

Get your own piece of abstract art here: Reefgardener.net

aquariablog - journal of an obsession

2009-07-05 14:22:13

aquariablog.com

Atlantic Sea Farms

2009-06-12 20:36:46

Would like to say hello and welcome to my blog. My name Jimi Casper. I am the chief bottle washer at Atlantic Sea Farms. We propagate corals in a 48' greenhouse in Virginia. Natural sunlight is the name of the game. The propagation tanks are 4'x8' 500 gallons each. Currently have thousands of zoa/paly frags, xenia, sps, live rock, live sand, macroalgae, and lots of other stuff growing. Please check out the site at http://www.atlanticseafarms.net/Thanks and enjoy:Click Video Link Below:greenhouse farm http://www.atlanticseafarms.net from Jimi Casper on Vimeo.

Ocean Gallery HD Video Walk-thru

2009-06-07 10:59:10

Heard about our store and haven't been? Take a look at this HD video and see what your missing!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz_37HljJ4Q

ORA introduces the Blue Chalice

2009-06-05 20:13:27

The Blue Chalice is an Echinopora lamellosa. This coral has a beautiful plating, wavy growth form that is similar to Montipora capricornis. Under natural sunlight this coral is a pinkish tan color but under higher Kelvin metal halide or T5 lights it will turn a beautiful lavender to baby blue color. ORA broodstock for this coral came from two sources back in 2002. Some was from a German hobbyist who stated the coral was originally collected in 1989, the rest was from a well known New York hobbyist named Randy Donowitz.ORA Blue Chalice

Our reef tanks

2009-05-30 02:55:03

Some overdue shots of our reef/prop tanks. 3x5' tankIncredible Hulk & Palua Sinularia2x3' Ricordia tank6x2.5' Prop tankFraggies!!!The GIANT clam! ;pThe cat fish..........More photos here: http://photos.frags.org/bymember.php?mid=15132

system is being sold...trying to sell corals before i sell my lighting system on wednesday

2009-05-29 19:22:06

hey everyone i am new to website. if anyone lives near the erie, pa area and needs corals please read on. erie is in the most north western part of PA. on friday i decided to sell my system all corals, inverts, fish, and equiptment. my lights just sold on ebay and will be shipping them out wednesday the 3rd. the corals won't last long without there light so if you need corals please email me. i am willing to sell them pretty cheap to get them out of the tank so they don't die.i have green acropora, brown birdsnest, 1 crocea clam about 3-5inchs long, hammer coral, meat coral, red yellow and brown zoes, green/purple hairy mushrooms, brown montipora, small maze brain, neon candy canes, purple/orange rics, and 2 corals i don't know the name of. i also have a lot of equiptment that im selling locally and on ebay. some of these things include...asm g3 skimmer, urchin skimmer, mag 5, mag9.5, korila 4, korila 2, more powerheads, bionic, salt, and the list goes on...so if you live near my area please email me. thanks

Hello Coral World!!

2009-05-25 00:38:41

Well I had an active account on here a few years ago but it kind of fell along the wayside. So I created a new account recently and loaded up a bunch of frags today. I've been in the biz since 2004 and adore the hobby. We've been heavy into aquaculture during the last year and half or so. Our business is a FL licensed aquaculture facility. We have 3 large dedicated prop tanks: 2x3', 2.5x6', and 5x3'. We use 400w 10k Reeflux MH's with Lumenmax reflectors to grow our frags. Our big thing is efficiency and we use every square inch, I have about 1000 frags growing out at this point. My goal is to have over 2000 frags growing by July and to become a distributor to retailers as well as having an online store. I really love aquaculture and think everyone with the ability should do it. If you have the knowledge and the time it really isn't that hard and aquacultured corals are so much more healthy than wild stuff. I'm always trying to convince my local wholesalers to move more towards aquaculture. They have those big tanks with MH's sitting empty most of the time nowadays so why not?? Nobody wants to buy whole corals these days and aquaculture is much more earth friendly. It's cool to think I have little frag babies in tanks all over the U.S. . ;]Check out my website: Reefgardener.net We arehobbyists first and care about what we grow and sell. Me at a recent frag swaphttp://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P5160059.jpgMy husband (the aqua architect) before a big frag swaphttp://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P5150057.jpgMy current fav Haitian ricordiahttp://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/reefgardener/P5070026.jpg

Coon Valley Corals LLC (WI)

2009-05-16 23:27:42

Hello, I just wanted to let you all know about my new shop in Coon Valley, WI. I operate out of home so I am able to spend time with my family. We take walk ins on Saturday's and Sundays but it is best to email or call ahead of time to make sure somebody is home. We can set up times for you to visit during the week as well. Keep in mind-we are small still, but have many beautiful corals for sale. I hope to start selling online-and possibly shipping. We have many acans/ricordea/mushrooms/zoas and much much more right now! Check out www.CoonValleyCorals.com thank you!

Bay Area CFM this Sunday May 3rd- organized by Steve Tyree

2009-04-28 08:28:39

Wet Thumb Frags will be one of the vendors at this coral show . We will bring really nice frags such as Jimmy Orange Sherbert Chalice ( rare ). We only have a few pieces available. You can select what you like at our site www.wetthumbfrags.net and we will bring them to you. Steve Tyree's Annual Spring Event Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 10:30 AM to 4 PM Hilton Newark/Fremont Hotel 39900 Balentine Dr. Newark, California 94560 For more info, please visit the site at http://www.ba-cfm.com/

Welcome message!

2009-04-28 04:40:52

Hello everyone,We are based out of Miami and carry some exotic frags from time to time. We only frag healthy colonies that have acclimated and show growth. We specialize in Autralian corals as well as some unique chalices. You can also check out our website for full colonies of all types of corals that we sell.We can also order beautiful frags from ORA and we are considered by most to have excellent prices.Give us a try you will not be dissapointed.VIP Reef Aquariums16300 SW 137 Avenue #110Miami, FL 33177

New Chalice added to catalog

2009-04-16 07:25:34

Beautiful new Chalice addedStarlight-Starbright $75

Black and Gold Acan Available

2009-04-09 09:34:38

Stunning and rarely seen color pattern.Black and Gold 3-4 polyp frags $50

japenese zoos

2009-04-03 09:25:27

7 different jap zoos 6-8 polyp count each $150 shipped

Wet Thumb Frags Videos on Youtube -courtesy of LA Fish Guys

2009-03-30 21:42:49

Jim Stime from LA fish guys made Videos about us , if you dont' mind putting this links at your forum so the members get to know who we are..would be wonderful!!Courtesy of Jim Stime from LA Fish Guys-subscribe to his youtube.Wet Thumb Frags -Part I -Fragging coralshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUaEspDyaZk&feature=sdig&et=1238451877.71Wet Thumb Frag Video Part II-about keeping reef system.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TEeuA4H0bY&feature=sdig&et=1238451877.71

moved:

2009-03-29 22:53:47

I have started a new blog here:http://wafflemansreef.blogspot.com/

New to Coral - Looking to buy

2009-03-24 20:26:27

I have a 70 gallons reef tank for 1 yr and just started to get into coral. I am in need ofany coral to start out my reef. i.e., candy cane, lps, sps, zoanthid, mushroom. I don't have any coral to trade but willing to buy them at reasonable price. I live in Groves, TX and would like to buy from someone close. Any help would be apprecated.

black hole sun palys

2009-03-24 20:24:52

6 polyp frag $120 shipped10 polyp frag $200 shipped

frag pack

2009-03-16 20:26:47

Location: ctPosts: 63 Monti's frag pack Im trying to clear some room so here is a nice monti frag pack all frags will be 3/4 to 1in,nice size $250 shipped anywhere under $40 a frag1)tyree cypastrea japonica2)tyree flower petal monti3)tyree pumpkin pie4) reverse sunset5)chili pepper monti(sunrise)6)pokerstar7)pink sandollar8) free aussie orange-pink encrusting montiemail me at mal@eastcoastsps.com

Looking to trade for Pink Lemonade Acro

2009-03-15 13:11:45

I am looking to trade for a Pink Lemonade Acropora.

Looking to trade for some Monti

2009-03-14 16:50:26

I have several 3/4-1'' Sunset Monti frags. I got my original frag from Frag Farmer and has been growing good since. Looking ot trade for other exotic Monti.I am in the Chicagoland area.

Coral Farm in San Fernando Valley area.

2009-03-07 01:05:49

Hi My name is Dan Villanueva, i own a coral farm in Sylmar California, called Wet Thumb Frags, We produce quality captive raised corals, such asAcroporas, chalices, andfavias, we are also working on producing captive born marine fish such as clownfish, mandarines, cardinals, and many others, if you live in the San Fernando valley, or in Los Angeles area please stop by and take a look at our huge coral collection, we also attend allcoral related trade shows in California, if you attend any of these please stop by and say hello, and check out our corals and fish.Dan VillanuevaWet Thumb Frags.net

Coral Farming In Local Newspaper1

2009-02-25 01:50:17

Hello Everyone, I would just like to share an article that appeared about The Mystic Reef and our coral farming ventures. We were very excited when they asked approached us for the interview, as we were able to show another perspective on our hobby, well here is the link :http://www.pe.com/localnews/jurupa/stories/PE_News_Local_W_mystic21.49ed3ea.html. In other news we will at the 4th annual Southwestern Coral Farmers Market on sunday march 1st.Thanks for Looking

ceramic reef rock

2009-02-23 23:55:53

Just saw a cool new product at the pet show in orlando. A ceramic reef rock designed to colonize into live rock. Comes in any sizes and looks real good with awesome porosity and surface area. Made by a USA company Cerameco. The rock is called vida rock is very affordable. I think it is a good solution to the live rock issues.

new to the fraging

2009-02-13 13:31:02

i have set up a 75 gal reef and am in need of anything soft zoo or mushrooms some lsp but always worried about sweeper tenicals. i have yet to figure out how to get shipping info from all the people on the sight i am in arkansas city kansas and really need easy corals and i am a disabled vetern so i have a very limited income.any help would be apprecateddean rhodes

The Largest Frag Swap in The Northeast

2009-02-10 22:08:34

On Saturday, March 14th, The Connecticut Area Reef Society will be hosting Frag Farmer 09.Therestill a couple of tanks left. All the proceeds go to the Marine Biology Program at E.O.Smith.Admission is free, we hope to see you there.For all the details, go to: http://www.ctars.org/default.aspx?uc=nextMeeting2

Connecticut Area Reef Society Conference

2009-02-07 11:49:03

The Connecticut Area Reef Society will be hosting a conference on Sunday April 19 at The Mohegan Sun Casino. We have Steven Pro, Randy Reed and Anthony Calfo. Check it out at www.ctars.org.JeffNote:Randy Reef is replacing Christine Williams

please help

2009-02-04 17:59:52

HI' i'm Blake i need help puting pictures on here

Tons of corals in so Cal, Special request available.

2009-01-25 15:13:35

My coral farm is open for buisness i just put up my first 10 corals up for sale, i have tons more coming. Sps and soft coral. Feel free to contact me, Local pick or delivery near Los Angeles (sherman oaks) Available. Service and special coral request are available. Ask me for something you want and ill try and get it for you. thanks

Data needs to be restored!

2009-01-04 23:56:52

I just noticed that there was a major blogs data outage. We are working on restoring all the old posts from last year, thousands of them in fact... it could take another day or so...Thanks!

messages

2009-01-01 21:54:31

How do you check your messages on frags.org??????

pink waving hand coral 4 sale

2008-12-29 15:22:24

Hi i have an awesome pink waving hand coral for sale so if u are interested i will send u pics. Only $10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It is awesome, krausej82@ymail.comJOHN

new here

2008-12-23 19:22:17

i just found this site i looked in my area and not much in the way of frags.do sellers and traders ship frags or is it just pickup?

Skimmer pump.

2008-04-30 19:11:47

Does anyone know were I can find a Coralife super skimmer pump for the up to 125gal modle? The pump I had is shot.

help from the experts

2008-04-23 23:15:40

I am new to thislife and I have a 120gal with all the extras. I have ordered 135lbs of live rock and have been told two different things. Our LFS [70 miles away] told me that I needed lights on or the live rock will die. Another soarce told me that I should not use lights till the tank has cycled. Which one is right?

More watts per gallon

2008-04-22 08:28:37

I currently have a 14 gallon bio cube and was wandering if there was a way to get more watts per gallon. I think it gets about 3.4 so i couldn't get the acropora and the higher lighting corals.Thanks in advanceCoral Kingdom

Looking to get more color in the tank

2008-04-20 01:30:09

This is the second time at having a reef tank. My first one was a 20L, but Ifound out that when you move it isn'teasy to move tank and in Pa. It does matter where you move to. One town can have good water out of the tap, and one town over and it's heavily treated. So you live and you learn, now I use ID water and there's some newproducts that I use. P.s I only us Seachem producttank 29 oceanic biocube one domion and skunk shrimp salt water base line seachem salt & ID water 35lbs.ofliverock oneLPStwo SoftCoral

Hello world!

2008-04-11 22:58:40

Hello World!Hi, I'm Waffleman and I'm a reefaholic!This is my first blog ever, so I will give a brief summary of my reeftank.Hardware: My system consists of a 29Gallon tank HOB skimmer (prizm) Aquaclear 200 filter for carbon.150 Watt heater250W MH for reeflux 12K bulbKoralia 3 for circulation30lbs of LRCoralsI keep a mix of corals, SPS, LPS and soft a little over 30 variatiesFishClarkii ClownYellow tangThis system has been up and running since 2003. Of course there was a steep learning curve associated with this adventure. It all started when we saw the movie Nemom and it's been downhill from there.Up until about a year and a half ago a was unable to keep SPS's. Now I have good luck with the montiporas, I still have issues with the acros.Overall I'm quite content with the system, although I'm planning a 90Gallon reef system, to take the place of my 75G planted tank. Waffleman

Frag rack help

2008-04-10 15:33:14

Hey,Im sort of new to this site and i was wandering if anyone here knows how to build a frag rack it would be small, preferebly 3-4 inches. Somthign small like that, so if you can help thanks!

show size rare blue gigas

2008-03-28 11:15:09

These won't make it to my site 2 14in blue with blue spot gigas $650 shipping is $50 flat rate any where call 203-231-0857http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps004-2.jpghttp://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps003-2.jpgalso have tons of 3in maxima clams and squamosa'shttp://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps007-2.jpghttp://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps006-2.jpg

Laura's Reef

2008-03-14 04:12:38

Hi Guys!I'm new to this site but I'm excited about being here! I just need some help I wan to show you my tank but I can't figure out how to insert a picture. Any advise would be great! Thanks Laura Lynn-

Bad FIsh sites

2008-02-25 10:23:23

Hi just letting all no that there are Bad fish sties out there .That like to take your hard earned Money.One is coral plus.com IN MI , a lot of pepole are pulled in on there cheap prices.But don't let that full youThan tried to let pepole no on RC and got Kicked off .There is no recourse with these pepole on RC Been a member for a long time .Sold coral and talked to a lot of reefers on their , than got the axes . Just P. O. ed offSo i thought i Would let some hot air off to calm down some this ma heart my standing with RC But their are a lot of fish site s outthere. Thank for letting me ramble on. Let me know what you think . bad or good it wont heart my feelings

Start of a new day.

2008-02-18 14:22:15

Finally I got my 40 gallon tank back after a year in Siberia.. After my wife had me removed from my house during our seperation..(longsad story)My tank was left unnatended for 45 days needless to say I lost everything..it took me a year of daily attendance to build up such a amazing tank. After the 45 days I was allowed to get my tank back and transfered it to my moms. Unfortunatly she had no idea how to take care of it. So in all I lost about 2000 dollars in sea life. Well today is a new day and I set up my tank yesterday and filled it with water from the Monterey bay by some kind of miracel all my water levels are normal. I will post pictures later..I am in the Stockton CA so if you live near by let me know if you have anything you would like to donate or sell cheap..for I can't afford to go out and by all new sealife.. saltydog@blowbackusa.com

Helpful Service

2008-02-15 02:38:05

www.reeftank123.comWorked well for me in early start-up phases.Also helped me diagnose a very trickly plumbing leak.

Web Site For Sale

2008-02-04 22:35:45

Hey Guys,I am writing to personally let you know that EyeCatchingCoral.com is FOR SALE. As many of you know I am 21 years old and I am in college. I am selling the business because I do not have enough time to run it and go to school full time. I am also required by my college to do an internship and study abroad. I will be focusing my time on that and will have no time for the business. I will be in Australia for a year. I currently have a great customer base and reputation. I advertise onReefFrontiers.com, Club-Zoa.com, and ReefSanctuary.com. My sitegets 100-400 hits per day. My site had about 1400 unique visitors in December alone. All of my exotic SPS will also come with the site. This includes my huge tyree sps collection and watermelon chalice. I also have several other exotic corals that will be included. If you just want the site that can also be worked out and I will sell the coral separately. All of my suppliers information will also be included. I am fortunate to have some of the best suppliers in the world. I have a great contact in Canada who gets the best corals in the world.I also have agreat supplier is Australia who only sells to me in the US. I will also talk to them to let them know some one else will be taking over the site. I would estimate that you can make $40,000-100,000+ profit per year from this site and my contacts. I normally only work about 1-2 hours per day. I ship once a week and it takes me about 2 hours. You will also receive my full customer list as well as there contact information. This is a great opportunity. I will help you in any way that I can.

nice efflo-soli's

2008-01-28 17:14:48

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps001-3.jpghttp://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps003-3.jpghttp://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps004-3.jpghttp://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps006-3.jpghttp://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u144/eastcoastsps/eastcoastsps005-3.jpgi will post these in my site tomarrow you can email me if your interested mal@eastcoastsps.com i also have dendro frags available

Anybody wanna trade?

2008-01-27 18:29:19

I just set up another tank (29 gal) and I'm looking for someone who's willing to trade frags for cured Marshall Island live rock. I have approx. 50 pounds that's been cured over 18 months.

Eastcoastsps.com stock update

2008-01-16 16:41:25

My website is finally getting stocked up here is a few shots of whats on there im always getting in acro's and austrailian stuff shoot me an email if you have any questions or are looking for something thanks

Scott Fellman Live

2008-01-10 18:59:40

January 13th at 8pm est - Scott Fellman Live - SPS AlternativesLogin and listen to this fascinating, funny aquarium expert. www.120gallons.com

hmm

2008-01-08 22:52:30

Why does my protein skimmer always overreact (fizz up) at night?

nice, right now. uh oh.

2008-01-02 23:25:48

I got my 75 set back up and running good. Every thing is going good right now, thats the problem, I need to keep it going good. I have two peppermint shrimp and 12 astria snells and 7 blue legged hermit crabs and two big hermit crabs, and I have an overflow system that does a really good job clearing out the water more towards the top of the tank. I need a little more of something to keep the rocks and the bottom of the tank a little cleaner. Does anyone have an idea to keep the rocks and down a little cleaner. Like some more shrimp or something. It was definitely the water quality that was getting on to the Kenya tree coral cause it is opening up pretty big right now in my aquarium, I need to keep it that way.

Frags ,and chatting it up

2007-12-28 17:51:46

I have up some frags to offer they can be seen here or over on www.nanoreefing.com Our site is a nice little site to learn how to or just share ideas or talk with others that face the same problems that we have with nanoreefs. Our little systems require special care to keep them going ..Go on join its free and has a RTC

New Findings

2007-12-23 08:37:37

I just realized that it is not algae but Cyano bacteria! I try to take it out but it will grow back in hours! I have found 2 solutions though: 1) More water flow 2) Fighting Conch will eat them I also tested my magnesium and it was low so i'm hoping raising it and using the other solution will get rid of it. Suggestions are welcome!

New Reefer

2007-12-17 14:31:18

Hello all, starting my first reef. Kind of doing it low budget. So far I have a tank 80 gallon Oceanic. This tank is bow front with curved corners. The unit came as a complete setup. Lights, Stand, and filter. First thing I did was cut some holes in the bottom. One hole in the back corners of the tank. First hole came out ok with only a bit of chipping on the bottom of the tank. 2nd hole chipped on the inside of the tank about 1/3 of the thickness. (Yea, I was upset) I back filled the chip with aquarium sealant and covered it with plastic to let it dry flat. At this point I moved onto the stand. The Stand, whoa! As I assembled the stand I noticed it had 2 partitions inside. This would not work with a refugium as the sections would be too small. So I decide not to install the 2 partitions. After completing the base I headed to Home depot to get some 2x4's to brace up the inside. After taking careful measurements I go to start to cut the 2x4's. Well All I have to cut them is an old 7" circular saw with rust (At no extra charge). After attempting to make a few straight cuts and failing I gave up. The next day, after returning from work I stopped by home depot to look at cutoff saws. I ended up choosing a Ryobi with a stand for about 400.00 while there I also picked up a biscuit cutter and some extra 2x4's to practice. Well that worked out well. Was able to brace up the whole stand nicely to include leaving the aft corners open for the tubing to come thru. I put the doors in place and the center door was hung with latching swivels to allow for them to be removed.With that done I went to my local store (Sea Splendor) and spoke with (For 2 hours) the manager about refugium my setup and what to expect. Well after taking so much of his time I felt it was only right I purchase something that I needed from them. So I had him special order a Euro Reef skimmer. The next day after work I went to the local (Mega store) to buy a small aquarium for my refugium. I ended up with a 29 gallon All Glass complete system (Way cheap).Brought it home and slid it into the stand. Well with the upper and lower bracing the fit was quite cozy’s had about 18" extra in length and 6" in height. But then I thought about trying to slide this thing out of the stand full of water. Let’s see 29 gallons plus pump and protein skimmer and about4" of sand Humm...can you say 275+pounds. Stand Modification time. In my not so infinite wisdom I decided to make a sliding pull out for the refugium. This meant another trip to home depot. This time I picked up a sheet of 3/4" plywood black latex paint and drawer sliders. All went together as planned. Thus I understand that the sliders wouldn’t hold up to the weight for long so again back to home depot for some heavy duty casters to slide the whole thing onto. Works great! Guys at sea splendor calls tells me the skimmer is in, so I make plans to get it after next day’s work. UGGGH Man I wasn't expecting it to be that tall. With the addition of the slider the skimmer just barely fit into the stand. I have about 1/2" between the top of the skimmer and the top of the stand. Lighting well after doing quite a bit of research on the net I concluded the lights in the hood would not cut it for hard corals. In fact they should be ashamed of themselves for including such poor lighting 2 blue actinic 36w each and 2 12k white 39w. I figured I would use them for the refugium. I scoured the net found what I thought would work an upgrade oceanic with hood. So I bought it. While waiting for the light I went to Tap Plastics and had some pieces cut for the refugium to section it up. Well the lights came and I thought they looked good. But still only 260w Humm that’s not enoulf maybe use other set as well for(One that came with tank) the top. Humph this would still limit the type of things I could place in my tank. After thinking and searching the net I decided to just do it right. Went to sea Splendor and ordered a Current USE outer orbit 2x150 10k MH w/2x130w Dual Actinic and lunar. I had also decided to use the upgraded Oceanic for the refugium. Well in my lack of wisdom I found that there wasn’t enoulf room to place the oceanic lights too thick too long. So what do I do? Hehehe yup I dismantle it place the lights in the hollows of the 2x4's into the top of the stand. Well I turn them on to ensure they work. Well what do you think I smell yup roasting wood. Not hot enoulf to start a fire but quite warm. Well I told myself that if it was throwing off that much heat, the transfer to the top tank would be horrible. So back to home depot for insulation and the grocery store for some heavy duty foil. I used the Styrofoam type insulation 3" I put in the recesses of the 2x4. Then I stapled the foil to the top to reflect as much as possible. Then I mounted the reflector hood and lights to the top of the stand. Looks nice, no heat thru the top. I decided to go one step further and place a fan in the back of the stand. This meant trip to radio shack for a 120mm 12v dc boxed fan. Went in garage used old transformer from a now defunct router. Mounted the fan over one of the holes in the back (Right) of the stand. Mounted a power strip next to it and plugged it in. Fairly quiet will get quite a bit of flow thru the stand. With that done I ordered a pump, Aqua Medic ocean runner OR3500. I installed the pass thru's in the main tank and put the main tank on the stand. After a few days I got the pump installed it and a titatum heater. Wet test, started filling up the aquarium and the bulkheads on both sides leaked. Used aquarium silicon to seal them up waited 24 hours and tried again. Tank been up with plain water for 2 days now no leaks. Still waiting on MH lightings for the top. This has been just the beginning please tell me it gets easier. Did I miss anything? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Mike Gruetoo@yahoo.com

XFACTOR SAPPHIRE POLYP AUCTION UP EN EABY

2007-12-17 14:14:27

Hey Everyone, i have a frag pack on ebay right now that includes a frag of the original XFACTOR sapphire polyp montipora. I bought my frag a couple years back from the original owner. It isa TCO limited edition and a very rare piece. This is the first frag i have released. The auction also includes a 20+ polyp frag of the ATL snowflake clavularia, and a 3 polyp sunset micro frag. Click the links below for more info on the XFACTOR and the auction page. Contact with questions.http://www.thecoraloasis.com/limited/limitedxfactorsapp.htmhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270196088848&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017

Feather duster death

2007-12-17 10:14:30

Borwn algae has been attacking the and in this one spot. It is concentrated in the corner of the tank. A bit of it covered the feather dusters tube opening, killing it :(I looked at my water quality it is fine, but i am recovering form a temporary calcium shortage)(I also do use R.O. water)Any suggestions to control this menace

New Frags Posted!

2007-12-16 22:04:45

Hey Everyone, i finally got around to putting up some frags. More to come in a few days. Email with any questions.http://www.frags.org/memberfragslist.php?id=829

Ultra Aussie Acan Frag Pack on Ebay!

2007-12-13 10:58:50

We just put up a killer Aussie Acan frag pack on ebay. These guys are killer. It's a 3 frag pack with over 30 total polyps. Heres a picture of the corals.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250197384321We've also put up this Ultra red, pink, green and yellow frag that's been growing in my system for about 3 months.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250197656025Be sure to check out our website for other frags and ebay for other auctions we are running.

A Sweet coral

2007-12-09 20:49:12

One of my favorite corals: the Long tentacle plate!

Aquaurium clean up.

2007-12-05 14:05:20

I think I am probably going to clean my aquarium up from bottom to top. siphon all the the water and replace with fresh water, and blast the sand out and clean all the filters out and rince all the rocks off and just clean everything up .I cant wait till its all done.

Question everyone.

2007-12-03 16:31:41

I have a Kenya tree coral that has not been doing to good lately, It hardly ever opens up fully, and I'm afraid that if I don't act soon that it might get toast. So if anyone has any idea how to fix the problem than please tell me.

And it begins...

2007-12-02 20:20:47

It began with a 10 gallon tank obtained for free from a coworker in February of 2007. Then a notice in the apartment complex mail building bumped us up to a 20 gallon setup for $5.00. 16 pounds of live rock, 2 clownfish,1 flame angelfish, 1 emerald crab, 1 coral banded shrimp (rip), 1 yellow bodied coral banded shrimp, 1 bubble tipped anemone, a ton of hermit crabs and snails, learning more about chemistry, battling red slime algae, and numerous wet socks later, we buy a 55 gallon tank at a yard sale for $40. Or so we thought it was 55g...after some measuring the actual volume was determined as 75 gallons. Even better. And that begins our story of (what we hope to be) our 75 gallon reef tank in our living room. The following entries will chronicle our further adventures in bringing marine aquaria and the need for flood insurance into our home. Comments, criticism, and advice are welcome!!

Bloody bristle worms.

2007-11-29 19:30:20

Lately I have been observing my aquarium, and guess what, Yep the over sized nut worms. Dose anyone have a home solution to get rid of there bloody bristles?

New episode about marinebreeder.org

2007-11-29 17:22:55

Interview with Matt PedersenCheck it out at http://www.120gallons.com

what in the reef is going on.

2007-11-26 19:32:21

Nooooooooooooooooo, aptasia are starting to become many. Dose anybodie have a home solution to get rid of them.

2 new episodes

2007-11-15 19:49:06

Episode 11: Eric BornemanEpisode 12: Steven ProGet them at http://www.120gallons.com .Reefkeeping blog and podcast!

Picked Up a new Sebae ananome

2007-11-12 18:46:27

I just got a new sebae ansnome looks awesome. It really moves around. I am slightly concerned because it is slightly deaflated but looks OK. Our tomato clown hasn't found it yet but i am hooping he soon will!

Aussie Collector Frag Pack Posted on ebay

2007-11-12 03:53:33

Hey Guys,I have posted a collector frag packofAussie Acanthastrea Lords on Ebay. These are the best of the best!!!!CHECK IT OUT, YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THIS ONE!!!http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270185369851&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017GROUP SHOTCLOSE UP OF FRAGS THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT,Mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Biggest Update Ever - EyeCatchingCoral.com

2007-11-12 02:29:21

Hey All, We have been working very very hard to bring you our biggest update ever!!!! 57 Aussie Acan have arrived as well as several Rainbow grade AAA Brains. I also got more crazy palys! Please check out the new corals. First come First serve as always. ThanksThanks,Jimwww.EyeCatchingCoral.com Jim@EyeCatchingCoral.com

eastcoastsps stock

2007-11-07 19:47:04

some new stock and some aussie acan;s and duncans

Aussie Acans in stock...

2007-11-04 21:06:51

Visit www.aquariumspecialty.com for much more!

Steven Pro Live

2007-11-01 19:41:43

November 11th 8pm est. Come and listen to him and ask him questions....http://www.120gallons.com

Tomini Tang

2007-10-30 16:18:17

Just got a good sized tomini Tang LOOKs greatI feed it krill pelletsand alge pellets. I also offer dried macroalge once a week.Great Fish

Sell all model notebook,laptop,pda with the competitive price

2007-10-28 14:22:23

Global BrandsThe flagship company, Centurysell Electronics Company Ltd. is ISO 9001 certified and was founded in the Republik Indonesia in 1999.presence encompasses the seven area Jakarta,Bali,Bandung,Bogor ,Jogja, and semarang. Centurysell Electronics is one of the largest distributors of Sony,products in the world, the company has an enviable line-up of various other international brands in its portfolio including Acer, Apple, HTC,Palm, Creative, Dell,Fujitsu Siemens, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo,Motorola, I-mate, Nokia, Samsung,Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, etc. Centurysell ELECTRONICS :Centurysell Electronics is one of the biggest names in the field of consumer electronics, information technology, telecommunications, home appliances, office automation and entertainment in the Indonesia and is amongst the first transnational corporations. A partner for the world's leading brands, Centurysell retail and distribution network have made it a natural choice for manufacturers who want to tap into the growing Asean market. One of the largest distributors of Sony products in the world, the company has an enviable line-up of various other international brands in its portfolio including Acer, Apple,HTC,Palm, Creative, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, IBM, Lenovo, Motorola, I-mate, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, etc. Centurysell remarkable progress into being a consumer electronics giant has been built with an uncompromising adherence to quality. Centurysell five principal divisions Sony Division, IT Division, Telecom Division, Supra Division, Agencies Division work seamlessly with channels such as the Retail Division and Corporate Sales Division, with support from the Centurysell Services Division, to set new benchmarks in customer service.From modest beginnings in 1999, Centurysell remarkable progress into being a consumer electronics giant has been built with an uncompromising adherence to quality. Centurysell five principal divisions Sony Division, IT Division, Telecom Division, Supra Division, Channel Sales Division work seamlessly with channels such as the Retail Division and Corporate Business Division, with support from the Centurysell Services Division, to set new benchmarks in customer service. For more any information please visit to www.centurysell.com

hip hip!

2007-10-26 19:18:41

just the other day I made my first sucsesful frag, except that my hermet crabs keep on pushing it off the rock that I set it on,punish the hermit crabs! no i'm just playing.

Eric Borneman Live Sunday 10/28 at 8pm est

2007-10-25 17:38:15

Join us live at8 pm est Sunday for a chat with Eric Borneman.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/120gallonsCall and ask a question at 347-215-7988.

More New Corals!!!!

2007-10-24 01:26:22

Watermelon Chalices Finally available!!!www.eyecatchingcoral.com

Long tentacle plate?

2007-10-22 11:35:15

I have a good 3 inch long long tantacle plate coral. I feed it some mysis shrimp 2 times a week, Is it enoughHow often schould i feed it ?-Henry

New Addition..

2007-10-21 22:22:56

I ended up buying a new tank at the beginning of Oct. I was surfing Craiglist and came across the ad. New Nano Cube 24 Gal, never filled with water - $120. I called, the guy still had it, so.....long story short, now it's mine.I bought a new cabinet style stand, filled it with SW from my 72 Bow, and added a few scoops of seed live sand, plus a few fully established pieces of live rock from my 72's refugium, and away we went. After 2 weeks, I added a few snails, hermits, and all was well. Last weekend, I bought some more live rock from my buddy, who's taking down his 75. I bought a huge piece of Tonga Rock, it's literally about 2 inches smaller than the inside diameter of the tank. I had already purchased some nice Tonga Branch pieces so I now have this huge single piece of Tonga, with the branches protruding through it, suspending it almost like a shelf. I also bought a nice Toadstool, Orange Ricordia, Pulsing Xenia, a Pom Pom (Boxer) Crab, andtransferred my McCoskers Flasher Wrasse. (he was ahappy camper until I added the Maroon Gold Striped Clown from the Aqua Pod 12 in my sons room.Bought a Sapphire NC24 Skimmer, upgraded the return pump from the POS that came with the tank to a Maxi-Jet 1200, and threw in a Rio90 for circulation. So far, so good. I will add some pics soon...That'sall for now.

Yeah I could really use some GSP too

2007-10-20 12:41:53

If anyone would like to donate some GSP or will sell some for <15$ i would be intersted.

Nice purpleish mushroom polyps

2007-10-20 12:39:12

Just got a nice 30$ mushroom frag. It has 5 dark purple polyps and is looking great. I don't know about the flow though, it's open but my 2 t-zunes and 1 maxi-jet 1200 really move the water around Will get PIC soon

please

2007-10-19 12:16:15

Hey if you have some star polyps for sale under15$ or would be willing to give some for free, I would love to git a chunk.

MORE NEW AUSSIE LORDS & OTHERS TO BE POSTED THIS WEEKEND!!

2007-10-19 02:46:49

Hey Everyone,I will be posting some more new Crazy Aussie Lords, Green Duncans, Insane Sponges and much morethis weekend.These are imported dirrect from Australia. They areNOT Transshipped or imported From Canada!!!!!READ MY FEEDBACK!!!! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPOINTED!!!!!!!!!!http://www.thecaptivereef.com/page/15wfn/Feedback_Ordering_Shipping.htmlThe last batch sold out quick!!There will be lots of rainbows : ) @ Great Prices!!!!!!Pink centers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

New Corals Added!!!!!

2007-10-18 23:24:45

Hey Guys, I have been working very hard to get my new website up and running. It is finally done... Tons of new corals have been added. Thanks for your support. -Jimwww.EyeCatchingCoral.comJim@EyeCatchingCoral.com

My reef aquarium

2007-10-17 11:34:23

reef aquariums are one of my favorite things to observe. I have started up my own reef aquarium resently, it isn't going so well right now, but it has been getting better in the last few weeks, and am still having problems with nuisance algaes. I have some colony polyps and did have some star polyps, but they all died. My colony polyps were about to die also but I put them into a smaller tank and they started to open up again. some kind of a flew must of went threw my aquarium or something, but I cleaned up my tank and erverything seems to be all right now. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD GIVE ME SOME TIPS.

Welcome to Aquaholics!

2007-10-17 02:30:42

Welcome to Aquaholics! As the name implies, we help feed the addiction of the sps junkie and zo junky! We offer frags from corals from around the world. All of our frags are tagged when they leave our facility, "If it aint got the tag it aint a real frag!". We are dedciated to coral and reef preservation, each year we will be donating in excess of 10% of company profit to non-profits taht protect, study, and conduct research on the reefs and corals of the wild. We are also dedicated to the reefer at home, we will soon be adding an advice page that will dispell myths and contain tons of valuable links to resources, and even other frag farms.Do we import wild or maricuktured pieces? Yes, that is the only we can obtain these pieces for growing and harvesting. However, unlike most onlie shops and lfs', we are not a chop shop. Once we have a piece in our stocks, we keep it and grow it out. Our purpose is to establish the largest sps genetic database anywhere period. All of our frags are at least 1", are mounted on ceramic disks.We DO NOT embelish photos, we take the photo, use software to remove the blue as we use XM 20ks, and thats it. We dont play with color!We also believe it incredibly important for us to do our share in stamping out the scourage of AEFW, red bugs, and nudis that affect these magnificent spieces. All of our pieces incoming are dipped in TMPCC and quranteened. All outgoing frags are inspected and dipped in TMPCC. In this way we run a bugless system, we quarantee you will recieve nothing but beutiful corals without unwanted pests. What other store can make that claim?As far as price goes, we realize some of our pieces are quite expensive, but that is deoendent upon our cost to acquire and scarcity. If you notice, when posting each piece we always do market intel to determine a fair value and then knock it down to give the end user a better buy. Further, we offer frag pack discounts and other discounts as well. If you ahve any questions, feel free to contact us.Thanks, Tom Griffith, President, Aquaholics, Inc., 804-938-1904, http://www.aquaholicsinc.com

Anyone have Calurpa or Chaeto in So CAL?

2007-10-14 23:49:09

If you have any you would like to donate please let me know. I need some for my newest tank. I would be willing to pick up within about 15 mins of Irvine, CA. Please email me. ElitePhotoOC@aol.com

Invert ADDITION

2007-10-11 07:55:56

I added a small neon green feather duster. At first i barley saw it, but within the week it emerged daily and nightly

NEW AUSSIE CORALS POSTED!!!!!

2007-10-11 01:49:29

Hey Everyone,I Uploaded a bunch of new Crazy Aussie corals. Check them OUT!!!!!!!!!!!thanks for your support,mikeWWW.THECAPTIVEREEF.COM

A step up

2007-10-08 15:15:26

Added a new coral. A long tentacle plate coral. It cost 35$ from Fish doctors. About 3-4 inches long. I incresed calcium suplementation becase it will increase my tanks calcium demand

SNEAK PEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-07 00:59:55

Hey Everyone,Here is a Sneak Peek of ONLY SOME of the Aussiecorals I will will be posting!!!!!!!thanks for your support,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

NEW AUSSIE CORALS ARE IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-06 01:29:18

Hey Guys,NEW AUSSIE CORALS ARE IN AND THEY ARE CRAZY!!!!I am going to let them settle down over the weekend & I will start posting them early next week.There is:Insane Grade AAA Lords Crazy Colors!! Neon Greens, Neon Oranges, Hot Pinks, Rainbows & just about every color combo you can imagine!!!! LOTS TO CHOOSE FROM!!!!A Couple TRUE MicrosSome Super Nice Scolies & Cynarias/ Neon Reds & Neon Oranges& Mixed ColorsGreen Duncan ColoniesReally Nice & Healthy Elegance Corals Neon Green w/ Barny Purple Tips.Blood Red Sponges with White Zoos. The Zoos are all over the sponges.I Have never seen anything like them before!!!And some other misc & oddballs...............KEEP CHECKING MY SITE FOR UPDATES!!!!!THANKS FOR YOUR SUPORT,Mike

NEW AUSSIE SHIPMENT NEXT WEEK @ GREAT PRICES!!!

2007-09-28 01:12:31

Hey Guys & Gals,I have a huge shipment next week Of CRAZY AUSSIE corals coming in!! I have been dealing with a collector & I am now doing larger orders with them, which means better discounts!! I am passing the discounts on to you!These are not transshipped and not brought in from Canada these are straight from Australia.!!!!DID I MENTION GREAT PRICES!!!!Here is a sample:GRADE AAA & AA Acanthastrea Lordhowensis 20 polyp COLONIES $199 & $299!!!! THESE ARE THE CRAZY ONES!!!! NEON COLORS!!!!Assorted Scolies and Cynarias THESE ARE THE GOODS ONES!!! INSANE COLORS!!NEON GREEN & ORANGE, NEON RED & ORANGE, PINK & every other color you can imagine!!!! $149 and UPNEON GREEN DUNCANS!!!! I have been waiting for these for a while. These are not like the ORA that are drab green, these ARE NEON GREEN!!! COLONIES $129 and up.AUSSIE ELEGANCE CORALS!!! THESE LIVE !!!! $99 & UP!!!!I have spoke with the collectors & they tell me that they never have problems with there elegance & they sell it as a beginner coral. I have had a few for over 3 months & they are huge and super healthy!!!Also have a couple Blasstomussa, a coupleTri Colored Hammers, 6 weird LPS (Not sure what they Are.) Blue & Pink ZOOS, White Line Sponges and so many more!!! ALL AT GREAT PRICES.MAKE SURE TO KEEPING CHECKING LATE NEXT WEEK & EARLY THE FOLLOWING FOR UPDATES ON MY SITE!!!!! YOU DON"T WANT TO MISS OUTthanks for your support,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Podcast Episode 8 Available

2007-09-23 09:32:42

Listen or Subscribe to Episode 8 Episode 8 is our special MACNA episode. Hear about some of the speakers and what they talked about and interviews from the tradeshow floor. Brightwell Aquatics MCU Research Lighthouse Controller Eric Borneman Polario Polario Polario CPR SR3 Sapphire Aquatics

I NEED HELP!!!

2007-09-23 03:45:03

I just started my saltwater Tank. I converted my 30G eclipse freshwater tank, I don't hav a protein skimmer, so i know monthly water changes are needed. I'm lost my tanks done cycling, I hav 20lbs. of live rock,2 True Perc., and 1 Sand shifterStar. I want 2 start coral, but don't where 2 start I was told that due 2 insufficent lighting Ican only do soft & Mushroomsbecause I hav a hooded tank.please help me,I just want 2 decorate my tank, what coral can I put, that wont die?

A new Xinea And royal gramma added today!

2007-09-22 17:17:50

Made big purchasses today a royal gramma1 pink xinea frag 10$ from fish doctors in Ann ArborIt LOOKS Great, It is my fist coral EVER The xinea opened right away and the gramma darted in to the live rock. I will take pictures soon.

Comments fixed

2007-09-22 13:24:50

There was a bug on comments... now fixed, please comment away!

An Update !!!

2007-09-22 08:53:51

Our clown has been eating so much laately it has been a big spike in behavior He now cruise around the edge on the tank and darts through the rock work. I am wondering what to get next a common fire fish, or a shoal of 3 green chromis or a 6-line wrasse or a royal gramma the choice is hard

NEW WYSIWYG CORALS POSTED!!!

2007-09-21 02:37:52

Hey everyone,Just wanted to let you know, I have posted a bunch of new corals on my WYSIWYG page. Over 30 new Corals Posted!!!!!Tyree watermellon echino, Aussie scolies, Aussie Elegance corals, new lord frags, micro balanophyllia, Rhizo and many, many more!!!thanks,mikePS: MORE AUSSIE CORALS COMING NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!www.thecaptivereef.com

sale

2007-09-20 21:58:06

white pulse coral- $5 a fragsorry i dont have pics of it yet. i will soon i swear!colt coral is still for sale. pics can be viewed, somewhere.....try clicking around. $5 for one colt frag. $3 for every additional colt frag.email at bkonkle234@hotmail.comfrags are only pick-up only (for the time being). location is ewing, nj.(old picture, i'll have better ones soon)

Great new fish introduced today

2007-09-15 18:04:48

A GREAT NEW TOMATO CLOWN FROM Fish doctors It looks great except for 2 white spots

Cyber-Reef.com Come to our website and see more

2007-09-13 03:11:14

Shops in Orange County, CA.

2007-09-11 16:50:57

Milwaukee Madison Wisconsin I am looking to buy coral locally

2007-09-11 12:24:09

HiI am new to reefing and just set up my 20 gallon xtra hi tank,I have sand, one piece of fiji rock but need coral, and some blue hermit crabs, I prefer to pick up coral and save on shipping expense.Email me at the7jewels77@hotmail.comThanksMike...I

Episode 7

2007-09-09 18:55:41

Sunday, September 09, 2007 Podcast Episode 7 Now Available Listen or Download Episode 7Episode 7 – September 9, 2007 Listener feedbackReef News Thefts in the UK http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1264Tank of the Podcast Phil Jones 180 Gallon Fish of the Podcast Thanks to www.reef-life.com for allowing us to use the picture. Bi-color parrotfish http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1852&articleid=1750 Coral of the Podcast Thanks to www.reef-life.com for allowing us to use the picture. Bubble Coral http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/bubble_coral.htm http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1928&articleid=2314 Beginner’s Corner Maintaining the Temperature in your tank. Advanced Reefkeeping ATO Update Email this • Submit To Netscape • Save to del.icio.us • Digg This! • Share on Facebook • Stumble It! • Submit to Reddit • Bookmark With Yahoo! Bookmarks • Twit This! _uacct = "UA-2179186-1"; urchinTracker(); Posted by 120 Gallons at 9:12 AM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: podcast

AUSSIE CORALS ARE IN!!!!

2007-09-08 02:44:53

Hey Everyone,Just wanted to let you know AUSSIE CORALS ARE HERE!!!!!!Here is a sneak peak. Keep checking my site, as I will be adding new corals all weekend!!!! thanks for looking,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

AUSSIE CORALS!!!!!!!

2007-08-28 00:52:45

Hey Everyone,I will be receiving a huge order next week of Aussie corals.There will be CRAZY GRADE (A) Acans, Neon Green Ducans,Other Never Before Seen LPS and Sooooo Many Others!!!!.MAKE SURE TO KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR NEW UPDATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.comPS: Macna is is less that 2 weeks awayand for my out of town customers coming to macna and would like to stop by my house to do some cherry picking, email me for details!!! I only have a few appointments left..

Frag Swap

2007-08-25 17:53:49

LMAS is proud to Announce our 1st Annual Frag Swap WHEN: November 3, 2007 Where: Falls of The Ohio State Park 201 West Riverside Dr Clarksville, IN 47129 Time: Saturday 1pm to 4pm Set up for reserved tables 12 noon Raffle will be held at 3 pm. You do not need to be present to win. This is a hobbyist only swap, so no commercial vendors will be present. Lots of raffle items. Admission is $5 per person and includes admission into the Museum, which has a 1200 gallon reef tank! One raffle ticket will be included with your paid admission. Table Space is limited, and should be reserved for the best spots. For reservations please contact: Jeremy Beavin Bobby Moser or Webmaster

Reef-A-Palooza 07 Update

2007-08-19 18:46:32

Took a road trip back to So Cal this weekend to attend Reef-A-Palooza 07 at the Orange county Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA. The web page said 12,000 Square Feet of climate-controlled space, and over 60 vendor booths. As it turned out, I think 15,000 sq ft wouldn't have been large enough for the turn-out of reefers. It was very cramped. This sucked even more because in addition to being rammed and blocked by the 20+ strollers that were in the "way too small" aisles, the single length smaller vendor booths were almost constantly blocked with other hobbyists talking shop. I have no problem withsomeone wanting to talk reef but whenyou're in thatenvironment and you KNOW there arepeople waiting behind or to the side of you, take care of your business, give the tanks a look, buy something (or don't) andMOVE ON!! Ispent exactlyhalf of what Ibrought and planned to spend becauseyou just couldn't get in to see the coralsthat were forsale. On top of that, when you did buy something, you either got aplastic bag W/ rubber band, or a styrofoam container W/ a lid. Hmmmm...nowwhat to do after I've bought two things.....anyone got a bag or a styrofoam box? Nope.....wait, there's a whole stack of styrofoam boxes over at that booth...."Excuse, me, can I please get one of those containers"......"Sure, that'll be $10"! I'd rather have paid a few extra bucks on top of the $5 entry fee and gotten something to carry my stuff around in. The alternatve would be everyone pulling coolers around the cramped aisles which would cause even MORE gridlock then there was. It wasn't all that bad, just frustrating. I know it was put together by volunteers and they did a great job at what was within their control....no doubt. But after being evacuated for a fire (turned out to be a wall that was smoldering" then they just open the doors and a madhouse ensues, and not getting access to some nice booths, I ended up getting a few nice pieces at great prices so it wasn't a complete waste. After we were evacuated, there was ZERO communication to the hundreds of us standing out in the heat. I was literally 5 minutes from leaving.I will post some pictures of my new additions soon.Here's what I ended up buying;Rainbow Ricordea Mushroom ($20)Armor of God Paly frag (4 polyps) ($25)Armagedon II Paly frag (5 polyps) ($20)Crocea Clam (Blue & Teal) (3") ($20)Neon Green Candycane frag (6 heads) ($20)Pulsing Xenia frag (4 stalks ($20)Tubbs Blue Zoanthid frag (6 polyps - $30)Hammer Coral (4" frag W/ 2 large heads) ($25)

Reefkeeping Blog & Podcast

2007-08-18 21:10:59

I run a reefkeeping blog and podcast at http://www.120gallons.com.Here's some recent postings for you to see what we are aboutSaturday, August 18, 2007 Trying to Save the Coral Reefs - TIME Editors Note: The dying coral reef is becoming more and more mainstream news. Today it is inTime. Near the close of the 1960s, a squadron of young scuba divers headed out into the warm waters of the South Pacific, tanks of air strapped to their backs and syringes at the ready. Their mission, one lethal injection at a time, was to put a stop to an outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish, a voracious predator of fragile tropical coral reefs. Those early efforts — along with a big printing of "Save the Barrier Reef" bumper stickers — helped establish what has since been considered one of the world's best-protected coral reefs. Read Full Article: Trying to Save the Coral Reefs - TIME Email this • Submit To Netscape • Save to del.icio.us • Digg This! • Share on Facebook • Stumble It! _uacct = "UA-2179186-1"; urchinTracker(); Posted by 120 Gallons at 4:51 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: reef news Friday, August 17, 2007 Animal of the Day - Crater Coral Photograph Thanks to That Fish Place for allowing us to use the photo - Click here to see on their site Common Name Crater Coral, Brain Coral Scientific Name Leptastrea Sp. Range Indo-Pacific Difficulty of care Moderate Aggressive No Flow & Lighting Medium to High General Info Less than most other Favidae found in the industry. Similar care to other Favidae. References aims Personal Experience? Do you have personal experience with this fish? If so leave a voicemail (+1-908-998-2549) or email (feedback@120gallons.com)with what you have learned and share your knowledge with others. Email this • Submit To Netscape • Save to del.icio.us • Digg This! • Share on Facebook • Stumble It! _uacct = "UA-2179186-1"; urchinTracker(); Posted by 120 Gallons at 5:42 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: animal of the day Science Friday: News Brief - Shrinking Coral Seventy-five percent of all reef-building corals live in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, which spans roughly from west Indonesia to the Hawaiian Islands, and includes the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia. A recent study in PLoS ONE found that the coral cover in the Indo-Pacific, which includes some of the most-intensely managed and protected coral reefs, has dropped by more than twenty percent in the last few decades. John Bruno and Elizabeth Selig, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, analyzed thousands of surveys tracking the changes in living coral on the sea floor. “It’s a really key indicator of reef health because the corals are essential for all the other inhabitants of reefs—the fish and invertebrates. They rely on corals just the way birds and insects rely on trees in a forest,” says Bruno, a marine ecologist in the department of marine sciences. The data indicates that fifty years ago living coral covered, on average, fifty to sixty percent of the sea floor in the Indo-Pacific. “But frankly it’s impossible to know precisely what it was. So the fifty to sixty percent is our best estimate based on talking with lots of local Indo-Pacific reef experts and based on our earliest studies from the early- to mid-1960s.” The researchers found that across the Indo-Pacific coral cover dropped from around fifty percent to 23 percent in the last thirty years. “What that means is that we’ve lost more than half the world’s reef-building corals just in the last couple of decades,” Bruno explains. Read Full Article: Science Friday: News Brief - Shrinking Coral Email this • Submit To Netscape • Save to del.icio.us • Digg This! • Share on Facebook • Stumble It! _uacct = "UA-2179186-1"; urchinTracker(); Posted by 120 Gallons at 5:24 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: reef news Reef education on Little Cayman Thanks to ongoing support from individual donors and corporate sponsors, Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) continues to promote long-term coral reef conservation by teaching young people about Cayman’s marine environment and involving them in important research. For college students, CCMI has been a leader in undergraduate and graduate level courses and offers accredited classes throughout the year at the Little Cayman Research Centre (LCRC), which is a project of this non-profit organization. Most recently, students from a number of universities in the US completed a month-long college-accredited course on 9 August. The course was offered by CCMI through Rutgers University’s Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences and Study Abroad Office. It was conducted by Assistant Professor of Marine Biology, Dr Vania Coelho, and Associate Professor of Oceanography, Dr Carrie Manfrino, who is also President of CCMI. Eleven college students from all over the US (Virginia Tech, UC Santa Barbara, University of Notre Dame, Lafayette College, and Rutgers University) enrolled in the coral reef research course. The 2007 program included work on two primary ongoing research projects at the LCRC, namely, Long-Term Assessment and Monitoring Program (LAMP) and Coral Disease Management Program. During the course, students learned field and laboratory methods of conducting scientific research, and from this, they will publish several abstracts that will be presented as posters at the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium in Florida on 7 through 11 July 2008. This is an event that takes place ... Read Full Article: Reef education on Little Cayman Email this • Submit To Netscape • Save to del.icio.us • Digg This! • Share on Facebook • Stumble It! _uacct = "UA-2179186-1"; urchinTracker(); Posted by 120 Gallons at 5:23 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: reef news Aquarium Specialty - New Product - Ecotech Vortech Wireless Wave Driver The VorTech Wireless Wave Driver will upgrade any MP40 model pump feature wireless wave simulations. It only requires that four screws be removed from the lid of the MP40 driver box, and the motor’s plug gently removed and plugged into the new Wireless Wave Driver board. Lastly, the lid is gently snapped in place and your pump is now wave controllable. Multiple pumps on Wireless Wave Drivers can interact with one another to provide random and pulsing wave modes. Wave ModesReef Crest Random Mode- Set the pump to the maximum desired speed and the VorTech Wireless Wave Driver automatically randomizes the flow throughout your tank. The pump will rapidly vary from one speed to another to simulate the high-energy conditions of a natural reef crest environment. Lagoonal Random Mode Set the pump to the maximum desired speed and the VorTech Wireless Wave Driver automatically randomizes the flow throughout your tank. The pump will vary slowly from one speed to another to simulate a calmer, lagoonal reef environment. Pulse Mode When entered into pulse mode, you will be able to pulse your VorTech pump at various frequencies to create standing surface and sub-surface waves within your aquarium. You can adjust both the maximum pulse speed and frequency. Sync Mode When entered into Sync Mode, your VorTech will automatically sync with the other pumps in your aquarium. Sync Mode can be used to sync in either random modes or in pulse mode. When syncing two pumps in Pulse Mode, the pumps can be placed on the same side of the aquarium to create large standing waves in your tank. Anti-Sync Mode When entered into Anti-Sync Mode, pumps will pulse in an inverse timing cycle to a master pump. Every time the master pump is at the maximum speed of cycle, the pumps entered into Anti-Sync Mode will be at the minimum speed of the cycle, and vice-versa. Place these pumps on the opposite side of the tank as a master pump to create tidal currents within your aquarium. Feed ModeWith the touch of a button, the VorTech enters into feed mode and all pumps shut down for 10 minutes to allow you to feed your aquarium. Read Full Article: Aquarium Specialty

Hello from Chief Reef

2007-08-03 10:28:19

Hello,My name is Heather, president of www.chiefreef.com. Chief Reef is an online store dedicated to coral propagation supplies. Our best selling items include Frag Plugs, Small Frag Disks, Large Frag Disks, and Reef Glue. Recently we added a textured version of our plugs and disks to our line of products. A few of our newest items include Frag Rocks and Magnetic Frag Disks. Our items are competitively priced and we also offer discounted rates for large orders and group buys. Please feel free to comment on our products or offer suggestions.Sincerely,Heatherwww.chiefreef.comYour source for coral propagation plugs, disks, and more

Step One - Uh, start!

2007-08-01 11:28:18

OK, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm going to try....you can meander through this journey with me, or you can push the "Back" button now...we'll see if I am a Murder or Mother....Last week, I cut some frags from my Trumpet Coral (Named Bach - yes, I name most of my corals; yes, I know it's dumb, but they are animals, and don't your pets have names?) Bach is named as such because my daughter, being a trumpet player informed me that Bach Trumpets are the best on the market....I purchased Bach about 3 years ago. He (for lack of a better pronoun) had 3 heads on him. He was one of my very first corals in my very first marine tank - a 12G nanocube. He is now so big that several of the polyps on the bottom are not looking too happy. That is what started my fragging carreer. So far, so good. I took5 frags off of him. 4 have a total of 13 polyps (varying from 2 polyps to 4 polyps per frag) and one large frag with almost a dozen polyps. Bach still needs some trimming! When I cultivated those frags, I took a big "Snip" out of Vanson (He's my leather coral....I had to screw up my courage to do that!) He's named from Vanson Leathers. My husband & I are also motorcycle enthusiasts - we have 5 in our garage now, but that's for another blog group, LOL. Anyway, Vanson Leathers are the best on the market. They protect the cyclist when theygo down. Any motorcycle wreck you can walk away from is a good one! Please keep an eye out for them while driving. Oh, I digress, sorry. Anyway, I let Vanson heal for a week from that "snip". I didn't have the courage to do anything more at the time. Yesterday, I took another "snip" out of Vanson and then created a small little piece of him. I put the baby gently on top of a piece of shell that I had ready for him to latch on to. Then I covered him loosely with some thule (the bridal netting stuff) tying it on the bottom and I put him in a well circulated area in the tank at about the same depth he had been at. From everything I read, I thought he'd pout for at least a week. By the end of the day, the baby had his little tenticles out flowing through the tule and seemed happy. We'll see how it goes. I may do another couple of snips & let heal before I try anymore frags from Vanson. I want to be sure that Vanson will survive. I don't have the courage to take a whole donut or whack him in half or anything else quite as drastic.If you have any ideas about what I have done, did wrong, could do better, or maybe even a little encouragement, I'm willing to listen & learn!Thanks & God Bless!Butterieflie

New Aussie Colonies!

2007-07-22 21:29:59

www.eyecatchingcoral.comNew Aussie Colonies and WYSIWYG Frags. Micros/Lords

Sea in the City

2007-07-17 22:49:21

Sea in the City is a saltwater reef store located in Orlando, FL. We have a website and posting board at seainthecity.com where we will eventuallystock our online store. In the meantime while we get started into the online trade we figured frags.org would suit our needs perfectly.We bring you over 30 years of experience in the reef keeping hobby and the utmost customer service. We support our local reef club as well as sponsored SRC 2007. How many sellers here can say they've been visited and complimented by Julian Sprung and Sanjay Joshi?We hope that as we list WYSIWYG frags here you will be as pleased as our local customers while we extend our great service from Central Florida to you.

Vol 2 - July 15 07......The saga continues

2007-07-15 23:43:35

Well, It's been a while since I've posted in here but no time like the present since I have some new additions since my last post. Gone - Kole Tang, Copper Banded ButterflyNew Additions -Achilles Tang(3weeks ago)Just got back from a trip to So Cal to see my family and had extra time sothe family and I decided to take a side-trip to Tongs in Fountain Valley, CA. If youhaven't been, I highly recommend it! Without a doubt, the best prices and selection I've ever seen in a LFS anywhere.Today, I bought a Scott's Fairy Wrasse(Fiji) for get this....$29.00!That was the only fish I bought. I also took advantage ofTong's$10 frag tank. They have a special running now where you buy 5 and get1 free.I bought 4 different zoanthid frags, a frogspawn, and a nice sixed Galaxy frag.My prizedcoral purchase had tobe the twoRicordia mushrooms though. One already appears to be splitting and since I still only paid $25per'shroom, I couldn't be happier!Ricordia's aremy new fav and are slowly catching zoanthids in my tank. I have a totalof 3 Ricordias now, the other being an $8 frag I bought at the Southwestern Coral Farmers Market in So Cal last Feb. I'll try to get some pics postedhere soon. I took lots this weekend and love the opportunity to take somedaily pics of the tank.Thats all for now....Cheers,Rob

I'm a propagation newb

2007-07-12 12:33:56

I've been into marine and reef tanks for a long time, probably since I was old enough to to see the marine tanks on the top shelf at the fish shop. I've only been able to actually start up and keep a tank for about a year or so (probably a little longer).My brother has recently bought a nice fifty five gallon tank and intends to start up a reef. the other day he was talking about some company based out of the Bahamas or someplace and how they grow corals on plots of ocean. this sounded interesting so I researched the topic and I found that coral aquaculture is a very large and dare I say mildly profitable trade.so yes, I am a propagation newb. currently I'm planing a layout for my progagation tank, I'm starting out small, probably a 20 or 30 gallon tank ( 1ftx3ftx2ft if at all possible) with a surge tank for water flow and I dont know how the sump setup will work.

20 gal nano

Moving into business.

2007-07-08 23:19:11

I never thought I would do it but I really enjoy it. I love helping other hobbiest with questions and also learning myself at the same time. Right now the basement of my home is all salt water ( well almost) I have several hundred gallons. My main goal is to propigate corals. This is what I have been doing for years. Now I am just doing more of it. I am so excited to be doing this. Next step maybe a greenhouse. Bottom line I do not want to loose my passion for the hobby which has really become a lifesty for me. I am setting up a private do not disturb tank. This will be a non frag unless the tank needs it. Also a center piece for my front room. I ask anyone reeding this if you are in the business of propiagting corals and would like to share any tips or advise with me to please do so. Thank You

colt

2007-06-23 15:26:52

$5 all sizes. does not include shipping. 2 frags for $8.

My first reef

2007-06-22 22:14:20

coral morph

2007-06-15 22:32:11

Has anyone heard of a coral morph? its supposed to be like an anemone but stronger....I cant seem to find any pictures online or and info

New Corals Coming Next Week!!!!

2007-06-12 00:23:28

Hello everyone,I wanted to let you know that I have a large order of aussie and non-indo corals that will be in next week. There will be hundreds of corals to choose from @ Great PricesFrom Aussie:Crazy LordsDucans @ $10 per polyp!Elegance corals that live!Acanthastrea BowerbankiAcanthastrea HillaeThe craziest anemones I have ever seen!!!ZoosInsane Scolys, Cynarias& many more!!Non-indo:More Insane LordsRhyzotrhocusDendrophyllia& Other Crazy Rare Corals!Make Sure you keep checking back for awesome corals @ great deals!!thanks,mike

New Micros!!!!

2007-06-09 23:13:57

I have a few beauties that I want to show off. If you are interested in any, just contact me at jen_dub@hotmail dot com or visit my website.SAINTS & SINNERS EASTER EGG APOLLO BLUEBERRY SWIRL FLASHBACK LORD PINK AND BLUE LORD To check out the rest of my blog, click here: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043 To view more pictures, click here: Ciao,Jen

I thought these were nice pics. Using my cheesy camera they are at least.

2007-06-04 00:42:52

goblin blogging...

2007-05-29 20:45:24

one banggai croakeddecided to make some changes to the tankreturned the maroonbtw does anyone know if maroons develop their spines or if theyre born with them?i got my clown as a baby and it didnt have spines, but i figured theyd grow in or something, and they never did

Just a little about me and my saltwater addiction.

2007-05-29 19:32:45

I knew I'd finally succomb to writing a little something in here. My name is Bill. I'm currently going to Minnesota State University, Mankato for Ecology. I plan to eventually get a job in the field of either Wildlife Biology or Marine Biology. The latter being more of the preferred choice obviously. I got a late start on school since I first joined the military a year out of high school. I first got into saltwater aquaria after the military in early 2004. I sarted out with a 30g mixed reef with mainly softies. I soon added a 55g and started to gethooked on SPS. I then transitioned to a 75g and quickly to my current 125g SPS dominated reef. I already have my next tank ordered. Its being made by Aquarium Obsessed. It's 60" x 36" x 24" roughly 210g Starfire glass on front and sides and the eurobrace with an external overflow.My current 125g holds roughly 175lbs of live rock many of which are show size. The majority of my reef structure is made up of only 3 rocks. I have a few soft corals but mainly LPS and SPS. As you can see from the full tank shot mainly Acropora. Don't worry about the Sohal tang, I bought him at a local pet store about a month ago knowing I was getting my bigger tank. He was/is just too amazing to pass up and I knew I would give him as good of a life as possible in a fish tank. He about 9 or 10 inches. My lighting and filtration will stay the same for my new tank with the addition of one more 250W halide. My skimmer is a DIY version of a Deltec. It has an 11" wide body and a total height of 37". My sump which I just finished is roughly the size of a standard 75g tank made out of 3/8" acrylic. It has a 20g refugium which I plan to house a Fiji Mud bed with macro algae and a nice large Mantis Shrimp. My lighting is handled my a DIY Oak hanging canopy that has 1-250W 10K and 2-250W 20K Radiums along with 2-165W super actinic VHO's. My actinics are on 10 hours a day and my halides about 8 hours a day. I occasionally run a bag of carbon and also run a small UV sterilizer.Feeding is done my an automatic feeder with formula 2 flake food. I also spot feed many of my LPS corals with mysis and brine shrimp. I culture my own phytoplankton and plan to soon start culturing rotifers. I have a pair of breeding Tomato clownfish and want to try and raise some of their eggs to maturity. I think it would be an interesting experience.I have a DIY calcium reactor that supplies my alkalinity and calcium needs.I'll leave you with some pictures. If you have any questions or comments please feel free.

New Echino

2007-05-26 22:07:07

What a score this was. This interesting Echino was in a shipment from Indonesia 5 weeks ago. It's about time that a new coral hit the scene. I call it the Miami Hurricane for the similar colors to the University of Miami.i I thought I would share with everyone. I wonder what else is out there in the vat ocean?

INSANE AUSSIE ACAN

2007-05-26 17:08:33

Frags of my New Aussie Acans are for Sale & Trade. I really would like to do some trades for Non indo micros, Tyree red watermelon, and sps.www.eyecatchingcoral.comThanks,JimSportsguy247@aol.com

Cyber-Reef.com Come to our website and see more

2007-05-24 04:43:36

goblin blog!

2007-05-23 20:32:42

my tank:40g oceanic stretch hexlit by current usa t5sfiltered by an emperor 400aquaclear powerhead runninglive rock/sandcolt coralxeniamushrooms, mostly bluelong tentacled anemonetrumpet coralthree tridacna clams1 maroon clownfish1 neon goby2 banggai cardinals1 brittlestar2 sandsifter stars4 electric blue crabsa dozen snails

Australian Acanthastrea

2007-05-15 15:28:41

I've had the privlege of obtaining some wild Australian Acanthastrea. I've been waiting a long time for something like this to happen. Some of you may know me and my love for Acanthastrea. I've been collecting them for about 5 years. But I've never purchased a wild colony. Up until now all my colonies were grown from frags from fellow reefers. This is my first step into wild collecting.And with out further ado, some pictures.Orange FlamesLemon LimeAlien Eye AcanCherry BombEvil EyeMicroLord AcanMicroLord ColonyMicroLord with the FlashPastel Aussie AcanPink and Purple Aussie AcanPink and Purple Acan fragSnowflake Aussie AcanOrange Flame FragOrange Flame, Micro Lord, Evil Eye and Cherry Bomb Group photo with ActinicsAnother Group shotI'd also like to thank Reefphotos.org for the web space to host these photos. My webspace was deleted and all my old photos not active anymore.

Vol 1 - May 12 07...........The Beginning

2007-05-12 22:30:44

Hello and thanks for taking time to read volume 1 of my first blog. I have no preconceived format so this will to say the least, be a work in progress. I thought I'd start out by telling you all a little about myself, my reef experience, and my current set-ups.I turned 40 in March of this year and am well on my way to executing the mid-life crisis I've been planning since I was in my 20's. Nothing completely"life changing", but if it didn't change my life in some way, there wouldn't be much needfor a crisis half-way throughlife now would there. I've been in the Air Force for almost 19 years and I'm currently stationed inLas Vegas. TanksMy primary tank is a 72 Gal Bowfront with a 30 Gal sump/refugium. I have a 48" 560W Outer Orbit lightover it with 2- 150W MH's, and 2-130W PC's withwhiteLED lunar lights. Currently using a Coralife 125 Needle Wheel Skimmerwith modded impellar for increased bubble chopping. I did the fishing line weave throughout the needle wheel splines mod foundon Reef Central's DIY forum. Mysump/refugium is home made to maximize spacein a bowfront stand. I split myoverflow returns and runabout 60% of it to the sump side for the skimmer, and about 40% through a refugium filled with a 3" sand bed, 15 lbs of LR, and chaeto. Both sides overflow (skimmer side through baffles to reduce micro bubbles) into a center sectionwhere my return pump sits. I am using aQuiet One 5000 right now and am pretty happy with it. Inside thedisplay tank, I have 2 Hydor (model 3) Koralia's, anda Tunze. Ialso take care of my sons 12 Gal Nanocube. It's a stock setup with the exceptionof the return pump. I removed thefactory installed returnpump and lines and replaced them with a Maxi-Jet 1200 and a Hydor water deflector to increase circulation and surface agitation for increased oxygen.I had my first saltwater tank in 1997 when I was stationed in Omaha, NE. I converted a 55 Galinto a FOWLR and just learned the basics of the hobby.I took the tank down when IPCS'd in 2000 and putmy next one up in 2003. I bought a 54 corner tank previously established so I avoided having to cycle it. I had that tank for just short of2 months when I felt the need to upgrade.I got lucky and bought a previously established 72 Bowfront tank, which is the one I currently run. Not to say I haven't felt that need to upgrade once again, but since I am retiring in a little over a year, I thought it would be best for all to wait until I retire and decide whether or not I'm going to stay working here in Vegas, or move elsewhere. We all know what an undertaking moving a reef tank is like so the urge to upgrade is kept in check quite easily....all I have to do is stand in front of my tank, look at all of that "stuff", then imagine taking it down, packing it, selling what can't be moved more than across town, etc and I quickly find myself content with what I have right here...right now.Well, I think that about covers it. I've also purchased a new Canon digital camera and a 100mm Macro lens so I hope to get some pictures up soon.Thanks for taking time to read my Blog. If you have any similarities, let me know so I can read youBlog's as well ok?Cheers, Rob

Grand Opening of Mrcoral.com

2007-05-12 17:27:01

Hello, Everyone. I just want to introduce myself. My name is Sonny Impellizzzeri and I'm the owner of www.Mrcoral.com . We just launchour site today and we are excited to bring everyone what they want great coral at great prices. Please check us out and join the mailing list and be the 1st to get updates on new corals posted daily. Also, just for joining you will get $10.00 off if you would like to place a order. I'm looking for feedback on the site!! Any suggestion please send me a email.Thanks againSonny Impellizzeriwww.Mrcoral.com

New site - reefphotos.org!

2007-05-08 01:54:55

Thought we'd announce our new site that launched today - www.reefphotos.org.The site is designed as a "flickr.com" for reefers. Basically, its a service where you can organize and share your photos. People can comment on them, and we also provides free hosting of unlimited reef-related photos. That means you can be embed links to your images on frags.org, reefblogs.org (if you haven't noticed, we renamed blogs.frags.org to reefblogs.org), and even discussion forums.The way you organize photos is by using "tags". This is a commonly used way on other sites to create a structure without having to predefine a rigid hierarchy before a site like thisis launched. This also means that the collection of tags will grow over time, and more popular tags will appear larger in font size as they are used more and more.Please let us know what you think!

Cold Water Anyone?????????

2007-05-01 23:10:35

Hey Everyone,Just thought I would share some photos of my new obsession.These are all coldwater animalsMore Pics To come!!!!!! Enjoy,Mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

cyber-reef.com WYSIWYG

2007-05-01 02:52:37

update to (new to frags.org,)

2007-04-30 02:11:34

hi, i just wanted to take a minute to say hello to everyone. i am looking to start a aquacultured coral facility in my town. any suggestions, contacts, or pure advice would be greatly appreciated. a long timefriend of mine ( terry b.) is also interested, im looking to partner up with him. he recently started to frag and split several different corals in his collection, once we know they recover and will continue to thrive i'll be listing them with frags. i hope to have several frags offered real soon. anyone with a line on acrylic( sheet and or tubes ) would be a big help. i am also looking for waste, or rather cut off pieces that may be unwanted. ( i guess none of its really a waste! lol ) i'minto building my own sumps, tanks, and wanting to try my first protein skimmer ! i am currently networking to try and gather a nice list oflike minded people with whom we can possibly benifit from each other. anyway, i want to thank youfor taking the time out to read and i hope to be meeting people (espescialy local )real soon.thanks, joeyat joepitts71@yahoo.comxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxwell i first want to thank you who took the time to read , next id like to ask if anyone has suggestions for me to better get a hand on starting my own aquacultured coral facility. i just heard my partner ( terry b. ) has just hada 4'× 4' × 2' acrilic tank built to use as a starter frag tank compleate with racks. next step is to get the sump and refuge built, it has to be large enough to eventualy add severalof the above units to. i question if we should cut down on the depth of the tanks. i just think it would beeasier if it wasnt 4'. any and all comments will be appreciated. i will keep you updated as i move closerto achiving my goal. thank you, joey at joepitts71@yahoo.com

PPE's

2007-04-27 23:49:43

I have some PPE Purple People Eater Frags ready to go. NO WAITING LISTwww.eyecatchingcoral.com

EyeCatchingCoral.com --- Updates

2007-04-26 14:07:28

Website updated. Check www.eyecatchingcoral.com for updates.

Are we raising coral to be temperature intolerant?

2007-04-25 16:37:10

As an experienced diver in the Caribbean - I have over 400 dives - and a novice reef keeper, I have been doing significant reading on keeping coral (healthy). One reoccuring theme has been the need for a constant temperature in your tank. I have read several blog/forum entries about people losing some, most or all of there coral from just a single sustained degree increase in temperature. My observations during my dives though contradict the temperature sensitivity of corals in the wide. (I am assuming captive and wild corals behave similarly.) During most dives, you encounter several thermaclines. Sometimes temperatures change 12 degrees in a matter of 5 feet or the temperature changes while maintaining a constant depth. Reefs must deal with this on a daily basis. The underwater currents are always changing and creating "hot" and "cold" spots. The water temperature also changes from winter, average of 72 - 74,to summer, average of 82 - 88. Water temperatures also vary from night to day due to solar heating. I just returned from a trip to St. Thomas on April 21, and the water temperature was 84 in the passage between St. Thomas and St John on April 16. The next day it was 78. I snorkeled a shall protected reef that was 3 - 6 feet deep and the water was 88 degrees. The corals were thriving in this area too.By having such consistant temperatures in our tanks, are we breeding temperature intolerance into our corals? Would a temperature variance create more resistant corals or more closelysimulate natural conditions? Your comments are welcome and appreciated.I have a 24 gallon nano tank with 2 anemones, 2 clown fish, a tiger-stripe gobi, and 2 damsels. I also have 6 hermit crabs, 4 snails, and a coral banded shrimp. The tank sustained a die-off during my trip due to a 44 hour power outage. The house got into the mid-60's and I had no water circulation, but miraculously I only had 4 fish and an anemone die. The numbers above represent the replenished tank.

Darn DHL

2007-04-20 21:44:09

Priority shipment went out yesterday with a bunch of corals, supposed to be delivered this morning pre 10:30am. It's still stuck in Riverside, CA! They say it will be here tomorrow morning - 48 hours later... we'll see what's left.

xenia elongae wanted, not mounted or close enough to drive and pick up

2007-04-20 05:49:57

I am also interested in mushrooms and zoos.

please visit our site to see more beautiful corals

2007-04-19 23:00:04

Update...

2007-04-19 10:34:23

We just updated our frag availibility. www.aquariumspecialty.com more new frags on the way once we can find time to take pictures...

Getting into Lobophyllia and Symphyllia

2007-04-18 11:30:08

So I've been reefkeeping for about 7 years. When you start out, the corals you get are pretty much all over the map - sun corals, daisy polyps, zoanthids, non-photosynthetics, its usually just a big free for all at your LFS and whatever looks pretty gets put into the tank. Yes I myself fell victim to this too - see my old website tank log from 2000 -- I see a sebae anemone and anudibranch!Then... after some good time reading the web and books, reefers upgrade usually to an SPS tank. These can be very fun, challenging, lots of trading with other reefers (using frags.org hopefully), and a good deal of focus on keeping those little sticks alive. Purple Monster, The Matrix, etc. I personally think its really fun to collect all the cool strains, exchange them with others, and demonstrate commitment to the hobby by growing them out. I've seen some reefers like Rich in Sacramento grow a huge Purple Monster colony which is a real sight to see (he was member #49 on frags.org).After keeping SPS, you might decide it really is a lot of work after a while, and those buggers are just too sensitive. Rich shut his tank down, Hugo in LA lost everything in a electrical outage, or if you've moved around over the years like me, just the sheer effort of starting/shuttin down/moving/starting up again, you'll find that there are other corals that are more conducive to a reef-life balance, particularly if you have kids!Idecided recently to get back into a new reef tank style based on larger pieces of LPS. I've had smaller LPS like acans and micros, I've done several SPS tanks, I've done the beginner pot pourri tank, and now going onto my 8th year of reefkeeping, I'm going to try larger LPS like Lobophyllia, Symphyllia, and see what kind of aquascape I can create.Wish me luck!Here are some pics from over the years:

All of our Coral are What you see is What you get

2007-04-18 02:19:13

Blue and Green Monti

2007-04-16 20:31:29

chalice watermelon

2007-04-13 11:39:07

$10 FRAGS

2007-04-11 10:16:38

http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e17/AMPRESEARCH/?action=view¤t=aprilnewsletter.jpg

New Updates @ www.EyeCatchingCoral.com

2007-04-10 13:15:53

I added some new corals to the website. I also changed the look a bit. I am working to upload about 20-30 more frags within the next few days. I am also looking to trade with other small high end stores if anyone is interested. Take care.Thanks for your time,Jim

Japanes Micromussa

2007-04-10 13:00:31

FragCity Exclusive! ~neon green daisy polyps~

2007-04-07 01:49:41

Monti Setosa

2007-04-05 01:12:41

LE Blue Chalice

2007-04-05 01:12:11

Turquoise Polyp Hot Pink Stylo

2007-04-05 01:11:33

Reefready.net Ice Pick Stag

2007-04-05 01:10:50

Reefready.net Grape Juice Acro

2007-04-05 01:10:16

Reefready.net Cloud 9 Acro

2007-04-05 01:09:40

Frag packs 6 for $100.00 or 12 for $180.00

2007-04-04 15:35:50

I am now shipping frags from my 120 again. If you would like 6 or 12 of the following , just email me at kmagyar@adelphia.net with your zip code and the frags your interetsed in and I will get back with you with shipping costs and availability of each frag.More Pics herehttp://users.adelphia.net/~kmagyar/http://users.adelphia.net/~kmagyar/03.22.07/index.htmlAll 6 for 100 or 12 for 180. I can fit up to 15 or more frags in a box.Millepora- -red, hairy-red very furry, not the same as above, a tad deeper red- super hairy ultra green- short polyp green- blue ORA, hairy polyp- peach base (takes allot of light to keep the peach base ) Protrata- blue with green polyp (personal fav) Stag- blue tip- teal- tan stagOther Acropora- a. toruosa ORA- tenuis- pink/red table- a. horrida teal green hairy -A. Validia tri color Stylophora- yellow furry- pinkPoccillipora- green ora- bright pink- green with pink baseOther Green or pink Zoosgreen starsPurple M. Cap Premium FragsYou can combine these with the 6 for 100 fresh cut frags, just add the difference.-ORA Tortuosa, 2”+ mounted 35.00 (1)-A.Horrida, teal green, busy mounted frags, very good size around, many branches. 25.00 (2)-Red Mille frags, large multi branch pieces 25.00. (3)-ORA blue mille frag 2” plus (1)35.00. Same as above but about twice the size. Thikand ready to go. -Rainbow Mille, mounted multi branch frags. (2) 25.00-A.tenuis, teal and blue , mounted double branch (1) 25.00-poccilipora damnicornis bright green mounted , extra large frag 15+ branches. 25.00-poccilipora damnicornis pink and green mounted, extra large frag 15+ branches 20.00-poccilipora damnicornis bright pink mounted 20.00-A. Yongie Blue slimmer, mounted frags (2) 1” mounted 20.00-ORA pillow. Mounted frags 25.00

Acan maxima

2007-04-04 14:06:17

Lime in the Sky

2007-04-04 14:05:30

Blue Tip Monti

2007-04-04 14:05:01

Looking for PPE's

2007-03-31 14:15:55

I am interested in purchasing some PPE polyps. This would need to be from someone who is willing to ship, since I live in Mississippi. I lost everything in my tank twice over the last year and a half (once to Hurricane Katrina, and again last year to a new defective central air cooling unit.) I'm just now getting brave enough to try again, but am starting out slow. Really want to get some true PPE's to replace the ones I lost, but am having trouble finding any except at inflated prices.

want xenia, zoos, and clove or star polyps!!

2007-03-30 09:18:39

I am looking for xenia in a location close enough that I can drive to pick it up, since it does not ship well. I have pom pom--the white--and am mostly looking for the brownish that forms stalks. Cannot seem to find any and the local aquarium place does not ever get it in. Please get in touch with me if you have some. sewingfrenzie@insightbb.com

First bad experience with a seller

2007-03-27 09:40:07

It is unfortunate that after purchasing many frags from here and having such good luck I finally had a bad experience with a seller. The seller was weimers75, she had some nice looking frags and although expensive, looked to be worth it. The communication was good and all looked to be in good order, but she was obviously inexperienced in shipping corals and out of the 8 polyps I ordered 5 died. At least the $40 purple death made it, although it has sand glued to the back of it. Since it is encased in superglue it may have a hard time reproducing anytime soon. The Starfire zoos I ordered arrived smashed, and although I told weimers75 this right after receipt, I was offered a 50% refund for them. The 5 polyp Cheeries I ordered looked better, only one was obviously smashed, 2 opened the first day, but the other 3 ended up dying. So you pay $65 for 8 polyps, the most I had ever paid by far, and 5 die because of poor shipping. Then a seller blames you, even though you told them they arrived damaged right after you received them.Very disappointing to say the least and one of the worst things is that I left appropriate feedback for the seller and then they just closed their account. So they will open it again under a different name and end up screwing someone else.

Just wanted to show some of the frags that are becoming available each day. check out this Green with Purple rim and white Polyp.

2007-03-26 18:39:41

One of my favorites for sure!

2007-03-26 18:37:26

three Adult Polyps with babies starting

2007-03-26 18:36:00

Blue deepwater Acro

2007-03-26 18:34:50

New generation captive breed baby elegance coral. Hardy and disease free. Don't miss!

2007-03-26 01:01:24

We are back up and running. Thanks for your patience. Here are just a few shots of some new pieces. more uploads coming all week. Give us a shout at ncreefworks.com Thanks

2007-03-25 23:47:24

Nice Blue highlights. more to come this week.

2007-03-25 23:44:13

Makes me want to dive right in!

2007-03-25 23:42:30

Just added new 180 gallon wMH & VHO - Need frags desperatly

2007-03-25 20:07:27

Ispent my whole budget on a new 180 gallon with 3-250w MH and 2 Blue VHO. Sonow how do I populate the rock - opps!!I would like to trade away big colonies/Frags so I can start new collections in the new tank. Have worked really hard and have great corals choose from. No trade for White Tree rufused unless you are completely insane or unreasonable. I have 8 X 14 inch tree fragsw/2+ lbs live rock, or frags you can place anywhere,to trade. Free advice on how to make it look the way you want using current. (I use additives occasionaly to boost)Will have pics of tank as soon as I clean it (LOL) and you can see what I have dones. Soon to frag toadstool Mushroomsthat are over 3 ft in dia. Really cool stuff!Just let me know!!BBroph

We only have a few of them Don't Miss this

2007-03-24 01:54:19

last one :)

2007-03-23 12:43:50

Wow so much work just to get the banner up, but I think I finally figured it out lol

Let's try this to get the banner up

2007-03-23 12:33:40

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g126/ghever/RTS-March.gif

A ReefTankSupply HELLO!

2007-03-23 12:16:26

We are new to the game, but hope to provide everyone with some nice frags for nice prices. Our store specializes in rare fish and all types of corals from SPS to Softies and from common to Rare. We will keep this blog updated with pics of some of the stuff we have for sale, but visit our website for more info. Hope to share our love for the reef hobby with many of you on here in the near future.RegardsGal[IMG]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g126/ghever/RTS-March.gif[/IMG]

A ReefTankSupply HELLO!

2007-03-23 12:16:04

some stuff from our site Reefready.net

2007-03-21 03:13:39

Here are more great corals from Reefready.netWe are getting ready to add more corals to the site in the next day or two. Check it often if you don't want to miss out on some Reefready.net exclusives.

Please visit our site see more corals

2007-03-18 14:31:24

cyber-reef all of our live corals are buy as you see which means WSIWYG (What you see is what you get).

2007-03-14 05:42:52

Nemo new friend

2007-03-12 19:21:50

Old Lord New Colors

2007-03-12 19:20:05

water melon zoanthid

2007-03-11 13:56:41

Some interesting coral pics...

2007-03-10 09:25:21

Just going through some pics and thought I would share some with you guys. On an average day, I take about 300 shots of various corals. I am trying to capture growth, color shifts, and baby polyps. It takes up a chunk of my day but I love what I do.=)Enjoy!!!Pink and blue cyphastrea"Big Mouth" War CoralJendub's Pink Limeade Chalice (Tyree LE)Rare Rainbow RicordiaTo check out the rest of my blog, click here: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043 To view more pictures, click here: Ciao,Jen

looking for reasonable coral pack for 9 yr old boy

2007-03-07 10:26:16

Hello, I am looking for someone that is willing to make up a nice coral pack for my son for his birthday. Which is only a week and a half away. It will need to be shipped, it would be shipped to6116 Fir Road Bremen, IN 46506 this will help to figure shipping cost. He is crazy about his tank, he has had it for about 6 months and so far has a medium sized frog spawn brown with green tips, green ricordia, a few really small brown polyps and brown zoo's, a Kenya tree and a brown frilly mushroom, and a red mushroom and some yellow polyps. not much color and everything is pretty small the tank is 55 gallon and has VHO lighting. He is not real fond of the acropora or the miniopora's. He really likes the yuma ricordias , pulsing xenia and giant anthelia , and wants something orange. I do not know much about corals myself we do a lot of reading and he is on the internet reading about them all the time, he is somewhat of a animal and science freak. I will pay by check money order or credit card , looking in the range of $50 - $100 dollars please email me at dianafear70@hotmail.com. Thanks

SW~CFM Pics

2007-03-07 02:14:30

South Western Coral Farmers Market February 18th, 2007Me w/ the FragCity Girls...Mr. Steve Tyreeraffling off a calcium reactorI'll have some pics of the FragCity Fragswap from 2/25/07 up soon...

FragCity Swag

2007-03-06 19:32:38

I'm here and ready to do somthing.......what was it i was going to do again?

First Post

2007-03-06 19:30:46

Well this would be my first post. I'm here! Maybe I'll dedicate this blog to the evolution and growth of my tank.

Oh crap, another forum to be addicted to!

2007-03-06 17:00:06

Here we go again, sleepless nights pressing refresh...

Echinopora

2007-03-06 14:44:41

And just for the hell of it here's another great coral from Reefready.net. The Blue and Green Alien Eye Echinopora.

Reefready.net Excalibur Acro

2007-03-06 14:36:56

And now to introduce the new Reefready.net Excalibur Acro.

WOW!!!!!!

2007-03-06 14:33:31

The new Tyree Auction Edition Fire Engine Monti. Check out the purple spots all over it. This is definatelyone of the bestMontis out there.

Pics of what I picked up...

2007-03-06 02:07:54

Superman Danae Colony, 1' diameter 85% encrusted. Frags anyone? :)Acanthastrea Morph, this pic does this coral no justice!!

How to tell fake LE corals.

2007-03-06 00:13:34

I want to point out a couple of ways to tell that the corals you are looking at are fake. If a site is selling a fake LE what else would they be willing to do to you, their customer. They obviously don't care about quality if they pawn off imposters as the real thing. I saw a site that had a supposed LE Cyphastrea on it. I won't point out the name of the site. You will have to hunt for that. The Cyphastrea supposedly came from Tyree. Right in the middle of the 2" plus fresh cut piece was a barnacle. Now if Tyree had grown this coral in captivity and sold it as a captive grown frag, I don't think there is any way a barnacle can show up like that. It was very obvious that it is a coral that just looks like the Tyree one. Another way is if you see someone selling a coral that everyone else sells for $150 and they have it for like $50 there is something weird there. Then when they seem to have an endless supply of that coral there is definately something wrong. Guys and Gals, please don't fall for fakes. If you buy a look alike coral that is fine. Just try to be informed about the corals you are buying.

Reefready.net Duncans

2007-03-06 00:01:52

What's that? You want a NICE looking Duncan? Here ya go.The new Reefready.net Purple with Yellow Tip Duncan.How's that? We are selling them for $50/polyp on our site but frags.org members can get them for $35/polyp right now. The only catch is that you have to order three or more polyps.

Went to the wholesalers

2007-03-05 02:22:03

Went to L.A. today andpicked up some livestock. Scored a huge 1' TRUE Superman Danae! also a crazy yellow 1/2 orange Acanthastrea colony.

australia duncananopsammia axifuga

2007-03-04 14:10:52

extremly rare japanes rhizotrochus typus

2007-03-04 14:06:24

Just posted up my new site, its a WIP check it out...

2007-03-03 13:58:38

www.FragCityCorals.comWe're located in San Diego, CA (619) 948~4704

Visit our website. Everything is WYSIWYG

2007-03-02 14:59:50

new additions and updates

2007-02-23 18:34:10

Just wanted to make a quick announcement.. The site has been much improved with a lot of new stuff added and there's a lot more to go.In celebration we'll be auctioning some pieces we haven't fragged for a long time. Included will be a highly sough-after LE. I've received inquiries almost weekly for the last year and no frags have been ready until now.Check it out and keep an eye out for updates:www.Rarefrags.comThanks for looking.

water mellon

2007-02-22 23:44:15

please visit colorfulcoral.com cherry pick corals

2007-02-22 18:55:54

australia acan. lord

2007-02-22 18:35:59

Click on the picture for more pictures

2007-02-21 03:15:05

Just Checking In

2007-02-18 11:16:50

I've had a couple replies posted to my blog recently. Just wanted to let those people know I am here and still replying to your questions. My speaking/travel schedule has slowed down and I'm usually in town. If for some reason I miss your question and don't answer within a day or two just email me adamblundell@hotmail.comThanks, Adam

New Corals Posted

2007-02-16 01:20:39

Hey everyone,I just got done posting all kinds of new corals!!! Acans,micros,crazy leather and more!!!Make sure you check out the new WYSIWYG page. Thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com.

Welcome to our online Store

2007-02-12 08:51:15

Welcome to our online Store

2007-02-12 08:50:00

SPS in The Greenhouse

2007-02-08 22:52:18

Here are some shots of the sps in the greenhouse as of this moring.

Ricordia mania...

2007-02-05 21:37:30

Picked up some beautiful ricordias and thought I would share. If interested in any of them, just send me an email. Rare Rainbow Ricordia (not available) To check out the rest of my blog, click here: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043 To view more pictures, click here: Ciao,Jen

New Arrival

2007-02-05 20:28:28

Wow talk about service!!!

2007-02-05 11:13:30

I bought a Giesemann Moonlight 260 a while ago. The Moonlight 260 is a fantastic light, is custom painted in Germany (I got mine in polar white), and comes with an internal programmable computer to set the moon light, actinics, and 250watt DE halides on different schedules. Giesemanns'quality is super high, they really have no competition when it comes to high-end lighting systems. The preferred way to mount it is hanging from the ceiling, I actually placed my wires inside the ceiling so there is nothing showing except the beautiful light unit.I ordered the unit from Phil at Xenia Systems, their North American distributor - http://www.giesemannlicht.com/. The website for the manufacturer is http://www.giesemann.de/. The picture here is one from their website. My tank looks similar, just no white trim around the top of the tank.Anyway, I was having a ground problem which I couldn't figure out. So Phil (from Xenia the distributor in Montreal Canada) and Axel (runs Giesemann from Germany) were on a road trip in California recently and came by and fixed the light. They popped by in the evening and spent about 1 1/2 hours working on things. It turned out it was an installation error :) Anyway, we celebrated with a shot of Patron tequila and a Negra Modelo beer! Thanks guys for coming by...

We have a lot of things planned and are still working to where we want to go with ncreefworks.com More updates to come.

2007-02-04 21:43:49

Leng Sy

2007-02-04 19:39:51

Great stuff to come!

2007-02-04 19:24:53

Coming soon @www.ncreefworks.com

2007-02-04 19:19:55

mocro again

2007-02-04 19:18:27

top down

2007-02-04 19:17:06

Some shots of my carpet nem I call Nemo!

2007-02-04 19:13:32

Micromussa

2007-02-04 19:12:17

Bonsai

2007-02-04 19:11:05

EyeCatchingCoral.com

2007-01-31 17:38:40

I started this website recently. It has always been my dream to be able to fully support my reef adiction. I used to sell onEbay andTrade on ReefCentral. Now i have decided to finally open my own site. Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks -Jim

EyeCatchingCoral.com

2007-01-31 17:36:08

New Arrival

2007-01-29 23:01:35

Dear Customer,This week we got some very colorful Montipora from Tonga, Acanthastrea Lordhowensis, Cloves, Brain Coral and much more on our site at Cyber-ReefCheck out our new shipping rate for customers within 100 miles from usAll items are WYSIWYG, for fragment we frag it from the colony that show in the picture. Corals may sold in minutes so don't miss out your chance and visit Cyber-Reef Today. Zoanthid, Zoanthus sp (10 polyps per order)Click here for details Turbinaria peltataClick here for details Tube AnemoneClick here for details Trachyphyllia geoffroyi Ninja TurtleClick here for details Sarciphyton Sp Long PolypsClick here for details Sarciphyton Sp Green PolypsClick here for details Sarciphyton Sp Green PolypsClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms Yuma True ColorClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms Yuma True ColorClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms Yuma True ColorClick here for details Red Bulleye Mushrooms 2 PolypsClick here for details Montipora sp Purple PolypsClick here for details Montipora sp Neon Green PolypsClick here for details Montipora sp Deep Purple with Neon PolypsClick here for details Montipora Capricornis Large Green PlateClick here for details Montipora Capricornis Large Green PlateClick here for details Lobophyllia Hemprichii, bright Orange Brain CoralClick here for details Lobophyllia Hemprichii, blood Brain CoralClick here for details Joker Mushrooms Per PolypClick here for details Fungia danai with Neon GreenClick here for details Fungia danai Purple baseClick here for details Euphyllia paraancora with Orange tipsClick here for details Clavularis Sp, Stargazer Cloves 5 polypsClick here for details Blue Polyps frag 5 PolypsClick here for details Baby Blue Acropora sp 1.5 " FragClick here for details Acropora sp Pink with Purple tipsClick here for details Acanthastrea sp Rare ColorClick here for details Acanthastrea spClick here for details Acanthastrea lordhowensis Rare Color 28 Polyps on ColonyClick here for details Acanthastrea lordhowensis Rare Color 15 Polyps on ColonyClick here for details Acanthastrea lordhowensis Rare Color 15 Polyps on ColonyClick here for details Acanthastrea lordhowensis Rare ColorClick here for details Above are only some of our latest arrivals. We have a lot more on our site!!! Don't miss out other great products at Cyber Reef!Thank you for your subscription. Cyber-Reef.com Thank you for shopping at Cyber-Reef.com Regards,Cyber-Reef Customer Service

I have marked down many corals. bcheck it out!

2007-01-29 19:58:26

Healthy

2007-01-29 19:55:43

in regards to my frags...

2007-01-28 18:55:52

Please feel free to call or email me regarding quality, questions, pictures, etc. of the frags I have posted. I can't figure out how to attach/upload pictures of the frags, but I will gladly email them to you.

New Shipping Rate

2007-01-27 03:28:53

Our Shipping rate is only $15.99 + $10.00 Box charge if you are within 100 miles from us. Click Here for Detail

zoanthid eating nudibranch

2007-01-26 22:29:41

Here is a project that I worked on to find out how well a dip will remove or kill zoanthid eating nudibranch. I only looked at the nudibranch not the eggs. Here is our setup. We will be testing several different dip to see what work well. Kent Lugol's SolutionSea Chem' s Reef DipPovidone iodine CVS brandTMC Pro-Coral CureThe mystery liquidFresh distilled waterStay tuned for updates !!!

Tropical Sea Creatures

2007-01-25 22:42:17

Welcome to Tropical Sea Creatures. We are dedicated to conserving our reefs in all ways possible. Coral Frags is one of our main focuses at Tropical Sea Creatures with many of them coming from Philip at The Coral Gardens. As we grow with your support we hope to promote and educate people on aquacultured coral to help further the conservation of our natural reefs.

Crazy Favia...

2007-01-24 23:27:39

I just took some crazy shots of some favias that I just had to share. I hope you guys enjoy them.=)To check out the rest of my blog, click here: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043 To view more pictures, click here: Ciao,Jen

Glow In The dark now available

2007-01-23 13:44:25

Nice Acan are in Stock at cyber-reef.com

2007-01-23 13:43:46

Crazy Blue Stem under the purple corallites

2007-01-23 13:42:57

Blue Stag frags

2007-01-23 13:41:35

T5 update and a Growth Sequence

2007-01-23 12:52:03

Wow, it's been a while since I made it over here to update the 'ol blog! A lot has happened in the last few months and I get a lot of PM's from different people asking about the 3000k bulb and how it is working out. Well to answer that, let me see if I can remember the order of events here...I pulled the 3000k bulb out of the mix when I noticed my blue colors shifting and not popping as much. For reasons that you'll read in a second, I don't think this had to do with the bulb itself.I replaced the 3000k with an "Aquablue".Since I had been playing with bulbs I left my end cap covers off, and a stray jet of water sprayed one of them down (not good, also a long story) which resulted in salt creep inside the contact area thus causing the 2 center bulbs of my 6-bulb setup to not turn on.While all of this is going on I am taking care of a baby 2 days a week, and finally left my day job to pursue my own business for the remainder of the week (long nights and weekends). All of this amounts to not much energy to take care of the tank.For almost 2 months my center bulbs were out and the color of most of my corals was noticeably looking better.I didn't correlate it to the lights being out and finally got around to fixing the problem, and wouldn't you know it the color went right back to the pastel look. To be fair though I did lose a couple of corals that were on the bottom of my tank, not sure if this was related to less light. That brings us to now, I have decided to intentionally disable the center 2 bulbs (out of 6 bulbs) and run this way for awhile. I'm also getting some coraline growth which I've never really had much of. The biggest problem for me right now is not having energy to take care of my tank. I have had the time but find myself doing other things (hmmm like blogging). Things have really gone down hill. I have given away and/or lost about half of my coral population. The larger corals in my tank are still thriving, but I'm considering switching over to a mostly softy system.No decision to change... yet! Here is a growth sequence from one of my favorite corals, this was grown completely under T5. Lighting has been between 324 and 216w (depending on my laziness!).07/2005 - Received and mounted pinky-finger size frag, brown, no branches.(No picture)09/200501/200606/200601/2007 (about 10" around)I don't run a calcium reactor, so that said you can be the judge of how well SPS can grow under T5.Wha't I'm really excited about right now are the new T5 fixtures that are hitting the market. Since I have been using T5 I have seen the technology improve. I personally have the 'old school' SLS setup. It's important to keep in mind that not all T setup's are equal. The no-reflector setup's are not so hot, the single reflector setups are better, parabolic SLS reflectors are decent, Ice Cap reflectors are better yet, now throw an Ice Cap ballast on to overdrive the bulb output, and finally throw some cooling fans into the mix to drive the output even higher. One of the things I've said since my first post is that I felt the T5 technology over seas is a step ahead, and it appears that was true but we are catching up... I'm very much looking forward to Sanjay's test of the latest T5 technology. That's all for now folks

Micromussa instock at NCReefWorks.com

2007-01-22 00:17:25

Got this little Gem in as well.

2007-01-21 00:51:25

saddle carpet

2007-01-21 00:49:38

Neon Bubble Tip Anemone - Check out the site for price.

2007-01-21 00:47:40

New Micromussa arrival

2007-01-21 00:43:04

T5 and MH testing, what are the big questions?

2007-01-19 04:54:43

I am starting this blog as a means to post the results of my Apogee PAR meter and Ocean Optics spectrometer. The results are intended to resolve some outstanding questions that remain in the lighting aspect of our reef aquariums. Some tests that I hope to run are:1. How do Icecap and EVC electronic ballasts effect the long-term output of a DE bulb? Do they really make the bulb last longer, or is their lower power really damaging the bulb?2. Which lasts longer? A SE bulb on a e-ballast or a DE bulb on a HQI ballast (250watts)?3. How to T5s stack up against halides?4. How dothe topT5 ballasts compare? I will be comparing OSRAM, Sylvania, Vossloh-Schwabe, Universal Triad, Advance, and Icecap. Sorry, Im not paying for dimmable ones, just the top end electronics.5. Does the IC 660 ballast wear out T5 bulbs faster than spec ballasts, even if I use a laser pyrometer to match surface temps using fans (keeping both types of bulbs at 95degreesC)?Right now, I have 3 40B Reef Tanks to play with for this. Two are lit with 250wattDE halides, and one is lit with a 6x39wattT5 Tek light. The Tek has been modified to have active cooling (more on that later) which greatly boosts the output of the fixture. I run G-man bulbs at the moment, 2x aquablue, 2x actinic+, 2x true actinic 03s. The look is nearly identical to a 14,000K pheonix, but with actinic... perhaps more like the EVC 20,000K. I started using T5s because I wanted to light a frag tank which was underneath another tank... soa hot halide was out. I thought I would try T5s, thinking they might be good enough... and boy, were they. As of now, the T5s are giving me better results than my halides.What I want to ask before I go any further is... are there any tests that you guys and gals would like to see done with regards to reef lighting? Or, if there is another test that interests you, let me know. My available tools are an Ocean Optics Spectrometer, an Apogee PAR meter, a Kill-A-Watt power meter, 2-20 cfh, 5-50 cfh, and 10-100 cfh Dwyer airflow meters, a laserpyrometer, and my own senses. I am building a 'black box' for testing bulbs outside of the aquarium environment as well.I am also in the process of designing my next custom reef tank, so progress on that will be included.Stay tuned,Jon

New Additions

2007-01-19 02:56:22

Dear Customer,This week we got some nice assorted Zoanthid from Tonga , Yuma ( they are uncommon color), Coco Worm, bublegum chalace and much more on our site at Cyber-ReefAll items are WYSIWYG, for fragment we frag it from the colony that show in the picture. Corals may sold in minutes so don't miss out your chance and visit Cyber-Reef Today. Zoanthid, Zoanthus sp Orange ColorClick here for details Zoanthid, Zoanthus sp Neon GreenClick here for details Tree Coral YellowClick here for details Scolymia australis Blood Red ColorClick here for details Sarciphyton SpClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms Yuma True ColorClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms Yuma True ColorClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms Green and PurpleClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms GreenClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms GreenClick here for details Ricordia Mushrooms GreenClick here for details Montipora nodosa (1"-1.5" Frag)Click here for details Lobophyllia Hemprichii, Brain CoralClick here for details Hard Tube Coco WormClick here for details Green MushroomsClick here for details Echinophyllia sp Pink eye Frag 2 "Click here for details Echinophyllia sp Blood redClick here for details Assorted Yellow Tree CoralClick here for details Acropora sp Purple tipClick here for details Acanthastrea lordhowensis Frag 3 PolypsClick here for details Acanthastrea lordhowensis Frag 3 PolypsClick here for details Above are only some of our latest arrivals. We have a lot more on our site!!! Don't miss out other great products at Cyber Reef!Please note that this message was sent to the following e-mail address: Thank you for your subscription. Cyber-Reef.com Regards,Cyber-Reef Customer Service However, if you'd rather not receive future e-mails from Cyber-Reef' please click on the URL belowClick hereThank you for shopping at Cyber-Reef.com Regards,Cyber-Reef Customer Service

Dendro Frags Available....

2007-01-17 01:34:38

We have some beautiful aqua-cultured dendro frags available for a limited time.If you are interested or have any questions about these little creatures, please feel free to ask.Check out my other blog entries for information and other great corals. To check out the rest of my blog, click here: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043 To view more pictures, click here: Ciao,Jen

Looking For True T Suset Montipora to Trade

2007-01-14 00:14:51

I am looking for a Tyree Sunset Montipora Frag. I live in Sutter Creek and own Coral Marine Life. I want to put this piece in my personal tank. If you have any and want to trade let me know. Take care, John

My first frag, from a friend.

2007-01-02 01:29:12

I have a big tank, a little budget and lots of dreams for miracles.

New to Frags.org

2006-12-27 02:53:57

This is my first Blog. I'm new to the Frags.org community, but I've been in the hobby over a decade. I listed my first frag this evening on Frags.org. The frag is my Blue Clove Polyps. This soft coral was given to me by a Canadian friend. I've yet to see this coral here in the US. That's not to say it's not here. Anyway, this coral is a very fast grower. It's brown counterpart is considered a nuisence coral that can quickly overgrow a reef tank. In this case, this coral is a nice light blue color, as this picture can show.That pic was taken with the flash. The frag in the front was made the same day the pic was taken.This pic was taken a month later, not using the flash.The color is a deeper blue. You can also see how much the polyps have filled in the rock. They are growing right over the small yellow ball sponge on the rock.This pic of of the frag from the first picture. It's filling in nicely.I've experimented with brighter light. This coral still grew under 250w halides, but is was slower than the lower light 175 halides. The color looked the same under both lights.Frags are available of this coral. The frags will be small, between 1/2"-1"Thanks for looking.Randy

ebay auctions

2006-12-25 14:36:43

Just thought I would let everyone know that we have some great frags on Ebay right now. Check them out.http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZalgblennyQQhtZ-1

Zoo's

2006-12-16 23:09:24

Mother Colony -frags available

2006-12-16 23:04:45

Montipora Foliosa Frags at NCReefWorks .com

2006-12-16 18:07:22

Eagle Eye Zoo's

2006-12-16 17:55:10

Discuspro's Reef

2006-12-07 22:15:11

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

2006-12-03 19:05:41

So we wrapped up the $1500 blogs contest a while ago... as you might remember, we had two winners... Here was some recent feedback we got recently from both of them:"frags.org is a wonderful place to find other hobbyists, and to promote coral propagation. The hobby needs to promote coral propagation as a way to ensure the health of the environment as well as the health of the hobby. The blogs on frags.org help hobbyists to share their stories. By using personal stories the bloggers are able to provide great insight on many topics of aquarium keeping..." Adam Blundell, Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society"Blogging has in the past few years been increasingly popular. A diary of sorts logged online to share with the world. Some might say, blogging has become this decades most popular venting tool. However, there lies a difference in conventional blogging, and blogging Frags.org style. Frags.org offers a platform for reefers to post their victories, ideas, and their dreaded failures. Wether good or bad, feedback is always constructive, either a beloved ego boost, or a shot of inspiration. Personally, I feel a good reef blog is what the reefing community was in dire need of. Where a regular personal blog offers little to it's reader, a reef blog offers a melting pot of information, inspiration, and of cource wonderful eye candy! Since Frags.org organizes the blog entries by user in chronological order, it is like writing a personal reef experience novel. We all started in this hobby somehow, this platform now offers a great way to log the magical journey. The new blog feature at Frags.org is... well... awesome for lack of a better word!" ReefEnvyStay tuned for our next contest coming in the next few months. We are thinking about making it prized differently - something like 25 refractometers to the top 25 contributors. Actually, the whole contest will be based on a brand new services we are going to be releasing - here is a hint - it is like flickr for reef hobbyists!Any suggestions on prizes? Does anybody have any guesses on the new service coming out?

more coral pics....

2006-12-03 14:12:44

Two hobbies....coral reef aquariums....photography...

2006-11-29 21:29:27

well I guess this is the best place to share both my passions, corals which I propagate...and photography! I have aways strived to take the best photos possibly of my corals that I farm.So I would like to post some of my favorites here! I hope you enjoy!really hope you enjoy these as I do! Will post more soon!

my nano

2006-11-29 14:42:40

Here is a shot of my nano. The anthelia is growing like a weed. I should have frags from it soon..

Going to Start Trading!

2006-11-20 13:33:50

I think I going to try to get in to the trade game ;)Should havesome Pink Palys, Acan Lords, and Echinata soon, as well as some YumasLooking for SPS, Blastos, Acans, Micro, Yumas, and LEsHere's a side shot of one of my yumas under 175W MH,20K bulb

Duncan frag time....

2006-11-20 00:39:49

Finally have some time to do needed fragging on my duncan. Started off with one polyp and it has grown to 18 polyps, I feel like a proud mother. So here are some pics of the process and just to let everybody know those giant monkey fingers you see in the pics, are my husbands.=)Mother polyp-Mature Colony-Closed up, ready for the dremel-Close shave, one polyp removed- Another look at the cut-The center polyp is the mother polyp and the babies branch out from that. Beautiful creature.I hope you enjoy the pics, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave. To check out the rest of my blog, click here: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043 To view more pictures, click here: http://www.jendub.com/Frags.phpCiao,Jen

Update / Purpose of Blog

2006-11-19 15:30:19

I have recently decided that the focus of this blog will include information about the growth rates and growth forms of various corals, and information about corals I have recently found or purchused By the way, I have recently found a nice Trachyphyllia geoffroyi with alternating pink and green stripes. I will post pictures as soon as I can.Kevin

New TO This!!

2006-11-18 13:36:44

Well I am new to this computer selling thing I have a lot of Colonies that need to be fraged so I can afford the other cool stuff that everybody is selling. I would love to trade for most Types of Monties.!! I have a few dif types already, please just email me or post here if ya have some to trade or are interested in something I haven't post for sale if I took I pic of it and didn't post for sale?Such as This cool Rare coral, so far NFS!!Blurry pic about a couple of days old. My Baby Duncan!I hope to soon grow this little one up and but the up for sale, it is an easy coral to keep, just not found in the hobby very often?Also have this Chalic FS, not sure what ya would call any input would be great! I'll get a name then I will post it FS!Well hope to here from ya'll love the site!

New Additions

2006-11-14 12:48:17

Superman Monti. (The real one)Morning Star MontiJumbo Peace CoralGreen Tip Pink MilleGrape WatermelonGolden LoboFiber Optic Chalice

Killer Palythoas!

2006-11-13 20:09:17

Just got these badboys in! The colors in the photos do not do them justice at all! I'm doing frag packs of these for $225 shipped for 6 frags of YOUR choice from the photos below. email sales at marineflora.com for them or check out my website at www.marineflora.com

Four more

2006-11-10 00:08:57

Reeffarmers Echino asperaReeffarmers Red PsammocoraReefready.net Favia speciosaReefready.net Hot Pink Chalice

New Zoanthid

2006-11-09 10:18:02

I just got this recently.Sorry for the blurry pic, i will take a new one soon.

Fragging Protopalythoa

2006-11-09 10:04:08

Here are some pictures of a coral i will be fragging in the future:The colony has 40 to 45 polyps in all.I will be making a few 2-3 polyp frags, and i will be putting them up on my frag listings.Kevin

NEW CORALS POSTED

2006-11-08 01:37:36

Hey everyone,I just got done posting all kinds of new corals!!! Acans,micros,echinos,crazy leater and more!!!Make sure you check out the new WYSIWYG page. Great deals on small lord coloies!!!Thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

New corals on reefready.net

2006-11-07 13:16:10

New Pink Lemonade PicPPE MicrosPurple StylocinellaNew Raspberry Chalice picLE Blue PsammocoraLE Monti orientalisLE Porites rusLE Red Aspera

My 120 as of this month

2006-11-06 14:31:49

Things are looking real nice after my swap to starboard bottom a few months ago. Here is a new gallery of this system.If you are interested in frags, please see my entire blog herehttp://users.adelphia.net/~kmagyar/11.02.06/index.html

Pristine Aquatics

2006-11-01 22:22:55

I'm available on here and at Lee@pristineaquatics.biz if you have any questions regarding purchasing my products. Thanks for viewing my corals, hope you find what you are looking for here. If not, ask, I just might have it, and not have it listed. I also may be able to get it for you. Nothing is impossible to find.

Auctions

2006-10-31 15:56:01

I just put a frag of the Red Watermelon and a frag of the Original Watermelon up on Ebay. If you have been wanting these now is the time to get them.

Here are some more corals

2006-10-31 14:23:01

Tubs GalaxiaTubs Blue ZoosTims EchinataRoland Balmes Acro. Batunai

new corals on my site

2006-10-28 03:04:55

Hi, Just thought I would let everyone know that I just added six new corals to reefready.net. I will be adding them to my frags.org coral list as well. If you want to see them before I put them up here go to my site. Thank you.

Red Watermelon

2006-10-23 22:55:09

Anyone looking for a frag of the Red Watermelon? I will be autioning one soon. Stay tuned and I will post when I start the aution. You can also check reefready.net because I will post it on there as well. I know a lot of people have been dying for a frag of this one.

Breaking my blog virginity

2006-10-21 18:03:12

First time for everything yeah?Any macro algae lovers out there? Photo of Green Gracilaria.. also referred to as Tang Heaven.Here is the Red Version of it.

Kirkingburgs Reef

2006-10-20 22:14:40

This is my "dinky" lil 30 gln reef tank I started Christmas 05. I'm using a run of the mill "over the tank" filter, however i filled it with aragonite to the overflow level, then topped it off with some balinese live rock. All my foundation rock (60lbs) is balinese as well. Lighting is simply 170 watts of 50/50 compact flourescent, and a 20 w 50/50 flourescent. I guess I consider this the display tank. Another 30, lit with a 250 M.H. and two 20w Actinic flourescents, serves as a propigation tank. My display provides me with the frags. Nothing amazing, but still producing some nice healthy frags to share.

No Nudis

2006-10-20 12:34:10

I just wanted to clarify that I did not put that monti in my tank. I don't have any Nudis in there.

Monti Nudis

2006-10-19 02:14:39

I just got this in from a reputable online vendor. I just wanted to warn people to be carefull when buying wild corals. Here is a picture of a really nice Monti that has the nudi eggs. This would ruin all of my Montis if I had put it in my tank without QT. Please get a QT tank if you don't already have one. If you have Montis that are receding and you don't know why look for these eggs. They are awfull.I didn't put a watermark on this picture because I hope others can use it to show people what to look for. Please feel free to use this picture.

new additions on our site...

2006-10-17 22:09:40

bonsai !!!turakiunknown species...please visit www.aquariumspecialty.com for more. Sign up for our forum and post 5 topics a month a win your chance at discounts...it's very easy. http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/forum/

WOW!!!

2006-10-15 14:43:05

Check out this bad boy.

Non indo lords

2006-10-15 14:41:23

What do you think about these?

Please comment on the new look and feel!

2006-10-14 20:14:01

Hi, we've worked hard to make the new look of frags.org make its way to blogs.frags.org, but with its own distinct look and feel. What do you think? Any suggestions? Please let us know. Your feedback is super important to us.Best,BerlinMethod.com aka Krisfrags.org Team Member

I also have snails too

2006-10-13 19:15:19

These snails are the best I have ever had they only get to be 3/8 to 1/2 inch. they don't buldoze anything, only eat hair and film algea (not red or green slime). They reproduce really fast if conditions are good, I have them in both systems that I have and a few people that I know. I am asking a 1.50 ea for them which is really cheap considering that I paid around 5 bucks a piece from an online distrbuter. I could do a quantity discount but I only have a limited number of them at this time probably around 100 avaliable right now. If you are interested send me an email and I can set something up. shipping is whatever you want but you pay the shipping, the way I'll do it is get a quote from the shipper from 03867 to your location and thats what I'll charge plus the cost of heat packs. I am not into making money on shipping as I am not in it for the money, I am for the betterment of the hobby.

New tank up and running

2006-10-10 10:37:40

WELL SINCE THE CRASH I HAD TO REBUILD MY ENTIRE SYSTEM NEW TANK IS UP AND RUNNING CORALS SEEM TO BE DOING VERY WELL AT THIS TIME. THIS ONE WILL BE BETTER AND AS ALWAYS THE RAREST OF THE SPS WILL MAKE THEIR HOME IN MY TANK.

Welcome! Help me to improve my set up.

2006-10-09 15:19:14

Hello I have two tanks a 75 gal and a 54 gal. I had to move recently and I lost some of my Corals but I will be build them back up. I'm looking for some help getting my main tank set up good so I can also help to same a reef. I will be posting some of my specs in the near future and would like some feed back on what to do (what the next step I should do). Thanks for checking it out. Also looking for a better pet store in the area, Anyone??

What a Ride!

2006-10-09 00:03:01

The blogs.frags.org contest ended last night after a 3 month run. The purpose of the contest was to promote our new site for blogging about all things related to reef keeping, and to get members feeling comfortable with just posting content about their favorite hobby!Couple of things we learned:1) Contests reallydo promote things like this!2) Blogs can create really cool content - like FraggleReef's blog about shipping techniques, JenDub's blog about cutting techniques, mothra's blog about lighting, and mcintosh's blog about global warming.3) We are very happy to see Adam Blundell and ReefEnvy take first and second prize. They both clearly dedicated a good deal of time to the contest, and really did post regularly. Adam had some great posts with "guess what this is", and even brought quite of a few of his Wasatch community members along to post comments and even create a mini-discussion in the blog. ReefEnvy also was very creative with posting MACNA pics for all of those that couldn't be there...4) Next time we do a contest, we probably do less payment for the top two, and spread it out to allow 5-6 winners to enjoy the winnings!We really hope you enjoyed the contest, and the launch of this new service. We are going to be updating the look and feel to match the new www.frags.org site in the next week or so, so stay tuned! We also have a brand new website coming out in the next 1-2 months so watch out for that - it is top secret right nowbut will be super cool for the community!Don't forget to support Kent Marine, as they are the organization that supports frags.org and allows things like this service to exist (let alone the contest too!).Thank you for your participation,The frags.org Team

What A Ride

2006-10-08 11:00:18

Well it has come to an end. I took first place and a check to the Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society is on its way. Like ReefEnvy said this has been one time consuming process. I'm not sure how he can have the energy to continue. For me, this is it. The end of my blogging. With much appreciation I say Thank You to all the readers of my blog. So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbyeI leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!Adam

This Journey has come to an end .... but I'm not going anywhere!! So please no tears.. unless they're of joy!! ;)

2006-10-08 04:13:06

Well guys, the contest is pretty much come to an end! I for one had a great time here on the new Frags.org Blog, I can clearly remember now Day one like at4:00Am when I recieved that first e-mail notifying all Frags.org members about the new Blog feature!! Blog member Number one baby!! And yes, like Adam said, it's been one Hell-of-a ride!! I don't think anyone expected this contest to be so much HARD work!! Countless are the teedious hours of Typeing, Re-sizeing pictures and picking at our brains to post some interesting material.Kris, I think we need to talk Kent Marine the wonderful sponsor to give 1st & 2nd place a grand ;) .... Cause I think I canspeak on behalf of Adam and myself that we are probably going to get fired from our jobs if they check the hours spent online posting Blogs on Frags.org LOL!!! ;) All in All, as always... Thank you Kris and Kent Marine for providing such a wonderful site for us marine enthusiast to share our frags on. And most importantly, Thanks to all the members and new members that kept our Blogs going!! I for one, hope to continue bringing you all interesting Blog entries in the time to come... Oh, and don't forget! There is still PLENTY of MACNA 2006 Goodies I have yet to post; Trade show pictures, talk of some new products, and most importantly.... all the hillarious AFTER Partying we did in Houston!!! Hooray! ;) Kindest Regards, Juan-Carlos Munoz -Reefenvy-

For A Good Cause

2006-10-08 01:13:41

Well for those who didn't know or didn't remember. I started out on this crazy blog for a good cause. The hope was to raise money for the Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society. Let them use the money to help educate hobbyists, promote responsible reefing, and introduce people to coral reefs.As this blog comes to an end I just wanted to say that it has been way more work than I ever imagined. And hopefully you've all enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed posting. Thanks again,Adam

38 people in Magna!

2006-10-07 21:21:09

We had a total of 38 people come visit! ... Thanks to everyone who came by .. and I hope that I was able to answer your questions!Suzy .. I am really looking forward to seeing the pics and the movie that you took of our tank! ...

My Frag Video

2006-10-07 20:03:01

This is a small video on some of the frags I have on frags.org to trade.If video will not load hit refreash on your browser.http://www.webcreations5.com/fish/reef.htm

The REEF TOUR

2006-10-07 13:21:03

If you lost the link it is here...http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=1433Adam

mmm.......shrooms

2006-10-06 19:15:31

Hey Everybody,Here are some cool shots of some shrooms I took. I switched my lights so the pics are a little blue but still worth checking out. It amazes me how many colors these guys come in. Enjoy.=) To check out the rest of my blog, click here: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043 To view more pictures, click here: http://www.jendub.com/Frags.php Ciao, Jen

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - Filtration - The Big Momma Reef Tank!!

2006-10-06 15:12:17

MACNA 2006 - Day one - Thursday (The LONGEST DAY... EVER!) ;)Here are some pictures of what filtered the big enormous reef tank! The aquarium keeper from the Zoo explained how they where not able to tear out the door of the filtration room to get the sump and skimmer in, so they had to improvise.The had to get a skimmer that would fit in pieces through the door, and the sump is actually Three door side pieces that connect to make a diant "LEGO" sump ;) Pretty cool huh?That skimmer was pretty big! Notice the ladder;)Here is some of the plumbing:Check out that gigantor UV steralizor ;)This pump was huge, take note this picture is from a second story:Here is the sump, notice how there are three seperate pieces... I call it the "Legos" Sump ;)-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - Equipment - The Big Momma Reef Tank!!

2006-10-06 15:03:38

Here are some of the Toys on the 4,000 Gallon Hoston zoo reef tank. I know there are some equipment junkies out there... check these out ;)Tunze .. yay! ;)-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - The Big Momma Reef Tank - Corals

2006-10-06 14:57:14

Hey guys, Here are some shots from the 4,000 Gallon reef tank at the Houston Zoo:This Acropora was simply amazing, it looked a lot like the Garf Purple bonsai, or the Tyree Tri-color. In anycase I was cross eyes and in love with this piece!Here is closer picture of it:Here are a couple other nice corals:)This was another killer acro I loved:Next I'll show some of this tank's equiptment!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - The Big Momma Reef Tank!!

2006-10-06 14:51:02

A few days ago, I posted this blog: http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=1790 With a guess what tank this is.Well here it is, the Houston Zoo's 4,000 Gallon reef tank, behind the scenes! Now, seriously, this tank was simply amazing, not to mention enormous! Standing in front of this tank, all I could think of was jumping in and taking a swim!! Woulden't that have been cool?!The aquarium keeper at the zoo was explaining to me how 5 guys where inside the oversized aquarium buffinf the acrylic when it got scratched. 5 men, that gives you an idea on the size of this beast!Here are some more Top down shots:)The rock was just covered in corals...There are a few more shots of this tank I will post in new blogs so those on dail up don't go crazy ;)-Jc-Reefenvy-

Envy Orange Zoos

2006-10-06 13:30:58

I'm sure you are all familiar with Reefenvy.com and his Envy Orange Zoos. Well we just got a frag of them and they are pretty insane. We are starting a wait list on reefready.net for the crazy zoos. Sign up soon.Bookmark this page so you don't miss out http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=3370and don't forget to check out reefready.net.

Venom Chalice

2006-10-06 13:26:52

This is the Venom Chalice. Notice the pink dots on the mouths. It seems pretty similar to the Watermelon Chalice but it doesn't have a green rim. It might develop that later. I sure hope so. Bookmark this page so you don't miss out http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=3370and don't forget to check out reefready.net.

Blue Meanie

2006-10-06 13:22:46

The Blue Meanie Zoos. These zoos are bluish purple with white centers that stand out a lot. I have never seen any other zoos like these. I grew these out from a frag I got from Rommel of ultimatefrags.com. What do you think?Bookmark this page so you don't miss out http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=3370and don't forget to check out reefready.net.

Speaker Panel

2006-10-05 17:51:42

Would you like to have a speaker panel? Where we line up some experts and just have a Q&A from the audience? Or would you all be bored listening to other people ask questions while you are sitting?Adam

Horror Stories

2006-10-05 17:48:34

So you've heard the stories. You know, the kid dumps 10 pounds of sugar into the sump, the helpful friend adds an entire can of flake food to the tank. I'm not sure how this could happen. I don't have any kids but they always look so inocent...Do you have any stories to share?Adam

Skylights on my reef

2006-10-05 12:43:25

For lighting on my reef I use (02) 54 Watt T5HO's (1 Uvi Super Actinic and 1 Geissman Aqua Blue Plus) in addition to (02) 10" Tubular skylights. During my planning phase, everyone told me it wouldn't work...Unfortunately I just battled Monti Nudi's.. The Red Cap looks much better now :)And a movie of the Solartubes :)http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/JMBoehling/?action=view¤t=Tubeoscopy.flvLater,Jim

Blast from the Past - 26

2006-10-04 22:57:19

Here is a great tang for LARGE aquariums! I do not recomend this for anything less than a 220.The unicorn tang:-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 25

2006-10-04 22:53:36

*DROOL* That is all I have to say ;P-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 24

2006-10-04 22:50:52

Another tang that I am very fond of, is the Powder blue! This tang is a bit on the hard side to keep, but if you keep the tank stable.. especially salinity. Then, it has better chances of doing well in captivity. Keep in mind this tang could become a little terror ;)Thats a pretty big Gold stripe maroon in the back O_O-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 23

2006-10-04 22:48:16

Here is a great shot of awhole bunch of tangs together, This is ofcource not the easyest thing to do, but when successful, the result is amazing!!Check out that Sohal in the back, is'nt it GORGEOUS?!-Jc -Reefenvy-

Jellyfish Sting Repellent

2006-10-04 21:45:55

Have you heard about this? There is a company producing a type of sunscreen that also protects you from coral stings and more importantly jellyfish stings. The company is producing a mucus found on anemonefishes. The idea here is that if anemones don't sting anemonefishes than their mucus must be good at fooling, masking, defending stings.Well it appears to be working. It isn't just some fantasy there actually are products made from anemonefish' mucus that does infact protect your skin from stings. Adam

Sponges

2006-10-04 21:42:35

Have you ever stopped to think how deep the ocean would be if we didn't have sponges?Adam

Delayed update

2006-10-04 15:55:33

Sorry it took me so long to post more of"the best pictures on frags.org". Here ya go. The Chernobyl TrumpetFraternal Twins ScolymiaRing Of Fire AcanThe Hills Have Eyes Acan hillaeWar of the Worlds TrachSwamp Thing LordsPurple Alien Eye LeptastreaI will be adding more corals soon. Bookmark this page so you don't miss out http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=3370and don't forget to check out reefready.net.

Hope For The Future

2006-10-04 14:37:27

Sun polyps are an example of hope for our hobby. Want to know why, then keep reading...Adam

Is It Natural

2006-10-04 14:36:15

to see anemonefishes living in macro algae habitats?Adam

Blast from the Past - 22

2006-10-04 14:23:51

Remember the Clown fisheggs in the previous post, Here is more pictures of the wonderful parents!Pretty neat huh?! Makes me want to raise some clown fish fry ;)-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 21

2006-10-04 14:23:23

Here Deans Tank from the Florida marine aquarium society. This is a really kick butt nano tank.The livestock in this tank is doing very well, to the point that the clownfish breed!!See the Clown fish eggs under the Long tentacle anemone??-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 20

2006-10-04 14:14:57

Here is a buddy of mine's tank.IN addition to artificial light, it recieved plenty of sunlight through the window!The live stock is doing great!!-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 19

2006-10-04 14:12:35

Radiant Wrasses are a great reef fish, Just be careful; They are known to be great jumpers!! Ask My friend Chris.. i sucks to find such a nice fish dry on the floor :(Try covering up the overflows with egg crate, and use gutter guard along the back and any open spaces!-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 18

2006-10-04 14:10:28

Reefer Parties are Great fun!! *No pun intended* ;)Try it out sometime!!Here is Larry's tank, it has some seriously nice fish!!Where's the Beer??-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 17

2006-10-04 14:07:59

Midas blennies have a ton af character... it's funny because at heart they think they are just big barnacle blennies!Awww!!-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 16

2006-10-04 14:04:14

Here is a great little reef wrasse!! The leopard wrasse on top of being beautiful, can be a useful control for flatworms, some even say they might eat the dreded Acro eating Flat worms!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 15

2006-10-04 14:01:29

The happy Tang familly:-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - Can you guess what tank this is from??

2006-10-04 13:55:01

MACNA 2006 - Day one - Thursday Houston ZooI thought we could play a little game ;)Here are some pictures of an airal view of one incredible looking tank, can you guess which system this is? Keep in mind I have shown it from the front in a previous post ;)In the next post I will show you guys what tank it is, and just wait till you see the p[ictures!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Arch Aquascape

2006-10-04 10:35:04

Check out this double arch aquascape.Adam

Predatory Starfish

2006-10-04 10:27:21

I received a PM today asking for a blog topic on these sea stars. The following pics are from garf.org.Basically if you find these little guys in your tank (often with legs of differing lengths) then you may want to remove them...The tend to feed on corals, especially sps corals. The often replicate by splitting which is why you see some half stars in the pics and also the different lenght of legs that are regenerating.Remove them by plucking them out. That really is the best way and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to keep up on them when you take 15 mins to remove a dozen or so.Adam

Tunicates

2006-10-04 09:44:42

Why are some tunicates so hard to keep?Adam

Blast from the Past - 14

2006-10-04 02:54:33

Here is a perfect Sohal tang specimen, I think we can all recognice the sohal as the RC mascot. A beautiful fish, but remember, it is quite aggresive; so if you decide you want one, make sure you really want one!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 13

2006-10-04 02:51:52

Here are some great lookin tangs, I especially love the orange shoulder tang. That Naso is pretty awesome also!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 12

2006-10-04 02:49:24

Here is a great looking Paly rock, these are huge... just compare them with the powder blue! The picture is taken with actinics and is from a friend's tank:-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 11

2006-10-04 02:47:28

Here is great looking deep water A. suharsonoi-Jc-Reefenvy-

Update!

2006-10-04 02:39:34

Hey everyone,We will be talking and showing the actual MACNA convention Very soon!! SO keep your pants on, it's coming up!! ;)-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - More!

2006-10-04 02:36:44

Here a couple other cool critter we saw while behind the scenes in the Houston Zoo!You all recognize this fish, well of cource, its a Lion fish, only thing is, this lion fish was pretty big!! And he looked super mean! I told my buddy to pet him but he woulden't ;) Good thing he didn't they pack a powerful sting that would get you pretty ill O_ONow this piture you really have to look closely, If you look on the top right you will see what apears to be a shell. It is actually the very neat Chambered Nautalis! It was just bobbing up and down very slowly in his little corner... very contently I might add!Keep checking our blog for more MACNA 2006 Pics and stories, we are getting close to the convention!!-Jc -Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - Softies tank - Equiptment!! COOL!

2006-10-04 02:30:20

MACNA 2006 - Houston Day one - ThursdayAfter we walked away from those sweet softies tanks, this was the monster of a skimmer that was on the side!! Now this thing was HUGE!!!! probably 10- 12 feet tall:It is an RK2 Skimmer:This was another cool little tid bit of equipment, It is actually a temperature controler!It controlled and monitored the temperatures for a couple of their display systems:Yep, there is LOTS more!! ;) Isn't MACNA great so far??-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - Softies tank - Part 3!

2006-10-04 02:20:44

Remember that big green Monti Cap look alike coral in the previous Blog post??This piece was 3 feet across and the aquarium keeper from the Houston zoo told me they have had it for 14 years!It is actually a plating Hydnophora!!Here are some closer shots:Pretty cool huh?Oh yeah, This Kick Butt Acro was right next to it!! They actually had a couple colonies just like this one in another tank!Yep you guessed it, More to come!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - Softies tank - Part 2!

2006-10-04 02:14:56

Continuation of http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=1757These are shots from the Houston zoo, behind the scene arial view of their softies systems!More to come!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the Scenes - Softies tank

2006-10-04 02:11:35

MACNA 2006 - Day One - 1 - ThursdayIt is amazing all of the neat things we have seen so far, but seeing the softies reef tanks from above was really something ealse!!I will continue the rest of the arial softies tanks pics in a new blog, so those with Dail up do not go crazy ;)-Jc-Reefenvy-

Got Worms

2006-10-03 14:58:37

Like worms?Adam

One Tank or Many Tanks

2006-10-03 14:51:50

If you had to choose... would you rather have one big tank (800 gals) or three smaller tanks (125 gals)?Adam

Sunlight and Color

2006-10-03 14:48:44

Do you think sunlight makes your corals more colorful or less colorful?Adam

Water Flow Through Rocks

2006-10-03 14:47:01

Do you like to have the water flowing though your rockwork? Like building a pvc frame for the rocks and have holes drilled in the pipe with a pump pushing water through the aquascaping?Adam

Which Bulbs

2006-10-03 14:45:14

Would you rather use 3 halides as shown here, or take out the center bulb and insert vho?Adam

Blast from the Past - 10

2006-10-03 14:06:03

Here is an old picture of me next to my award winning sphere reef tank :) Arent I Sexy?!? ;)-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 9

2006-10-03 14:03:50

Here is one of the awards I won for the 16G sphere Reef at the FMAS show:-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 8

2006-10-03 14:01:49

Here is a picture I took of the 16 Gallon sphere while I was moving it an hour away to the Florida marine aquarium society show. I took this tank on my lap, and took this picture in natural sunlight, I fell it is pretty neat :)-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 7

2006-10-03 14:00:10

Here is a picture taken from th 16 Gallon sphere shown bellow. It my black and white ocellaris hosting in three diffrent animals, a pink Rose anemone, a normal Rose anemone, and a green frilly shroom. This was from my 16g asphere, what a tank I tell ya!-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 6

2006-10-03 13:57:55

Here is one of my favorite all time tanks! It is a 16 gallon sphere and is perfectly round! This tank was entered in the FMAS show and one two awards!! And it is featured in Jullian Sprung's New book!!-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 5

2006-10-03 13:55:55

This is actually the very rare Rose coral Manicina areolata, I aquired this coral from a firend of local aquarium shop that had it growing on tampa bay Live rock! Sweet deal!! ;)-Jc -Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 4

2006-10-03 13:53:49

Here is a very cool yellow anemone I foundin the Florida keys, it almost looks like a carpet anmones! I will add, that it was as sticky as a carpet, maybe even more!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 3

2006-10-03 13:52:22

Here is a cool close up of an orange digi under actinics:-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past - 2

2006-10-03 13:50:15

I love Blastomusa meletii, this is one of my favorites, it is bright pink, with powder blue centers!! *YUM*-Jc-Reefenvy-

Blast from the Past 1

2006-10-03 13:48:44

Hey guys,Just thought I'd show some pictures from my tank a couple years ago, actually the pictures are from 3 diffrent tanks I had running at the same time.I will call these blogs blast from the past!!Here is one of My favorite corals:-Jc-Reefenvy-

Yellow Polyps

2006-10-03 11:25:28

Why can't I grow yello polyps? They always just slowly fade away in my tanks. I think the cleaner shrimp may eat them as well as peppermint. They never do well for me.Adam

Make Room For Space

2006-10-03 11:24:14

One thing I've decided is you can never have too much room in a tank. I thought my wife's 150 would have enough room for her, but it certainly doesn't. She wants a new big clam. Who has room for a big clam?Adam

Mangroves

2006-10-03 10:51:03

Most people use mangroves for filtration (although they may not be that useful for this purpose). Sometimes we elevate the mangroves to encourage root growth. But what about using elevated mangroves as a place for seahorses?Adam

Baby Fungia

2006-10-03 10:49:20

Here are some Funjiids, little babies that pop off the mother colony. I have two friends in my area with these corals. The parent colony drops off little buds the size of a nickel. It doesn't take long and they are the size of a quarter.Adam

Why Are Yellow Leathers Rare?

2006-10-03 10:47:42

Why is it that yellow leathers are so rare? Is it because they are rare in the wild? I don't think so, I've seen fields of them in Fiji. But maybe they don't grow as fast or in as many areas? Or is it true what they've said for years: these corals just don't ship well?Adam

Tank Away From Wall

2006-10-03 10:45:42

This picture shows the tank, and you can see how much space there is.Adam

Return Pump

2006-10-03 10:44:36

I thought I'd post this pic to get the day started. It shows a nice return set-up. Typically you can't see this well because most small tanks don't have access area behind the tank.Adam

Favia's, Echinata's, and Chalice's oh my....

2006-10-03 07:28:38

Been super busy but had a little time to snap some pics of some of my favorite pieces.Most of these are fraggable and frags are up for sale. Just email me for availablity and price.Email: jen_dub@hotmail.comGreen and Pink War Coral UFO Acanthastrea Ishi Joker Chalice Grapes of Wrath Blue Meanie Favia Big Mouth War Coral Cosmic Litho Volcanic Sea Echinata There will be more to come and thanks for all your support.=)Jen

Looking for a couple things to trade....

2006-10-03 07:11:43

Hey guys,I am needing a large skimmer MR-3 or larger or something along the lines, a CA Reactor and a Kalk reactor. This is for some new prop tanks going in.If anyone would like to work out a trade for frags, please let me know. I have plenty of nice rare things to offer :P-Jc-Reefenvy-

Filtration is in mind...

2006-10-03 05:58:15

Filtration is on my mind, as I am soon setting up a new prop system. This setup will have a large refugium which will be lit on a phtoperiod opposite from the main system to help ballance out the PH. It will contain mostly Cheatomorpha, but some caluerpa aswell. I've been toying with the idea of an Aiptasia system to polish the water. We all know how well aiptasia grow, so this should be a nice addition to the system, that should catch a lot of organic material and remove it from the water.Furthermore, the use of mangrove filtration will also be setup in a seperate area, probably a 2' by 2' tub plumbed into the sump with red mangroves. Although many say mangroves do not absorbe as many nutrients as say Cheatomorpha, I feel it will be a good place for detritus to settle, and pods to grow. Perhaps some day a nursery growout for baby fish and inverts.I am eager to get this new prop system on it's way, and as soon as I start I will show you guys the progress!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Fans or Chiller?

2006-10-03 05:37:44

Hey everyone, I was curious as to how many of you out there use fans to cool your aquariums through evaporative cooling over useing chillers? I myselfhave a 75g reef with dual 250 HQI Magnetic halides, bulbs are 3" from the water, and I have never had a heat issue with the tank. I had two fans in the canopy blowing against the water, when one of them broke I did have a little bit of over heating, but now my tank has 4 of those fans and it is as good as having it on a chiller! Ecept the 4 fans did not cost me a couple hundred nor do they pump up my electricity bill (Which is already very high).How many frags.org members use this method of cooling?-Jc-Reefenvy-

Looking for some good trades

2006-10-03 01:00:57

Hey Everyone,I just got done fragging a ton of coral and amlooking for some good trades.I am Currently Looking for:Colorful Acanthastrea LordhowensisInsane Colored EchinosColorful MicromussaPoker Star MontiporaIf anyone has aHOT PINKFungia they want to part with, also looking for one of those.thanks,mike

Aggressive Tank

2006-10-02 23:20:58

So if you could set up a second tank (more like a 4th tank for most of you) where you could keep those "other" animals what would you keep? You know the not so Reef Safe or the Aggressive or the Delicate?Adam

Favorite Fish Pic

2006-10-02 23:19:16

Lets see your favorite fish picsAdam

As a side not to the seahorss from MACNA Houston Zoo...

2006-10-02 21:42:51

I found it very interesting that Houston zoo was culturing Mysis shrimp for their Seahorses and weedy sea dragon. Its interesting because mysis shrimp cultures are not the easyest thuing to do!Here is a picture of their mysis culture aquarium. I did not get pictures of their actual tank, well like you can imagin they are teeny tiny!! Not to mention CLEAR... I mean seriously I don't have a $5,000 camera HA HA!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the scenes!! Moon jelly breeding and rearing.

2006-10-02 21:38:16

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Thursday Yes Still Day one ;)The moon jellies in my previous post where being bred and reared in captivity at the Houston Zoo, When the Zoo Aquarium keeper turned off the pumps, he showed us the aiptasia like polyp stage of the moon jellies living in small holes on the side of the aquarium.The polyp stage of the jelly fish then morphs into small jelly fish, they reared these in speciallized jelly fish raising tanks.If you look hard at the above pictures you can point out the baby jelly fish floating in the small rear out tank.This was very cool to see, and I repeat; some of you may be considering a jelly fish aquarium, I do not recomend it. For a few reasons, but if you are intent on setting one up, PLEASE do your research first!!Even more of MACNA day one - 1 - to come!!-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the scenes!! We have been to the MOON ;)

2006-10-02 21:30:32

MACNA 2006 HOUSTON - Day one - 1 - ThursdayThose seahorses in the previous blog where sure awesome!! Being that I am a sehorse nut, that was a great treat for me!!Now we move to a more gelatinous friend of ours, the MOON JELLIES O_O Whats the deal with their name? do they really come from the moon? Have they been to the moon? Do they have moons? I like to call them fruit loop gellies:PThis was another ice cold tank, and the Houston zoo aquarium keeper was even nice enough to turn off the pumps pf the display so I could get some shots! Seriosuly, I love the Houston zoo!!These creatures where really amazing, however, I do not recomend them for hobbyist, unless lots of dedication is taken to creat the proper conditions!-Jc-Reefenvy-

An introduction to The Cultured Reef ( www.theculturedreef.com/index.html )

2006-10-02 20:57:21

It's been a long time in the works but we are nearing the time when we will be posting some frags for sale. For those not familiar with us, we joined frags.org in July, 2003 in anticipation of our pending move to FL from WI. Two years and three hurricanes later we have settled into our new home. We found 5 1/2 acres in the country just seven miles West of ORA. Wedesigned our dream home and love our retired life inFL.I've been an active aquarist since 1946. Wow, that computes to 60 years. I'm 68 years young and turn 69 in December. Guess how many changes I've seen in those 60 years. Marine aquariums were out of the question for more reasons than just the fact I was 9 years old. Not one LFS carried SW until well into the sixties. I set up my first SW tank in 1966, fish only and LR was an unknown at that time. Of course I failed to keep anything alive. The first book to hit the market that actually addressed the problems of keeping SW was, "The Saltwater Aquarium in the home" by Robert P. L. Straughn. It became my bible and a boon to many aquarists desiring to keep SW fish in captivity at the time. Bob Straughn was a collector in Miami and operated a retail and wholesale store. I planned a trip to FL just to meet him. Talkingwith Bob changed the direction of my life both in the hobby and personally.I was totally captivated with SW aquariums and paid the price to learn all I could. I developed the knack of keeping them alive for extended periods of time. Remember, this was during a time when nearly all were coming from the Phillipines and nearly all caught using cyanide. I quarantined 100% of all fish for a minimum of 30 days, longer if needed. I feed a variety of foods often every day. I was buying my fish wholesale and learned to identify aseemingly healthyfish amoungest groups of fish by observing their behavior. If a wholesaler would allow me to feed them I would.By the mid '70s I was out of freshwater and exclusively into marines. We installed marine aquariums into the usual places, homes, bars, restaurants and offices. There was competition but he was easily overtaken when I explained to one of his accounts that I offered a 30 day guarantee on livestock if we maintained the aquarium and all stock came from us. It was a good business. The only problem was nobody would pay enough to really make a profit. We loved our work but struggled to make ends meet. I'm sure some of you understand this dilema. I shut that business down and went back to work as a pipefitter. It was only 40 hours per week instead of 100 hours per week. Life was easier. I continued to maintain my personal marine aquariums, a 90 gal, a125 high, and a 250 gal. In 1987 I got my hands on two hundred lbs of LR from FL and converted the 125 to my first reef tank and went with a DSB of finely crushed coral. It had it's problems but we weren't aware of Aragonite sand at that time. I did manage to grow some softies and some low light hard corals but it was a constant strugle to keep Nitrates under control. Of course being a long time fish only guy, I had too many fish in there as well.In 1987, with a new wife i went into the wholsale business, hard goods only, and ran that business until 1996 when once again I found it difficult to compete with the big boys and closed the business. Once again I returned to pipefitting where themoney was good. I retired from Pipefittingin 2001 at 63 and began planning my move to FL and doing some coral propagating.I had refined my methods to DSB with aragonite (Southdown) sand, 20x the tank volume circulation, sump/refugium, skimmer and UV Sterilizer andpower compact lights with Actinics. By the way, I've been using UVs since the late '70s.Today, October, 2006, we've been in our home in FL a little over one year. There are many distractions in moving and setting up a new household and didn't get around to setting up a reef tank until last march. Since I sold everything back in WI, I started from scratch.The tank is a mixed reef of 135 gallons with a converted wet/dry to a sump/refugium, 5" DSB of mostly aragonite sand (40lbs of LS from the Gulf, I wouldn't buy it again.), a UV, Mag 36 circulation, a 1/4 hp chiller and a Bermuda Aquatics 225 Skimmer and the new 72" 250 watt 20K,PFO Solaris LED Illuminatioin System. Below is a current picture of the 135.I currently have about sixty LE and rare frags in the grow-out stage, plus a few zoas, African blue zenia and some more common things. I'm currently in the process of constructing a metal building for storage and a frag grow-out system. I may have some LE frags listed here soon.If you've read this far you are a real trouper, thanks.Dickaka, Amphibious, onmany forums.

Note to all my readers!!

2006-10-02 18:16:10

Hey everyone!! Thank you very much for all the encouraging e-mails you have sent! Idecided to show you all MACNA and I do it gladly, and it makes me happy to know you all are enjoying what I post. I try to make it as interesting as possible.For those of you that asked if I could e-mail the rest of the MACNA pictures, I'm sorry I can't do that right now, I am trying to show MACNA in order. I will try and post more often, so you can all get the ENTIRE MACNA experience. Just bepatient, it gets better and better ;)*Big Hug to all of you!!*-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the scenes!! Seahorses YAY!!

2006-10-02 18:08:07

Still one the longest day ever, Day one - 1 MACNA 2006Right across from the cold water anemones I showed in my previous blog, was the Zoo's Seahorse breeding area. Here they house a few seahorses with some very nice cirri I might add!These little guys where very healthy and where trained to eat frozen Mysis shrimp. The pluss of being kept at the zoo is that they also got plenty of aquacultured live treats mixed in with their diets!! YUM! ;PHere is a very sexy Female.. Grrr ;) (Notice the great Cirri)Nother sexy momma ;)heres a few more:The Horse Coral ;)I meant seriously you think I was going to go to Texas and not see any Horses?!?! Seahorses count do they??More to come guys!! keep checking the blog!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Octopus skimmers I saw at MACNA

2006-10-02 17:58:04

Hey everyone!!I just thought I'd mention a skimmer that has been causeing quite a stir! The octopus skimmers; These very inexpensive in comparison to similar skimmers of other brands. I saw these at MACNA, and just thought i'd mention them since they do seem like a good thing!Here is a pic of one of them from their site:Cheap, work well, look nice, did I mention inexpensive?? I like em :)-Jc-Reefenvy-

This is a video clip of my arrow head crab spawning was from my 55 gal tank, this arrow head would do this once a month.

2006-10-02 16:34:58

This is a video clip of my arrow head crab spawning this was from my 55 gal tank,arrow head would do this once a month. Good food for my fish :) http://www.webcreations5.com/fish/

Sun Snail

2006-10-02 14:28:41

Sun Snail = Bad. If you have them remove them. Adam

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the scenes!! COLD AS ICE!

2006-10-02 14:04:39

MACNA 2006 - Thursday - Day one - (The longest day ever ;)WOW, I still can't belive we saw that wonder Turtle so close and personal!! It truely was an amazing experience.The next tank we ran into was this znemone and starfish tank, as I walked by looking at the sea turtle pictures on the camera, my hand barely touched the water in this tank, OMFG!!! IT WAS FREEZING!!!!I mean seriosuly when I touched that water, I was instantly reminded of 7 Eleven's Big gulp slushee cups!! The thirst had hit me!! Not to mentione I had a chill down my back that made me shake!Here is one of those neat "Frozen Anemones" Which I am surprised there was not a layer of ice on the surface of the tank, because it was FREEZING!!Another on of those cool anemones:Here is a "Frozen Pop Star" a neat Cold water star fish:There is still so much more of MACNA 2006 Day on to go!! Stay tuned we havent even reached the convention yet!! O_O-Jc-Reefenvy-

Eye Candy for the RPE Lovers ;)

2006-10-02 13:51:41

Hey guys,I stumbled on this lovely shot of a Red PPE polyp. This is one of my favrite PPE morphs, they can add a lot of life to a reef tank with their bold size and stunning coloration. Just thought I'd share this picture with the frags.org members.-Jc-Reefenvy-

Seahorse activity

2006-10-02 11:08:42

Why are some seahorses active and others quite lazy? Look at these active fellas.Adam

Picking a cleaner

2006-10-02 11:01:05

So a while back my buddy Jake showed me something. He showed me how he selects cleaning shrimp. When he was selling them in his store he would put his hand in the tank whichever shrimp started cleaning first was the shrimp he sold. It was a good way to find the active shrimp and not the lazy shrimp. Keep that in mind next time you go to the store.Adam

Sump Room

2006-10-02 10:57:47

Alright lets see those sump rooms and fish rooms you all have...Adam

What The F----

2006-10-02 10:51:38

What is this? Guess it correctly and.... well.... you don't get a prize on this one but gee whiz.Adam

ID this Coral and Win a Prize!

2006-10-02 10:49:54

Win a trip to Fiji (air and hotel) by correctly IDing this coralAdamDisclaimer- prize guaranteed by the word of Jake Pehrson. Please contact Jake at info@coralplanet.com for official rules, regulations, and redemption.

Green Water Tank

2006-10-02 10:46:53

Have you ever seen someone set up their aquarium and have it all green to start with? No, I mean intentionally making it all green with green water. I've done this before. The picture below is of Mark Peterson's tank. I like this approach. What Mark has done is to overload the tank with green water. This helps take out the "cycling" of the tank as the green water eats the ammonia and prevents the die off from taking place. A very interesting idea.Adam

Live Reef Tour Discussion

2006-10-02 10:35:23

This topic will be the host of the Live Reef Tour discussion.Adam

Zoa Frenzy

2006-10-02 10:33:58

Quickly after I got into corals, my zoa addiction began. I like gardening, so it was only a naturals tep for me to really fall in love with these little flowers of the ocean.Befause of my work, I travel a good bit and always try to check out new corals in different cities, but since I am in Florida, I always seem to have the best options right here at home.I started out with a tank that was given to me by a friend and I thought I was getting a good deal. Little did I know that it would cost me thosands of dollars in the soon future :-)My display is a big mix of softies, SPS and some LPS. it's hard to make everyone happy in such a big mix, but I try hard so they all grow, but at very different rates.

Idaho Grape

2006-10-02 10:30:52

I have an idaho grape frag, like the one pictured below. It doesn't grow at all. Which is weird since in Morells tank it grows like crazy.Anyone know why?Adam

How deep is too deep?

2006-10-02 10:29:27

Can you have a sand bed that is too deep, and if so when?Adam

Aquarium Specialty Forum...

2006-10-02 08:51:25

Please vist us at www.aquariumspecialty.com and www.aquariumspecialty.com/forumto make posts and qualify for our monthly drawing. We specialize in live coral, dry goods and acrylic fabrication. Let us know if you sign up for the forum and saw this here. Thank you!!!Scott

Frag-mags by Aqua-mags at work

2006-10-02 06:08:29

Here is a pretty cool concept created by Aqua-mags for all you reef lovers. It is called the frag-mag and I am using them on my 90 to propogate SPS on the glass surfaces of my reef. No need for a separate prop system..Here are a few pics of my setup..Here is a link to the Aqua-Mags website for the Frag-Maghttp://www.aqua-mags.com/Here is my FrogspawnMy Hammer

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Behind the scenes!! YEP, Not kidding ;)

2006-10-02 01:33:01

MACNA 2006 - Thursday - Day one - Seriously dosent it seem like the longest day EVER?!Still on day One indeed! After seeing those magnificent aquariums and exotic animals, we finally made it to the Houston Zoo Main offices. We asked if we could speak with one of the aquarium speakers, they gladly called one over and in less than 3 minutes he was there. I explained that I was in Houston for the MACNA convention and and from the Florida Marine Aquarium Society in Miami, Florida. After talking for a few seconds he took us on a most amazing back stage tour of their facility!The moments to come where simply amazing, as we saw what ran these beautiful aquariums, and not only that, but to get a birds eye view of these spectacular tanks first hand, with a tour guide!!!Remember that beautiful seaturtle I showed earlyer in my blog?Well this was the first thing we ran into when entered the fish room, lets just say , my reaction was close to orgasmic! Even living in Miami, Florida where we see them regularly, this little guy was just so beautiful that words can NOT explain!! Lucky for us at Frags.org I took pictures!!You wanna see em??Well first, Here is his tank ;)ha ha...Fine no teasing! ENJOY him!! I sure did!! ;)Now honestly, I was extatic!! Can you belive how beautiufl he is?!I'm in love!!Now honestly, We are still on the first day of MACNA remember, hasn't this been one heck of a day?!?THERE is A LOT more of Day One - 1 !! Belive it or not ;)What do you guys think?? Are you all enjoying my MACNA 2006 Hoston Tour?? I'd love to hear some feedback in form of comments!-Jc-Reefenvy-

Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita?)

2006-10-01 12:30:07

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - Getting Close to the REAL goodies!! ;)

2006-09-30 04:17:24

MACNA 2006 - Day one - Can you belive we are still on day one of MACNA?! OMFG!After seeing that beautiful reef tank, which by the way it's done absoloutly no Justice what so ever by those pictures! We decided to go on a mission to find the Houston Zoo Aquarium keeper and have us a little Chat ;)But ofcource us reefers are distracted by anything in our paths... here is some of the cool critters we ran into walking to the Houston Zoo main office:I dont Remember what these birds where, but they sure as heck where cool!!This was a very nice desert exibit, that had a variety of cool critters!Just check out this pair of cute as can be Chipmunk looking things:Here is another wierd bird:This Armadillo? was funny as can be:Here you see him trying to burry himself under the a very asleep fur ball (No clu what species it is, it looks very much like a rabbit on steroids!) We shall callhim Mr. Arnold Bunny! :)He finally pushed and pushed until Mr Arnold Bunny woke up and VERY grouchy wabbled away to claim his new found sleeping log!Aww, Poor Mr. Arnold Bunny *Tear* O_O OKAY!! Now On to the Houston Zoo main Office!! Hooray!! :)>>>>>>"Follow the Yellow Brick road.. follow, follow" :-D>>>>>>WAIT!!This guy was just WAY toooo COOL! HA HA, I know I know, I have the attention span of a hamster... on a hooka :/Juan-Carlos-Reefenvy-

New addition to the Jendub collection.....

2006-09-30 01:54:43

It has been awhile since your last post, thanks reefenvy for the love and concern.=)All of our time has been tied up with our new addition, Frankie. The guard dog of our corals ...he will lick you to death.=)We will have more reef keeping posts soon.Thanks for the support.

Crabs

2006-09-29 12:41:35

Catcher Crabs or Anemone Crabs are one of my favorites. I think they are awesome. Please tell us what your favorite invert is.Adam

More New Corals Added

2006-09-29 01:50:16

Hey Everyone,I just got done adding a bunch more new lords micros and a couple echinos.Here is a Few: Mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Jen Dub, We miss you!!!

2006-09-29 01:04:00

Heya Jen Dub, where did ya go?? We really liked your blogs and now you are no where to be seen!!! We need our Jenback, Like right now! :D*Hugs*-Jc-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - The Big Momma Reef Tank - OMG!!

2006-09-29 00:57:06

Macna 2006 - Day one - Thursday (Yeah, Still Day one!)After leaving that amazing Reptile display area, we where filled with excitement as to what their main reef had in stock for us! Lets just say, we where in awe! And I will add, the pictures do this tank Absoloutly NO justice!!It is a 4,000 Gallon system; stocked with many diffrent Acros, other sps, LPS, Softies, Anemones, clams, and an array beautiful fish!! This thing was MASSIVE!We stayed staring in this beast for quite sometime! Well Until we decided to find the reef keeper and have us a little chat ;)More to come Trust me, it's GOOD!-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 - Day one - 1 - Houston Zoo - The scale building ;)

2006-09-29 00:48:43

Macna, Day one - Thursday After seeing those great Soft coral dominated reef tanks, we took a walk to the next aquarium building!! That is where they had their couple thousand gallon Reef tank O_O We could hardly wait!! BUT, we decided to check out the Reptile building on the way there first :) We'll get to the reef in just a bit, REMEMBER, you guys are seeing MACNA as I did ;)Let me just start by saying, I used to be into reptiles years ago, and I was truely IMPRESSED by their Herp collection!! There where plenty of Great terrariums, the animals inside where just as impressive!This was quite an impressive specimen!! Another terrarium...This was a stunning vivarium!Two more With Panther and vield Chameleons can you spot them??Here are two Fresh water planted tanks with Aquatic herps:I almost Drooled all over when we saw this guy!!! OMFG!! O_O!! Vipers Galore !! A very healthy and fat Gaboon Viper:This snake was amazing, but I can't recal the name :/And one of my Favorite Vipers... The Rhino Viper *DROOL* X 10That puts an end to our Reptile tour, NOW on to the Reef tank!!-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 day One - 1- Houston zoo - Reef tanks YAY!!

2006-09-28 17:07:20

MACNA Day one Thursday: Still at the Houston Zoo, but now we have hit the tanks we really wanted to see!! The Houston Zoo Reef tanks!The first tanks we saw where their softy and LPS reef tanks, they where very nice about 500 gallons and stuffed to the brim with softies.Check out the Clownfish hosting in in the clam...I predict a squashed clown fritter in the near future!!Here is that clam with out it's annoying room mate:This clam was a good 14" and just amazing to see!Here are some more pics of that tank with the GQ clown possing away every time he saw my cam!As you can see it was not a very diverse softy tank, but amazing non the less!Here is their other softy tank, it houses more LPS than the first softy tank, and a little diffrent in aquacaping:Another picture...There is a lot more on my MACNA 2006 trip to come!! We are still on day one ;)-Reefenvy-

MACNA Day One -1- Houston Zoo - PART TWO

2006-09-28 16:47:15

Back to the Houston zoo! Still on Day one Thursday about 4 pm!Here are some more pictures of some of the tanks we saw, Here is a huge shark and game fish tank... it was very nice... although I will say we in Florida are spoiled we have the only Big Al's in the US and they have a much nicer black tip reef shark tank! I'll post a picture later when I'm done with the MACNA tour ;)Here are a couple of their seahorses, they looked good, and where nice and healthy!Another one...HEre was a beautiful waterfall aquarium they had at the entrance of their other aquarium building! It was full of gorgeous rainbowfish, a site to behold indeed! It would have made a kick butt reef tank, with the skylites it had!!The reef tanks are coming guys! Be patient LOL, I am trying to go in order so you all live what I did in MACNA 2006!!-Reefenvy-

Reef Safe Again

2006-09-28 10:22:31

Okay well then how about this goby. Is he reef safe?Adam

Green Stars Spawning

2006-09-28 10:20:00

Anyone been able to raise green star planula?Adam

Some New Lords Posted!!

2006-09-28 03:39:05

Hey Everyone,I Started Posting Some New Lords. I haveLots More To Post, So Keep Checking Back!!!mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

MACNA Day One -1- Houston Zoo FINALLY!!

2006-09-28 02:49:25

Day one Thursday - After a long long day! ;)After leaving the Houston Garden Center, we finally arrived at our destination!! A couple hours late, but hey! We did make it ;) And lets just say, it was well worth it!!Here are some of the things we saw at the houston zoo:I found it really funny that they had these Mandarin Dragonets painted all over the aquarium building, when I did not see a single Mandarin in any f their Display tanks!!They had some mean looking piranahs ACK! They must be bitters, because one was missing an eye~! Arrrg mate!!Here was one of my favorite non-Reef tanks! This Sea turtle was about 14" long and was amazing to look at! He had some nice Atlantic fish in there with him including a Golden morph Queen angel!! *Drool**NOTE* Don't forget this picture, I'll talk more about it later!!I'll talk more about the amazing experience we had at the Houston Zoo Tommorow! It's getting late and I am starting to see double;)-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 day One - 1 -The Garden Center BY MISTAKE!!

2006-09-27 20:59:10

Day one: ThursdayAfter being lost for an hour or two, we finally got directions when we stoped for lunch! We drove for another 45 minutes. And we run into this:Since we had been driving for so long, we decided "What the heck lets stop!" So we did,We started walking around looking for the entrance to the Botanical garden, we circled the building and could not find the path... So we decided to ask someone inside the building. Apparently its not a Garden, in all honesty I really have no idea what it is, all they had where a few garden beds around the sides and the back.I was tempeted to eat on of those peppers, but decided it would not be a good idea !!Some cool plants I guess *shrugs* They also had a big Rose Garden...thats cool if you like roses, they are nice but I was ready to see aquariums!! Off to the zoo!!-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006 day One - 1- Is it here?!?!

2006-09-27 20:49:08

Day one: Thursday 11 amAfter arriving at Houston, my first mission was to visit the Houston Zoo! There begins our tour of MACNA weekend 2006, Now all did not go as planned... On the way to the zoo, well um, we got a little LOST!! heh, Hey!! cut me some slack, I had never been to Texas!!But I guess it was okay, we got to see some more of Houston, which I expected there to be Horses EVERYWHERE, and hay rolling down the streets! I guess old westerns have warped my reality *shrugs*Houston is a very nice city, Now I'm just ITCHING to get to Houston zoo, and see their Aquariums!!!-Reefenvy-

MACNA 2006

2006-09-27 20:20:55

I am back from Houston, and yes!! MACNA was amazing fun!!I'll be posting about my trip to the convention in the days to come... look forward to some FUN pictures!!-Reefenvy-

Cespitularia

2006-09-26 11:17:33

Does anyone actually have any Cespitularia in their tank? The so called Blue Xenia? My buddy does, but I don't think anyone else has any.Adam

Reef Safe?

2006-09-26 11:13:31

Simple question: Is it reef safe?Adam

NEW LORDS IN!!!!!!!!!

2006-09-26 02:04:54

Hey Everyone,I just got in a huge batch of new lords and micros 35+. I will be posting them on my site in the next couple weeks. Make sure you check them out!!!!Also got in a crazy Solid neon orange montipora danae!!! It is a must have!!!mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

super aquarist meets the oceans secrets under the ocean in the cayman islands

2006-09-25 22:22:04

The one place you want to see underwater as a diver, aquarist, underwater naturalist or just a lover of color is the Cayman Islands.I have only dreamed of a place in my wildest dreams and here on earth it really exists, in the Cayman Islands on the sister islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. I visited the island of Cayman Brac in November of 2005 and dove the island of little cayman at the infamous bloody bay wall reef and i must say it is hard to put into words the beuaty and wonder that awaits the visiting divers. I am able to now to fully relate my hobby to a place that i have been and felt the immense joy of being a part of for a momment in time.There are teal blue waters and deep blue skys that are ever changeing and always powerfull. The hurricanes that hit the islands quite regularly including hurricane wilma and hurricane ivan have left their mark on the docks and few resorts but they are rebuilt quickly every time. Little evidence is bellow water to show the power of the hurricanes that can easily be seen above water. Hurricane season is fromaugust to october but that deters very few from coming anyway. The island life is much slower and the prices of everything is high, the cost of living in paridise is clearly evident here every day. I can't wait to go back to the brac and i hope to meet some new friends there as i did last year to dive with and to share the wonders of paradise.

More Plates

2006-09-25 12:23:16

So guest blogger Dion started a thread on plate corals. http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=655 Well Dion here are some other kinds of plates for you...Adam

From Beginning to End

2006-09-25 12:17:24

Please share your pics of beginning to end. Here are two pics from my buddies tank...Adam

Describe This

2006-09-22 13:36:27

Odd bubble coral. What is going on here?Adam

Out of the water

2006-09-21 11:21:37

Do your corals ever grow right out of the water?Adam

Reef Tour 2006

2006-09-21 11:19:16

Don't forget Reef Tour 2006 is just around the corner. I'm expecting to see balloons, signs and smiling faces.By the way I love visiting Reef Tours in other cities. Unfortnately a reef tour in Southern Cal was canceled last week. I was excited to go.Adam

Unusual Housemates

2006-09-18 17:00:40

So we've all seen a goby and pistol shrimp living together. Very natural and commonly observed. But once in a while you find to animals working together that you wouldn't normally picture together. That is what made me think of this pic taken in a friends tankAdam

GOING TO VEGAS!!!!!! DOES ANYONE OUT THERE WANT TO BUY?TRADE FRAGS E- MAIL ME TODAY!! LEAVING TONIGHT11

2006-09-18 08:05:13

Nostalgic thinking of the ansestors of my past...

2006-09-18 00:53:21

Hey guys,As some of you might know or not, I used to breed and raise many species of seahorses years ago: zostrea, barbouri, kuda, erectus, and reidi. It's been quite some time since I have been so passionate about seahorses, and although I stil keep my Dwarf seahorses, I really miss my big guys! This seadragon has sparked my love for Syngnathidaes once more!This beauty was seen at Seaworld Orlando about a month ago. I am getting into seahorses once more, and hope to raise many many species like I once had.Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

Did we ever ID the Lucky Unknown?!?

2006-09-17 01:40:50

Hey guys, A while back, AlGblenny posted a picture of a sweet coral, the 'Lucky Unkown'. I have an exact colony, and am wondering what the opinion of the frags.org community thinks about the possible species?For a while I have thought it to be some type of tubineria, But am curious of what you all think!!Here is a picture of my colony:I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about this piece!!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

MACNA is approaching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOOO!!!

2006-09-17 01:17:23

Hey everyone,Who here from Frags.org is going to MACNA?? I'll be there! ;) I arrive Thursday at 11am, and am going to go visit the Houston Zoo! So if anyone wants to join me in my endeavor by all mean let me know! And we can meet up!!I look forward to seeing some old faces, and meeting some new ones! Hope you guys are ready for some SERIOUS FUN!!Comment to this blog and let me know who from Frags.org is going!OH ALSO!!: If any of you would like to work out a trade or two, let me know, and I can take the frags to Houston and we can trade there YAY!!!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

STrAwBeRry Digi!!! YAY for the digi comeback! ;)

2006-09-16 04:08:00

Hey guys!I thought I'd show a picture of a cool Montipora digitata: The Strawberry Digi!I like this digi color morph because it has pink tips, and under higher lighting it turns almost compleatly pink. Another cool thing about this digi is that it is much THICKER, some have told me, it might not even be a digitata, but perhaps another species of Monti due to the thickness of the branches.In anycase, Here is a digi that should hold a nice spot in our tanks, it brings plenty of color with the expected rapid growth of Monti's and ofcource the easy in care!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

IN Reply to below....

2006-09-16 03:56:54

Matt,I have gotten a couple spams as replies to my posts!! Usually XXX posts as comments to my blogs.The wierd thing is, that it posts it as ME! BUT it shows the user only having posted 2 times while I have 50 odd posts.Spammers REALLY need to get a life, it s not like anyone actually reads their messages or clicks the dumb links!Hakuna-Matata! They just get deleted ;)-Reefenvy-

Spam again

2006-09-16 03:17:36

So is anyone else getting this spam from jerm28@ruraltel.net? I just got three spams in a row. STOP!!!

Tyree's/Tubb's Alien eye Echino Lighting and color? Hmm...

2006-09-15 01:24:00

Hello Once again Frags.org members! The topic I want to bring up today is the Alien eye Echino.I have had this frag of Alien for over a year now, it came direct from Tyree himself, and I truely love this Echino morph! I am however curious about one thing. Those that have this coral, what lighting conditions do you grow it under? I have noticed that the coral will turn kinda pinkish under brighter lighting, as opposed to the purpleish color its supposed to have. Do any of you grow it in higher lighting and keep the purple color? I am growing mine under 250 HQI single ended Radiums a lttle under mid tank.Here is a picture of my current little colony:I would LOVE to hear some feedback on this everyone!!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

Efflos that branch?? Hmm

2006-09-14 18:36:57

Just an observation:October 2004 I recived a frag of a kick butt purple with green polyp efflo.Here is the picture of the origional mother colony my frag came from:Now almost 2 years later the frag has gone through a large transition process!! After aquireing the frag it looked great for a couple months, then all of a sudden it started to take off growing. Good right?? Yes, BUT It was growing branches more like the standard agro growth!For many months it continued to grow like this. The single branches getting longer and newer branches appearing. Aafter about 5 or 6 months the efflo frag one again started to grow the new growth in the traditional efflo growth pattern.Here is a picture of my efflo now almost 2 years later:As you can see it is not yet completely fused and flat, you can still see many individual branches. Have any of you experienced this before? Any thoughts?Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

A new pics of an old favorite!!

2006-09-14 18:24:59

Hey guys,Way in the begging when the blogs started, I posted a picture of my Dragon eyes.Since I love this morph so much, I decided to take a more recent picture of my colony. It looks beautiful, and SOOO radioactive! The photo is not photoshoped other than cropping. And was taken under 250 HQI single ended Radiums. They have been moved up closer to the lights since the last post, and have gotten much brighter!!So if you want bright Dragon eyes, Blast them with light! BUT don't forget you must aclimate them!!Enjoy,Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy- Ps. Here is the original Dragon eye blog: http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=23

Mixing Salt

2006-09-14 18:19:55

Someone asked about how to mix salt. Here is my method...First bring in the garden hose and fill the tankThen turn on the pumpsThen dump in saltWasn't that easy? It is especially easy when your tank uses exactly one bucket of salt!Adam

How Big is Too Big?

2006-09-14 14:01:22

So if you could build any aquarium you wanted for your house. How big would it be? How big is too big?By the way, first person to name where this pic was taken wins a prize. The prize is a trip for two to Disneyland!*Adam* Prize only guaranteed by the value of Jake Pehrson's personal promise. Please contact Jake for prize redemption

The Rest of the Appearance

2006-09-14 10:55:33

So I have this friend. He just doesn't get it. His tank is crappy. What he fails to see is that sometimes the stand and canopy are more important than what's in the tank. Well, rather than pick on him I'm going to focus on the good. Here are some examples of the best tanks I've seen. Check out the decorative work...Adam

Leng Sy cap and tips on propagating it!!!

2006-09-14 03:16:50

This is probably my favorite Cap out there, notice how the Leng Sy cap has awesome nodule growths all over. I grow this piece in fairly high light under 250 HQI single ended Radiums.One good thing about Caps is that they are VERY easy to propagate. Simple take a pair of bone cutter or a dremle. Cut out a couple 2" or so pieces. Then the pieces are just simply super glued onto a reef plug, or a piece of rubble rock.Make sure to give the new frags good flow to wash away all that slime they put out.Here are a few frags a month after cutting, Notice how they have already started encrusting and sending out nodules!I hope you guys enjoyed the pictures!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

A reef Safe butterfly?!?

2006-09-14 02:48:57

Many of you have wondered if you could ever keep a butterfly in your reef tank.The Zoster Butterfly, also known as the Black Pyramid Butterfly is a great reef safe butterfly. I have a pair in my 75 gallon reef filled with SPS, LPS, Softies, clams, and anemones. No problems with them at all, and the best part is they are relatively inexpensive and eat spectrum like pigs!!The only drawback is; that they are hard to find. But otherwise if you are looking for a reefsafe buttefly try these!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

Cool Monti!!

2006-09-14 02:42:37

Here is a new monti I just got, and I really do love it, People say it's the poker start monti, but I do see some orange polyps, so maybe a bluer rainbow. What ever it is I love it :) It actually is that blue!!Kindest Regards,Reefenvy

Making Skimmers

2006-09-13 14:43:51

So we have 4 skimmers on our tank. I haven't made a skimmer but I'm thinking about it. One reason is so that I can make a huge skimmer. But also because it looks fun. Here are some skimmers made by a friend of mine...Adam

Crazy long worms

2006-09-12 13:51:03

From a friends tank. Guess who's tank?Long worm in tankLong worm out of tank (next to a pen for reference)Adam

Alaskan Star Fish pics

2006-09-08 02:18:21

Below are two (only 2 I promise) pics of the star fish that I harvested in Alaska, you can see how beautifully bright orange they are. You can also see the gallon size zip lock bags I was using for my crude "aquarium" set up. Read my previous post for more details.Aaron

Cold Water Experiment - Southeast Alaska version

2006-09-08 02:01:13

During my recent trip this past May to Pt Baker, Alaska I too discovered the amazing beauty that the frigid 40 degree waters of Southeast Alaska have to offer. I fell in love with many of the cool water creatures and their beautiful colors during my 3 week stay. I literally spent hours watchingsome of the beautiful white/rose anemones that were growing all over the dock floats. One of my favorite evening activities (during low tide) was to overturn large rocks to discover what kinds of hermit, exo crabs, snails, and small rock fish (Scopin - sp?) I would find.I couldn't stand it, I had to create a mini aquarium during my stay. Lacking an actual aquarium I used Gallon size plastic bags supported in a freezer basket to keep them from tipping over and spilling out. I had 3 bags, I put a few small rocks with Macro Algae growth in each bag, a few hermit and exo crabs, and a couple scopin. I harvested a few of the anemones (the white/pink ones) and 3 bright orange star fish (the smaller variety). I changed 75% of the water daily to maintain a cooler temperature, oxygen and remove waste. I did this for two weeks straight with 100 % success and zero fatalities.My colleagues at Land's End Lodge were quite enamored with my undertaking and would check my 3 gallon set up daily to see what else I might have added or they would simply enjoy the bright colors of the star fish and anemones.When it came time to head home, I had to try to see if I could A) - Get anything to survive the two day trip home and B) Get anything still alive after the 2 day trip to then acclimate to a 85% increase in water temperature and survive in my aquarium.I scaled my efforts down to two bags only and did a fresh water change minutes before my boat ride to the main road. At the hotel in Seattle for my overnight stay I turned the AC up high and slept in my clothes and placed the bags near the AC and used some ice from the ice machine...which I knew would affect salinity after melting. But it had to be done.Both bags were in my duffle carry on and passed all security scans, although in Seattle, the conveyer belt did pause for a while while security questioned what in the world was in my bag. LOL!! It was great.Needless to say the scopin didn't survive the travel and one large exoskeleton crab didn't either. The Star fish, anemones, and crabs were stressed but alive.Well now months later I only have two exoskeleton crabs left in my aquarium from my venture. And I am amazed that they survived this long. I only see them rarely...they like to stay in the rocks, but they are always chasing amphopods and mysid shrimp...it's funny to watch the rare glimpses I get of them.Can we get these cold water creatures to acclimate to our warmer aquariums? I would bet yes, but not with the crude, almost inhumane methods I implored. Anyone willing to invest in an experiment....this would be a neat one.Aaron

New corals on reefready.net

2006-09-07 01:15:30

Sorry it took so long to update my blog. I know you have been waiting for more great coral pics. Here you go.An updated pic of Tyrees Auction Edition Lime Eye Orphensis.Tyrees LE Gold Leptastrea.An Updated Pic of Tyrees Blue Psamoccora. It is developing the blue under lower light.Tubs Flaming Cyphastrea.Introducing our Mine Field Cyphastrea.Karls Candlelight Acro.Jimmys Orange Sherbert Chalice.

20K and 10K

2006-09-06 21:46:37

Ever wonder what your tank would look like if it had one 10K and one 20K bulb. I saw this tank (one of my local friends). Pretty cool stuff...Adam

Kmagyar's Frag Blog

2006-09-06 14:40:05

Here goes, my own blog. Here at frags.org I will dedicate this blog to my 120, the frags that I pull out of it, and the frags that I have available.My SystemAs of today;After a complete reboot to go barebottom. Frags, Who Wants some? :) Here are some sample frag packs that I have put together for people in the past. I typically sell my frags at 6 for 100 or 12 for 180. Plus, as an added bonus to an already sweet deal, I will select enough freebies to cover your shipping cost. Please send me an email if you would like to find out how to get your fragpack.Here are a fraction of the colonies that I have available. Purple tip A. EfflorescenceRed/Pink BirdnestGreen Hairy MilleporaA SarmentosaBlue Hairy MilleporaA. TenuisA. TenuisA. CardusA. FloridiaMagyar's Increadible HulkUnavaliable at the momentGreen GalaxiaBlue A. LoripesUnavailable at the MomentTri Color A. ValidiaRed and Blue MilleporaBlue Acropora AusperaBlue AcroporaGreen PocciliporaBlue SlimmerTeal Green ElkhornEchinopora'sGreen PocciliporaGreen MontiUnknown Lime Green MontiGSP's (2 Types)Montipora CapricornisHot Pink StyloPink PocciliporaTri TableTan StagRed Table AcroStylophora805 X 645119 KBYellow StyloUnknown AcroBlue Tenuis1026 X 770175 KBfullnepthia2orange and teal echinopechinoKeith10-22-06I have not been doing much frag selling lately, though I am still makeing frags from my left over colonies. I mounted almost 200 frags this past couple of weeks. Here are a few shots of my 50 gallon frag system. It's packed pretty well!!Top Frag System 1Top Frag System 1Left Frag System 1Right Frag System 1Thanks,Keith10-23-06Thi sis my 50 gallon system, a few days after making 200 new frags.11-06-06More pics, more fun! I added a seio 2500 to the back of the left rockstack a couple weeks ago. That was fun, pause, NOT!Anyways, here is my November 2006 Gallery. Enjoy.http://users.adelphia.net/~kmagyar/11.02.06/index.htmlKeith

Remembiering the croc hunter

2006-09-05 19:36:12

As all you guys may know steve irwin the croc hunter was diving in the barrier reef when a stingray took his life by spearing him with his barb.Irwin was working on an underwater documentary titled Ocean's Deadliest on the Great Barrier Reef at the time of his death. there is some footage that showssteve irwinpulling the stingray's poisonous barb from his chest before losing consciousness and perishing.....footage of his death will be on larry king tonite..He was and remains the ultimate wildlife warrior...

Reef Ramblings- Cold Water Stuff

2006-09-05 11:36:54

So it was suggested I talk about cold water animals. This is a bit difficult for me since I don't have much experience keeping cold water animals. One thing I do know about are the tide pool animals in the Pacific Northwest. I foresee an increased popularity with these animals. I say that because they may be easy to keep in captivity, since they have the ability to tolerate such extreme conditions (cold, wind, waves) in their natural habitats. So here are some examples for you...Adam

Tank # 1

2006-09-03 09:54:58

Here is one of the tanks I will be using I had it custom made fiberglass. It is 12 foot by 4 foot by 32 inches deep.

Great Algae Eater

2006-09-02 02:49:33

My favorite fish to watch due to its behavior is my Sailfin/Algae Blenny (Salarias fasciatus) Indo-Pacific. It's quest to maintain invisibility while sitting in the middle of the aquarium on the sand is humurous. He's very skiddish and eats only algae that grows in the tank - I have never seen him eat fish food; he only eats naturally occuring algae in the tank, whether it's on the rocks, on the sand, on the glass, or on the plexiglass of my in-tank refugium outer wall. I ordered him through Drs. FosterSmith/liveaquariua.com and was leery that he would only eat flake food or food that I feed the other fish (because a friend of mine bought one from a LFS that only ate flake food). But I have been very impressed with this little guy. He's surprisingly colorful and reminds me of a hawk fish a little ( abruptly stopping to rest or hide on corals, rocks, or anywhere he feels like it).Two thumbs up for the Sailfin/Algae Blenny as an algae eater!Aaron

Watermelon Chalice

2006-08-31 14:09:49

I just thought I'd let everone know that I just ordered a bunch of Tyrees LE Watermelon frags so that I can get my tiny colony growing faster. This way I can offer frags for sale much faster. This one seems to grow so slow compared to other Chalices. If you want to be put on my wait list let me know. Click here to view the best pictures on frags.orghttp://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=3370

Greenhouse Construction Stage 4

2006-08-30 22:00:45

http://thecoralgardens.com/mambo/content/view/44/44/

Make your own in tank refugium

2006-08-29 02:54:47

I did and I love it. You can click on my block and view my night pics posting to somewhat see what my in tank refugium looks like. Making your own is very easy.What you need:A plan: How big do you want your refugium? Do you want it to sit low high or mid tank in relation to your sand bed? Will it hang off the back of your tank on the inside or maybe off of one of the sides of your aquarium? What do you want to be inside of your refugium- macro algae, sand, live rock, amphopods, copopods, mysid shrimp, cap snails, crabs, etc... Will you use gravity to feed the water from the refugium back to your tank. Will you simply use a submersed refugium where once it is filled the water over flows the top into the aquarium. (This may require a mesh top to keep predators out - some screen material or strips of plexiglass) You get the idea. This is the most exciting part of the whole projectThe Materials: I used plexiglass which I obtained from Home Depot. To chemically join the plexiglass pieces to each other, I purchased a compound from a local glass specialty store that bonds the plexiglass pieces to each other. You will need a jigsaw, circular saw, or some type of saw to cut the plexiglass. It is recommended that you use a bit with many fine teeth. I disregarded this advice and used a "ripping" blade with few teeth and my plexiglass cut just fine. (If my refugium was to be outside of my tank, I would be much more careful about which blade to use and how to cut because microscopic cracks in the edges of the plexiglass can result in stress fractures that leak) However because my refugium is in tank, I am not too concerned with slight leaks if they occur. So far I know of one drip in my creation to date.I recommend some water proof caulk for the insides of the refugium once it is bonded together.Also some clamps to hold the bonded pieces of plexiglass in place while the bond is fortified.Lots of chips, drinks, and salsa or other dip or snacks, this is the most important part of the project.You then do the following Cut your plexiglass to size.Glue/bond the pieces together per your planseal corners etc... with caulkeat lots of snacks during constructionIf anyone would like a more detailed plan I could post my plans, just let me know via post or e-mail.Aaron

DENDROPHYLLIA FRAGS READY TO GO!!!!!

2006-08-29 01:52:33

Hello Everyone,I have been getting a bunch of requests for the Orange Base with Canary Yellow polyp Dendrophyllia Arbuseulaand the Pink base with Orange polyped Dendrophyllia Arbuseula, so i made a few SINGLE POLYPfrags of each.They will be $79 per polyp + shippingACT FAST, THEY WILL GO VERY QUICK!!!!!!ORANGE BASE Dendrophyllia ArbuseulaPink base w Orange polyps:mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

New Frags.org Listings!!!

2006-08-28 03:52:02

Hello to all,Finally had a chance to add some new Frags.org listings to my profile.These are some of my personal favorite corals so take a second to check them out:"Fiji Sunset" Chalice:http://frags.org/memberfragdetails.php?fid=7488"Grapes Of Wrath" Platygyrahttp://frags.org/memberfragdetails.php?fid=7487"Greenie Meanie" Cyphstrea:http://frags.org/memberfragdetails.php?fid=7492"RazzleBerry" Micromussa:http://frags.org/memberfragdetails.php?fid=7489"Sour Apples" Favia:http://frags.org/memberfragdetails.php?fid=7491To See all of my listings click here:http://frags.org/memberfragslist.php?id=4043To check out the rest of my blog, click here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Are there cool-water reefs?

2006-08-27 02:32:57

What I'm trying to determine is if there is a type of reef we don't see coppied much in the hobby due to the animals requiring a temperature that would be too costly for us to duplicate? Any "cool water" reefs?

Four more for now

2006-08-26 14:00:19

Spongodes I thinkRed TablePurple blue and green EchinoporaI have no Idea what this is. It has puple green and pink in it. It looks like a Monti with Turbinaria polyps. The polyps are pretty small compared to normal turbinarias though.

Adding multiple Surgeon fish (tangs) to a set up

2006-08-26 01:59:45

I have had as many as 4 tangs in my 80 gallon (two yellow, sailfin, purple). They were added one at a time. I found that my sailfin was the most peaceful fish ever. Never showed aggression towards any of the other tangs - he would simply flare his sail when approached by another tang and that was all he ever needed to do. This tang was added first and was the Sr. tang.My Large yellow tang was added second. He and the sailfin got along just fine. Adding the yellow was no problem.My small yellow tang had "small man's syndrome" and seemed to have to prove himself to the larger yellow tang, although did not show any aggression to the sailfin (everyone loves the sailfin).Purple tang was added last due to its reputation for being a bully if he is the Sr. tang. He and the small yellow tang had it out and quickly determined that they both were bull headed and decided to leave each other alone. they all ended up getting along well. However, 4 tangs was a bit much for my 80 gallon even under peaceful conditions. The small yellow tang got stressed and died. So did the purple. My sailfin met his fate do to a powerhead incident ( I have since learned to minimize the ability for fish and other creatures to get sucked up into the big gray power head at the surface). I still have my large yellow tang.Aaron

Tap vs Reverse Osmosis Water

2006-08-26 01:51:00

Just Curious as to how many people are using tap water to top off their set ups versus RO water. I use tap water. My neighbor Jim uses RO water. I am fortunate that our city doesn't use high levels of chloramines, etc... to purify our water. You can see pictures of Jim's aquarium under the "halameda" titled links on my blog. And you can see my tank on many of the other links on my blog.If you are considering using tap water, be sure you test your tap water first so that you do not do more harm than good. If tests come out negative, I find tap water is a great way to reduce the frequency and amount of additives required for my aquarium (calcium, buffer, etc...) I do note that phosphates or nitrates are higher, but that if I let the water sit for a few days before adding, this minimizes the effects of the phosphates/nitrates. However, now that I have started using Seachem's Purigen, I don't have to let it sit at all before topping off or water changing.Aaron

More on the greenhouse

2006-08-25 17:21:47

http://thecoralgardens.com/mambo/content/view/43/44/

ReefEnvy- 150 gal Reef

2006-08-25 10:04:04

ReefEnvy asked if anyone had a 150 gal reef tank. He wanted to see some pics. So I'm posting these pics for him. This is my wife's tank (which I'm sure you are all familiar with) it is a 150. Biggest challenges- water flow, getting large rock. Easiest challenges- aquascaping (room to work with), lighting (over 4 feet long makes it way easy).FrontBack WallPlumbingSide ViewAdam

Frags Away =)

2006-08-25 06:44:48

Hello to all,Had a massive week of mailings this week with lots of packages going out. Finally have a second to catch up on emails and make some new blog posts. We will be posting more pics of the jan. 2006 Fiji expedition shortly, in the meantime check out our blog for previous posts including growth sequences, fragging techniques and much much more!!!To check out the rest of my blog, click here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

150 Reef?

2006-08-25 04:44:39

Hey guys,I am thinking of setting up a 150 Reef (48 X24 X30) Any of you out there have one out there.. i'm curious as to how they look set-up as a reef.I'd love to see a picture or two, you can post in the comments.Thanks!-Reefenvy-

Reef Ramblings- Shorelines

2006-08-24 13:15:51

Okay next topic for discussion. For some reason people always want to stay at a hotel on a nice white sandy beach. I haven't figured out why just yet. I think it has to do with marketing.Anyway I wanted to start a discussion on shorelines. This is a picture of a rocky shoreline. It may not look appealing to you but this is perfect for me. These areas are covered with reef fishes feeding off of the rocks. I'm posting this picture because it is exactly where I found an octopus, flounders, dozens of tangs, hundreds of silversides.Adam

four more

2006-08-24 02:45:59

CyphastreaPoker starAnother Watermelon chaliceMosaic Mushrooms

After Harvesting Halameda Pics

2006-08-24 00:35:34

OK,Here are pics of Jim's tank after he harvested a gallon size bucket of halameda, calerpa and other macro algae. Enjoy! If you missed the pics of his tank before the harvest click on my blog and see my post from yesterday, which is appropriately titled.Enjoy!Aaron

Acro. solitaryensis

2006-08-23 21:30:03

Anybody out there know where a guy can get a frag or two of Acro. Solitaryensis? Have looked everywhere I know to look!Thanks, Robert

Forgoten, like the Spice Girls!

2006-08-23 17:51:56

With all the new coral morphs and coral fads poping up, we sometimes forget some of the "classic" aquarium corals.Our unquenchable thirst for "rare" corals has pushed aside many beautiful, hardy, and afordable corals. Corals that would in all aspects be ideal residents in our reefs, for instance Caulastrea. Caulastrea are perfectly rounded in care, beauty, availability, and cost. Unfortunatly this once popular genus is now rarely considered as an addition to our aquariums. This fast growing genus comes in many color morphs, and in various growing forms. They are easily propagated,and If that is'nt enough, they are fairly inexpensive! Perhaps more hobbyists will give Caulastrea a chance of once again being a popular reef inhabitant!! -Reefenvy-

More corals

2006-08-23 14:14:56

The new alien eye chalice. This one has a green sheen to itBlue stagCrazy Dendro.Orange outside, greenmantle area, and pink polyps.Green Mille

Attached Fragging Tank

2006-08-23 10:48:15

What are your thoughts on having a fragging tank that is inline with your display tank? Do you have something like this? Do you like the idea of something like this?Adam

The reality of gravity!

2006-08-23 03:20:13

Hey guys,Well, as most of you have noticed, I have not posted a blog entry in quite some time! I was dealing with a broken foot ( Jones fracture on the 5th metatarsal on the right foot)... finally the cast came off, and now the reality of pain is starting to sink in once more. I started walking Monday for the first time in two months... I will say, it feels great to walk, but each step I take on my weak leg feels like walking on badly bruised foot. I hope to start bringing you guys more fun and informative blogs in the days to come :)Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

What is this coral?

2006-08-23 01:14:59

What do you think this coral is? At first I thought it was a very small polyped Cyphastrea. Now I am thinking it is a Leptastrea. The polyps are very small. About the size of a normal Leptastrea. The only problem is that they have that volcano look to them. Like a Cyphastrea. Plus I have never seen a sky blue Leptastrea. The coral is the same exact color as in the picture.

Some more corals to be added to reefready.net

2006-08-23 01:09:39

Our version of the forest fireMonti.UltravioletAcroHeaven and Hell zoosHi-Blue Vermiculata

Halameda Anyone?

2006-08-23 00:14:49

Below are some pics of my neighbor's aquarium (His name is Jim). You would think that he is trying to farm Halameda and Calerpa. So I took a few pictures of his tank and halameda tonight. Tomorrow I will provide some post-halameda-harvest pics of his tank...so stay tunedCheck back tomorrow to see what Jim's tank looks like minus the halamedaAaron

Please no mass E-mailing

2006-08-22 19:09:34

Hi, I'm just wondering if anyone else got an email from reefer Jerm. I hope they aren't just spamming everyone. Post here if you got this email.

Clam Spawning

2006-08-22 12:01:14

Someone asked the other day about coral spawning. Their coral was producing a stringy red substance. I think it was removing waste. Typically spawning is either a bunch of little eggs (round) or a mist of sperm or gametes. Here is a pic of my friend's clam spawning.Adam

Greenhouse Construction Stage 2

2006-08-22 11:17:07

Night views

2006-08-21 16:58:15

This first picture below is taken at night using "night mode" - took this to show how my refugium looks with lights on at night. The down side to this is that my lunar lights are not as spectacular as they would be if I had my refugium in a sump under my tank or elsewhere. However the benefits of having my refugium in my tank outweigh this dolldrum. My aquarium experiences "full moon" every night and has done so for the past 18 months or so. I really like the fact that my refugium uses gravity to feed back into the tank. I only use one 802 powerhead to fill the refugium. The really white area at the far left of my refugium is a packet of Seachem's Purigen, which my eradicated all algae issues in my tank. My heater is also in my refugium as well as live rock, and 2-3" of Utah Oolitic sand.The next picture shows that while the refugium is "in tank" and is illuminated at night within the tank, there is plenty of darkness (thanks to all the coralline algae all over the refugium sides). You can slightly see the effects of the lunar lights on the orange/green button pollups (center) and on my green star pollyps (left). Even if I were to clean the coralline algae off the sides of the refugium it still stays fairly dark in my tank.Aaron

Moorish Idols

2006-08-21 14:13:49

This topic is for Ghetto Man. He posted on my other blog topic about how he loves Moorish Idols. I'm not sure what will come of this project.... but I'm actually looking into raising captive Idols with a friend of mine. It has been shown to be possible, and we are thinking about collecting Idol larvae. Would be cool to see tank reared Moorish Idols now wouldn't it.Adam

More corals to be added

2006-08-21 14:10:06

Here are a few more corals we are going to be addind to the site soon. Hope you like them.The Blue polyped StylophoraThe Tyree LE Montipora orientalisKarls Flashlight Coral (sorry for the sideways pic)

Pictures

2006-08-21 00:47:54

My pictures are now posting just fine on frags.org so I will not necessarily be posting the same pictures and information at my personal blog site: http://airteresa.blogspot.com/Thanks,Aaron

Greenhouse Contruction Stage 1 cont.

2006-08-20 13:08:55

See more at http://thecoralgardens.com/mambo/content/view/41/44/

Test Completed - Thank you

2006-08-20 12:46:23

Initially my pictures were not showing up - but thanks to Berlinmethod, everything is working great now. Thanks for your help.Aaron

frags or colonies

2006-08-19 21:52:38

If you were to start a new reef tank which strategy/ type of coral would you prefer to add to your new tank?Frags: Benefits: You know where the coral came from, you know what it's previous position was in the tank, you know the lighting conditions, and you know that it was successfully reared in a captive tank. We also know that many of the frags have been shown to stay a certain color or that they will respond with some color under certain conditions. For instance the pink tips on a number of corals when kept under iwasaki 400w halides. Detriments: It takes a long time to grow the frags. Frags generally will grow a base for months before they really start to grow up or out...so if you are into the instant gratification thing, then it takes a long time.Colonies: (Im referring to those not captive raised, including those from places like walt smith that are 'farmed'Benefits: The corals are large, you can fill in a lot of space, you know the shape of the coral, etc. IN this manner it is a lot easier to plan out your tank becuase you know how large some of the corals already are, and when you 'prune' the corals when they grow larger, you will still have a lot of coral left to look beautiful in your tank.Detriments: Taking wild corals or those not from frags obviously can hurt the existing coral reefs. Aside from this obvious detriment, the corals were previously situated in a certain fashion with a certain type of light that allowed the coral to thirve and grow into the form you see it. thus if you do not appropriately re-create the environment then you will probably have some die-off at the base of the coral. You will also not know what color the coral will ultimately develop. Sometimes as we know, brown corals turn blue, or green or purple...so it is a crapshoot. but some blue or green corals can also turn brown in our tanks...SO: MY choice is frags. I love knowing what the coral 'might' grow into. I know that the piece has survived and I know that the coral can thrive in my tank as long as I provide it with its essential needs. I also know that I can appropriately plan the tank if I so choose, or I can pack as many corals into a small area as I want and grow 'bonsai' type corals. Needless to say, reef tanks are not an instant gratification type of hobby, but When I restart a large reef tank again I would love to add some colonies, hopefully some that came from friends tanks or otherwise, becuase they can provide a nice background and or look to the tank in its formative state. But Ulitmately I want to grow my own SPS or LPS as I grow.Let me know what you think is the best. - Kyle

Orphaned Baby Cerith Snails

2006-08-19 15:55:27

Below is a picture I took last night of a few of the baby cerith snails I have growing in my main tank, probably have them in the refugium as well. They only come out at night after my 12k lights and actinic bulbs turn off and my refugium light and lunar lights come on.They are the small cone shaped objects all over the first rock that it is in focus. Some of the snails aren't in focus. These guys are orphans, their parents died months ago. So I was VERY excited one night when I saw these rascals coming out of the sand bed. They have doubled in size over the past few months. I count at least 12 on that one rock - to give you perspective that rock is about1.5 to 2 " in length.I am interested to see how many will make it to be adult size and how long it takes for them to get to be the size they are when we purchase them from a Local Fish Store.Aaron

coral beauty & flame angel best of friends

2006-08-19 02:34:23

My first attempt to keep both of these fish together in the same 80 gallon aquarium was a complete failure. I started with the coral beauty and then added a much smaller flame angel. This was back when my tank was Fish only. I had very little "cover" My well established coral beauty had it's way with the flame angel and the stress from this battle killed the coral beauty shortly thereafter.2 years later I was visiting an aquarium in Smithfield and saw the flame angel and coral beauty combination in a 75 gallon aquarium. The were doing very well. After a long talk and multiple re-inforcing visits, I was convinced that I could get these two fish to thrive in my 80 gallon aquarium.So I first purchased a coral beauty, a larger one, because I was told that the coral beauty is the less aggressive of the two. I had my coral beauty for about 6 months. I then purchased a medium sized flame angel that was a little bit smaller than the coral beauty.I introduced the flame angel to the tank in darkness for 12 hours and used black plastic around the front and sides of my tank to ensure the only light that entered the tank came in from the top. I closed all blinds in the room and left the room lights off for 24 hours as well.after acclimating the flame angel when I removed the plastic, I noticed that the coral beauty would occasionally dart at the flame angel, but the flame angel was nearly indifferent to these vain threats and would swim just enough to lose the coral beauty and resume grazing. The coral beauty would lose interest in the flame angel moments after flexing its muscle.Today they are still best of friends. I think the difference this time as opposed to my first attempt was minimal:Much more rock infrastructure (live rock) for hiding and swimming out of view of each other.Flame angel was smaller but not much smaller than flame angelmethod of introducing new fish helped a little in my opinion.Luck!!! I had a few more fish in my tank during this attempt than my first failure.Not sure if this is something that was a fluke or something that only worked in my set up, but maybe it will help someone else.Aaron

How to get your anemone fish to actually take to your anemones

2006-08-19 01:08:17

I assume that at least one other person out there has had this problem: You purchase Coral and Marlin and have a beautiful anemone or two or five for the lovely newly wedded couple (the couple may not have fully gendered themselves yet) and they choose to hang out on rocks or hide somewhere else...Here's what I did (accidentally) that made my clown fish take to the anemone:I was actually doing this to acclimate new fish to my aquarium right out of their shipping container.Put up black garbage bags or paper or something completely around your aquarium (I did not do this around the back of the tank) so as to make your aquarium receive light only from the top.Leave the aquarium and room lights off for 12 hours and leave the bags up for 24 hours. Keep blinds and other light sources to a minimum for 12 hours.When I removed the bags it was almost as if my aquarium was "at peace" and much to my surprise my oscelaris clown fish (sp?) were both in my rose bubble tip anemones. And my new fish were very happy.I am not making any guarantees, but it's too simple not to try if you are having this problem.Aaron

Turtle Pics #1

2006-08-18 23:15:30

In my blog from this morning Mike mentioned turtles. I thought that was a cool thing to bring up so I'm going to post some turlte pics. Here is the first pic to get you excited. Feel free to talk about turtles.Adam

acan echinatas ready for fraggin'

2006-08-18 19:08:38

hey yall i will be fraggin these two echinatas pretty soon and will be puttin em up on the site for sale!..one is a rainbowand the other is a purple splashechinataprice for rainbow will go for 30$ a polyp and the purple splash will go for 40$ a polyp!

What Do You Like

2006-08-18 10:17:43

Sticking with the theme... yesterday I posted a topic on what you don't like (http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=1080 ) now I'm asking what you do like. Some of you know that my wife is a non-practicing pirate. She likes ship wrecks, shells, treasure, and for some reason tangs. My best friend and dive partner has one thing he always wants to find. Every single dive he is on the lookout for a mermaid. I personally have two items I keep looking for. One isa US nuclear submarine, and the other is a bar of spanish gold. I also spend time photographing small congregations of wrasse. Consequently when we dive, pirate ships seem to be the favorite choice since I can search for my gold, my wife can inspect the ship, and my buddy can always look for mermaids.Anyway here is a picture of a cool cannon. I thought you might like it.Adam

Bare Naked Rocks

2006-08-18 01:12:53

Here's my 2002 first attempt with corals thanks to Jim Lamunyon - my neighbor who gave me some free coral starts and got me hooked on corals which lead to more serious reef investments on my part (AKA lighting, live rock and more) I am glad he talked me into it, my fish only tank was a bore compared to what I have now. The rock is obviously all new here.

Rare sight

2006-08-18 01:06:21

Here is a rare sight - A powder blue tang alive in my aquarium - this guy lived for two weeks and then all of a sudden ended up dead within 24 hrs - no explanation.Anyone know what could have been his demise? I REALLY like these fish but refuse to kill them in an attempt to get one to survive.This was back when my aquarium was overrun with green hair algae! (About 18 months ago)

Nature's Protein Skimmers

2006-08-18 00:55:24

Nature's Protein skimmer - venturi style - check out the white froth formed in San Diego:

Greenhouse Contruction Stage 1

2006-08-17 16:30:07

http://thecoralgardens.com/mambo/content/view/40/44/

What Don't You Like

2006-08-17 15:54:09

So tell me what you DON'T Like. For some reason my wife hates jellyfish. How about you?Adam

ID Contest

2006-08-17 10:10:38

In keeping with the theme Jake started (thanks for guest blogging Jake) I'm adding my own id contest. Here is what happened. We were snorkeling when my wife went to put her hand on a rock. The rock moved.It is unbelievable how well these things can blend in. What is it?Adam

New Corals Added To Reefready.net

2006-08-17 03:41:03

We are in the process of adding some more collector corals to the site. Check back often to see all of them. Here is just a taste.This is our piece of the Leng Sy CapThis is the Reeftecdesigns flying saucer coralThe Tyree Pink Polyp CapAnd the Tyree LE Cyphastrea japonica

Powder Blue or Blue Girdle Angel?

2006-08-17 02:34:45

Anyone make any recommendations to me regarding how to get a powder blue tang or a blue girdle angel to live in my 80 gallon tank and thrive? I have tried twice with a powder blue and failed and don't want to try any more until I am confident that I won't fail. Drs FosterSmith recommends at least 100 gallons for a powder blue - anyone successful with them in a smaller aquarium?Here's a pic of the powder Blue:I have never tried a blue girdle, but I have two dwarf angels and am fearful that the dwarf angels will kill the blue girdle? Anyone have experience with this that would mind providing feedback to me. Here's a pic of the blue girdle courtesy of DrsFostersmith.com:Thank youAaron

My entire aquarium

2006-08-17 02:33:05

Here's a view of my entire aquarium - I like black. I took the "klug jug" down that can be seen rising above the light fixture on the right hand side. Since I started dosing withcapful of Kent Marine's Liquid reactor, I haven't needed the klug jug for dosing. As you can see my refugium is in tank as well as my protein skimmer. I have no sump or any filtration anywhere else except for in my tank. The only items below my aquarium in my stand are food, additives, and instruments, test kits, hydrometer, etc....

My set up and what I am looking for

2006-08-17 02:27:32

Here is the right hand view of my 80 gallon aquarium. My setup is as follows:Tank lifespan: Saltwater fish since 1999, corals since 2003. Fish: 2 anemone fish, 1 flame angel, 1 coral beauty, 1 sailfin blenny, Yellow TangCorals: Green Stary Polyps, Encrusting Gorgonea, blue mushrooms, green mushrooms, green hairy mushrooms, 6 rose bubble tip anemones, Invertibrates: 5 hermit crabs (2 scarlet leg, 3 blue leg), nassarias snails, cerith snails, turbo snails, cap snails, other snails, feather dusters. 2 crabs that I caught while in Point Baker Alaska - they are still alive and doing well today - amazing that they lived after being transferred from 40 degree water to 70 degree water.Deep Sand Bed 4-5" of varied granule sizes. Top layer (top 1" or so) is Utah Oolitic sand.Filtration Chemical: Seachem Purigen Filtration Mechanical: US Aquariums Venturi Protein Skimmer (been discontinued for years), water changes (5 gallons) once every other month or less.Filtration Biological: Live Rock (70 lbs), Deep Sand Bed, IN aquarium refugium - home made where macro algae is grown and Seachem Purigen bag is kept below intake tubeAdditives: Salt, Probiotic on occasion as needed, Kent Marine Liquid reactor 1 capful every other week, may need to increase this dose.Lighting: Odyssea Compact Flourescent Hood w/ 4 lunar lights. Two 12k 65 watt and two actinic 65 watt bulbs. 12k, actinics, and Lunar lights are on separate timers. In tank refugium uses 20" flourescent strip light with 18" daylight bulb. Refugium has been lit 24/7 for past two years. I just recently switched to lighting during night time to experiment with results.I would love to see posts and descriptions of your tank and set up. I am also very interested in getting a powder blue tang or a blue face angel and want advice and recommendations on how to be successful with either of these choices based upon my set up. Aaron

Reef Ramblings- Tropical Storms

2006-08-16 19:26:22

One of my recent blog topics addressed the impact of tropical storms. Following that some readers asked when I was going to post pics of last week's dive trip.So following that segway.... here is the first set of pics. More to come soon.Here is how fast a tropical storm can change the weather. See the visibility behind us...Now here we are 30 minutes later...Adam

new frags

2006-08-16 17:45:40

i just aquired a couple of new acro frags...these thing are about 1- inches in lenght...1 mille 1tort 1 stg.here is some pictures..these frags were aquired by a local reefer...hope theses frags do well in my reef...

sharks in reef tanks

2006-08-14 19:46:10

I have always wanted a shark in my reef tank, not just a sand shark, or bottom dwelling, but a black-tip or something that looks like a "shark" or a "mini-great white," something that gets the Oohs and aahs. Needless to say, this is not going to happen in either of my nano-tanks, but Maybe it will someday. So who has a tank that is large enough for a real predator like a shark, that also is a full reef? what type of shark? what type of corals?

T5 Saga Continues... T5 Lighting and Bleaching

2006-08-14 17:49:39

In contrast to a few great looking T5 lit tanks that we can count on one hand, quite a few people have been starting threads (on websites such as Reef Central) regarding coral bleaching, or pastel coloration of corals, in T5 lit tanks (myself included). We could write this off as inexperience or bad luck but I believe that there is more to it and we should at least investigate the possibility that it is somehow related to or fostered by the use of T5 lighting.For the sake of conversation let's assume the following:1. Most of the people reporting this know the difference between a bleached coral and a healthy coral.2. Most of the people reporting this have decent enough husbandry to believe *something unknown* is causing them some grief and it wasn't brought on by anything obvious. For example I recently shocked my tank by adding too much phosphate remover - I realized this and would not blame my lights for my mishap. 3. Most of the people reporting this are not accustomed to having a tank full of bleached/dying corals. I.e. they are generally your average successful reefer.4. Most of the people reoprting this have looked into other possibilities and for some reason correlate the problem with use of T5's.Several theories emerge:- T5 is much brighter than anyone figured- The average T5 setup does not produce the ideal spectrum for coloration- There is an unknown variable at work such as unmeasured UV radiation or ???- It is not related to T5 at all, simply poor husbandy, poor acclimation, or inexperience. HOWEVER under our above assumptions we have to toss this out. Again this is for the sake of having this discussion. It's really difficult to put our finger on the problem because there are some successful reefers using T5 (I consider myself one despite this issue), but I believe the few are far out numbered by the many who are having issues. I also suspect that some reefers who have not seen their corals 'colored up' may not even realize how pale their corals are. Despite the pastel coloration I have had good growth and had I not know the source of many of my corals I might not think there was an issue.Personally I suspect it could be a spectrum issue. This is what led me to the 3000k bulb originally as I was looking to try something different. It may end up being proven that T5 lighting has nothing to do with the problem, but until then its' worthwhile to stay open to the possibility in order to find a way to prevent it. What are your thoughts? In contrast, here is a blog entry highlighting some amazing T5 lit tanks.

T5 Saga Continues... Some Amazing T5 Lit Tanks

2006-08-14 17:25:03

T5 lighting has proven itself to be a worthy alternative to MH, but for many of us reefers here in the US it is still a somewhat new technology. Here are a few AMAZING tanks the first 2 are lit exclusively by T5, the thrid is a MH T5 mix, but what is interesting is the owner is using Osram bulbs which are comparable to the GE 3000k bulbs. I am refraining from posting the pictures here because I did not get anyone's permission.Danano's T5 lit reeflinkIwan's T5 lit reeflinkFrank Esser's T5 lit reeflinkBrulz's T5 supplemented reeflinkAll of these tanks are amazing examples of what can be accomplished using T5. One interesting point is that none of these are in the US! Granted these are Tank Of The Month quality tanks, regardless of how they are lit tanks like these are not the tank of the every day reefer - but doesn't it make you wonder what it is that Europeans are doing to achieve these levels of success using flourescent lighting? In contrast, here is a blog entry highlighting some issues with bleaching under T5 lighting.

Impact on wild reefs from conservation & tourism....

2006-08-14 04:06:40

We were very fortunate to go to Fiji this year and while we were there, I turned it into a business/pleasure trip. We explored many reefs along with native villages, coral collection stations and remote islands. We were however unable to go to Walt Smith's place but the trip was unbelievable. Some of the development on the coastal areas have had a big impact on reefs. More tourism + more development = destruction of our reefs.Many areas are turning the waters into conservation zones and getting rid of motorized sports. I am aware of several places in the south pacific that are now using reef balls to help bring back fish and coral life to the areas. You ask, "What are reef balls?"The Reef Ball Foundation, Inc. is a publicly supported non-profit that functions as an international environmental NGO. Their mission is to restore our world's ocean ecosystems and to protect our natural reef systems. They use Reef Ball artificial reef technology, innovative coral propagation and transplant system, public education, and training communities to build, restore and protect reefs. They work with governments, other NGOs, businesses, schools, research institutes, private individuals and community organizations. They have placed Reef Balls in 56+ countries, plus they have projects in 14+ additional countries giving them a global reach of 70+ countries. Projects include artificial reefs, estuary restoration, red mangrove plantings, oyster reef creation, coral propagation, advise for biological recovery from disasters, erosion control (often beach erosion), education on preserving natural reefs and include the world's most practical and advanced reef rehabilitation systems now in use. (Reef Ball Foundation, 2006)Here are some pictures to give you a better idea of the operation. (Reef Ball Foundation, 2006)In time, the reefs will get back to their abundant beauty with the right conservation and knowledge, we can stop the damage being done.Here is a picture I took of an untouched reef, I hope it will always look like this. Enjoy.=)(Actual pic we snapped while snorkeling off of Matamanoa Island)To check out the rest of my blog, click here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043To view more pictures, click here:http://www.jendub.com/Frags.php

More Bad Critters to watch out for.

2006-08-14 02:45:02

Hey everyone,Over my many years of reef keepingI have come across lots of bad critters that you should watch out for!Click this link to find out what these guys are:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=1045CHECK OUT MY OTHER BLOGS FOR COOL INFO!!!!mike,www.thecaptivereef.com.

Boy, do I have a treat for you!!!!

2006-08-14 02:17:20

Here are some pictures from the january 2006 Jendub Fiji Expedition to peak your interest. More info will be coming soon on the state of conservation and impact on wild reefs in Fiji. To check out the rest of my blog, click here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043To view more pictures, click here:http://www.jendub.com/Frags.php

Mangrove Pods

2006-08-14 01:53:08

Hey everyone,I have over 200 Mangrove Pods coming in at the end of September.They will be:10 pods for $30 ($3 per pod)+ shipping20 pods for $50($2.50 per pod)+ shippingShipping will be as follows:East Coast $15 (2 day UPS air)CentralUSA $20 (2 day UPS air)West Coast $25 (2 day UPS air)If you want any, postHow many you would like,so i have an idea if i should order more!!!!!thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Any cool Stores on east coast Florida????????????????????????????????????????

2006-08-14 01:42:59

hey guys,I am going to be on the east coast of Florida and wanted to know if anyone knows of any cool reef stores to stop by. I am looking for high end reef stores that would have nice display tanksand lots of coral. if you know of any please post them, so i can check them out!!!!thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

carsh starting over

2006-08-14 01:37:22

Anyone else going through this

Pocillopora lighting requirement?

2006-08-13 23:44:06

I'm pretty new to sps'. So the question I have is what are the lighting for Pocillipora. My lights are 150w 10k with 300w vho super actinics.

Trendy Corals

2006-08-13 19:27:23

When I got into this hobby I made the mistake of thinking that certain corals would hold there value. It was a one time mistake and I am glad I made it. I think the experance has made me a better hobbiest. I do however think there is nothing wrong with trends in corals or for that matter buying expensive corals. The problem is if you buy something just based on value. If you buy the acan colony because you are going to raise them just for profit. By the time you have frags the trend has died down and they arent worth what you paid. There are also going to be corals that are harder to find in the trade, that grow slow and have magnificient beauty. These corals may always demand a higher price. For now on I only spend money on expensive corals if I want it and it doesnt matter if I recover the money or not.

Getting the Green House

2006-08-13 12:30:02

attaching frags to rocks?

2006-08-13 03:38:29

I have been trying to attach small frag rocks to larger rocks in my reef tank. I was told to use gel super glue and to dry off the small frag rock as well as possible. Nothing will stay put! I'm about to chuck one of my hermit crabs that keeps helping knock stuff down! In fact, I've lost a few frags in the rocks of my tank! If anyone has any ideas or ways to attach small frag rocks to larger reef rocks, I would really appriciate the advice!! Thanks for your help!

random shots

2006-08-12 23:45:43

self sustaining reef tank?

2006-08-11 18:35:07

So Im sure we have all dreamed of having something like this, but is it actually possible. (well you might have to add water and have some calcium added, but this can all be automated)I think it might and I think that it can be made in two different ways.First: you get a really small tank, Im suggesting something in the 12 gallon range or smaller. What you need is to ensure that your top predator can keep the lower animals in check. This is your own little eco system, with a snail or a hermit crab or shrimp as the top "predator" as if an algae eating snail is a predator. The ease of such system is obviously that you dont feed the tank, you never put your hands in the tank and you just add water weekly or on a float system. All the corals just grow on their own. I do add some calcium once a week as well, but Im thinking that I could get rid of the sps and just go with zoos or shrooms and not have to add too much...probably just water changes. This is essentially the system that I have in place for my two nano tanks.Second: Extremely large reef tank. Im thinking of something crazy large, like a swimming pool size, as in thousands of gallons, or tens of thousands of gallons. This would be the type that is lit by the sun, and is essentially a shallow coral reef. So how do you feed such an animal, or as the post suggests, how do you not feed this creature. Lots of tiny animals. All food pyramids are build upon lower level foods. The ocean thrives on plankton, then krill and other small fish, then reef fish, larger reef fish, tuna, dolphins/sharks/whales. Primary to this is lots of rock, honestly I could care less if it is "live rock" as long as you get a diversity of tiny creatures somehow, this will be fine. Lots of rock provides lots of places to hide, and reproduce. I would envision that there would be a section of mangroves, that act as a sort of refugium, in this way you have lots of places for all the tiny crustaceons to reproduce. Then add the fish...see now we get fish. Lots of gobies, small fish that are known to reproduce in captivity, clownfish would obviously be acceptable. We need to have a mixture of carnivores and herbivores in this group. Obviously I have not forgotten snails, crabs, shrimp, starfish...etc. They are reproduce at a fantastic rate and add to the plankton in the tank! esstential! Finally we get some predators, or larger fish. Tangs for algae, angelfish (for coral polyps etc), butterfly, this could be expanded infinitely. Finally we get the last set of animals, the top predators, I mean carnivores here, think: eels, anglers, grouper, shark!I mean could it actually happen...Obviously the key is to get the numbers right. Each population will self regulate itself to some point, as long as you have not created too many predators for that one area. I would be that the "tank" would have to exist for quite a while to get the proper load of plankton in the water before adding the fish, then add all fish together...but you must ensure that some fish are breeding, and that the eggs actually hatching to become food for the rest of the cycle...obviously this will fail if the top predator dies (poor lonely shark) so it could probably not exist endlessly, its just too small.Post your thoughts, how big do you have to go, or what size is just perfect on the small side.-Kyle

RO Unit

2006-08-11 16:21:35

Here is a pic of my RO unit, It is rated to do 2600 per day

One at a time or all at once?

2006-08-11 13:51:44

Here is a topic for you to discuss. If you want to get 8 fish total in your aquarium, should you add them one at a time, or add them all at once?Okay with gobies and blennies I'll assume you answered one at a time. Might as well, right? But what about aggressive or territorial fishes?This topic started because my wife loves tangs. Should she add a couple tangs here and there knowing they will pick on any new fish? Or should she add several tangs at once in hopes of reducing aggression and increasing overall stress?Adam

Some of the micros are sold out!!!

2006-08-11 09:55:49

Hello to all,Just wanted to update you on the micro-mania collection. A couple of the morphs have completely sold out but there are still many wonderful frags available.We will be posting how to's for a few new fragmentation techniques later this weekend so keep an eye on the blog for updates =)To view the collection click here:http://www.jendub.com/Frags.phpFor fragmentation techniques and growth sequences along with exciting pictures please click here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Best Method for Fragging Acanthastrea and Micromussa

2006-08-11 02:28:22

I have tried many different ways to propagate acans and micros:click here to find out what works best:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=1016mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Best Methods for Keeping Acanthastrea Lordhowenesis

2006-08-11 01:55:15

Hey Everyone,Over the past couple yearsI have learned alot about keeping lords long term and thriving and want to pass the information on to you.Click this link to find out some tips for keeping them and having the flurish!!!http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=1014Thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

New micros are here!

2006-08-11 00:40:39

Hello to all,Finally got a chance to take new pics. This release includes some of the best of the best from the past year's propagation efforts. If you see something you like please don't hesitate because they won't last long =)http://www.jendub.com/Frags.phpFunky Echinata:Aurora Micro:Disco Micro:Imfamous Doughnutz micro:First Release! Fireberry micro:One of my favorites & already sold out!!! Formula51 micro:Joker XL micro:First Release!!! Levy:First Release!!! Lucid dreams:RazzleBerry micro:First Release!!! Shamrock micro:Sputnik micro:I will try to take some pictures of the cutting process when the frags of these micros are cut =)For more info on fragging your corals click here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

What is this Acro?

2006-08-10 14:28:56

What do think? Is this an Acro. echinata? It seems to be getting more and more blue. If you think it is something else let me know. I'm not sure.

Tropical Storms

2006-08-10 12:54:02

This past week I had the opportunity to encounter a tropical storm. I think Tropical Storm Chris allowed me to throw up more times in one week than in the past five years. Boy do I love getting tossed around the ocean on a little boat.Anyway my question or discussion is this: in what ways do tropical storms affect coral reefs.For me, the water turbidity was significant, some animals were being washed in to areas they are not typically found (jellyfish in particular), wave damage to corals, possible increase in food and plankton brought from open oceans to reef shoals, etc.....Adam

Media Review- Butterflyfishes, Bannerfishes and their relatives

2006-08-09 15:27:52

Reef RamblingsMedia Review: Butterflyfishes, Bannerfishes and their relativesKuiter, R., (2002) This book is all about butterflyfishes. It is very difficult to obtain. At least it currently is. My sources tell me that there is not a US distributer for this book? Is that correct? I haven't found any online, nor in local stores. So I ordered my copy from Amazon.com (the England version of the site). Since that time I have seen this book now at a local store in my area (Aquatica). Maybe it can be purchased local to the reader.... you just have to check.This book follows the exact format of the other Kuiter books. It has the same introduction and write up of the fishes. That only takes a few pages. Then this book goes into pages after pages of photographs. If your goal is to look up a fish and find out what it requires in the aquarium then do NOT buy this book. It does not contain information for each fish nor aquarium husbandry information. However, this book does a fabulous job describing and identifying fishes. If your goal is to pick up a book and identify which butterflyfish you have, then DO buy this book. Thenatural history and evolution section of this book is also very well done. Some great insight by the author, and also a bazillion pictures. Adam

Just an up date

2006-08-09 12:55:07

Just letting everyone know that we are getting there..... We were getting some work done on the green house. Here is a shot of our air lift

New frags & fragging tutorials coming soon

2006-08-09 07:16:51

Hello to all,We finally have a chance to put together a new fragging tutorial. This tutorial will cover the dremel tool and chisel techniques so keep an eye out for the lesson.Also, some new micros will be realeased on the website soon so keep checking it out =)Thanks for your support!For more info on fragging your corals click here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

trades

2006-08-09 01:05:43

Just thought I'd let people know that I am always looking for a good trade. Right now I would love to find more watermelon or watermelon type Echinos, cool Micros and Lords. Along with any cool looking Acros of course. Just let me know what you have if you think we can work out a trade.

Some more corals under 3000k and Blue+ T5

2006-08-09 00:22:15

These are terrible pics! Please bear with me. As requested some pics of non-pink corals under this lighting combo. These pics were actually taken with all of my lights on (B+ 3K B+ B+ 3K B+). They are right off the camera except for cropping, just like all of the other pics I posted. One thing I would like to add is that I recently shocked my tank with too much ROWA (watch out for over doing it with this stuff!) and have some bleaching due to that - I don't attribute this to the lighting at all. It was pretty obvious what happened when I changed the ROWA. Here is a frag of tortuosa that I have been growing out for several months. Have never been able to color it up. Kind of a drab purple. Here we have a popular monti. It is recently added and encrusting (don't mind the algae) in 360 degrees. This one is directly below a 3k lamp about 3 inches under the water surface! This is a blue~teal Cyphastrea japonica that I have had for about a year. It is recovering from fragging. I like this guy :) T5 Comparison Pics Part 3T5 Comparison Pics Part 2T5 Comparison Pics Part 1Lighting Teaser

Thanks Bloggers!

2006-08-08 09:51:07

I just wanted to say thank you to our guest bloggers.I hope all the readers enjoyed the guests. Hopefully some of them have been inspired to start their own blogs. In the meantime, I'll do my best to keep blogging, so please check back often.ThanksAdam

Toadstool Xenia

2006-08-08 01:01:20

Has anyone seen a xenia like this? It grows like a toadstool but it pulses like a xenia. It doesn't grow very fast. You can start one new frag like every 3-4 months. The first person that I know that had it was Charles Lai. He is the owner of reeftank.com. He then gave a piece to Roger Hoffer. He is one of the board members of Seabay. That is one of our local reef clubs. This picture is from Roger. He has a few piece of it ready to sell and he asked me to put it on my site. This really is a very unusual xenia. I think we will call it the Toadstool Xenia. What do you guys think?

Algea in the summertime

2006-08-07 00:15:00

I dont know if its just me or not but every summer I have rising temperatures by a few degrees and algea blooms. What a pain. I should invest in a chiller but for only 2 maybe 3 months a year I dont need it. I have never been sucessful keeping my reef tank above 80 degrees. Some people have no problems with this. Here are some recent photos of nusense algea in my main tank. See how the algea ruins what would be some great shots. If you have any imput on this feel free to comment. By the way I use only RO water in my tanks and I run a phosphate reactor. I personally feel it is the change in temp that causes algea to bloom in my tank.

Micromussa: Not so small....

2006-08-06 16:13:26

It has been awhile since I have posted so I thought I would share some of my micromussa pics with you guys. Most of these I have propagated and put back into the reefing community. If anything happened to my tank like a crash, who knows if that specimen was last of it's kind. It is essential to share and propagate as many of your corals with others to ensure the survival of these creatures.MICROMUSSA AMAKUSENSIS Also, check out the rest of my blog for more information on fragging, shipping, and proper care of living creatures.http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043Thanks, Jen=)

Destruction of the Coral Reefs

2006-08-05 14:00:50

This is perhaps one of the best editorials I have ever read, period and it ties in with my save the reefs theme.From the LA Times "Altered Oceans"http://www.latimes.com/news/local/oceans/la-oceans-series,0,7842752.specialIt makes me wonder how many new coral plagues are actually old plagues they haven't had to fight against until man decided to muck up the machinations of Mother Nature.

Hobbyists are consumers first !?

2006-08-04 13:23:00

This topic was suggested from another of our local reefers (thanks Shibaji). Read on: [for clarification]"... and as any responsible consumer has the right to know the history behind their purchase. I was speaking to Kris[Kris is the owner of Fish 4 U, a popular LFS in the Salt Lake Valley]today about Bangaii Cardinals. I was quite surprised to hear that Bangaii cardinals are still harvested from the wild and the wild caught ones are cheaper than the tank raised Cardinals. Even more surprising is that the wild caught cardinals are already on a list of threatened species in the zone they are collected from. This is amazing considering that Bangaii's have been popularized around 1995 and therefore it has just taken 10 years to be over collected. It came as a surprise to me even more because I always had the impression that Bangaii's are all tank raised since they breed readily in captivity. I was glad I had this conversation and I am more educated about this aspect. I also am thankful that a certain vendor is a hobbyist first and cares to educate his customers. Therefore with this as an example, i'd like to open a discussion on this blog about us hobbyists having the right to know where our purchases are coming from. Not all vendors are in this business for the love of the hobby, or they may sometimes be the victims of innocent oversight. Along with this right also comes the responsibility of the hobbyist to inform and educate vendors of their concerns. Everyone of us are in this hobby with good intentions and we would never buy a particular animal if we knew that it was at risk. "Shane H - guest blogger

Some more new corals.

2006-08-04 13:22:54

I am getting ready to add some more corals again. The pink lord is going to have a waiting list so let me know if you want to be added. Frags.org members are getting first shot. I also have a rose anemone for sale that you get a chance at first. Let me know if you are interested.My Pink LordsCaptive raised Rose AnemoneGreen skirt blue zoosRed Skirt Blue ZoosROAB Watermelon Alien Eye Chalice

Aiptasia stings!

2006-08-04 13:16:54

OUCH!One of our local reef keepers (thanks Kyle)posted some interesting pictures of a reaction to skin contact with the dreaded aiptasia anemone. I've seen similar reactions from carpet anemones as well. Not deadly, but irritating and painful. Shane H - guest blogger

Nemo Chaser

2006-08-04 12:00:59

Holdencraft (Dion ) sitting in for Adam. I could justify this by saying I use it to collect my own corals and fish, But I wont. It is just one of my other passions that make my life fun. 1966 Holdencraft race boat

Feeding a Lion

2006-08-04 10:34:32

Summertop - Guest BloggerI just bought a beautiful Lion:Sorry... I HAD to use a flash for this picture.He aggresively eats gold fish. I also do SW Mollies. For frozen food, we will be doing fresh shrimp and such. Any other recommendations?

New corals added

2006-08-04 03:43:07

I just added a few corals to the site. Plus I put all of the Tunze stuff on sale. This will last for two weeks. Don't forget to check out all of my pics at http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=3370

What is this Crazy thing??????????????????????????

2006-08-04 01:44:06

Well these guys are crazy and Very Bad!!!click here to find out what they are:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=933mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Rose Anemone Propagation

2006-08-04 01:33:37

Hey everyone,Afew years backI propagated several rose anemones and here is how you do it:First Place the rose anemone onto a solid surface for cutting. Always Where latex Gloves when proping any corals!!!!!Next Starting from the center of the anemone cut outward until you cut cut through all the flesh, so it looks like Pac Man.After that cut is made, you are going to start in the center again and proceed to cut the anemone in half.Place the anemone back into the tank. I have found that having clowns that host the anemones right after fragging is best. They help the anemone close faster where the cuts have been made. They also bring the anemone food.Anemones 2 days after fraggingMAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT MY BLOG FOR OTHER COOL STUFF!!!http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=1638THAT IS IT!!!!!!!Hope this helps,Mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Attaching Montipora Capricornis frag

2006-08-03 18:07:51

What is theright way to attach a Monti. Capricornis frag to live rock. Super glue gel or epoxy ? Have never done it. Pretty new to fragging. Or is it a personal perference?Thanks, Robert

RIP

2006-08-03 13:27:50

I lost my new blonde naso earlier this week. Its frustrating when I loose fish for no apparent reason. The naso was carefully chosen from a reputable LFS, appropriately acclimated and had been grazing and taking prepared foods. The fish has established itself in the aquarium (there are no other tangs) and had chosen a "sleeping" location. Then, suddenly it began to hide nearly all day. It also stopped eating and quickly perished? Generally, once I have passed the seven day mark I feel confident that a fish will live and thrive. This fish had been in my aquarium for 2 to 3 weeks. arrghShane H - guest blogger

My first coral hybrid (sort of)

2006-08-02 23:44:51

So I decided to try to graft two corals together a while ago. I know I am not the first one to do this but I also know there aren't a lot of people that have. The hard part was figuring out what corals to stick together. They had to be very similar geneticaly but they also had to be very different in apearance. I mean who would want to buy a piece of two pink Echinos glued together? It's interesting but not marketable. I wanted to use an Acro or a Monti but it is so hard to ID those species. Plus if I did find a couple of the same species they probably wouldn't have very different coloration. So I decided on my two rarest Stylos. The green polyped one and the blue polyped one. They are almost identical but the colors are very different. Let me know what you think of my choices. I put them together about three months ago. The only problem I notice is that they are very slow growing corals. I wish I could think of two that were much faster growing. If you think of two to try out let me know. I just might do it. For now here is a pic of them together. They are very hard to photograph for some reason. The best I could do was to use the flash.

banner for adverising

2006-08-02 23:33:59

Hey everyone,I AM LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DO A BANNER ADD FOR ME for website and advertising use.IF YOU KNOW HOW AND WOULD LIKE TO TRADE SOME FRAGS FOR YOUR SERVICE LET ME KNOW.IAM LOOKING FOR ONE LIKE THE BLOGS.ORG BANNER. I want onethat hasmotion!!!thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Phosphate remover

2006-08-02 22:12:53

Well lets see here. No one had an opinion, suggestion or thought on my last blog about lighting combinationsor Steve Tyree's Tri ZonalFiltration systems. Sooo lets try this. What do you (anybody) consider to be the best Phosphate Remover. From what I here the people on this web site come highly recommended. So I figure why not ask some of the best in the reefkeeping hobby or business. I'm asking these questions because I'm looking for good info. The town I live in has 2 fish stores in it and there pretty low key. Little or no help to me when looking for info. or to purchase certain products or corals.I'm originally from Ca. now in Tx. and the area I'm in is a little behind.So any thoughts?Robert

Blue zoos

2006-08-02 03:27:37

We have three frags of our blue zoos available right now. You can see the three different frags in the picture. These blue zoos are more of a navy blue than most other blues. I have been growing these for a couple of years now and I only frag them once every six months or so. This is the most I have ever fragged them. They are very hardy but they do grow slow. Let me know if you are interested in a frag. They sell for $50 for 6-7 polyps. These frags have at least twice that. They are around 20 polyps each. Basically small colonies. See my webpage for these here http://reefready.net/add.php?ct=collector&name=Al%20Gs%20blue%20zoos&id=33&page=

used equipment

2006-08-02 03:23:39

Ihave been going through some old equipment i have and figued i would start posting it here for sale. to start it off i have a:Used Medusa, ChillerAND Heater Controller $125 shipped very good condition. Controls both heater and Chiller (heater and chiller not included)First person to post gets it!!!mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

The purple sponge

2006-08-02 03:16:04

Looks like The Captive Reef Won! It is a very strange sponge. I have had it for abouta year now and I have fragged it two or three times. It seems to be very hardy. It has been out of water a couple of times and it wasn't affected. The waxy appearance makes it look almost fake. Here is one more pic. This one shows the base of it so you can see how it grows.

ebay lord frags

2006-08-02 03:10:17

Ihave posted4 frags of lords on ebay @ low prices.Check them out!!!!!!!!!http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&item=270013959022&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&item=270014494699&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&item=270014495158&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&item=270014496341&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

3000k Update 8-1-06

2006-08-01 21:44:24

Since I hadn't posted in a while I thought I would also update regarding my 3000k experience so far. At a few weeks in to this experiment I hadn't seen any real change for the better or worse in any of the corals. What I decided to do was add the 2nd 3000k bulb to the mix, giving me the following combination: B 3k B B 3k B. This looked pretty good! ...And then after another week I put the reflectors on both bulbs. The overpowering yellow of the 3000k turned the blue to almost a purple color (what ever happened to yellow and blue make green!?!). It looked close to one of the older VHO lit tanks with that pinkish~purple color.Not only that but my corals didn't like it. I got some instant bleaching and browning out. Not good.Early reports from 'The Grim Reaper' (who is not me, I have been asked this several times now) indicate that the 3000k bulbs have more PAR than any of the current T5 bulbs out there. I cannot confirm this, but I can say that the 3000k are very bright to the eye. Whatever it was, the corals did not like the sudden change so I have taken the reflectors off the 3000k's for now. I'm liking this setup a lot. If the 3000k turns out badly in the long term I will switch them out for a couple of 6500k bulbs.If you have a couple of 6500k bulbs laying around try mixing them in a 1:2 ratio with blue plus. I think you might be surprised how nice it looks w/o the aquablues in the mix.Tank shot to come soon... camera charging now... You can see more comparions pics on these blogs:T5 Comparison Pics Part 3T5 Comparison Pics Part 2T5 Comparison Pics Part 1Lighting Teaser

T5 Comparison Pics - Part 3

2006-08-01 21:08:43

I've been out of town on business for a bit, came back and had no internet access... good ol California heat wave :PWell these are not really new pics, but I had not posted them yet so I thought that I would. These corresond to my pics from part 2 except they are more of a full shot of the top left side of my tank. Someone had asked for pics of other corals besides pink ones, so I'll get working on that tonight. Enjoy :)3k, B+ B+, B+ AB, 3k AB, AB AB, B+ S, B+ You can see more comparions pics on these blogs:T5 Comparison Pics Part 2T5 Comparison Pics Part 1Lighting Teaser

Sold Out!

2006-08-01 20:41:38

Sold out my first set of frag packs successfully! Wahoo! Now all I have to do is sell another 97 sets and I should be close to my initial investment.Hmmm. . . lets not do a study on the per hour costs though . . . it might be a little depressing.Unwanted experiment: The cleaning ladies blew a circuit breaker that was tied to my MH lighting and I forgot to lower my lights after cleaning the acrylic top. My tank had VHO only lighting raised to 12 inches above the water for a period of 4 days (I'm a pilot and was gone on a trip.) Result: my purple humilis and plating purple monti turned slightly brown instead of their normal vibrant purple. I returned the lighting to normal and then replaced all my bulbs and the corals recovered to full color within a 10 day period. Very unscientific but very interesting.Other experiment: I'm a believer in 10K MH + VHO actinic for maximum color, but on the advice of my local LFS I tried an outrageously expensive 15K bulb. Result: Loss of color on my purple plating monti. I just don't think higher kelvin bulbs have enough PAR to get the job done. I know, I know . . . its a dead horse, but I couldn't help stirring the pot. Besides its really my true opinion.Has anyone else noticed that frag prices are falling like mad over the last 2 years. I wonder how much pressure the hobbiests are putting on the Fiji produces et al?????

My Aquarium

2006-08-01 14:39:03

Figured I would post a couple of pics from my 55 tankLighting consists of 4 110W VHO normally 2 actinic and 1 sun and 1 10K from UVlighting (URI). 10 gallon refugium underneath with MagDrive 950 return. HOB overflow. couple of powerheads (AquaClear 210, Rio 600, and PowerSweep), HOB AquaClear 300 powerfilter to add Carbon, PolyFilter, and RowaPhos, and a Urchin HOB Skimmer.Full tankSome close ups.Well, what do you think so far?

Poisoning the reefs

2006-08-01 14:16:47

A couple of good reads to start todays blog.http://www.projectaware.org/americas/english/plr.asphttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1535383.stmThe Australian Institue of Marine Science has a web site with a plethora of information on the Great Barrier Reefhttp://www.aims.gov.au/index.htmlOceanWorld is a site dedicated to oceanography and education. A lot of informaion.http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/index.htmlhttp://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral5.htmI would say as saltwater enthusiasts we are painfully aware of dangerous fishing practices such as dynamiting and cyanide poisoning of the reefs, however these are not the problems that the United States' reefs are facing. The poison that affects much of the Carribean and US coral reefs and west coast kelp forests is from runoff from development and farming practices.http://www.cdnn.info/news/eco/e060416.htmlhttp://www.ecofloridamag.com/askeditor_coral_reef_decline.htmhttp://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr2004/coral.htmlhttp://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/coral_reef/south_america.htmlhttp://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=107028&org=NSFhttp://www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/ecosystems/kelpimpacts.htmlSo what can we do about this? Maybe this is the point where I leave it up to the reader(s?) of this blog. I think one thing I can do is to purchase "organic" foods, foods that are grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. Unfortunately, the large influx of golf courses and specifically the well manicured, fertilizedgrass links is of concern as well.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/13/MNG88H7E5U1.DTL&hw=guana+cay&sn=001&sc=1000So let me know what can be done, please throw out any and all suggestions.

Guess what this is.

2006-08-01 13:29:50

It took me a while to figure it out. For a while I thought it was a fake coral. I assure you that it is not. The first person that guesses what it is gets a free frag. Either with an order or Local pickup in San Jose Ca.

Coral Farming

2006-08-01 11:38:44

How many people have had success coral farming? I'm not talking about full scale, greenhouse production models. I'm referring to small, in tank or small, seperate frag grow out tanks. Do you prefer a seperate system entirely or an in-line tank? What about racks in the display tank?What challenges do you face with a small fragging system like this?Shane H - guest blogger

Favia speciosa

2006-08-01 03:03:37

Is it just me or does this Favia look like a monster?

Georgia Aquarium

2006-08-01 00:41:15

Here is info and pics of my recent trip to theNew Georgia aquarium in Atlanta:Click on this link for pics and info and I also went on the behind the scenes tour which was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=867THIS PLACE WAS CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!Pics of whale sharks in there 6.2 million gallon tankenjoy i sure did : )mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Night Feeding

2006-08-01 00:13:00

I love waiting until the lights go out to feed my coralsIts cool how differant they look Like there from another world. The above is my prized scolimia. Its a very vibrant red.Of course Lps is the coolest but for some reason I get breat polyp extention from my sps at night as well.

The Atlantis Meteor Shower Cyphastrea

2006-07-31 23:35:10

Personally I think this is the best Cyphastrea out there. It is very hardy, grows like crazy, and it is super colorful. How can you resist getting a frag of this coral. I do have one available right now through my site. It is the frag in the picture.

RED ACRO BUG DIP FOR SPS CORAL

2006-07-31 23:19:27

hey guys,Ifew years back I was heavily intoSPS and found a dip that works really well for killing red acro bugs. This is a dip only and not meant to treat your tank, but a dip for new corals, so you do not introduce them into your system!Click on the link below for details:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=859Ecophos 4000ml $169 shipped click link below:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=627thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Lighting, 65k, 10k, 14k, 20k. 150w, 250w, 400w mh, Filtration

2006-07-31 16:26:36

Ok, I.m new to this blogging thing. What I'm looking for is answers on lighting. I here use T5. vhoT12 or metal halides or a combination oftwo. What I have is a 70g. tank, it's 36L x20W x 24dp. Right now my lighting consist of 150mh 10khqi in a pendant, 300w vho super actinic. I'm thinking about changing to a 400w 14k or 20k MH with no other supplementallighting. I'm sick ofthe maze ofelect. plugs. You here so many different opinions on this subject it's enough to drive you nuts. (that's a pretty short drive for me)From what I've read on people like SteveTyree, He uses nothing but 400w 20k MH. But everone seems to have a differentopinion on this subject.Speaking of Steve Tyree. Does anybody out there know anything about his Tri Zonal filtration system? He's using cryptic sponges, tunicates and squirts. NO LIGHTS IN SUMP!!! NO PROTIEN SKIMMER!!!I keepSps and lps in my tank. I'll take all the help I can getI guess what I'm trying to find out is what is the best lighting set-up? Is the intensity of MH more than T5. Is there any more benefits from one or the other?Thanks,Robert

My Acan rotundaflora

2006-07-31 16:20:49

Pics of the Tyree true undata

2006-07-31 16:13:29

Awesome Artificial Reef

2006-07-30 23:10:29

Check out this saltwater tank. It is semi reef, but is dominated by fake corals. I actually think this looks pretty sweet!Adam

14K Halides

2006-07-30 23:08:48

Here is a shot of my wife's lights. You can see it is wired for three halides, but so far it only has two halides running. We thought we'd need 3 bulbs, but so far like the looks of two, and probably won't put in the third bulb. They are both 400 watt 14K. The inside of the canopy is painted white, so you can see how blue they look.Adam

Another Pink Lemonade

2006-07-30 03:32:50

Pink Lemonade Pics

2006-07-30 03:31:24

Email me if you want to be added to the wait list for frags of the pink lemonade from my site Reefready.net. Here are a couple of more recent pics of my piece.

Plate growth.

2006-07-30 02:50:56

Holdencraft here, filling in for Adam.I took some new pictures of my plates. They are one of my favorite corals and thought seeing the growth was fun.April 2006July 2006May 2006July 2006May 2006July 2006mayMay 2006]July 2006May 2006July 2006Dont you love how they are entertwineing them selves.A couple new plates!Updated watchmanHis buddy in a nother tank

Softies "�" us

2006-07-30 01:37:48

Rhine Again.Anyone else just get Hypnotized watchin softies go with the flow???Rhine

Green Brittle

2006-07-30 01:17:49

Rhine here.Someone needs to clean there Glass!!!! And I was the one that said I wanted the coraline. Silly me...:)Rhine

tulips anyone???? or rather a poem about them

2006-07-30 00:58:41

Rhine here for Adam.What once was one and is now a dozen. Received from Mark, his tulips cousin.Woke up one morning, split in two.Now your family is here, what am i to do?Joe's juice from the store? what a bore. peppermint shrimp from the store? need two or more.So ill paint you a picture, or rather an analogy. Thanks Suzy for the chaeto Algae.

Mangroves

2006-07-30 00:04:16

So lots of people talk about keeping mangroves. Most of the discussions revolve around nutrient uptake and using them for filtration. I've come to believe they aren't that useful for that purpose.However... I've always had this other idea that I havne't shared much. I believe that mangroves can be super helpful in terms of creating a diverse and very biotic habitat. I once wrote an aritcle on all the sponges found on mangrove roots.Check out these pictures and discuss your thoughts on mangroves.Adam

Another Cool Tang

2006-07-29 17:34:58

This is a hybrid, not completely identified. Pretty sweet huh?Adam

Fragging Anemones!- Anthony Calfo

2006-07-29 15:35:47

Sorry for the delay. In keeping up with the little Calfo theme, here are some pictures of Calfo fragging an anemone. Yep, fragging a bubble tip anemone.Feel free to discuss...Adam

newly aquired !!

2006-07-29 12:54:00

well fellas been off a bit because of werk...but here i am again posting some of my aquired frags..got an acro frag and a colony..also i posted a pic of my sun polyps feeding just cus i thought it was a good pic!hope you guys like the pics..

Evil Montipori eating nudibranch

2006-07-29 02:42:50

Just wanted to write about my experance with the evil montipora eating nudibranch and the final out come. A few months ago I notice what almost apeared to be RTN on some of my capricornis. Obviously I started with the basics water testing and waterchanges this offered no help. I thought I must have an alk problem so I started messing with my kalk and ca reactors. No help and very frustrated!! After another week or so I noticed some of my digitata effected the same way. Oh great now what I must be having a crash! I added another fan and tryed lower my temp 2 degrees.Well finaly I did what I should have done in the first place and asked for help. I asked for help on rc and utahreefs and was informed of a nudibranch that eats only montipora. After seening the picture I was able to spot one and my questions answered. Here is a pic I took of one of them. Notice how small they are.Here is half of a large plate that was completely eaten in just a few weeksHere are some before pics of colonies and frags lost These are some not all that I lost. These were all from my display tank. Now a few months later I have some peices growing back ! My tank really took a beating and I lost a lot of money in coral but finally things are coming back. Please share any succesful cures or any info related to this. I have found the only cure so far is to let it run its course.

Frankie

2006-07-29 02:36:01

My wife thought it would be funny to add a picture of her cat Frankie eating a push-up. He has a sweet tooth. Stupid cat.

Trying Pics again. Let me know if it works.

2006-07-29 02:31:30

OK. Lets try this pic posting again. I learned that I was having trouble because Yahoo screws with my pic URL in my Yahoo gallery. Now I will try with Photobucket.

Tank Shots !!

2006-07-29 01:47:20

Holdencraft here, subbing for the great one!Ive been asked for some tank shots so here goes. This is my biggest tank and also my baby.It doesnt matter how hard I try, sometimes I just cant get the pictures to focus right!

My favorite

2006-07-29 01:22:38

Hi Rhine here for Adam.don't you just love my fish???What a ham, he loves the camera.

Fedex comes through-for once =)

2006-07-29 00:49:55

Had a close call today with a package. There was a shipping delay at LAX and the priority overnight package that was supposed to arrive by 10:30 am was stuck at a fedex facility. Fedex was content on letting the pacage sit in the warehouse over the weekend, but after a few calls I was able to get a hold of the facility manager and explain that the perishable contents would be trash by monday. He promptly located the package and sent it out on the next truck to be delivery a 2pm.This is a great lesson for any new shippers-never rely on Fedex to make it happen. If something goes wrong-get on the phone asap and ask to speak with the manager of the facility the package was last scanned at. The normal Fedex reps can only track the package and are absolutley useless-ask for the manager of the facility and you'll be in touch with a person who can help =)For more great reading:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Forgot 1 fish

2006-07-29 00:18:08

Hi Again. This the substute Holdencraft 33 for AdamI missed a picture of one of my favorite fish!!

Color in the tank

2006-07-29 00:15:31

Dion here-subbing for AdamA few picks of color in the tank!

ID Contest #5

2006-07-28 19:17:25

Jake Pehrson (sub for Adam) Okay, Good job Will two in a row! You may be able to upgrade the free anemone to a trip to Fiji (talk to Adam). Here we go. This one may be a little hard since you can't see the entire specimen. Fine Print The winner will be determined by Jake Pehrson. Jake Pehrson makes no representation that he actually can ID the animals in the ID contest. Therefore whomever Jake determines is the winner, wins (whether right or wrong). If you have determined that Jake has ID'd something incorrectly then Jake may award a second prize to the person who has correctly ID the animal (prizes may have no actual value). Those who participate in the competition must always hold Jake blameless for anything and everything, and speak only good things about him when in the company of others. Jake may modify the fine print without notice! If Jake has inadvertently or purposefully spelled something incorrectly then tough. Thanks.

Cameras

2006-07-28 17:29:18

Summertop Substituting For AdamSo everyone likes to share pictures of their tank...What camera(s) do you use?I used an HP Photosmart 733 camera to get a picture of my Vlamingii Tang:I used Sony DSC to take a picture of my Cleaner Shrimp. Because they are always moving, they are hard to photograph:

ID Contest #4

2006-07-28 14:35:28

Jake Pehrson (substituting for Adam)Be the first person to identify the species below and win a prize!!The last one may have been a little too hard apparently. Please check it out here:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=553This one should be easy. Genus and species please.

More Pictuers

2006-07-28 11:54:44

Here we go clearning the land away. Check out the rest of my blog to fin out what we are doing

Plenum

2006-07-28 11:04:54

Yep - I said it, plenum. How many people still use a plenum in their systems? Are there really any advantage to a plenum over a DSB? I use a plenum in my 120, but haven't used them in subsequent systems that I've set up.My pistol shrimp / watchmen goby pair have completely undone my plenum. They are in / under / around / through the plenum all day, every day. I have not seen any ill affects as a result. The big concern that if the plenum was disturbed, the tank would crash has been alleviated - at least in my case.Anyway - are you for or against (and why)Shane H - guest bloggerp.s. Here's a few pics of my tank - plenum and all. (these were taken in 2004 for the WMAS Tank of the Month contest) Things have changed a bit since then. Like all the sps are now growing out of the water. ;)And lastly my favorite of this era: the whole enchilada ..

Plates

2006-07-28 02:49:30

Still Dion here. Trying to take up space for Adam (Hes got big shoes to fill)I do love Plates.

Some of my favorite fish.

2006-07-28 02:36:17

Hello, Dion again.(Holdencraft 33) sitting in for Adam.Heres some of my favorite fish.

Back up for Adam

2006-07-28 02:17:32

Hello, It is I "Dion " filling in for Adam at this time. Here is the infamous tank that Adam did have and that I currently own. It has gone through a little modification but non-the-less it is the same.http://gallery.utahreefs.com/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=2223Sorry I couldnt get it to post

THE INCIDENT OF 2006

2006-07-28 01:37:05

CAUTION - NOT FOR THE SQUEEMISH ! So, several months ago I come home from work and, as usual, I walk through the kitchen to have a quick peak at the tank. As I look through my living room, I see a completely darkened aquarium. I didn't panic, I figured I had some issues with a powerstrip or ballast. As I walked closer, I realized the tank was not only dark - but also quiet. Normally, the tank is humming with the sound of pumps, cooling fans and gently falling water. You know - just like your tank.The stillness did cause me to panic and I quickly walked closer to take a look. What I saw nearly brought me to tears. Those that know me, know that I'm no cryer. But the condition of my tank was devestating. Everywhere I looked there were dead fish, dead shrimp, dead crabs. The only movement was a small osceallaris near the surface. I quickly opened the stand and made a quick inspection of all electrical connections, and powerstrips. Everything looked normal. I then ran to the basement to check the circuit breaker. Also, nothing wrong. My investigation eventually brought me to outlet behind my tank. There I found the problem! Salt creep, dust or moisture had caused a short and the entire circuit was burned up. Fortunately, there was no fire - just a bit of melted plastic on the outlet cover. As an interim fix, I ran an extension chord from another outlet - on another circuit -and got the tank up and running. The few remaining fish, the lone oscellaris and a couple of green chromis quickly recovered. As the pumps began to oxygenate the water, life slowly returned to my tank. I began the arduous task of removing all the dead animals. I felt absolutely horrible! All these animals depended on me for their very lives and I had let them down. As I removed each one, my kids would remind me which was their favorite and my wife would remind me just how long each fish had been with us. The oldest two, a large female oscellaris and a yellow tail damsel had been in my care forover seven years.As I placed each animal in a bucket, I realized what a learning experience this could be for others. The following pic is horrible and should teach everyone the importance ofredundancyin design. Had I ran just one powerhead on another outlet, this could have been avoided. Now - everyone go and pull another circuit, run an extension chord across the living room, or install a battery back up to avoid such a catastophe. It will be much cheaper than filling the bottom of a five gallon bucket with dead fish. Shane H - guest blogger

DSB's

2006-07-28 01:15:18

Hi Rhine again, covering Adam while he is out of town.Doesnt everyone just love DSB's? Especially in the refugium? What a natural way to go for nitrogen reduction. I have about a 4" Sand bed in my fuge and 4" Sand bed in my display. what do you do for Substrate??? Or are you the no Substrate type? Im interested to know. Rhine

New Scuba System!

2006-07-28 00:55:37

This is my friend Ann. She is on a BOB which is a new device for non-scuba divers. You sit on the BOB which has an air-filled helmet. You just drive around and check out the reef. Pretty cool huh?Adam

Green Stars

2006-07-28 00:48:36

So you all know I love green star polyps. But I think this guy likes them even more than I do!Adam

ECO-PHOS Phosphate remover $169 for 4000ml Shipped!!!!

2006-07-28 00:22:43

Hey Everyone,I am placing a big order of Eco-phos, Phosphate removerand wanted to know if any one would be interested in a 4000ml bucket of EcoPhos for $169 includes shipping. If you are interested please post that you want one, so i can have an idea of how many to order.If you have any questions let me know!thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

PFO SOLARIS LED LIGHTING !!!!!!!!!!!

2006-07-28 00:14:46

Hey Guys and Gals,A friend lent me a beta unit from PFO of the new Solaris LED lighting system! I have installed it on a prop tank of mine and will be posting growth and color changepics over the next couple monthes and coments on the unit. So far it is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!If you have any questions about the unit, Post your questions andI will answer the best i can for you.thanks,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

NEW WORD SCRAMBLE

2006-07-27 23:26:03

Hey everyone,I have now posted a new word scramble.Click on this link to view THE NEW LETTERS!!!http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=124This one is tuff. I hope : )Again this will be for 1 single dendro polyp.Click here for details on what you recieve and rules:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=288Good Luck,Mikewww.thecaptivereef.comTHANKS FOR CHECKING OUT MY BLOG!!!!

Adam's Mystery Tank

2006-07-27 22:39:58

So there were many rumors that I didn't have a tank. I always talked about it, but nobody ever saw it. Well to put the conspiracy theories to rest here are some pics. Oh, and it looks like someone saw it.... looks like Anthony Calfo saw it.Adam

To go or not to go.

2006-07-27 20:55:41

Hi this is Rhine Lenhart (substituting for Adam ).It is my wife Lisa's Birthday on a very important day. Thursday August 3rd as you all know is our WMAS membership meeting.Every first Thursday of the month for 2 hrs, where all of us " fish geeks " as my wife likes to call us, enjoy eachothers company, talking about everything there is, about reefs and the way they funtion as individuals. I need everyones opinion.Would you; A: Enjoy the day, spending it together with a nice dinner.B: Try to push the subject about going to the meeting and reminding her that it is only about an hour.orC: Not mess with a 8 1/2 month pregnant woman and just respect her wishes and stay a way from the fishes?:) Thanks for your comments, Rhine

Phosphates-Dumb Question

2006-07-27 19:07:07

I'm not new to reefkeeping but right now I sure feel like I am. About 2 mos. ago I had to relocate my tank to my new home. BeforI moved it I was having problems with bubble algae. So when we moved it we decided to scrub that bubble off. We did rince rock in salt water. The tank has been up and running since the move for 2mos. Now I'm having problems with red slime and some hair algae. Obvisely I have phosphate problem. I change about 5gals. a week which is over 20% per month. I haven't had a problem like this in so long I seem to be at a loss as to what to do about it. Somebody please help!!! Also anybody have any good ideas for getting rid of bubble algae? Emerald crabs not working for me. Thanks, ReefnutP.S. My tank is 70g. It's lps & sps. I have 450w of lighting. 300w vho super atinic, 150 10k mh. 20g sump900g return pump, 300g canister filter, 2 maxijet 1200 that alternate every 15 minutes and 1 rio 600 behind rock that flows along back wall of tank. The tank has built in overflow and is drilled in back for return and canister filter.Thanks again

Corals grown from Frags...

2006-07-27 18:27:57

Hi, this is Will Spencer helping to fill in for Adam while he is out of town.It seems many people think almost exclusively of SPS Corals when they think of fragging. Even at the frag seminars we hold most of the corals are SPS. My tank is almost devoid of SPS though, so I thought I would show you some ofmy corals that I have grown from frags.This coral was purchased from another reefer as a 2" piece abouttwo and half years ago. It has since grown very rapidly and I have fraggedit on at least 6 occasions.Mushroom corals are extreamly easy to frag. I have several hundred of them in my tank and cut them all the time to share with friends. I usually just cut them at the base, sell the head, and let the base regrow.Several months ago I offered them for sale and sold so many of them that I just had a bunch of cut ends in the tank. 2 months later the tank was full of 2-3" heads again. Watch for these to be listed for sale here on Frags.org within the next month or so.These Zoanthids were given to me by a friend. She has a large patch of them in her tank. She lays a couple small pieces of rock amongst them and a couple months later pulls the rock out with several of these attached. This gives her small corals to trade with friends like me.I know others like to frag softies as much as I do, I just think these types of corals get overshadowed by the SPS crowd. None of the corals I have to share are rare or particulally valuable, butI stilllove to share them with other hobbiests.

Contest # 3

2006-07-27 15:44:28

Jake Pehrson (substituting for adam)Be the first to identify this picture (to the species level) and win a prize!Past prizes have included a Trip to Fiji and a free anemone!

Rare Fish!!!

2006-07-27 15:42:12

Check out this super rare tang. My friend took this picture. They are very tough to come by. In fact I think there is only one in our entire state.Adam

Your tank is making an odd noise

2006-07-27 15:09:44

Don't you hate it when you get a call from home saying "your tank is making noise"? Well I just received that call.My first thought is to ask these questions:Is the floor wet? Are the tank lights on? How bad does it smell? Do you know how to turn off the sump?Adam(by the way it looks like all is well, probably a vibrating pump)

ID Contest - #2

2006-07-27 13:59:25

Jake Pehrson (substituting for Adam)Marzena won the last contest and won an all expense paid trip to Fiji (complements of Adam)!Here we go. Marzena said the last one was too easy. I will try to make them harder as we go.

Global Warming

2006-07-27 13:13:09

If you are still questioning whether such a thing as global warming even exists I invite you to check out some literature simply for your education.http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/index.htmlhttp://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/archives/climate_change/000713slouching_toward_sci.htmlhttp://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/fgwscience2005.asphttp://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/a cartoonish version of the same informaiton....http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/05fal/climate.asp?r=nand in case you think it is all a one-sided affair..http://www.globalwarming.org/The one "fact" you can't dismiss is the decline and literal death of coral reefs across the world. Coral reefs that provide much of our oxygen, produce tons of food, and contain many pharmaceuticals (many have not even been discovered) not to mention our reef tanks and SCUBA adventures. For those of you (us) that SCUBA losing these natural treasures would be unthinkable. So we must enact change.How do we do this?http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/pages/actions.htmlhttp://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.aspOne of the many things we can do is to limit electrical usage. We know that pumps use alot of energy. But, what about just turning off the TV? The TV is a huge non-essential energy consumer. Consider buying a hybrid car instead of a truck or SUV. What about solar heating panels? Solar blankets over your water heater. Sky lights to let in more light and changing your lifestyle to limit having lights on. At the very least replace your incandescent lights in the house to fluorescent lights.

ID contest!

2006-07-27 13:00:41

Hey all,Jake Pehrson here (filling in for Adam)I thought while Adam was away we could have a little ID contest. We will start easy and get harder. There will be corals, fish, and inverts.Common names are okay, but what we are really looking for are scientific names (genus and species if possible).

There went some of the tank

2006-07-27 12:50:37

Yesterday was a bad day.I received a call yesterday from my kids saying the house was hot. (98')So I asked them to look at the tank temp. Guess what, 89'. [;(]I rushed home and turned off the MH and put fans on the water. I then started throwing icecubes in. After 2-3 hours of this, I finally got the tank down to 85'. By this morning, it was down to it's normal 77. It looks like I lost most of my SPS but none of my LPS or softies ( I hope).I use the basement to cool the sump/refug but since the upstairs got so hot, the basement heated up also.I called all around the valley and finally found someone to come out tonight to look at the AC, however, I think the problem is the compressor, big $$$ to fix.May you all have better days!

Inverts

2006-07-27 12:31:44

So, we had a lot of discussion about fish and some about corals, but we're missing some of the best reef creatures! INVERTS!Here is one of my favorites. The harlquin shrimp (Hymenocera elegans). Although finicky in their diet, these shrimp are striking and can be maintained with dedication and extra work. They feed exclusively onsea starsand are very proficient at eradicatingthe nuisance sea stars (Asterina). However,once the nuisance sea stars are gone,weekly feedings of other live sea stars is necessary.Shane H - guest blogger!

Tennenti Tang

2006-07-27 11:35:15

This is a pretty fish. It is my wife's and she really enjoys having him. Very pale color, quite soothing is the best way I can put it.Tennenti TangAdam

BLASTO MADNESS: Showcase #2 -TWO-

2006-07-27 11:25:47

ReefEnvy like Promised, brings you "Blasto Madness"!!I'm sure all of you are itching to see some More killer Blasto morphs!! Wasn't that Slamin Melon'talic nice?... Now, I present to you, the Second Morph to be added to the ReefEnvy Blasto madness series!+`<~* DRUM ROLL *~>`+Lavander Ice QueensThis Blastois pretty cool, and is a Soft Lavander color. The whole center is a nice icy green color. Also notice that the mouths are not a diffrent color which is pretty neat:) In my tank, this morph Contrasts nicely with the other blastos!Blasto Madness INTRO:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=455Enjoy!!-Reefenvy-

Heil is in Charge

2006-07-27 10:26:17

If anyone has questions about the blog during my absence please post here or speak with Heil.Adam

Guest Bloggers

2006-07-27 10:19:45

Well as you all know I travel a lot. I was going to let the blog go, but several people are starting to like this site. I've had a couple people say they are encouraged to start their own blog. SWEET! So the frags.org staff is letting them give it a try. Please be checking back here to see some of the new guest bloggers.Adam

Fragging Fungia

2006-07-27 09:45:30

So here are some pics of Calfo fragging a fungia. Not a common coral to frag by any means. Share your thoughts....Adam

Packing boxes = no fun!

2006-07-27 08:43:26

Hello to all of our faithful readers out there. We have been busy packing boxes lately, the weather finally let up enough to ship some shipments out. I will take some pics to help you first time fraggers learn the secrets to transporting live coral fragments successfully =)Check the rest of this blog for more great info on fragging & growth rates by clicking here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Welcome to frags.org :)

2006-07-27 02:00:12

Just wanted to say hello to everyone. I am not sure what I will be sharing but I will come up with something interesting. I know, how about starting an online business? :)Anyhow, welcome to frags.org :) Thanks, Eric

BLASTO MADNESS: Showcase #1 -ONE-

2006-07-27 01:47:15

www.ReefEnvy.com like Promised, brings you "Blasto Madness"!!I'm sure all of you are itching to see some killer Blasto morphs!! So well, with out further delay... I present to you, the First morph to be added to the ReefEnvy Blasto madness series!+`<~* DRUM ROLL *~>`+Slammin Melon'TalicsI want to say this my favorite Blasto, BUT that'd be Rude.. the other Blastos deserve some love aswell LOL!! Really there are a few favorites, and this is one of them!Notice these guys, have Lime Green mouths, surounded by purple, then a green ring.. And ofcource that KILLER PINK but the best thing about these, which you CAN NOT see in this picture, is how METALIC these Slammin' Blastos are.... they Really shine!!Blasto Madness INTRO:http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=455Enjoy!!-Reefenvy-

WOO HOO, Let the Madness Begin!!

2006-07-27 01:27:47

Get ready, steady, GO!!Let's let the Blasto Madness begin, look for the diffrent Blasto Morphs in the Blasto madness that ReefEnvy is going unleash on Frags.org!!I LOVE pink corals, so expect to see some nice PINK Balsto Morphs!!!Enjoy!!-Reefenvy-

CALFO stuff

2006-07-27 00:33:13

Hey Everyone,Tomorrow is a big day as we'll be talkin' about Calfo! Lots of Calfo pics and discussion about CORAL FRAGGING!!! But to end tonight we'll havea contest. Here is a picture... guess where it was taken. Hint- in Utah.Anthony Calfo and Marzena BlundellAdam

Shall we play a game?! "TAG you're it!!" ha ha NO, not that game ;)

2006-07-26 23:22:51

We'll start the with a "difficult" question ( LOL Ok, more like random than difficult O_O), and I'll answer questions and put new ones as we go along... Actually pretty interesting stuff we need to talk about.Tell me what pops in mind, when you see this picture?These Pictures have something VERY interesting about them... don't mark them as plain-O just yet!!Oh, and don't worry I wont tease you guys... there are more pictures from this day that i'll be posting later;)Enjoy!!-Reefenvy-

Can fraggin help?

2006-07-26 21:06:56

Okay so here is the deal. One of my wifes corals was dying. It started from the base and you could just see the skeleton.We were gone on a trip last week (as always) and we saw it when we got back. Well I wasn't in the mood to worry about it, but she freaked out and wanted to frag itto save what was left. I gave in and we fragged it right then after walking in the house. Anyway... a week later and the base actually looks like it is recovering??? Shocker to us as we were trying to save the branches (which are doing well) but didn't expect the base to live. We thought it would begone by morning. So the question is: Can fragging a coral helpwith the part that is dying?Adam

life after SPS...the story of an ever expanding carpet of GSP

2006-07-26 17:34:24

So you reach that point, where time, money and vanting to take a vacation without worrying about your reef tank, finally reaches its apex and you have to get out! I hated to get rid of my 150g tank, but After the frustration of having to move and deal with all these corals, etc. it was time to get into a nano tank. The nice thing was that I had some fun pieces to bring into my new tank(s) (I have 2-12g) so I have a really nice pink yuma and green yuma as well as some other softies and a few small hardy sps. It really is pretty nice to have the tank there, since I was fearing the time without the tank...I mean what would I actually do without a tank. But one huge difference is that I have no fish, I mean none at all. I have lots of pods, and a few snails and hermits, but no fish, and I kind of like it that way. I was thinking of getting a cool seahorse or a pipefish, but realized that part of the reason I like the nano so much is that it takes so little maintenance. I never feed the tank, I change water once a month, and I top off fresh water and add some calcium supplement every week...pretty darn easy. BUT...I still miss my sps, and I miss those big tangs, and I miss...well you get the idea. Let me know if you feel the same!-Kyle7-27. - So the interesting thing about having a tank with no predators (read, fish) is that there are more critters in your tank than you can ever imagine. I mean, I counted over 500 copepods, all sizes, some small, some large, but all very happy. There are also tons of worms and other things just running all over the place! It is really neat to have a "dedicated refugium" to just watch. Anyway, I still think i might want to get some larger animals, maybe this is a call for a pistol shrimp, or maybe even an emerald crab. Im taking suggestions.8-2-06See the wonderful thing about not having this vast, hulking, expensive tank, that is also fragile, is that you can actually go on vacation for a few days and not have to worry. This is one of the reasons why I love the little tank. Ok, Ill post pictures next week8-8The thing about green star polyps is that they actually look pretty darn cool, when you have a little movement, and it just shines green under the actinic lights...but that was back when I had a huge tank, it was a little "grassy" patch on the back glass, it could not/I would not let it get near any rocks, etc. But now in a tiny little tank, the stuff just seems to get everywhere...seriously, so Im looking to trade some of the stuff for other cool "nano" stuff

AHHHHHHHHH I can't see It's all so dark!!!! O_O

2006-07-26 15:56:27

LOL!!! OKay okay, so It's not the ULTRA rare Jem tang, But a Rare Black Tang Zebrasoma rostratumI figured everyone wants to see Rare stuff ;) So here is you're eye candy fo today!! I actually like them better when they are juvinile because they don't have that silver line on top. But I guess that is just personal taste lol!! Pluss we can't keep em as babies FOREVER! ;) It was quite hard to get a good pic of this guy becasue they are CONSTANTLY swimming!! But I did the best I could;)Enjoy: Remember this is a Rare tang, so do not expect to find this in every Local aquarium shop for $40!! They cost a couple hundred for a small fish. Save those Pennies guys!! LOLEnjoy!!-Reefenvy-

Favorite Corals!

2006-07-26 15:32:31

Okay here is Marzena's favorite coral. The Marzena Blue. Click on the comments area to tell us what your favorite coral is, or to post a picture of it.ThanksAdamAlso check out these pics of Marzena's Aquariumhttp://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=307http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=354http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=240

I'd like my Salad Tossed Please ;) ....

2006-07-26 14:50:38

No no, no salad here at all, just Lettuce, as in Lettuce Nudibranch Elysia crispata (Are they really crispy?!) hehA beautiful and usefull sea slug for the reed aquarium! These beauties will devoure the hard to get rid of Bryopsis, ONE PROBLEM though, for some reason these slugs are magnetically atracted to power heads and end up "tossed" into the water as mush :(Here is a picture on one of mine... He/she??( I can't tell if it's wearing make up or not lol), Well, it lasted for a good while but eventually disapeared.. I did find 3 babies months later... so it probably laid eggs before it took the dreaded powerhead path!*Note: I highly recomend these guys, if you have severe Bryopsis problems... otherwise they are best left in the wild since once entering a reef tank, their demise is certain!!Enjoy!!-Reefenvy-

Marzena's Aquarium Right Side

2006-07-26 14:10:10

And some pics of the right side...From the right sideFrom the front on the right sideAdam

POLL- Favorite Aquarium Book

2006-07-26 13:30:29

Okay what is the best book out there?Adam

Marzena's Aquarium Left Side

2006-07-26 11:57:05

Okay okay okay, here are some pics of Marzena's tank. I took these last night. You can tell the tank looks quite blue, and I didn't want to take time to photoshop photos. So just deal with the blue look.From the left sideAnother showing the left side viewAnd this is a front view, of the left sideAdam

Click it or ticket!!

2006-07-26 10:04:21

Hey guys!Is there anything in particular you guys would want me to write about? Or show you?Don't Be shy, Ask away!!Don't forget that while seeing the blogs homepage there are many more ReefEnvy Blogs that you can not see on the first page! -Reefenvy-

Hydrometers and Refractometers

2006-07-26 09:58:34

(For More Cool Stuff Click Above On Adam Blundell's BlogTo See AllSorts Of Other Articles And Comments)So here is the deal. I'm currently working on an article/project to compare hydrometers with refractometers. A refractometer is the gold standard in our hobby, but I'm curioius to see how much better they really are. My thought have always been that hydrometers are good enough, and may infact be more accurate!!!!My buddy Steven Pro beat me to the article. ( http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i4/hydrometers/Impressions.htm ) Thankfully we took slightly different approaches and my article should build upon his article. For now, I'm happy to take any comments and would love to hear your stories. I'd rather get the input now before I publish the article.ThanksAdam

Makes Tangs look like Gold fish! ---- $200.00 For a freaking Fighter Fish?!?! You must be jokeing!! ----

2006-07-26 05:11:55

After reading the Title of this blog, you must be like "what the hell?!"This is a fish I can Honestly say RIVALS any saltwater fish in beauty!! I present to you a practically flawless Show Halfmoon Opaque Betta splendens. This was my pride and Joy, and I am showing his picture in his memory, as unfortunatly he passed not too long ago :(I bought this fish from a breeder in Hawaii and It was love at first sight..... Well, the pictures speak for themselves!Out of sheer curiosity, are there any show quality Betta breeders in the reefing hobby? I have been out of betta breeding for quite some time, but every time I see This Picture I fall in love all over again and get that little excitement about starting agan!This is not you're typical $4 betta ;)Hope you all enjoyed!!-Reefenvy-

The 5 Most Common Mistakes You Shouldn't Have To Ever Make

2006-07-26 01:40:56

..Hello everyone!All of us know, whether we have experienced this hobby 3 months or 18 years - that it's important to read, read and read. We've also come to appreciate never to take the first piece of advice we hear!I've found that if you want to succeed at something - thanyou must followsomeone who is successful - andusetheir techniques and learn fromtheir mistakes! I've just published an article that is the 2nd in a series of 5 articles that reveals the 5 biggest mistakes hobbyists make. I'm sure you'll find this of interest!To your reef keeping success!Eric~~~~The 5 Most Common Mistakes You Shouldn't Have To Ever Make Mistake #2: Lack of Planning by Eric V. Van Der Hope Copyright (c) 2006 ReefKeepingBasics.com ~~~~ Research leads to planning. Once you have all the information you need about what equipment you need, the types of fish, corals and invertebrates from which you have to choose, the conditions you want to achieve in your new tank, and the financial as well as time commitments necessary for the maintenance of the tank - you are then ready to make a plan. There is a definite plan of action that has to be implemented before starting in this hobby. Deciding how much of a budget will ultimately be your gauge on how you will approach the saltwater fish and reef keeping hobby. Your saltwater tank adventure will begin with choosing the size of tank you wish to have. You will need to take into account the size of tank you can accommodate in your home. Then you can make a decision as to what types of fish and invertebrates you wish to have in your tank, knowing precisely which ones to choose to live together. You will have all the proper equipment to ensure you will be able to maintain a healthy environment in your tank. You will know the proper lighting levels and temperature and you will know to keep the salinity levels constant (this means replacing evaporated water on a daily basis). Once you've put enough thought into size of the tank and have chosen what to get, you have to decide . . . (read more here)

What to feed? Feeding dendrophyllias/ ryzotrochus/lordhowensis and more!!!

2006-07-26 00:46:25

I have started posting info on feeding and there will be much more to come!!!Keep checkingmy blogfor updates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

FREE DENDRO POLYP CONTEST word scramble

2006-07-26 00:00:41

Hey everyone,Thought i would try and add a little fun and see what happens.Here is how it works.I will post a list of letters and all these letters will form a GenusAND Species. The names and spellings are taken from the Corals of the World books by Jen VeronThe first person to post the correct answer wins a Single Polyp of Dendrophyllia Coccinea. Retail value $50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The winner pays $45 for shipping and $9 cooler FRAG ONLY IS FREEClick on my blog for Word scramble letters

The Fish Name Contest

2006-07-25 23:56:47

So far no one has guessed it. This is our fish Janine. She is named after someone in the hobby. Any more guesses???Tomorrow morning I'll post a clue...Adam

Reef Ramblings- Rock Wall

2006-07-25 23:20:48

Here is a picture of the "rock wall" showing the rock glued to the back of my wife's tank.Adam

Additional shipping info

2006-07-25 19:26:20

I'd like to add to the bagging lesson by saying that you don't want your bags totally inflated. You want to squeeze them a little before shipping. The airplanes cargo areas are not pressurized so you will get lots of bags popping if you have them already full. Change of altitude can do that. I also like to leave the third bag without a rubberband. That way if the bags do pop the outside one doesn't. If your box is packed correctly the coral might still make it (however minimal the chance). I also like to float corals using styrofoam. This way they don't get banged around as much. They never come in contact with the bag (or the bottom of the cooler). If I could figure out the picture thing I would post some.

How to Properly Ship Corals

2006-07-25 18:00:33

Hopefully this text will help answer some much needed questions on how to effectively ship live saltwater corals and inverts. There's too many times that I'm reading a thread on ReefMonkey.com (shameless plug :P) or on RC that I see someone state that they'd be more than happy to trade or sell their coral, if they only knew how to ship it. So, for the many reefers out there that have the shipping itch, this one's for you. First of all, you want to have the right bags for shipping, we use 6"x15"x4mil bags for larger corals, such as this one here, and 4"x14"x3mil bags for smaller corals. All of our bags come from uline.com, which have great deals on giant amounts of bags, we will also be selling, by popular demand, smaller amounts of these bags (10-100+) on FraggleReef.com starting as of this article, if you don't see them on there feel free to email us. Now that you have the right bags, you want to make sure that you have the correct amount of water in the bag, you don't want too little water, or parts of the coral will be exposed during transit, which could result in the coral arriving doa from shipping stress. (I have too much time on my hands)You also don't want too much water in the bag, in this case, the pictured Astreopora would likely not fit into the appropriate sized shipping cooler, and with the added weight, there's a much greater chance of the box being thrown even harder by the shipping companies. This bag is juuuust right, enough water to sufficiently cover the coral in transit as the box is rotated, and not too heavy or large enough to fall into the category of the "fedex destroyed my package and now won't pay the claim because there were corals in it" fiasco. On a side note, if you're speaking to fedex, or any shipping company, about shipping issues, do recall that corals are "decorations", they aren't "alive" or "perishable", just... decorations ;) Remember, no one's telling you to lie to your shipping company, but barring any direct questions, there's no lying involved here. Now, the most crucial part is sealing the bag, which we've managed to make as streamlined as possible, without pics or ever seeing it done, it's near impossible to explain. First, you pinch off the bag, making sure that adequate amounts of air are under the pinch, you may blow into the top a little bit to make sure it's poofy Then you're going to roll the bag 3 or 4 times under the pinch, to make sure it's sealed, as such Now comes the tricky part, you're going to loop the remaining top of the bag over the rolled bag And then loop it over with a rubber band (obviously you'll be holding the other end with your hand, not a nail, it's just easier to take pictures that way) This part is difficult to get into pictures but easy to explain, you're going to hold the looped top of the bag, and then wrap the rubber band under the loop, if you hold the bag up you can just run your whole arm in circles under the bags, takes about 4 secondsAfter that's done, you're going to loop the center of the rubber band over the looped part of the bag, again and again, until you're out of rubber bandLeaving a nicely sealed bag Most would say, hooray we're done, which would be the case if you weren't actually shipping your bag, unfortunately, you have to be able to look at the bag and ask yourself, "am I willing to drop this down the stairs yet?" Keep this in mind when packing any corals, since the fedex/dhl/ups experience is very similar to a nice drop down a long flight of steps most of the time. So, we're going to slide the bag upside down into another bag, like soAnd seal it like before, making a double stuffed oreo style baggie. Now, you may be done, but personally, I don't like to worry about replacing a $100 coral over not using one more cheap baggie, so we do one more, making it the ever popular triple stuffed baggie, at this point you can barely see what's in there, which is a sign that this baggie is done. For corals with sharper edges, feel free to use as many bags as you'd like, there's no such thing as too many.There you go, one coral, nicely wrapped up and ready to pack into your shipping cooler, at this point you're obviously wearing your ultrahip reebok sandals, anything else would be uncivilized. We'll be going over shipping cooler choices next article, probably next week, and the strength and weaknesses of each one, but we're currently conducting a few tests to see which coolers are the strongest (dropping stuff off the roof = a good time), that way we can recommend the best and cheapest coolers possible for each scenario. For now let's just say that you can get a box at staples or any office supply, get some styrofoam from home depot or equivalent, and cut the styrofoam into 6 pieces to fit the top, bottom, and sides of the box's interior. This is probably the most low-tech way, and a hard enough hit will cause your box to get soaked and come apart. Also notable are using a thermos for shipping, and a hard small cooler from a drug store. Those drug store coolers can weigh a lot and be pricey to ship, and pricey to buy, but work in a pinch.If you're adding a cold pack, do place it on something wrappableAnd wrap it up, in this case we used bubble wrap, but newspaper works as well, just keep in mind that you don't want your frozen (or refrigerated) cold pack coming in direct contact with corals, because it will turn acros brown so fast your head will spin, and highly stress most any corals. And don't forget to leave your wrench on the floor, so your girl (or wife/husband etc) can keep asking why the heck you buy 18 wrenches a month if you're just going to leave them all on the floor until they rust shut from the saltwater that you incessantly spill onto them... Now you didn't forget to put the cold pack into the cooler did you?Moving along, if you're like me, your short attention span kept you from realizing that you should have taken your cooler out of the box to wrap it in the first place, so now you'll dig the full cooler out of the box, and wrap the top up. You definitely don't want the cooler to be at all open due to overpacking (boo)But want a smoothly sealed fully taped cooler edge (yay). Obviously this is only for the uberpricey and overrated premade coolers that have a single seal, for the low tech method we recommend lining the box with a trash bag to prevent leaks. Remember, if it leaks, it will be delayed! And if it's delayed, you will be screwed out of your money, welcome to the fedex/dhl/ups policy, if they broke it, and it's corals, they won't pay it.Next simply put the cooler back in the box, seal it up, and you're done! Look for our cooler recommendations next week for the best and cheapest coolers for shipping :D

Media Review- Reef Invertebrates Giant Clams

2006-07-25 15:12:47

Calfo & Fenner 2003Reef InvertebratesThis review is on the chapter Giant Clams: Sub-family TridacnidaeThis chapter discusses the 9 species of clams in Tridacnidae. Five of these are very common in the hobby T. crocea, T. maxima, T. derasa, T. squamosa, T. gigas. These clams are found right near water surfaces all the way down to 45 feet. The environmental conditions of these locales very greatly. Some are in nutrient free clear water. Others may live in turbid waters with high planktonic levels. Therefore establishing the best criteria for captive care is quite difficult. How much light, what type of light, how much plankton, what type of plankton, what type of water movement, etc. all pose challenges to the aquarist. Don't let that fool you, in many ways clams are very easy for which to care.The chapter then discusses clam health and proper techniques for selecting a healthy clam. Clam pests and diseases are discussed a few pictures to go along. Clam care, incluing light, feeding, and placement within the tank are covered. The authors even offer advise for where to put the clam based upon different lighting schemes.Pictures, Pictures, Pictures. Lots of pictures here of clams. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the selection:"One of the first things that a buyer should look for in a healthy Tridacnid is alert and responsive behavior""Clam feeding is best and most likely done with the finest food suspensions if not exclusively with a dissolved nutrient""Large clams can safely sustain siege from a small amount of pyram snails for many months, but smaller clams can succumb in just a few days to weeks"Use six-line wrasse and yellow coris wrasse to remove parasitic snails"All things considered, the aquarist should allow four weeks for proper quarantine and screening of Tridacnid species""Lighting requirements for Tridacnics is rather akin to lighting necessary for popular shallow water so-called SPS corals""Under-illuminated clams may survive in captivity for many months or even more than a year before perishing "mysteriously"""Most clams are best kept under high intensity lamps like metal halide lighting""Tridacnid clams should be placed in a good spot the first time and left in place!""Water flow is a matter of somewhat lesser importance for Tridacnids""Clams instead need dissolved organics and the finest plankton (microscopic) on which to feed""Bottled grenwater is often touted as ideal clam food. However, even if Tridacnids feed on such products from a bottle, the necessary limitations of the food and its delivery are so strict that it is unlikely that much of it is useful""Perhaps the best source of nutrition for clams is a large, mature inline fishless refugium""all such foods mentioned here are best delivered through a slow and extended drip, as clams do not respond favorably to sudden attempts at target feeding with a pipette or baster"Quotes from Calfo & FennerAdam

Rob the Wrasse

2006-07-25 12:57:47

In regards to naming fish, I thought I would post this. Here is the picture of Rob the Wrasse. I have no idea where it originally came from.Adam

Baby Seaturtles OH MY!!! Baby Squirt "Swim Away" ;)

2006-07-25 10:51:49

Hey guys,Tonight is the Baby Sea Turtle release for the FMAS - Florida Marine Aquarium Society!!I won't be able to attend, But I'll be sure to post some pictures of the event... It is really an honor for us to be able to see such a miraculous event!!Here are pictures From last Year's even that I was able to attend!!These little guys are 3 day old Logger head turtles... Damn are they not the cutest freaking things ever?! OMG, God Knows I was tempted to take one home... but well... the certain jail time was a big deterant lol!! Just Kidding ofcource ;) We all know these magnificant creaturs belong in the oceans!! In any case, enjoy!We where also lucky enough to see a couple baby Leather backs last year, unfortunatly Photographing them was prohibited! But I will say they where abosoloutly stunning!!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-Ps. I'll see if I can post some pictures of this years event... but in the mean time, check out some of our other blogs! Make sure to leave us some comments!! We are total comment Whores ;) Our Main Blog Page: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=2754

Media Review- Reef Invertebrates: Live Rock

2006-07-25 10:45:23

One of the first chapters in the Reef Invertebrates book is titled "Live Rock".This is a fabulous chapter for several reasons. First of all it is great to see a chapter on live rock. Nearly all beginning books describe live rock, but very few (if any other) actually provide a chapter to explain it. This book provides very specific claims as to the benefits of live rock as a filter, food source, comforting home, chemical buffering, decor, etc. From beginning to end it is here. The authors provide much detail on the history live rock, the nearly overnight change of Atlantic to Fiji rock and tremendous impact on the hobby in 1996. Unfortunately most hobbyists blow right by this and don't care for history.... but I love discussing those events I remember all to well.From there they describe what is live rock, what types exist, how to know if it is healthy and living, how to cure it, the differences between natural and man made, the costs involved (financially and environmentally). Trust me 18 pages is a lot of information regarding live rock. Here are few quotes I find most important..."Live rock has numerous benefits in the aquarium beyond natural decor.It is an incomparable living filter that provides food and habitat for micro- and macro-organisms alike""live rock is more than the foundation of a healthy marine aquarium; it is the foundation of many livelihoods in the industry""live rock from Fiji and elsewhere, which is superior in many ways to the dense, sedimentary products of the Atlantic and Caribbean""In cases where cured live rock is handled and transported properly, an aquarist might begin a new tank without any of the normal cycling aquarium stresses: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate spikes""even the best filtration can be unstable in the beginning""Live rock contains hundres to thousands of organisms, most allof which have planktonic larbal stages""Never build a rockscape against the wall.Always leave a space of 4" or more for strong water flow and circulation""One of the best ways to limit pest algae proliferation (green water, diatoms, cyanobacteria, etc.) is with the use of live rock""Try as we may to set up the best possible aquarium and environment, it is still unnatural and must be stressful to some organisms""Live rock functions as a source of physical familiarity and as a natural distraction providing refuge and habitat""It might surprise you, but if you were to weigh your sand and live rock when you placed them into the aquarium, and then again even just months later you'd find a good part of it missing""Live rock contributes "buffers" (its minerals are "eaten up") in the aquarium against acidic conditions""Usually, any initial savings with "base" rock is negated many-fold by struggles with pest algae and all hte laborious scraping, siphoning, water changes, skimmer adjusting, and water quality enhancing products.It is also unlikely to ever become as diverse as wild harvested live rock which has had the benefit of many more years in the ocean.""you may want to coordinate a group purchase of box-lots (bulk-pricing) with a few other hobbyists, perhaps through an association in a local club, and barter for the real savings, which are freight discounts""Live rock is the foundation, structurally and biologically, of your aquarium; do not short-change yourself on this aspect of the system"Quoted from Reef Invertebrates- Calfo & Fenner. Adam Blundell

Media Review- Reef Invertebrates Calfo & Fenner

2006-07-25 10:17:05

(For a list of my reviews and other current topics please click above on "Adam Blundell's Blog" where you can then read all sorts of comments and discussions)Here is a list of write ups I'm going to make on Reef Invertebrates. I can't possibly write one review for the entire book so I'll highlight some chapters.Reef Invertebrates, Anthony Calfo & Robert (Bob) Fenner. 2003.Live Rock: http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=244Clams: http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=265Adam

Marzena's Tank

2006-07-25 09:52:53

This should be a better picture...Adam

So I'm back from being married...

2006-07-25 08:56:14

Well it took a lot of hard work but I managed to make it through the last two weeks, get married and have my reef swing through as a main attraction. It was not always a good time with my reef. There has been a wack of research put into it (not to mention$$$). I like to think that it has all been worth it. Regardless of the time and effort it has taken to get my reef where it is today I still find new ways to tweak and improve... Though not all improvements turn out for the best... For example, I bought an AC unit to cool the house. Normally the unit would cool the house (for the most part it does make a difference); but with all the heat coming for my aquarium lights, the thing does little to cool the tanks but does put a chill in the air. The unit itself leaks as well as I have a poor connection that I have yet to find. Good thing I have learnt patience from reef keeping!!! Any way I promised some more pictures so here they are:Here is the late tang Mel in QT. The little guy lived for a month in here but died three weeks after being added to the display tank. Though he ate like a pig I suspect that some of his internal organs had been stripped of their symbiotic bacteria and thus could not digest the food and deliver him the proper nutrition... I read on WWM that this is a scourge of tang collection and shipping.... Here are some of my reef pics with some of the problems that I have noted above. I took care of the algae problem by adding a HOT Fuge.My first blue mushroom colony... that came with a nasty hitch hiker... Apistasia. Todays its last day in the tank as It is being blasted with boiling water... (tried pepermint shrimp it went MIA)any last for the post today but not the least: Here are some colt coral!!! Bad stingers they be...ps edit 07-29-2006 My imagehost has been down so please hold tight while i upload them oin dialup- again!!!!

More Pics

2006-07-25 04:00:43

Here's my piece of the Pink Lemonade Acro. I have a wait list started on my site Reefready.net. Let me know if you want to be added to it. The wait shouldn't be that long because this Acro seems to be growing like a weed in my tank.

LOOKING FOR DEVILS HAND FINGER LEATHER EMERALD GREEN AND YELLOW

2006-07-25 00:18:43

CAN ANYONE HELP ? I AM IN POMPANO BEACH, FL .... THIS IS FOR A 175 BOW FRONT REEF. I HAVE HQI'S IN THE TANK. SAW ONE IN A SHOW TANK AT TA STORE AND THEY REFUSED TO SELL ANYTHING FROM THEOR DISPLAY TANKS.SO NOW I AM ON A MISSION TO FIND THIS LEATHER WOULD TAKE YELLOW AND GREEN.THANKS FOR ANY HELP !!! BETH

Carlos Mencia... well he might just say I am "Ti Ti Duuh" Crap... Am I?!! O_O

2006-07-24 23:54:23

Whoa so umm yeah,I just felt a little Retarted when I rung up 30 tubes of Super glue Gel tonight.... That my friends is a tall tale sign of an addicted "Reef-aholic"I'm sure there are a few of you out there on the same boat... LOL and the funny thing is... lets just say I've.. believe it or not gotten a lot more before O_OI always tell the cash register person joking around.. that umm.. Yeah I break a lot of stuff in my house cause i'm kinda.. "ooops".. yeah Clumsy!;)Keep on fraggin Guys and Gals!!-Reefenvy-

Reef Ramblings- Sunken Belly Anthias

2006-07-24 23:31:51

So a friend mentioned to me the other day how my anthias looked unhealthy. I looked close and agreed. It has sunken belly. So I was looking at some pics from a few weeks ago and realized that my anthias has looked that way for weeks. But she still eats well and seems active???Janine the anthiasAdam

Reef Ramblings- flex pvc

2006-07-24 17:43:16

Someone asked on the other thread about using flex pvc for closed loops. What was discussed are the advantages of using hard plumbing for the manifolds but joining long pipes with flex to reduce vibrations. Here is a picture of my tank showing the long flex pieces running up and down.Adam

just got the computer back

2006-07-24 15:10:46

Hi everyone. I'm happy to say I got my computer back early and I will be adding pics tonight. Check back to see what we have available.

Reef Ramblings- Blundell Buttons (more to come?)

2006-07-24 15:07:11

It is possible I'll be getting more Blundell Buttons. This coral is one I'll be offering for fragging here. Photo taken by Bruce Ewald.Adam

OMG it's the PINK PANTHER!!!... Luckly for us this Pink panther is neither feline, nor a clumsy DETECTIVE!!... Thank God!! ;)

2006-07-24 14:04:24

I thought I'd talk about another cool Zoanthid... since there really is'nt much talk about them lately!!Say hellow to the... "Pink Panthers" These zoanthids are pretty damn cool! The centers are so pink... I sometimes feel like an epilepsy attack is approaching O_OThe cool thing about them is actually the dull skirts, because belive it or not something with dull skirts can really give a nice effect as a colony in a reef tank! A lot ot times when zoa's are compleatly solid in color all you see is one big blob of color when you look at the tank. These guys however give a cool polkadot ettect... like if tons of Neon Pink eye's where stareing at you! Well lets just hope that is not the case... um.. yeah.. cause ... um... that would suck.. and... be Freaky as hell! I can see it now! "You're Honor we'd like to bring to the stand the next witness... Mr/Mrs Zoanthid" Speaking of Mr/Mrs What would you consider Zoanthids? Male or Female? "She's a beautiful colony" "He's a beautiful colony"Ah who the hell cares!! Here is a picture of my "Pink Panthers" since that is all you guys want to see anyhow ;)Pretty darn cool eh?!Oh yeah... If you've missed my Other Zoanthid highlight blogs, check them out in these links: THEY ALL HAVE PICTURES!!Yellow Buggers: http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=23Safecrackers: http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=45Kedd's Reds: http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=68Hope you guys e-njoyed the Eye Candy!! :)Oh yeah, While you're at it, if you're bored, can't sleep, in the mood for a refreshing read, or just want to kill some freaking time...Check out our full Blog for Other pictures and interesting topics ;)http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=2754*Sigh* Never ask for Chinese food "Extra spicy" OUCH I think my taste buds are melting O_OTake care you all! -Reefenvy-

Reef Ramblings- Eye Candy Pics of Corals

2006-07-24 13:58:51

So I wrote an article on eye candy corals a while back. I thought I'd bring it up again but with a twist. Historically I've been against rare and exotic or super corals. But it got me thinking... numerous times I've seen common corals become incredible show pieces. Usually due to size, but sometimes color or just position in an aquarium. Here are a couple pictures to get the discussion going...It may just be green slimer, but it is a forest in Heil's tank!How many scrolls can this coral make?This coral takes up half the tank!!!Adam

Media Review- Reef Sharks & Rays of the World

2006-07-24 12:43:35

Reef Ramblings Media ReviewThis review covers Scott Michael's book Reef Sharks & Rays of the World. (1993)This book is one of Scott Michael's first books. It is more along the lines of a small picture book than a lengthy in-depth guide you may be use to with Scott's books. I decided to review this book today because 1) Scott gives away these books free to many hobbyists and 2) I have one sitting on my desk.Sharks and Rays, Sharks and Rays, look at all the Sharks and Rays. It is easy to see that Scott Michael has a love for these animals. I'm glad he is willing and able to write about an area that is often neglected. This book does not cover much in terms of which fishes do best in your aquarium or how to care for them. Instead that information can be found in his excellent aquarium shark and ray book. This book offers pictures for 120 species of sharks and 112 species of rays. The entire book is only 100 pages long. Each page has 2 or 3 sharks/rays featured on that page. A short paragraph is provided to describe said species. If you are looking for an aquarium book, don't buy this book. But if you are a shark lover and you want to know all about the sharks and the differences between them, buy this book. I enjoy the pictures but more importantly I enjoy the information of where you will find each type of elasmobranch and items of interest you should try an observe.Adam

What can I do to Save the Reefs?

2006-07-24 12:21:38

Well, as I know all of us are deeply interested in conservation of the reefs, I decided I would start a blog to discuss and find all the ways that reef keepers can help save the reefs we cherish so much.So what can I do to save a reef? Well, first of all what is killing reefs as we speak???1) Global Warming - Is it primarily the greenhouse gass emission, it is a natural, random, earth cycle. whatever it is it is killing reefs at an unprecedented rate.2)Poisoning the Reefs - Runoff from developing countries, industries, etc. Poisons refined and then dumped back into the environment, cyanide. It is killing the creatures inhabiting once diverse reefs.3) Overfishing of specific species - Numerous examples of what removing a predator or prey item can do to a reef. Crown of thorns starfish, long-spined sea urchin, etc.4) Physical damage caused by ships, etc. - Anchors, ships running aground what have you.5) What have I missed? Add your comments please.Next post..... Global warming.

Reef Ramblings- Closed Loops, less maintenance but still maintenance

2006-07-24 11:00:03

So as you all know closed loop systems are great. Most noticeably for their efficiency when compared to a sump pump. But here is something else to think about it.... they still take routine maintenance. While not having the pump in the sump to clog, their intake screens still get clogged. Plus you have to change the pumps when they break, which isn't nearly as easy. Let that be a lesson to make sure you can get to your plumbing and it isn't hidden too far behind the tank!Marzena's two closed loops...Expert Reef Keeper Brad Syphus' closed loop systemAdam

Propagation: Vol. 2 - Acanthastrea Lordhowensis

2006-07-23 23:48:41

Hello and Welcome to Propagation Tipz Vol. 2 -Acanthastrea LordhowensisBelow you will find a step by step outline for dividing a colony ofAcanthastrea Lordhowensis with a bandsaw. These procedures can be translated to a Dremel tool with a diamond wheel or you can purchase a low cost bandsaw from Harbor Freight for about $100. When you consider the time & mess saved with a bandsaw they pay for themselves the first time you frag! Step 1: Safety First!Before you start fragging, it is important to utilize proper safety equiptment. Protective goggles and latex gloves are a must for fragging any coral. They are especially important when dealing withtoxic species such as zoanthids. In addition to the gloves and goggles, we always wear dust masks to protect against flying dust & debris. Step 2:Prepare your mounting supplies.In order to ensure the health of a divided fragment, it is always essential to mount the fragment immeadiately after fragging. This gives the fragment a stable base in addition to providing a handle to use when placing the fragment. Freshly cut corals will always heal faster and have better survival rateswhen mounted this way.Gel Superglue is the adhesive of choice for quickly & effortlessly mounting fragments. A bead of putty can later be applied to the sides of the fragment if the propagator wishes to create a flush surface for encrusting corals.The BAF (Boston Aqua Farms) disk (right side)makes the perfect mount for larger encrusting corals, while the BAF plug (left side)makes a great mount for smaller fragments. The post on the base of the plug fits nicely into plastic eggcrate frag racks(made fromlight diffuser at Home Depot) and can be easily removed with fragging shears if the end user needs to mount the fragment onto a larger plug or rock. Step 3: Plan your attackWhen dividing a colony of lordhowensis or any other LPS they are always easy routes and more difficult routes to cut along. Here, Charles is examining the mother colony and trying to find a nice, straight row of polyps to remove.Consideration should be given to keeping as many polyps intact as possible along the route. The idea is to remove a strip of polyps that can be easily divided into single polyps. When in doubt-try to cut along the top of the coralite wall between polyps. If a polyp must be nicked-try to leave the portion of the polyp that is losing the wall on the mother colony so it will have time to heal later.Once the strip has been divided from the mother colony, the mother is placed back into the tank in the same position. In a month or so when the woundsfrom fragging have healed, the portion removed from the mothercolony can bereplaced with putty to allow the mother to re-encrust the area. By planning the fragmentation of your mother this way, one side of a colony can be harvested every 6 months allowing the other side to encrust for a full year between fragmentations. This perpectual harvest is the goal of every coral farmer! Step 4: Singled out!The next step is the easiest step to carry out. Since the strip of polyps removed is a nice clean single row, the polyps can easily be divided down into single polyps. These cuts are straight for the most part and can be carried out in no time at all. In the second picture you can see a perfectly divided single polyp. This polyp is ready to be placed into a cup of tank water and transfered to the mounting station. The stripwill typically be completely divided into single polyps and placed into the cup with the frags from the same mother. This cup can be labeled with the mother's name so they fragments are kept organized. Step 5: Mounting the fragmentThe cup containing the fragments has been transfered to the mounting station. Jen will typically lay the fragments out in a group with the flat undersides placed on a paper towel to dry them. A single fragment is then selected to be mounted. If the underside of the fragment is not completely flat, a pair of bonecutters is used to trim the excess material.A BAF plug is selected to mount the fragment onto and a liberal bead of superglue gel is applied. The fragment will then be placed firmly onto the superglue and held in place for ten seconds to ensure a good seal has been made. Step 6: Ready for market!This is the completed fragment. It will be placed into a fragment rack in the same tank as the mother colony. The edges will heal up completely in the coming weeks and it will be ready to ship withing 2-3 weeks. The fragment will travel across the US to it's new home and will grow rapidly into a colony in the coming years thus ensuring the future of this beautiful specimen! We hope this has been helpful & informative. Corals can be quite forgiving so don't be afraid to give fragging a try. We owe it to our wonder animals to spread them around the reefing communitythus propagating a bright future!For more great info and dazzling pics check out the rest of this blog by clicking below:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Tank Change Sequence - over 2 years all started with 1/2" fragments

2006-07-23 23:14:33

Hey guys, I thought I would post a blog entry about an older tank sequence I photographed with my now-defunct 90 gallon. Since I am affiliated with frags.org, keep in mind my impressions don't count toward the contest!All of the corals you see in this tank are multi-generation propagated corals, and all of them started as 1/2" in size in thistank...October2004June2004April2004September2003February2003December2002November2002

Pictures of the 210 Setup

2006-07-23 22:19:21

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/pco1988/DSC_0218.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/pco1988/DSC_0210.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/pco1988/DSC_0211.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/pco1988/DSC_0212.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/pco1988/DSC_0213.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/pco1988/DSC_0210-1.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/pco1988/DSC_0212-1.jpg

Reef Ramblings- Aquascaping Rock

2006-07-23 22:17:37

So not many people glue rocks to the back wall of their tanks. It take quite a bit of work and it tiresome...Once it is all done and set up it looks pretty cool...But only 4 WEEKS later and the tank is really starting to shape up...Adam

Starting My New Project

2006-07-23 22:14:03

Hi, my name is Philip O. I am 17 years old and, I have been keeping saltwater aquariums for 3 years and freshwater for 12 years. Right now I have 7 tanks in my care; 210, 120, 30, 29, 10, 6. My parents bought me a 2 gallon goldfish tank back when I was 5 and thought nothing of it, now they are thinks why they did such a thing.Well, back in April my 120 took a turn for the worse and crashed on me while I was at IMAC in Chicago. When I got back my father and I planned on up grading to a 180. Well sadly to say it wasn't a 180 but a 210 that we ended up getting. It has been a never ending puzzle that I have been playing with. Just this past friday I got to put freshwater in it to see if anything leaked which it hasn't so I am about to drain it and move it to it's final resting spot.Philip

Ok more pics

2006-07-23 22:12:36

I will be putting new pictuers up of the greenhouse in the next day or two!!!

Oh Lordy part 2 =)

2006-07-23 18:50:45

Woke up this morning feeling like I was pummelled by a sack full of nickels! Luckily I have a special standing mat to cushion my feet during the process but leaning over cutting is brutal! The frags all look great and I have some cool action shots to share. I'll be organizing them and posting later today so keep an eye out =)Click here for more info: http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Lateral Lines- Aquascaping and Lighting

2006-07-23 16:51:06

Hello Advanced Aquarist Readers!For more blogging topics you can click my name above. Just click on Adam Blundell's Blog. From there you will find all sorts of recent topics. Just click on comments to read or write comments. This is the place to discuss aquascaping and lighting. Here I'll be posting pictures and trying to answer questions and comments people have with the "Once Again Part II" article. The article can be found at http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/8/lines Thanks for visiting Adam

Oh lordy!!!

2006-07-23 03:11:58

Just got done with a marathon fragging session-4+ hours of standing & cutting!Glad to say the frags look awesome-pics of the process will be posted later tonight or tomorrow =)To see the lords check the second entry in my blog:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Pink Coral with Red Fluoresence

2006-07-23 00:05:49

Check out this pink coral from Jon Finch's tank. It will glow red, but this is most likely not the coral tissue glowing but the chlorophyll within the coral. That may sound complicated so just forget it and check out the cool pictures.Adam

Introducing a new feature!!! GearHeadz @ Jendub.com

2006-07-22 18:02:35

Introducing a new series of How-to's you will only find in the Jendub.com Blog; GearHeadz<>We have been getting several requests for info on setting up the perfect propagation tank system. This seems like an important area that is often overlooked by propagation how-to's. Charles is the master PVC craftsman here at Jendub.com. He has a formal mechanical engineering background along with a childhood love of legos that fuels his designs.He has setup and maintained everything from a home propagation system to an entire fish store!!!<>Keep an eye out, coming soon: GearHeadz Vol. 1; the home prop system!!!!!Click here to see more:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Fluorescent Brain Coral

2006-07-22 15:47:46

Here is a Brain Coral. And Here is what it looks like only seeing the fluorescent effects. Notice how the blue area really fluoresces a green color.Adam

Looks like Im Blogging Now

2006-07-22 03:18:00

Went to my friend Eric Caamano 's website, fragfarmer.com and noticed the Blog contest. Figured I should be keeping track of my new tank anyway, so here I am.A little about myself... I started reefkeeping a little over8 years ago in the Los Angeles 'scene' and was fortunate to rub shoulders with many of the leading hobbyists in So Cal that seem to be the top speakers for most reefing clubs across the US.I ran a very successful basement fragging operation out of the Mojave desert, and even helped Eric C. get his operation going (he's has a lot of drive to succeed). After an unfortunate pipe burst that left the majority of my tank water in my living room, the wife said either the tanks go, or I do. It was a difficult choice but I decided to tear everything down. Now Im in Seattle WA in a new house with a perfect office for a tank and a fish room right next to it. If anything goes wrong this time, I only have to worry about concrete. :) The tank is going slow, since I sold off most of my expensive equipment in So Cal, but I've managed to get alot of things acomplished so far. My Tank Specs so far:180g Sea Clear Acrylic Tank @ 6'x2'x2'.200 lbs of mixed live rock3/4" sand bed (for looks only)32g Gravity Fed Skimmer Sump20gLongTidal Zoned Refugium (6" Sandbed, 24 lbs of rubble)x2 400 Watt PFO magnetic running x2 Coralvue 10000kx2 54 watt T5 pure actinicsMRC Dual Calcium Reator5Lb.cO2 tankMilwaukeepH controller& regulatorAquaC EV180Skimmer with Beckett Modx2 250 Watt Ebo-Jaeger heatersRio Hyperflow 20HFSump PumpQuiet One 1200 Refugium Pumpx4 Maxi-Jet 900 Stream Mods1 Maxi-Jet 900 for top up.Currently in the tank resides mostly Rose BTA's, 1 Sebae and 1 Long Tenticle Anemone, and bunches of softies (came with the live rock). The tank set up is 2 islands with an Anemone shoal on the left and an SPS reef head on the right. Directional spot lighting for the two islands will remove the need to have a 3rd 400 watt over the center brace.Species in the middle of the tank will be lower light loving animals. I am hoping to create a complete Blue Ridge Coral break right at the mid point of the tank. Although the tank isn't quite where my tank was in So Cal yet, it will be there within the next year, that I can promise. :)

Fluorescent digitata

2006-07-22 00:36:43

I think this is a digitata, but I'm not fully positive. The first picture shows the coral being hit with high power blue light. The second picture shows what happens when we filter out the blue light from the sight of the camera...Adam

WONDERFUL WORLD OF XENIA!!!

2006-07-22 00:10:53

Xenia has been called "the weed of the sea" by many. Under the right conditions, it can grow like a weed, which to some is a good thing. This coral is easy to maintain and requires very little maintance.I have found that xenia, which tends to ship very poorly, does great once settled into the aquarium. Xenia can be divided several times and heal within a week or so. One must provide them with good light and medium current. If there is something off in your tank, xenia will usually be the first to show you, so it works well as an indicator species.Having some nitrates in the water, promotes the best coloration in xenia species. They also enjoy a good dose of iodine periodically. The iodine can be directly applied with a turkey baster for best results. In addition to the ornamental value of xenia, it can be used quite effectively as bio-filtration and for nutrient export. In fact, many of the healthiest reef tanks I have visited have completly replaced the macro algae in their refugium with xenia!Enough talk, here are some varieties of xenia in my collection. =) Giant Xenia Bali Goldback Xenia Micros Fiji Blue Cespitularia Umbellata Silverbacks Thanks for checking out my blog.=) Click here for more exciting info:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043

Fluorescent Zoanthids

2006-07-22 00:04:56

Okay trying out some pics. I'm working again with coral fluorescence. I'll have more to post later,but check out theseglowing orange zoanthids!Adam

GOT XENIA?

2006-07-21 23:59:43

Coming later tonight-Xenia Xenia & more Xenia!Check out the other cool info on fragging Stoney corals and much much more by clicking here:http://blogs.frags.org/member.php?uid=4043Thanks! Jen =)

New site - http://mexico.frags.org

2006-07-21 19:22:02

Check out our first non-English site at http://mexico.frags.org . We developed it in partnership with CAM (http://www.acuarios-marinos.com). It is specifically designed for people that live in Mexico... if anyone is aware of any reefkeeping message boards in Spain, Argentina, Columbia, Venezuela, or other Spanish speaking countries, please let us know!The $1500 BLOG CONTEST keeps rocking on. Here are the top 10 bloggers right now (it changes daily and there are almost 3 months left!!!): 1www.ReefEnvy.com @ 726 Views2jendub.com @ 424 Views3Adam Blundell @ 357 Views4mothra @ 254 Views5The Coral Gardens @ 91 Views6Bruce Fraser @ 78 Views7Chris's Corals @ 69 Views8BlackGPGT @ 65 Views9www.fragglereef.com @ 65 Views10joeyjoey1357 @ 52 Views

Fraggle Reef Experiment Update

2006-07-21 17:36:33

As many of you know, we have been doing a shipping experiment on ReefMonkey regarding the effects of damp shipping on corals, as per an article by Eric Borneman. You can read the specifics at this link http://www.reefmonkey.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=5323 on ReefMonkey. We will also be doing some experiments as to which shipping containers hold up the best during stressful shipping conditions, which should be entertaining, keep an eye out for the "roof drop" packaging test :) We do need an extra 10 people in the thread at ReefMonkey who are interested in only Montipora and Acropora shipments, if you are interested, please leave a message on that thread with the details provided in the first two posts. This experiment is very limited and offers free corals, now is your chance to be added to the list! When posting to the thread, please indicate that you have read this by stating that you want strictly acropora and montipora corals, otherwise you will not be added.

The 5 little ones that kept me from cleaning!

2006-07-21 16:16:27

Finally, I got a breather from the little devils when we had some neighbors come over and play with them all morning. And Now once again, my skimmers are clean and the water changes have been finished ;)Here is the original thread with the pictures of the culprits LOL!!http://blogs.frags.org/showblog.php?bid=128-Reefenvy-

Invert Book $8!!!!

2006-07-21 15:55:42

Thanks to an amazon search I found you can get the Invertebrate Zoology book for as cheap as $8.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0030266688/002-6092609-6117607?v=glance&n=283155Adam

Reef Ramblings- Water Changes

2006-07-21 12:07:49

So my buddy Brad has me convinced that I should do water changes. So I think I might dothem monthly or every other month. Also my buddy Jon tells me that all aquarium problems can be fixed by doing a water change. So, with my wife'snew tank we setit up withwater changes in mind.Here is my new method for water changes. I shut off my sump. I have one powerstrip to cover the whole sump. It shuts off the skimmers, return pump, and whatever else. I then stick a hose in my sump and drain out all of the water. Then I stick the garden hose into my sump and I fill the sump back up with tap water (it happens to be 50 gals of water in a 75 gal sump). Then I dump in a bag of salt. Then I turn on the mixing pump I have in there.Wait 12 hours.Turn on the sump switch which starts up the skimmers and sends the water back to the tank with the return coming on.By the way, don't do this if you don't have other pumps for circulation in the main tank. Adam

Media Review- Invertebrate Zoology

2006-07-21 10:43:07

Reef Ramblings by Adam BlundellMedia Review of "Invertebrate Zoology" 7th ed. (Ruppert, Fox, Barnes).This book has been around forever. I own Invertebrate Zoology editions 5, 6, and 7. Yep, nerdy enough for 3 editions. These books are well known in the field, and are certainly considered to be the Bible or Top Book for invertebrates. Most readers know them as the Ruppert & Barnes book, but this latest 7th edition also features Dr. Richard Fox. He is also from South Carolina, but is at Lander University not Clemson. I think he helped contribute the cladistics (my favorite subject of study). Anyway back to the book.Want to learn about invertebrates? Buy this book. Or if you live in Salt Lake City, borrow this book from me. This book covers everything!!! I can't possibly write a review of this book, but maybe a chapter at a time. I thought about listing all the chapter here, but there are 29 chapters to this nearly 1,000 page text book.So to finish this up (I'll come back to write more later) here are the highlights of the book that quickly come to mind...This book is filled with all sorts of detailed information on the life cycle, behavior, habitat, and most importantly developmental biology of every group of invertebrates. It is amazing and way too detailed for me to understand. I try, but usually get my brain bogged down and I have to take a break.A little practical on cladistics. On page 5 there is a fictitious scenario of different bugs. The idea is to see how closely they are related and to make a cladogram of which evolutionary traits came between species. Cool!Geological Time Scale- right on the inside cover of the book. Way cool to have. Personally I'm not good with time periods and it is nice to quickly see which came fist Silurian or Permian (they are only 150 million years apart). Heck I can't even remember Plioceneor Eocene.A chapter on Porifera (sponges)Only one chapter on Cnidaria (all corals are in this Phylum) meaning the rest of the entire book is non-coral.A very lenghtly chapter on Mollusca (Mollusks)A chapter on Chordata (Vertebrates) even though it is a book on Invertebrates. About 20 chapters on things I've never heard of.Adam

Who wants to COME HELP ME do a water change?! LOL My hand are tied!!!! O_O

2006-07-21 03:47:16

Ha ha ha, Just kidding... but seriosuly guys I havent had time to do much tank maint. beacuse of.... Well..I thought I'd show you something a little different for my blog of the day!Finally, my Yellow Labs are proud parrents!! (Crap that must make me a Grandpa).... O_O .... Oh NO!5 gorgeous puppies where born June 1st 2006 and well, the little guys and gals have been consuming me for the past few weeks lol!! But honestly, How can you say no to these little faces?!?! They are to die for! I figured you guys would love to see the pics... Let me know what you guys think!! I call them: "The Culprits of my Dirty Skimmer" ;)Who the heck says there aren't angels amongst us?!?With a baby girl calico kitten... AWWWSleeping with "Elvis" the cool cat!!Now you tell me, that it's not worth it having a dirty skimmer when I have FIVE of these little bundles of joy!!Kindest Regards,-Reefenvy-

The Zoo Keeper....

2006-07-21 03:09:48

I will have some new pics and info posted of our propagated pink lords soon. In the mean time, I found some cool pics of some zoanthids and palys I thought I would share.Enjoy the eye candy.=) Jerry Garcia Zoos Split Pea Zoos Asterina Zoos Lion of Zion Zoos Electric Storm Zoos Pink Limeaids Zoos Pink Mamba's Eagle Eye's Fire and Ice Cinnamon Palys Mary Jane Palys Peachy Keen

WORD SCRAMBLE LETTERS!!!!!!!

2006-07-21 00:02:02

Word Scamble Letters:#1 OTANORVASOCURMIPRE (DECODED winner dave w)#2 ACIKYMPLYEANLACHAMROTIAL NEW WORD SCAMBLE LETTERS REMEMBER FIRST PERSON TO POST THE CORRECT ANSWER WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here goes nothing............................

2006-07-20 23:20:01

hello everyone,this is my first Blog, so please bear w/me. I Have been fragging coral for over 10 years. I fragged Just about every type of coral you can think of. I hope that these posts will help you learn how to propagate coral easily and safely!!!I will be posting picsand "how to" instuction for propagating:Anemones,Dendrophyllia,Rhyzotrocus Typus,Lordhowensis,Micromussa and many more!!!!!!!!!I also have pics of growth sequence of many corals, Full tank shots of my LPS tank!, weird critters and so much more.....If there is something you guys want to see, PLEASELETME KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I will Also be offering FREE!!! (YES FREE) Frags!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KEEP CHECKINGMY BLOGFOR DETAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DON'T MISS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thanks for looking and keep checkingmy blogfor updates,mikewww.thecaptivereef.com

Media Review- Fishes for the Invertebrate Aquarium

2006-07-20 13:50:03

Have any of you read Fishes for the Invertebrate Aquarium? Since it is here on my desk I think I'll start with that book to kick off the Media Review section of my Reef Ramblings.Fishes for the Invertebrate Aquarium (1986 English Translation) Helmut Debelius.This book "is intended to show which fish can be kept "as partners" in relative peace both with each other and with sessile invertebrates." In other words this book shows fish that we now call "Reef Safe" in our hobby. So what is so cool about this book? I'll tell you. This book does NOT, did you get that? I said it does NOT contain any information on Surgeonfishes (tangs), Rabbitfishes, Butterflyfishes, Angelfishes (not even small Centropyge), Lionfishes, Eels, nor Wrasse! Also the damselfishes section does NOT talk about domino damsels, striped damsels, and common chromis found in the aquarium trade. It doesn't even mention sharks.So what do I think of this book? ....................... I love it!This book was published 20 years ago andit still presents information well ahead of its time. The information in here is amazing. Talk about a bunch of info on breeding, behavior, male/female roles, natural environment, captive care. This book coversanthias, pseudochromis, grammas, marine bettas, tilefishes (no honestly, I mean it, tilefishes!), hawkfishes, cardinalfishes,a few damselfishes, blennies, and gobies. All those little guys that are gaining popularity. However their popularity is gaining very slowly. Little fishes- in recent years the trend of nano-aquariums has taken off. This has spurred an interest in little fishes. Nowadays people head to the local store to find a small goby or wrasse for their aquariums. But 20 years ago? I think either Helmut was way ahead of his time.... or a little confused on the current state of the hobby. Interesting quotes-"The days of giant fish in marine aquaria are over" - remember this was written in 1986 and so far I think the days of big fish in big tanks is just beginning? The author was stating that large angelfish and tangs were no longer being used in aquaria, but for me those days are on the horizon."Small fish from the basslet, goby and blenny families are integrated into a natural environment" - I agree. Those fishes do very well in our modern reef aquaria. But then again so do just about all reef fishes."Marine aquaria have come a long way: whereas for years aquarium enthusiasts coveted large colourful coral fish, so today hte interest of aquarists has turned to the many small inhabitants of tropical seas" - I like this statement. I hope it is true and fitting for all the common fish keepers our there, and not just the true hobbyists.If you are looking for some real in-depth information regarding these small reef fishes then this book is for you. For a total fish nerd like myself this book is absolutely wonderful and ranks at the top. Thank you Helmut for your wonderful insight.

Frags For Sale

2006-07-20 13:02:32

Hey Mods-I know I don't have any frags listed for sale yet.... I will get to that.Adam

Why I'm Here

2006-07-20 12:56:26

It is simple enough. I didn't really want to blog when I'm already behind on so many article deadlines. But hey if this blog can help people, and also help my hometown club (can I hear a whoot whoot for UtahReefs.com?) then I say lets go for it. Simply put, I want this to be big, or nothing at all. So please visit here.The Plan-Okay my plan is to write. Simple enough. What I plan to write about are my thoughts on books and articles. I read tons of literature related to this hobby so hopefully I can pass along some of my thoughts to all of you, and spur some thought and discussion.Adam

Welcome

2006-07-20 12:53:23

Hello everyone!Well it is a go! We're going to give this a try. I'm going to blog here and continue my musings from years ago. About 15 years ago I started a column called "Reef Ramblings". It was sort of in print by different publishers over the years (not to be confused with the newer column in the UK). Well I'm back to rambling.I'm glad you are here and I hope you visit often!Adam

Cutting time!

2006-07-19 20:23:43

Finally have some time to frag those pink lords today (see pics earlierin this blog).I'll try to take pics detailing the process and get them up quickly. If you see any of the other topics that interest you please feel free to post comments =)Jen

Carpet anemone and Rose Buble Tip Anemone Propagation

2006-07-19 18:30:09

I have been conducting propagation on my Carpet anemones (blue, green, purple, and yellow) as well as me Rose Bubble Tip Anemones for over a year now....I have pics of the recovery stages from prior to cut all the way till they heal. I am currently at sea and will post some pics and go more in depth when I get home. Until then, you can check out my gallery on RC to see pics of my first carpet propagation. I decided to do so after I saw Anthony Calfo speak at a Boston Reefers Society meeting. I was able to speak to him about it and have had nothing but success since I started. Please post any questions or comments you may have about the process here. I have been producing 2 more capets from each one every 5 months and 4 RBTA for each one every 4 months. I will have some for sale shortly after I get home and make sure they are fully healed and ready to ship.

More on 3000k T5

2006-07-19 16:20:52

Ok lunchtime update time :)For those who have been following along, I have been experimenting with some 3000k T5 bulbs. Specifically I'm running one of these bulbs in my setup right now. All of the pics I have been posting have been done so by temporarily and quickly changing my setup.I'd have to go back and check when I first started running the 3000k bulb, I think it has been about a month now. The first 2 weeks I did not see any change in the pigments of my corals, although the perceived pink colors looked more vibrant to the eye (see my pics in previous blog entries). Since putting the reflector on I have noticed the corals stressing a little, there is a slight browning that I have noticed, but it doesn't seem to be rapidly getting worse so I'm not going to panic just yet. With the relfector on this bulb looks extremely bright! I'm curious how much PAR it puts out.The following image belongs to plantlightinghydroponics.com (I couldn't find this on any of the 'usual' sites). This is the spectrum of the 3000k bulb. And this next image belongs to seedsetc.com (these sites both have some cool stuff, check them out), this is the spectrum of the GE 6500k bulb. The two images don't exactly mesh up but I wanted to show the difference in spectrum between the 3000k and the 6500k. As you can see the 6500k lacks in the yellow/orange/red spectrum - but does have more blue. This is not very scientific but none the less another way to compare.When looking at combinations of bulbs that most of us T5 users have, there are often B+ and AB bulbs in large numbers. I am starting to think that B+ and 6500k deserves a second look and B+ with 3K definitely deserves some more research. I need to come up with some pics of the B+ 3K combo without the reflector on the 3k. To me this is very visually pleasing and depending on the PAR output of the 3k it might be perfectly acceptable for growth as well.That's it for now. I'll try to get some more pics up tonight. In the meantime if anyone has the ability to test the PAR of a T5 bulb let me know and maybe we can work something out.- Jacob.

Grow baby grow.....

2006-07-19 03:12:48

Okay, so we are working on pictures for the trade show survival topic and some other cool topics but I have a pretty cool growth sequence for you guys tonight. I try to take pictures all the time of the same corals so I can see the growth and progress of propagation. It is a huge benefit to see what is taking off and what needs attention.Exhibit AThis piece is a Favites Pentagona (aka war coral). I started off with a tiny piece, maybe less the 1", a little super glue and a reef disk and it was ready. It took about 3 months to start to really grow, see pic 2. Check out the encrusting on the plug. Finally, pic 3, you can see the frag fully grown out to the edge of the plug on all sides. Frag took about 4 months. Exhibit BThis piece is a Micromussa Amakusensis (aka Green Envy). Started off with one tiny polyp, puttied to a piece of rock rubble. It took about 4 months for this piece to really start to show significant growth. In pic 2, you can see the rim of babies round the mother polyp. Pic 3 shows the 4th row of babies and finally turning into a mini colony. It took a little less then 6 months. Exhibit CThis piece is a Cyphastrea Ocellina (aka Meteor Shower). Four little heads, unmounted, is what I started out with. To give it something to encrust, I took a reef plug and some super glue. It took about 3 weeks to get to pic 1 to pic 2. Finally getting good polyp extension and growth, I moved it under brighter light. After about 6 months, I have a fully encrusted frag with a bunch of polyps. At this last stage, I could frag it in half but I am enjoying the growth.=) I hope you guys enjoyed the growth sequences, check out the rest of my blog for even more growth and propagaton pictures. Please feel free to leave feedback or comments.Happy Reefin.=)Jen

T5 Comparison Pics - Part 2

2006-07-18 23:50:48

I missed a night! Here in Northern California it's been around 105º lately and our AC decided to quit yesterday. Had to pack up the wife and little one and head to the folks house, but we're back in business today :) I'm going to build on the comparison pics that I posted previously, same coral, different lighting...KeyB+ = Blue Plus (D&D or Geisemann)AB = Aquablue (D&D)S = 6500k (GE)3k = 3000k (GE)UV = True Actinic (UVL)Just a reminder these are all right off the camera, the white balance is set the same for all pics, no photshopping other than cropping.3k, B+ B+, B+ AB, 3k AB, AB AB, B+ S, B+

delays

2006-07-18 01:31:51

Hi Everyone.Sorry to say but I will not be able to post for a week or so. I was starting to get into this blogging but my computer is having problems. I have to ship it back to the manufacturer. I just hired a site builder and we will be changing the format of the site. I promise I have some new corals that I can't wait to see what people think of them. Too bad it won't be for another week.-Matthew Juner-Reefready.net

T5 Saga Continues... Perceived color vs. Actual Color

2006-07-17 14:56:10

Ok, it's my lunch break update :)Since I made reference to 'perceived color' and 'actual color' in my last post, I thought I'd elaborate on that a little, because it will be important in the T5 blog as I continue to post some pictures.My goal is to have corals that stand out on their own, without having to rely on blue or actinic lighting (or 3000k lighting for that matter... I'll get to that in a minute) to make them look good. To understand this you have to take into account a few things: The 'true color' of a coral is what it looks like under sunlight (my definition). This makes sense since the source of all coral is the ocean, and the Sun is hanging out all day watching the corals and fish. The perceived color of a coral is how it looks under any artificial lighting. Corals will shift color (the actual pigment will change) under different spectrums of artificial lighting. Corals will be perceived differently under different spectrums of artificial lighting. I personally prefer tanks lit by 10k halides. If you have ever seen a well maintained reef under 10k (usually with some supplements) the colors really pop. 20k lighting is ok, but to me the overall blue look of the tank takes away from the contrasting colors. Think of putting a blue background behind blue corals, now put the same corals in front of a white background. Anyway all of that is just my opinion and doesn't matter much :) I think it's safe to say that some corals need 20k to color up their best, some need 10k and some will look great under many different spectrums. Here is a quick plug for my friend Tubs at www.exoticreefs.us you can see some pictures of the different farmers tanks. Some use 10k others use 20k. Lots of great stuff in both styles of tanks. I might also add that so far I have had very good luck keeping corals colored up that came from 10k lit tanks (maybe coincidence) and are now under my T5's.What I'm getting at is trying to find a nice balance with T5 lighting that will bring out the true colors of the corals that also looks visually appealing. As I post more pictures it will become pretty obvious that the perceived color varies a lot between the different lamps we can use. For example my 3000k lamps richen up the pink colors. This is no different that an actinic lamp making certain pigments 'pop'. I have noticed that the Aquablue bulbs create a slightly washed out appearance. I think this perception, is in part, contributing to quite a few T5 users saying they have 'pale' corals. I believe there is more to that story though.Well this gives a little background on what I'm looking for by playing with the lighting combinations. Only time will tell what combination of bulbs can work best to bring out the true color of various corals, for now I'm keeping my 3000k in the rotation long term, and will continue to update as this continues along. Look for some more pics tonight, I'll keep them coming.

What would you like to see next?

2006-07-17 11:36:11

So I'm debating about posting more propagation techniques,new growth sequences, a how-tostep by step for setting up a tradeshow booth or ahow to step by step setting up a home prop system. Please check out the pics in this blog and let me know if you'd prefer to see:A) Growth Sequences for MicromussaB) Propagation pictures for the Pink Lords posted earlier in this blogC) How to-tradeshow survival guideD) The Anatomy of a home propagation system-From Design to OperationPlease vote by leaving a comment on this post. Once you all vote we can start posting picture sequences-after all they are worth 1000 words!Thanks & Happy Reefing!Jen =)

How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?!

2006-07-17 04:03:21

I would post a cool new blog today, but I'm not feeling well O_OPerhaps tommorow... although...What did you guys think of the pictures I posted?! Put some comments you guys!!!There is jucy pics ;) Kedd's RedsSafecrackersYellow BuggersRose AnemoneYAY a full tank Shot of one of my tanks ;)I wanna hear some feedback!! Don't be shy LOL!! (Thats what a blog is for after all ;)-Reefenvy-

T5 Comparison Pics - Part 1

2006-07-17 00:41:14

Well I tried taking some full tank shots, but my photography skills are not up to snuff and they came out bad. What I'm going to do instead is focus on a few corals and shoot the same ones under various lighting. I AM NOT photoshopping these at all, other than cropping. I was going to balance the levels but decided against it because I don't have a good way to control my white balance with all of the different lighting combinations I plan to shoot under.The first sets of pics will be of a millipora, nehpthea, and monti cap. I'm just putting up the milli pics tonight but I have some shots with all of the corals together to post later. If I take these corals out of the water the milli is pink with blue tips (aka rasberry milli), the nephthea is bright green, and the cap is salmon pink. I'm stating that to give an idea of the true color of the corals. Due to diapers needing changing the pics are slowly coming, I will get some under all of the combinations that I can put together (that's going to be a lot!)... Only 2 lights on: 3k, B+. You can see how the 3k really makes the pink pop. The photo is close to what it looks like to my eye. Only 2 lights on: B+, B+. Doesn't look to great under only B+. It does bring out the blue tips but this pic doesn't show it too well. I'm hoping in the long run the 3k will really get the pink pigments producing in the corals, and it won't just be a visual effect, which is all it is right now. I promised before to post pics of the tank before and after putting the reflector on the 3k lamp - and I will post them. I just didn't have time tonight to pull the reflector off and all of that fun stuff. Check back tomorrow for more.

Propagation Tipz Vol. 1 Echinophyllia & other Plating Corals

2006-07-16 23:22:52

Here, I will show you how I propagated my alien eye echinophyllia. Coral propagation is becoming more known in the industry as well as important to your reefs. There are several techniques out there for each type of genius and I strongly suggest researching first before you start to farm your corals. I hope this blog will be a helpful tool for future propagation.=)First start with a frag. This piece Here you can see growth forming. Now it is finally ready to frag.was the size of a golf ball about a This took about 3-4 months. This took close to 7-8 months.year ago. Still not ready to frag. Here I am using a bandsaw to These are the frags when I am And here is the mother colony thatcut the echino. I cut around the rim done. I mount the frags on is left. The rim will grow back in akeeping the center intact for future disks/plugs with simple super couple weeks. In a couple months, frags. Next, I cut the rim in several glue. They will be ready for their more frags will be made.=) pieces. new homes in about 2-3 weeks. Any questions or comments about this process, please feel free to leave. Happy Reefin,Jen:)

Hobbiest or Business ?

2006-07-16 18:13:35

Well I can tell you right now I dont make enough at selling frags to be a business. I also do not want to make this hobby a business. I am a mechanic by day and I used to think that working on cars was the coolest thing hever. Till I did it for a living that is. I would hate to spoil this hobby by selling for a living. I do however love selling frags for fun and to support the hobby. When you are depending on something and doing it for fun its a big differance. I am currious how many people have turned from hobbiest to business that still cant get enough. I am sure there are some. I have had many people tell me to go into business but It would be a heart breaker if it ruined it for me.Here are some pics of my favorite things Here is one of my favorite pics from 10 gallon nano. I was told when I got into reefkeeping that anemones were impossible to keep. Well this one is at least 4 years old and has split 5 times! It is kept under 2 65 w PC lightsHarelquins are some of the most beautiful shrimp. To bad there speical diet makes them difficut to keep.I have had a few over the years.

What pic. is the best ?

2006-07-16 15:58:27

Blue Frag Obsessed

2006-07-16 10:51:27

O.K. so I am sooooooo impressed by everyones amazing work here . . . You GUYS rock!!!Anyways, I couldn't help but join the fray so here's my start. Its my latest attempt at creating frags to share.Crazy, how hard it is to get good pictures, and with the kids running around screaming behind me I have to limit my time working on My Reef today, but ah well that's life heh?!For larger versions visit the picture album page on my website www.bluefrags.com !!In order shown: Purple Humilis, Oregon Tortuosa, Yellow Millepora, ORA Tortuosa, Purple Millipora, Hardy Brown with blue rim table.I'm selling these as a set only; I know I'm a grinch.Its all about time factor, you understand . . .

update

2006-07-15 18:09:36

I just got some great new corals that I will be adding soon. My pieces of the Pink Lemonade Acro and the Incredible Hulk are growing like weeds. You should get on the wait lists early for these ones as they are filling up fast. Pics to be posted soon.

Pink O' Rama

2006-07-15 17:25:13

So we finally decided to start releasing frags of some of the imfamous Pink Lords in the Jendub.com collection.* PINK O' RAMA *The decision was tough, but like any good momma you have to know when to let go (just a little anyways hehe).We wanted to make sure that seed fragments of these lords were in circulation in the frags.org propagation circle-ensuring their continued existance for years to come. These buggers are definitely some of my favorites, so strap on the bib and prepare to damage your keyboard with some drool.;) Pink Lightning Pink Sparkle Pink-a-gogo Pink Parafait Pink-splosion Pink Venus more to come.....

A Little T5 Controversy

2006-07-15 13:30:08

I'll have some more pics coming up this evening. Before I do that I wanted to go back a little bit and explain how I got to this point...My current tank has been running T5 lighting for a little over 2 years. My intention with this tank was to make it a brightly colored soft coral display. I started with a lot of zooanthids, ricordia, nephthea, xenia, etc... Things were looking great until last summer when I came home from vacation to find out that I had a tank crash and lost a lot of my corals (thanks to Mr. Murphy). I started over and this time decided to go for an LPS dominated tank, with a few SPS thrown in for good measure :) After about year of keeping the LPS and SPS under my T5 lighting it was obvious that the colors had lightened over the course of time to the point that has me fairly concerned. I'm not talking about browning out I'm talking about pastel versions of their 'original color'. After looking around RC for awhile I came to find that quite a few people were posting very similar experience. There are currently several schools of thought as to what the issue is. 1. T5 is much more intense than anyone realized. (I personally don't buy into this one). 2. T5 is not intense enough. (I don't really but this either, I think there is enough output to get the job done). 3. There is an issue with the spectrum of one or more of the available lamps that we're using. (I might believe this) 4. There is some fundamental difference between the lamps/ballasts/reflectors being used over seas vs. here in the states. (I might believe this) 5. There is an unknown, unmeasured component at work, such as UV output, etc... (possible) 6. T5 is not to blame at all, it is completely the fault of the hobbyist (not likely IMO... there is a certain something about T5 that leads to them being more difficult to color up corals under vs. MH - although it is definitely possible) Each entry from here forward I'll be discussing my thoughts and experience with T5 in reference to the above points. I'm no expert, just a hobbyist like you. I'll keep the pics coming (expect to post several side by side pics later tonight) also.

Pictuers from Marine Fish in ATL

2006-07-15 09:30:18

Here is the corals that are for sell...Here is there SHOW Tankbehind the show tankIN the show tank

Off to ATL

2006-07-14 09:52:28

Well I am off to ATL this moring to look at all the shops... Pictuers when I return.

There is something about RED's that really turn me on LOL!! Sorry, it's true Shrugs

2006-07-14 02:47:48

Here is a pic of my infamous Kedd's reds... I think these are one of the coolest zoo's! Not only do they look awesome, but they grow fairly fast!! Seriosuly! I don't know about you guys, but a Hot, sweet, insane, beautiful, stunning, *sexy coral that grows fast is deffinatly an A+ in my grade book!*Note... in my opinion all those words describe this Zoanthid, but the word "Sexy" was created particularly for this coral! For real.... look it up on Wikipedia!!So yeah, if this coral had BOOBS, i'd probably marry it! ;)ha ha all joking aside, it was a great addition to my tank!!*DROOL* Here is a close up, Hooray!! (a little more focused lol)OKay, so yeah, I'm out... off I go!! Oh and to all you pervs out there... NO I don't really fantasize about zoa's!! Sickos!! LOL ;)Reefenvy

Lighting Teaser

2006-07-14 00:21:17

Here's a top down shot of the lamps I currently have runnin. Yes the end caps are off right now. Can you spot the 3000k? Hint: Look at the reflection on the water :) more pics to come later

Too Much of a Good Thing can Be Bad

2006-07-14 00:03:28

Well Im writing this because I have learned a valuable lesson. As you have seen on the boards there are the "hot" corals and the newest craze and people go nuts for them and try and catch them all like Pokemon. I fell into this with echinophyllia. I actually had a few before the craze took off and then I tried to get my hands on anyone I could. Go back to around February and some of my echinos werent doing so hot. They started to recede at the edges with a clearish detritus the exposed the skeleton. I have tried everything to stop it, but it has spread to over 75% of my echinos and wiped out thousands of dollars. I have tried Lugols, Melafix, Pimafix, Maracyn, Neomycin Nothing really showed any effects. Melafix showed the most promise as some echinos stopped receding and regrew while using it. There is some of the damage done. The point of this is just like in the stock market its good to diversify with your corals instead of concentrating so much on one single type because if something gets in your tank that infects that certain type of coral watch out. I have seen it happen with zoos and sps for example. So have pity on me and help me get the $1000. lol jk But it sucks watching some insane one of kind pieces die off and nothing helping it

Updating

2006-07-13 14:25:42

Sorry I'm new at the whole blogging thing. Anyone know what the best way to update is? Should I just keep editing when I want to add to it?

Algblenny (Reefready.net) Intro

2006-07-13 00:40:30

Hi Everyone. I just figured I'd try this blog thing out. I'm in the process of changing the format of my website right now. I hope to make it look a lot more professional. I don't know much about computers but I built my site by myself (well with a nice program that makes it easy for dummies). With the great response I have had I decided to up the image. I am also thinking about advertising on RC. If there is anyone else that would like to sell some of their rare corals on my site please let me know. I would like to have as much available to people as possible. Don't forget I also have the best prices on Tunze equipment on the web. If there is something you are interested in but you don't see on my site please let me know. I should be posting on here often. Thank you.-Matthew Juner-Reefready.net

FILTERLESS REEFS!!! Guess what, it can be done and it works great!

2006-07-12 22:47:39

Challenge this: I have been running a filterless reef for nearly 7 years. I have the worst skimmer on the market on the tank ( A seaclone) and it barely works 20% of the time. I have tangs and a coral beauty angel in the tank and a pair of mated maroon clowns too!!!! My corals thrive! It is full of zoanthids, mushrooms, montiporas, xenia and other soft corals and sps corals. I couldn't add another piece at this point if I wanted to it is so full!!!!If you don't believe it you can checkout some ofmy picks at www.krazecoral.com...... Want to know how to do it or have suggestions you canadd them to this blog.........

Green House trip

2006-07-12 14:36:38

We went to see what type of green house we wanted and took a few pics. EnjoyHere is a pic of a wet wall or swamp cooler.This is the conneter for the double layer poly system

Surviving the Summer Blackouts

2006-07-11 19:30:39

With summer upon us, thunderstorms and blackouts are a common occurance. A small survival kit should be on hand to keep your tank going. The most important thing is OXYGEN. A)1 preferebly 2 batterey operated airpumps with extra batteries on hand (more if its a large tank) The best ones are the ones that turn on when the power goes out.B) A bottle of Prime or Ammolock to pour in to help detoxify any ammonia or nitrite that will be produced by fishC) If you have alittle cash to spend you can purchase a battery backup system they sell for computers to at least run your filter pump. You will have to see what the wattage draw is on your pumps to find which size you need.D) Skip all of this and buy a generator

The T5 Blog

2006-07-11 17:51:52

It's a simple concept, you want to know more about T5 lighting and so do I :)My tank has been running under T5 lighting for the last 2 years. It's a mixed reef and I have had equally mixed results with T5. As far as I know I'm the only reefer experimenting with the 3000k (not a typo) T5 lamps (Thanks to the Grim Reefer for the idea). You can follow along with my progress and see how these lamps actually work out over a reef! There could be some great propagation potential here and you might be surprised that they can be used in combinations acceptable for display tanks too! The other plan here is for ME to put together any 6-bulb combination that YOU want to see. Just let me know what you're interested in seeing and I'll put it together and post some pics. I don't have 6 of every bulb so take it easy one me :D I do have at least 2 of just about all of the bulbs and will order any that I don't have.Just come back often so I can win the $1,000 to pay for all of those T5 bulbs :P- Jacob

Growth Sequence Initiated on Purple Deaths

2006-07-11 00:07:28

Im going to keep track of the growth on my Purple Deaths over the next 3 months and see how well they grow. They will be in my 90 gallon on the sand under 5 54 watt t-5s being overdriven on an Icecap ballast. The only food I will be feeding them is target feeding 2-3 times a week Coral Frenzy. Here is the starting picture as you can see I am starting off with a 4 polyp frag 3 big polyps and one small baby. Pictures will be taken every 2 weeks.

first post!

2006-07-10 23:00:53

Testing out the very cool new blog feature here, excellent idea frags.org team! We'll be using this space for spreading education about fragging, shipping, and other experiments that we are doing for progression of this wonderful hobby, for commercial use we have our site, and don't feel a need to inundate elsewhere, I'm sure everyone gets bombarded by commercials every day of their life, at the FraggleReef blog, we're all here to learn :)PS, We'll be posting some sweet random pictures in here too

You know it's nice when people will swear to you that it is FAKE!!! ha ha

2006-07-10 19:02:09

How many of you have corals that scream: "HEY HEY look at me, i'm painted...ha ha totally fake... nothing real about me!!"The Safecracker Zoanthids have to be the loudest ones in my tank! In my opinion, one of the nicest Zoanthids out there. It's no surprize people always ask me if they are fake. The colors are just amazing, I will add, that I am an SPS nut, But a Zoo like the 'Safecracker' makes me wonder how some SPS growers hate zoo's!! I grow mine in very bright light, and they seem to grow at a moderate pace. It might them a while to get established, but once they do! They cover up nicely. Honestly I couldent see my tanks with out them anymore!!It's total eye candy!! :) *Drool* I have to say it: If an orgasm was a zoanthid, the 'Safecracker' would be a multiple!lol, yay My very own reef quote!-Reefenvy-

bye bye for now

2006-07-10 19:00:37

Hi everyone,Just want to thank everyone that i had a chance to trade with, bought frags from and all the fellow reefers that purchased frags from me. I've been feeling pretty burnt out for a while now and finally decided to leave the hobby for atleast a year or two. I can finally go on an extended vacation with the wife now :).Bless you all and happy reefing, Rich

Aquaria in absentia

2006-07-10 18:35:41

Well, it's the early part of July and I have just over a month before I got back to college to work on my grad degree. Come the middle of August, I'll have lost my monthly income and most of my free time. Worse yet, I'll be separated from my tanks and will have to rely on my wife to keep them up during the week until I get home on the weekends.So what's a guy to do?Well if you can't enjoy looking at your own tanks....then you might as well look at others via the internet. I'm planning to post links and pics to tanks and websites that keep me longing for the time to play with mine at home.Now my tanks at home...are modest. I have44g cichlid tank I won't really talk about, but I also have a 30g cube whose 15g sump should be finished by the end of the month when I move.Ahhhhh cubes...aren't they nice. Now mine is small and lightly stocked, but let's look at some real inspiration.This shot is from OregonReef.com. I don't know the site/tank owner, but I saw someone post a link and followed it. They were right....it's a gorgeous cube display! Take a tour of the site and his tank by following the link below...well worth the time if you've got some.http://www.oregonreef.com/index.html

Share your favorite frags!!! and care tactics!

2006-07-10 16:04:08

Hey everyone, just wanted to start a thread that consists of everyones favorite frags that they have recieved! So post a picture (or more!) and give us some details!This is my orange fungia dania..... these pictures dont even do it justice!!!! It glows neon orange, and when i feed it, its quite the impressive site. I bought it as a small frag from my LFS as a small disc, and it has grown fairly quickly, being one of my most durable and impressive corals. Everyone always comments on this one first!!!! I feed it roughly twice a week with cyclopeeze, and will give it some squid once in a while. It is currently in med-high lighting (with PC's) and probably a low-medium flow. sorry for the small picture, couldnt find my other ones.... This is my other favorite coral (a purple based with neon green rimmed mouthed echinophyllia frag!) I got it through priority shipping, and it arrived healthy as all can be about the size of a quarter. It has since expanded and grown to over the size of probably 2"X2", and there are many many mouths all over it. Seriously, my favorite coral in my tank by far! Not much to do with this guy, just place him in decent lighting, with a little flow so that no sediment gets stuck on the tissue. Everyone elses turn!!! Lets make this a pretty cool list of favorite corals and a good place to look for information to coral care and how we recieved them!!!! IF we get enough people on here, we will have a great list!