cool! looks like star coral. what type is that? (my coral game is weak at best)

Time for an update

Step Back.
I just checked out of the Holiday Inn, and I had Veron's Corals of the World with me last night, so I probably think I'm a freaking coral genius.

After close personal observation and a thorough review of the literature, (man, I love that line. Imagine all the r's rolled) I have come to the opinion that it is a Stephanocoenia intersepta, because when I poke it it blushes.
Any dissenting opinions will be considered, because I used to think the one I have that looks just like it was a Siderastrea radians, but now realize it's probably not.

impressive. i like it

Nice ID.

Think both colonies are the same genus/species?

When I look at it through just my right eye I think they are the same, but when I look with just the left, they look different. The second colony is a bit bleached, but is darkening up somewhat as it acclimates to it's new tank. I might be able to tell after it grows in some. The corralites look a bit more elongated on the second colony, but that wouldn't necessarily mean much as the Stephanocoenia's aren't all perfectly round either.
If it's anything else, I'd say it's Siderastrea radians

i have had squareish Stephanocoenias before, but then again who hasn't right?

congrats on POTM, that was funny, liked seeing something without a fish in it win too.

Would you be willing to sell me one of these red anemones and ship it?





PLEASE!!!! I have a tank full of just different anemones!!

I have been meaning to ask how big do they get Rog? the maroon anemones that is

They've never gotten any bigger than what they were when I got them. About the size of a quarter.

Thanks for the fast reply I have updated pix for my 40g go check em' out

The jetties nano is still alive and kicking, doing very well. I'll post fts later, but I was doing a waterchange yesterday and noticed on the back side of a colony of Favia favum a green lump. Assumed it was a bubble, though I'd not seen any here and found a rather interesting variation of bubble. I've seen single cells, clusters of cells, but not a cluster that makes a large bubble. Assuming its a different species.

whoa! has a soccer ball look to it

it's amazing how many algaes exist

A few more pics of the tank

That's a sweet tank, I've alwys wanted to do a gulf biotope myself but I'm not at the coast often enough. So you've collected all that?

i think he must have cheated on some of them. a few of those zoas look a little more exotic than Pensacola. email later yardboy

that algae is Dictyosphaeria cavernosa or a closely related species probably. Funny texture huh?

Dictyosphaeria cavernosa - - I wonder if I'm even pronunciating it right in my head. Quite odd though. Reminds me of high school biology and the Volvox algae, or maybe not! Thanks for the id John. So is it related to Valonia?

Yea, most of the zoanthids are way out of the league of Panama City. But because of the possibilitiy of wayward currents............. and others were or could have been collected by me when I went to the Keys, plus stuff I could have collected if it'd been legal but I resorted to buying aquacultured rock with it on there, let's just say I can rationalize quite a bit! Still, my conscience is clean if the state folks decide to come by.

awesome as usual!

Looks beautiful!

Tank looks great



I finally found one of these anemones yesterday

Hahaha!

"Wutcher name, boy? And wutcha got in that there tank, huh boy?"

Thanks Tyty. That's cool that you found one. What sort of habitat did you find it in?
I've labelled mine an Paranthus rapiformis or onion anemone, for lack of anything else conclusive.
John's thinking it's a Bunodosoma cavernata or American Warty Anemone.

Thats the same one I was gonna send you! Any luck on the red one for me? Here's a top tank shot!

On the red one, not yet, but you'll get it. Just a bit longer.
Cool tank shot, lots of nice anemones.

it reminds me of those party decoration balls that crumble up when you press on them. somewhat related...

the one in tyty's quote? maybe we should get another pic of the front, and some more tank shots just to be sure. better safe than sorry.

Awesome tank.

I found it under a rocky overhang in just a few feet of water. Here's a pic:

Weeber ID'd it as a sunburst anemone, not sure though.

Yardboy...I'm envious.

I just read through all 19 pages of this thread, and I'm absolutely in love with your tank.

The 10 gallon was wonderful. It's big brother is just as awesome.

Keep up the pictures please!

Thank you very much! The tank has been doing well, occupying a central place in my tank room, with topoff, feeding and water changes. I haven't had the camera out in quite a while, but with your prompting I'll remedy that oversight. Thanks again.

You're welcome!

I'm looking forward to an update.

Looking forward to an update here as well, I've always enjoyed this tank.
Wouldn't mind seeing an update on your LED powered 10g that was previously in the contest too, while you're at it.

This thing is effing great.

+10000

Nice tank. I was down in PCB last week. I was talking to a local one day when I was fishing under the Hathaway Bridge and he said that the big 40" Bull Reds are easily caught off the end of the Jetties, and Jack Crevail too. Do you know if thats true?

Consider the source. If they were easy, why was he fishing under the bridge, which is essentially in the bay.
Nothing's at the jetties, as the rocks are protection and as soon as a fish is hooked he runs for the rocks. Lots of fish lost that way. But then sometimes when everything's right it is easy. Sharks, mackerel, jacks, grouper, etc.

Florence Alabama, pretty town, at least for someone visiting. Quite different from here.

you got to keep their head up. Point that pole straight up in the air yardboy, and don't let em catch you sleeping. Fish lost in the rocks...shame... Good call though on the fishing story... "Oh yeah buddy, there is a great spot 3 miles away from where I am, you should leave and check it out. " lol....


Crevalle jacks huh? I know a good bonita spot too if you are interested....lol.

I don't doubt that about them though, I always see crevalle jacks come in through the inlets in large numbers during a rising tide. Throw a sinking lure into the bait piles on a rising tide at night in the Jupiter Inlet and you can't believe how fast you will pull in jacks. Fun fish, I was just busting your chops up there^.

Awesome Tank! It seems very unique.

I wish we had waters like that here in Texas. Snorkling here is like sticking your face in Ovaltine.

Greetings!
Possibly in the running for longest delay before an update?
Lots of "stuff" has happened since I posted in this thread last; including
spawning urchins

frogfish adventures

mini-maxi anemones

and collecting in the Keys

I ran for president of the Florida Panhandle Reefkeeper's Society, the local reef club, and won thanks to my campaign manager Jackson, Aussie Shepard Extraordinaire

I discovered that being president means your main job is to cook at the jetties barbeques!

And realized that the campaign manager gets all the perks with none of the headaches

It's not difficult to call a meeting and have people with collection buckets show up!

Must be a serious reefer when you hand out business cards!

Of course the 20L jetties nano outgrew itself, and was moved to a 40L in a peninsular arrangement.

The definition expanded to a "Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean" tank, but even that's more or less gone out the window. Old friends are present, grown up, fragged and distributed to other tanks. Plus new friends, all growing happily in a bigger tank.
Here's a crazy fts, when I half decided to convert to LED's. Or maybe not half decided, but only had half the money to make the transition. I've since completely converted, after a fun DIY construction, heavily leaning on friends at the local club, and longer term friends from Nano-reef like Evil!
Anyway, here's "Frankenlights, a half LED/ half 175W cheap chinese MH bulb"!

Love the new tank!

that lighting situation is awesome haha.

"Frankenlights" is exactly right...

yay update! collecting in the keys looks glorious. I'm applying for a research internship in Sarasota this summer, maybe I'll get to do something similar.