albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Thanks for the acan links, Albert, but I definitely try to avoid buying named ones. I'd much rather luck into a pretty one with no name and save $200. Agreed, if you go to an LFS and you can "see" what they have then you can make your selection based on what appeals to you rather than on some cryptic name, although a lot of the online sellers do post mini pics that can usually be enlarged so you get a good idea of what you are buying. When doing so it is not a bad idea to get in touch with them to make sure that what you are going to get is indeed the same as what you ordered and saw on their site Funny cause just yesterday ABC had a segment in the news on what a McDonald's burger looks like in their ads and what you are really getting ... "not" quite the same This is my Duncan coral taken a few months ago since which it has grown considerably and I have fragged it a couple of times to swap with other reefers. I will take some pic's soon to show how its developed since then. Nice looking indeed Atoll Les ... :0 If you were not that far away I would come and get some frags Albert ∞ 1 Quote Link to comment
slickwill613 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Sure thing brother. Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) Agreed, if you go to an LFS and you can "see" what they have then you can make your selection based on what appeals to you rather than on some cryptic name, although a lot of the online sellers do post mini pics that can usually be enlarged so you get a good idea of what you are buying. When doing so it is not a bad idea to get in touch with them to make sure that what you are going to get is indeed the same as what you ordered and saw on their site Funny cause just yesterday ABC had a segment in the news on what a McDonald's burger looks like in their ads and what you are really getting ... "not" quite the same Nice looking indeed Atoll Les ... :0 If you were not that far away I would come and get some frags Albert ∞ Just jump a plane Albert you have been here before On the subject of Duncan's corals. When they first appeared here in the UK they were very expensive at around £25 or so a head. Now they can be had for around £8 a head and from other reefers £5 a head. There appears to be at least 2 types or forms of Duncan's corals maybe more. Some have elongated calcium stalks while others are short an stubby . So short in fact you can only see the heads when open. Of course the growth of the calcium stalks may just be as a result of water motion either strong or weak. Do you get both types in the US and maybe more? Edited June 27, 2012 by atoll 1 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) ThePilosopher posted a question on the Clam thread about an sponge on his Clam and what to do about it Here is a pic : The issue with this is that normally a sponge would IMO not do any damage BUT and this is big but, there are a number of boring sponges and if what he has is one of those it would definitely harm the clam and probably over a period of time lead to its demise. So I guess in this case it is a matter of playing it safe since even from a close up picture I feel that no one would be able to determine what type of sponge he has. My recommendation therefore is to remove the sponge and not take any risks. Maybe this is not needed but I feel that since we cannot know what kind of sponge it is (even if it is unlikely that a boring one got into his tank), IMO taking the safe route is the better one. Now if you look carefully at the Clam you will see a crab shell on it as well, it does not seem large and I do not know which type it is. I would suspect that it came in as part of a batch of CUC's and that it is ok and that all ThePhilosopher needs to do is keep an eye on the crab or snail if that is what it is, and determine whether he should keep it or remove it. For now I would recommend taking it off the Clam and putting it in another area of the tank. Most snails are fine but there are undesirable ones as well such as the Halloween Hermit (Trizopagurus striates) and some others as well. ThePhilosopher needs to check what crab or snail he has and then decide what to do with it. I posted info in the clam section but need to add some more info there which I will do. Dicathais orbita and the Whelks can be a danger in reef tanks. Albert Edited June 27, 2012 by albertthiel 1 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) Just jump a plane Albert you have been here before On the subject of Duncan's corals. When they first appeared here in the UK they were very expensive at around £25 or so a head. Now they can be had for around £8 a head and from other reefers £5 a head. There appears to be at least 2 types or forms of Duncan's corals maybe more. Some have elongated calcium stalks while others are short an stubby . So short in fact you can only see the heads when open. Of course the growth of the calcium stalks may just be as a result of water motion either strong or weak. Do you get both types in the US and maybe more? Not sure what Duncan's go for here but I guess that 5 to 8 UK pounds is not too bad ... As to jumping on a plane ... not sure when that will happen but one can never tell right ... I have to look into whether there are two types of Duncans available here in the US as I am not sure LFS and others resell them. Duncanopsammia axifuga would be one but I am not sure what the other one would be. I would have to do a search to find out ... Perhaps someone on this thread knows of the other kind and can fill us in but most of what I have seen that is for sale is the axifuga variety. There are references to branching ones and non branching ones but that could have to do with placement, water flow and other conditions so not sure about the 2nd one. Albert Edited June 27, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Sure thing brother. Sounds good, let's do it ...just give a day's notice or so. Thanks Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 One of my fav tube worms but not the easiest to keep the calcareous tubed Coco worm. I bought this on on Saturday and as I have kept other tube worms I thought I might have a good chance with it. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 One of my fav tube worms but not the easiest to keep the calcareous tubed Coco worm. I bought this on on Saturday and as I have kept other tube worms I thought I might have a good chance with it. This is what I have as info for the Coco Tube worm : Care Level: Difficult Temperament: Peaceful Reef Compatible: Yes Waterflow: Low to Medium Placement: Bottom Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025 Max. Size: 7" Color Form: Orange, Pink, Red, White, Yellow Diet: Filter Feeder Supplements: Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium, Trace Elements Compatibility: View Chart Origin: Indo-Pacific Family: Serpulidae The Hard Tube Coco Worm, also known as the Hard Tube Feather Duster, Protula Tubeworm, or Hard Tubeworm, has a crown that can be white, yellow, orange, pink, or red. The radioles may be banded or patterned. Younger Hard Tube Coco Worms have bi-lobed crowns, while the crowns of older individuals are spiraled. The Hard Tube Coco Worm secretes a calcareous tube, approximately 1/2 inch in diameter and 5-8 inches long, to house its vulnerable worm body. When disturbed, it can quickly retract its crown and close its operculum to shut the top of its tube. It usually anchors its tube in a crevice of the rocky reef or in the gravel along current-swept reef slopes. It uses the radioles to filter out floating plankton. The aquarium for the Hard Tube Coco Worm should be well-established and contain a rock and gravel substrate. The Hard Tube Coco Worm requires calcium and the proper alkalinity to grow. It is extremely intolerant of poor water quality and copper-based medications. In the aquarium it is difficult to maintain, and will need supplements of phytoplankton and liquid organic foods. Well that is what I could locate as information for you Albert Quote Link to comment
jgpico Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Just a quick question about pipefish. First off have you had any experience with these fish? Secondly what is the smallest tank you would recommend putting one of these fish in? I have always loved pipefish and eventually want to own one but I want to make sure I will be able to care for it properly. Thanks. Quote Link to comment
ZephNYC Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 Hi Zeph, I have 2 dendronepthyas in my 55 that are doing well, but close up for weeks at a time. They are really gorgeous when they open, but do not open often. Any advice? Hi Panda, You have caught my attention!!! I really can not keep up with this thread. Im pretty sure you are aware that nobody in the history of the world has had success with these corals and MANY have tried. I am surprised that Live Aquaria consistently even supplies them, because they are well known to not import items that they know will die. But perhaps this is a good sign, and perhaps the young Alberts of today have figured something out. I originally asked about these because I have always loved them, and have kept, or attempted to keep lots of them back in the day. I am impressed that after 6 months in captivity yours will still even open from time to time. I would love to see a pic of your set up, in fact I INSIST. Off the top of my head, they need phytoplankton and rotifers, and lots of them. They require a constant input of phyto best accomplished by auto dosing. Also they do better when hung upside down. You can use fishing line. Flow is a key factor, in that they do not like direct flow. Indirect flow of alternating current is a MUST and may be just what yours require to perk up a bit. I asked Wombat about these last night because I am setting up a NPS Nano ...and I know I wont be able to resist trying some DendroN's again. My new big clam tank is going to be postponed for a more affordable project at this time, while I let the newbies sit in Qt another month or two . I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that i would like to try out. Basically foods and feeding methods. What I REALLY need is someone else that has them to compare notes. In short..they need absolutley perfect water condition 24/7 and not even a hair of fluctuation in dkh and probably calcium too. Constant supply of phytoplankton, and zooplankton ( rotifers are perfect) as often as you can. A constant drip of live rotifers is most likely required. The combination of heavy heavy feeding, and perfect water quality at all times makes them almost impossible for even open systems in public aquariums. BUT.. If you know me..i still say it can be done. There have been few success stories out there but i have read about them. Sally Joe of GARF is probably the only person in the world that has propagated them. Admittedly, she agrees that you will probably have better luck with their relatives..scleronepthya, stereonepthya ..or even spongodes. Here are some pics. NEOSPONGODES SCLERONEPTHYA Here is a small Stereonepthya of mine Another Stereonepthya colony of mine If you decide to try any of these other nepthyas please let me know. They are still very difficult, but atleast Stereonepthya practices photosynthesis. THey can do really well and are just as pretty as most dendroN's and they are my third favorite corals. 1) Clams.. 2)Gonioporas ...and 3) Nepthyas. Sprung suggests heavy macro algae growth strongly benefits ALL of these corals, particularly Scleronepthya. I don't recall why though. ...and as for me being Zephyr from wild style ? I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate me. Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 This is what I have as info for the Coco Tube worm : Care Level: Difficult Temperament: Peaceful Reef Compatible: Yes Waterflow: Low to Medium Placement: Bottom Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025 Max. Size: 7" Color Form: Orange, Pink, Red, White, Yellow Diet: Filter Feeder Supplements: Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium, Trace Elements Compatibility: View Chart Origin: Indo-Pacific Family: Serpulidae The Hard Tube Coco Worm, also known as the Hard Tube Feather Duster, Protula Tubeworm, or Hard Tubeworm, has a crown that can be white, yellow, orange, pink, or red. The radioles may be banded or patterned. Younger Hard Tube Coco Worms have bi-lobed crowns, while the crowns of older individuals are spiraled. The Hard Tube Coco Worm secretes a calcareous tube, approximately 1/2 inch in diameter and 5-8 inches long, to house its vulnerable worm body. When disturbed, it can quickly retract its crown and close its operculum to shut the top of its tube. It usually anchors its tube in a crevice of the rocky reef or in the gravel along current-swept reef slopes. It uses the radioles to filter out floating plankton. The aquarium for the Hard Tube Coco Worm should be well-established and contain a rock and gravel substrate. The Hard Tube Coco Worm requires calcium and the proper alkalinity to grow. It is extremely intolerant of poor water quality and copper-based medications. In the aquarium it is difficult to maintain, and will need supplements of phytoplankton and liquid organic foods. Well that is what I could locate as information for you Albert Yeah I am up on the requirements to keep it. The issue is providing the correct and right amount of food more than anything. Water quality goes without saying really which should be top notch. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Just a quick question about pipefish. First off have you had any experience with these fish? Secondly what is the smallest tank you would recommend putting one of these fish in? I have always loved pipefish and eventually want to own one but I want to make sure I will be able to care for it properly. Thanks. There are a number of them and some are easier to keep than others. The Banded Pipefish is not easy due to its food requirements, but rather than give you a long message here you can go to the following link and click on all the URL's there and read up on them. I think that will make it simpler. http://www.google.com/search?client=safari...-8&oe=UTF-8 What I do recommend if after reading all the info is that you have an aged tank, say 6 months or more, preferably longer, and that you have at least a 50 gallon system that has that amount of water or more (if you have a sump). Also depending on the type you get make sure you understand what the feeding habit is and also make sure that you can see it eat before you buy it if you can. Most require live foods to begin with and some can be switched to other types of food but not easily at all. LFS's who sell them will often feed them brine shrimp and that is not a good food for them in the long term. Also they need several feedings a day and will need to be started on live foods and eventually if you are lucky you may get them to eat frozen types but I would not count on it ...lots of hobbyists find these fish hard to keep. Having a breeding pair increases your chances of success but finding such a pair is not going to be easy Note though that since you did not specify which one, some of this information may or may not apply. Having said all of this I think that I would rather recommend that you look at some other type of fish as Pipefish are often kept in species tanks and may not do well in reefs where you have corals that can sting them. Can it be done, I am sure it can be done but I have never kept them myself so the info I am giving is based on what I have read or heard ... and so FWIW But go to this page: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari...-8&oe=UTF-8 and read up ... there is a lot of information there .... I think that after you have read a lot of what is there you will probably decide to go with some other type of fish. Of course there are, I am sure, hobbyists who read this who have kept them successfully so you may get more answers but IMHO you should look for other fishes to keep in your aquarium especially if it is small. I am not entirely sure but I think that although this fish is not on the Endangered Species list, there is some other classification that it is placed in that would also make me recommend NOT to keep Pipefishes Also note that these fish have many seahorse like features and habits. Albert Yeah I am up on the requirements to keep it. The issue is providing the correct and right amount of food more than anything. Water quality goes without saying really which should be top notch. You hit it on the mark Les ... good luck... It's a great one to have in any thank Quote Link to comment
BulkRate Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Yes I agree with all of that ... it's right now probably the nicest store in the ATL area ... Let me know when you will be going there next and maybe we can meet up ... Albert Another nice one is SEA Atlanta. They're in the middle of some plumbing upgrades so many of the display tanks aren't stocked (fish in the back). I like how they carry some of the niche tank types and have several of them set up througout the store. Plus the MRC showoff room (i.e. Life Support) is a must see. Also, you may want to check out the Atlanta Reef club... seeing as you are local and all. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 ...and as for me being Zephyr from wild style ? I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate me. Is that the 5th Amendment Zeph .... Did you see the thread on pipefish ? If you did read my response please and add your own comments as I am interested in whether we both agree on the fact that they are best not kept in smaller aquariums etc... just look at what I suggested. IMHO one of those fish hobbyists should stay away from Albert Another nice one is SEA Atlanta. They're in the middle of some plumbing upgrades so many of the display tanks aren't stocked (fish in the back). I like how they carry some of the niche tank types and have several of them set up througout the store. Plus the MRC showoff room (i.e. Life Support) is a must see. Also, you may want to check out the Atlanta Reef club... seeing as you are local and all. Thanks for the info ... do you have a URL for the Atlanta Reef club's website. I looked for it but could not find it. Thanks for the info on the other stores Albert Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I am not usually an advocate of urchins in reef tanks but if you want one then IMO the Tuxedo urchin is probably the best. I was given a small one by a reefer selling up and had it for a number of months now. It does no harm at all in my tank and bothers non of my inverts. Urchins require proper and long acclimatization when first introduced and the Tuxedo is no exception. Here's a pic of mine grazing on the side glass of my tank it would appear. . Quote Link to comment
tiepilot68 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 A few more questions: A closeup of my Bubble Coral. It almost always has at least a few tentacles out... should I feed it more than once a week? My clown really seems interested in the Bubble Coral... think she will ever host in it? Ive seen a very thin slender black maybe 3/4 of an inch tentacle like thing coming out of the center of my ric. Of course I didn't snap a picture of it! And I've not seen it since... is this like a feeding tentacle or something? Thanks as always! Quote Link to comment
ZephNYC Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 Is that the 5th Amendment Zeph .... Did you see the thread on pipefish ? If you did read my response please and add your own comments as I am interested in whether we both agree on the fact that they are best not kept in smaller aquariums etc... just look at what I suggested. IMHO one of those fish hobbyists should stay away from Albert Thanks for the info ... do you have a URL for the Atlanta Reef club's website. I looked for it but could not find it. Thanks for the info on the other stores Albert THe 5th it is. Ive been using it often these days, trust me. I am flatered Albert is asking my opinion. THank you. I am really big on pipefish and seahorses. I have a dedicated 125 just for them. Wait till I get home im on my phone now. A few more questions: A closeup of my Bubble Coral. It almost always has at least a few tentacles out... should I feed it more than once a week? My clown really seems interested in the Bubble Coral... think she will ever host in it? Ive seen a very thin slender black maybe 3/4 of an inch tentacle like thing coming out of the center of my ric. Of course I didn't snap a picture of it! And I've not seen it since... is this like a feeding tentacle or something? Thanks as always! I had a bubble for 15 years and never fed it even once. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 A few more questions: A closeup of my Bubble Coral. It almost always has at least a few tentacles out... should I feed it more than once a week? My clown really seems interested in the Bubble Coral... think she will ever host in it? Ive seen a very thin slender black maybe 3/4 of an inch tentacle like thing coming out of the center of my ric. Of course I didn't snap a picture of it! And I've not seen it since... is this like a feeding tentacle or something? Thanks as always! SUPER ... thanks for posting the pics THe 5th it is. Ive been using it often these days, trust me. I am flatered Albert is asking my opinion. THank you. I am really big on pipefish and seahorses. I have a dedicated 125 just for them. Wait till I get home im on my phone now. I knew it ... :0 ... I had this suspicion that since it is one of those fish that is not easy to keep that Zeph would have them :0 Look forward to reading your experience with them, and your recommendations Zeph, especially for hobbyists who do not have a 125 just for pipefish and seahorses ... :0 Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 A few more questions: A closeup of my Bubble Coral. It almost always has at least a few tentacles out... should I feed it more than once a week? My clown really seems interested in the Bubble Coral... think she will ever host in it? Thanks as always! The tentacles are sweeper ones and can get very long ... it's probably time to feed (target feed so the Bubble coral can grab it) The tentacles can sting other corals and they can get quite long ... much longer than the ones in the pic. Love the fact that the clown is trying to get closer to it but it will have to slowly immunize itself against the possible stings from the coral, and that can take some time for the clown to become immune to the stings Her's a link to a video of a clown and a big Bubble coral for you ... As to feeding the coral : frozen silversides cut to small pieces would work in most cases and once to twice a week should be enough IMO Albert Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Albert you may have missed my post about urchins and in particular about the Tuxedo urchin which I posted a pic about. Quote Link to comment
ZephNYC Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 SUPER ... thanks for posting the pics I knew it ... :0 ... I had this suspicion that since it is one of those fish that is not easy to keep that Zeph would have them :0 Look forward to reading your experience with them, and your recommendations Zeph, especially for hobbyists who do not have a 125 just for pipefish and seahorses ... :0 Albert Well, you know what my favorite motto is - " you only live once!" Soon I will post a few pics of my fish rooms, you may actually be impressed. More on pipefish soon. I will just say now that I dont have ALOT of experience with them, but I have kept many species. my favorites are Dragon face pipefish. I LOVE THEM! ..had them for many years. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Albert you may have missed my post about urchins and in particular about the Tuxedo urchin which I posted a pic about. No did not but am on cell phone so I'll reply later tonight or in the AM ... Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Well, you know what my favorite motto is - " you only live once!" Soon I will post a few pics of my fish rooms, you may actually be impressed. More on pipefish soon. I will just say now that I dont have ALOT of experience with them, but I have kept many species. my favorites are Dragon face pipefish. I LOVE THEM! ..had them for many years. Zeph like these ... not easy to send from cell phone but here is they are .... Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 My clown really seems interested in the Bubble Coral... think she will ever host in it? She may, but as rough as clowns are with their hosts, I wouldn't hope for it. Bubble corals are extremely sensitive to tissue damage, and are very likely to get an infection from it. Quote Link to comment
Panda_girl Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Zeph like these ... not easy to send from cell phone but here is they are .... Really nice picture Albert! Zeph, are you Marc? pm!! Quote Link to comment
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