Gentlemen Prefer Cubes

[ninjamyst]

so fluffy!

[gena]

so fluffy!

I need your dog taking photo skills .

[ninjamyst]

I need your dog taking photo skills .

 

solid white dogs are tough =P.

[Pancetta]

Oh, hey Gena,

That salad looks good! I bet my wife would like that. She is always trying new salads.

 

I made beef stew last Sunday. My wife made apple crisp. No photos though; both dishes are consumed.

Going to make a new Minestrone this weekend.

 

David

 

[gena]

Oh, hey Gena,

That salad looks good! I bet my wife would like that. She is always trying new salads.

 

I made beef stew last Sunday. My wife made apple crisp. No photos though; both dishes are consumed.

Going to make a new Minestrone this weekend.

 

David

 

Minestrone sounds delicious! We've had some fall-like weather lately and I've been craving soups . Not to last though...back to over 100 by the weekend .

 

I have good news and bad news and photos . I'll share the bad news first. A couple more of my blastos aren't doing so well . I have no clue why but I did get online and found that they can be super fussy. Be well for months and then just up and melt away. Unfortunately it includes my very favorite. The blue face from Glenn . I moved the blue out and into the 8g in hopes that whatever is bothering it can be fixed in a different environment. The hot pink is just gonna have to deal in the big tank because I don't have room for it in the 8g tank. The blue is my very favorite so I want to try and save it if I can. The others are still doing fine. Sheesh...who knew. I guess the merlettis are much more forgiving than the wellsi.

 

So, onto the good news!!!!!

 

I got very exciting news this morning. I submitted a photo into a reef photo contest back in July. Today I got an email that I'm a semifinalist in the contest!!!! It's a big-name fish food company and if they choose my photo, it will go in their calendar and I'll get a $250 credit for fish food . There are 13 winners so hopefully my chances are good!!!!!

 

Even just being a semifinalist is pretty cool, but I hope I get in the calendar .

 

Took some photos today for the new page .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rocksmom]

Sorry about the blasto. Very cool news about the contest though. Good luck! $250 is a lot of food!

[HVani]

Sorry about the blastos. Loosing coral sucks

 

 

Congrats on the photo!! Which one did you enter?

[gena]

Sorry about the blasto. Very cool news about the contest though. Good luck! $250 is a lot of food!

Thanks! It IS a lot of food . If I win, I'll have to share with my local friends cuz I don't think I could use $250 worth of food in a year .

Sorry about the blastos. Loosing coral sucks Congrats on the photo!! Which one did you enter?

Thanks, A!!! It's a clownfish photo .

[FlowerMama]

hope you win!!!!

[gena]

hope you win!!!!

Thanks, Annette!!!!

[ClaireRenee]

Good luck!

 

 

[ninjamyst]

do people vote for the winners? if so, i will sign up for whatever it is just to vote for yours =).

 

sorry about the blastos. i thought they are hardy like acans??

[gena]

Good luck!

Thanks

do people vote for the winners? if so, i will sign up for whatever it is just to vote for yours =).

 

sorry about the blastos. i thought they are hardy like acans??

Nope..they have a panel of judges. Thank goodness. I hate the contests that are won by "likes" or whatever LOL.

 

I thought they were hardy too. But from the research I've done, they aren't! Merlettis are more like acans in the hardy department though. I guess part of the problem is wellsis can be hard to acclimate to a new tank. I don't really know for sure but luckily they aren't all having issues...not yet anyways. They are the only coral that is giving me a hard time right now.

[Arkayology]

I got very exciting news this morning. I submitted a photo into a reef photo contest back in July. Today I got an email that I'm a semifinalist in the contest!!!! It's a big-name fish food company and if they choose my photo, it will go in their calendar and I'll get a $250 credit for fish food . There are 13 winners so hopefully my chances are good!!!!!

 

Even just being a semifinalist is pretty cool, but I hope I get in the calendar .

Good luck with the contest! $250 worth of fish food is A LOT for a nano! If you spent it all at once you would have to buy a separate fridge just for the food lol.

[gena]

Good luck with the contest! $250 worth of fish food is A LOT for a nano! If you spent it all at once you would have to buy a separate fridge just for the food lol.

Thanks . I'll share some with you if I win I guess it's a credit and you just have to spend it within a year, before it expires.

[Felicia]

That's so cool! I hope you win! Is this some sort of awesome frozen food?

[Nano sapiens]

I thought they were hardy too. But from the research I've done, they aren't! Merlettis are more like acans in the hardy department though. I guess part of the problem is wellsis can be hard to acclimate to a new tank. I don't really know for sure but luckily they aren't all having issues...not yet anyways. They are the only coral that is giving me a hard time right now.

 

Here's what I know and have learned about Blastomussa wellsi that might help:

 

1. Need careful light acclimation. Start real low and work up slowly. Too much light will make them super puffy, but this is actually not a good thing. Once overlit, they have a hard time recovering and easily succum to infection.

 

2. Once injured they are very prone to bacterial infections. Try Melafix (which has Tea Tree oil) to help reverse these infections.

 

3. Welsii are very often situated on a vertical incline in nature, not face up like we like to display them. Being on an incline reduces the overall light the polyps receive and naturally prevents debris from permanently settling.

 

4. I like to feed LPS small amounts more often (3x/week), especially so for Blastos. Less chance of excess food rotting inside the coral possibly causing bacterial issues.

 

My standard red/green Indo did very well for months until I gave it away at a local club event. It was never subjected to light over ~60 PAR. I made the mistake of giving my Superman Blasto too much light (130 PAR) and a week or two later it was really looking bad (tried partial shade, but it was too late and it wouldn't recover). My tank is too high lit for Blastos in any place but under the live rock structure...which isn't much fun for them or me. So, this is one coral I've chosen avoid for now.

 

I liked this Blasto video from Tidal Gardens (note the very low light levels): video:

 

Best of luck with yours!

[cju84]

Good luck!! Can you post the photo you submitted?

[gena]

That's so cool! I hope you win! Is this some sort of awesome frozen food?

Thanks, Felicia!!!! They sell all kinds of food. The company is Omega One .

 

Here's what I know and have learned about Blastomussa wellsi that might help:

 

1. Need careful light acclimation. Start real low and work up slowly. Too much light will make them super puffy, but this is actually not a good thing. Once overlit, they have a hard time recovering and easily succum to infection.

 

2. Once injured they are very prone to bacterial infections. Try Melafix (which has Tea Tree oil) to help reverse these infections.

 

3. Welsii are very often situated on a vertical incline in nature, not face up like we like to display them. Being on an incline reduces the overall light the polyps receive and naturally prevents debris from permanently settling.

 

4. I like to feed LPS small amounts more often (3x/week), especially so for Blastos. Less chance of excess food rotting inside the coral possibly causing bacterial issues.

 

My standard red/green Indo did very well for months until I gave it away at a local club event. It was never subjected to light over ~60 PAR. I made the mistake of giving my Superman Blasto too much light (130 PAR) and a week or two later it was really looking bad (tried partial shade, but it was too late and it wouldn't recover). My tank is too high lit for Blastos in any place but under the live rock structure...which isn't much fun for them or me. So, this is one coral I've chosen avoid for now.

 

I liked this Blasto video from Tidal Gardens (note the very low light levels): video:

 

Best of luck with yours!

This here is awesome information!!!! Thanks for taking the time to write it here . I was wondering if I was possibly over-feeding them, and I think it's a high probability that this is the reason I'm having trouble!!!!! I actually stopped feeding them so much when I noticed these recent two having issues. In the back of my mind I must have known . That's probably why merlettis do better, because they don't eat as readily as the wellsi!

Good luck!! Can you post the photo you submitted?

Thank you!!!!! I will once I find out the results...if they don't take my photo then I'll post it here. Otherwise I want to wait until it's in the calendar .

[ninjamyst]

Here's what I know and have learned about Blastomussa wellsi that might help:

 

1. Need careful light acclimation. Start real low and work up slowly. Too much light will make them super puffy, but this is actually not a good thing. Once overlit, they have a hard time recovering and easily succum to infection.

 

2. Once injured they are very prone to bacterial infections. Try Melafix (which has Tea Tree oil) to help reverse these infections.

 

3. Welsii are very often situated on a vertical incline in nature, not face up like we like to display them. Being on an incline reduces the overall light the polyps receive and naturally prevents debris from permanently settling.

 

4. I like to feed LPS small amounts more often (3x/week), especially so for Blastos. Less chance of excess food rotting inside the coral possibly causing bacterial issues.

 

My standard red/green Indo did very well for months until I gave it away at a local club event. It was never subjected to light over ~60 PAR. I made the mistake of giving my Superman Blasto too much light (130 PAR) and a week or two later it was really looking bad (tried partial shade, but it was too late and it wouldn't recover). My tank is too high lit for Blastos in any place but under the live rock structure...which isn't much fun for them or me. So, this is one coral I've chosen avoid for now.

 

I liked this Blasto video from Tidal Gardens (note the very low light levels): video:

 

Best of luck with yours!

 

woah. i need to put mine under shades. they are getting lots of light right now.

[Pancetta]

Gena,

Sorry about your blastos. That is great news about the photos. Hope yours are chosen.

 

I made a new Minestrone recipe and it was OK. But, my wife added small raviolis to it and my son

ate it all! Anytime we can get our 7 year old son to eat vegetables it is a cause for celebration.

 

David

 

[markalot]

Blastos irk me to no end.

 

The smaller polyp ones seem to be very hardy, I've never had an issue and some of them are under 200+ PAR. The big polyp blastos, the ones that stick closer to the rock rather than grow like trumpets, always die for me. I got a nice colony from Kat and they looked horrible for weeks, then suddenly got healthy and fat. I have them at the bottom of the tank in shade, about 70 PAR tops. If I put in any phosphate reduction media they will shrivel, so they certainly need nutrients.

 

I also feed Acropower every day to my big tank, and I'm not sure if this helps them or not. ????

 

I had a beautiful all red colony and then red with blue centers ... m e l t e d a w a a a y y

[Felicia]

Oh, Omega One! That's pretty amazing! I soooo hope you win. I think I'll need to get a calendar with your tank in it if you do

[owenj]

Good luk on the photo contest! Just think of all that food

 

Sucks about the blastos. Nano posted great info. I've been having some up/down with my blastos too, but I have a culprit for it (I think. That's what I'm blaming anyway) at least. I'm a big believer in the little feedings more often.

[gena]

Gena,

Sorry about your blastos. That is great news about the photos. Hope yours are chosen.

 

I made a new Minestrone recipe and it was OK. But, my wife added small raviolis to it and my son

ate it all! Anytime we can get our 7 year old son to eat vegetables it is a cause for celebration.

 

David

 

Thanks, David! Funny about your son liking it with the small raviolis...can't say I blame him...I'm a fan too .

Blastos irk me to no end.

 

The smaller polyp ones seem to be very hardy, I've never had an issue and some of them are under 200+ PAR. The big polyp blastos, the ones that stick closer to the rock rather than grow like trumpets, always die for me. I got a nice colony from Kat and they looked horrible for weeks, then suddenly got healthy and fat. I have them at the bottom of the tank in shade, about 70 PAR tops. If I put in any phosphate reduction media they will shrivel, so they certainly need nutrients.

 

I also feed Acropower every day to my big tank, and I'm not sure if this helps them or not. ????

 

I had a beautiful all red colony and then red with blue centers ... m e l t e d a w a a a y y

Seems to be a common experience from what I'm reading here and elsewhere online! I'm glad the ones from Kat pulled through for you!!!! My red with blue is giving me trouble too. It's my favorite so I hope it's able to pull through. It seems to be holding on so far .

 

 

Oh, Omega One! That's pretty amazing! I soooo hope you win. I think I'll need to get a calendar with your tank in it if you do

I was looking through one of my Coral magazines back in July and there was a little insert in there about the contest. Figured I'd give it a shot LOL. Glad I did .

Good luk on the photo contest! Just think of all that food

 

Sucks about the blastos. Nano posted great info. I've been having some up/down with my blastos too, but I have a culprit for it (I think. That's what I'm blaming anyway) at least. I'm a big believer in the little feedings more often.

Thanks . So what do you think is the culprit? I'm definitely going to start feeding frequent small meals. I'll stick with cyclopeeze. I was feeding them big juicy black worms . yeah...that's why I think that's the reason for the issues .

 

I forgot to mention I put in a request for a pincushion urchin at my LFS. I should get one this week. I want it to munch on the blasted razor caulerpa that's growing on the rocks.