Nola Bear Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 I am using the Bluefish controller. I am setting up a 2-3% rise per week and will monitor. Are my whites too high already? 1 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 The ratio of whites to blue are up to your personal taste. More blue helps because corals get more out of blue light while algae gets more out of white light. And many corals fluoresce more under blue light. But tanks with too much blue look like windex - a little more white can be very pretty. If you like the color you've got now, don't change it. I've tried more white as well as more blue, but in my tanks I keep coming back to a 2:1 ratio as looking the best to my eye. 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 Bought a gold torch in early december and Gold Torch was like this. And now, for a few days, it's been like this (pic below). . I will say that the color on the tentacles that are still fully extended do look really nice. The first pic up top is a terrible pic and really pinked out the image. It's actually a nice gold, whitish-blue tip torch. I'd hate to lose it. Not only is it one of my favorite corals, I got what I believe was a great deal on it. A ton of retraction. I'm not sure what is going on. I'm doing my weekly water changes, two gallon changes (roughly 25%). Going to take a water sample to LFS to get good params. Everything else in the tank is doing really nicely, except for my problem zoa . The only thing I can think of is that I had bought a platygyra that ended up not being a healthy frag. It started receding almost immediately and it was maybe an inch and a half from the torch (should've known better since the only other frag the LFS had was already receding). I know that when the brain went into the tank, it definitely released some slime, and wondering if that may have affected the torch being the only close neighbor. Is that stupid? I don't know...Pulling straws here. I took the brain back to LFS a few days ago. They were nice enough to trade it back for a nice little favia, which looks happy so far (silver lining, I guess ) Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Params were solid. Did two dips: coral rx and then iodine dip, but the guy at LFS thinks that there is probably little that can be done, which is pretty much what I've read as well. We are thinking that it is probably some kind of bacterial infection. Around the base or crown of the torch, the fleshy area, almost looks like there is a white fuzz. Reminded me of the white fuzzy mold that grows on foods. I took a short video of it in the water to show the LFS guy. I will try to post it here, not sure how. It's back in the tank now. I just did another 2g water change. I really don't want to lose this guy, but I'm afraid I don't have the skills. Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Unfortunately, I've read of a lot of people having trouble with torches with similar problems. Hammers and Frogspawn seem to be easier to keep. Sorry for the bad luck 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Unfortunately, I've read of a lot of people having trouble with torches with similar problems. Hammers and Frogspawn seem to be easier to keep. Sorry for the bad luck Live and learn, right? One thing I've learned is to look closely at the flesh that surrounds the branch when considering purchase. It does look, from what i can tell, happier today than it did yesterday. We will see what happens. 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 My sister has been in the hobby close to ten years, and every time I tell her about a coral I want, she tells me how, oh yeah, I had one of those...it died. It got me to wonder how commonplace a part of the hobby this is? i was wondering how many corals the average member has lost or loses in say 1, 5, 10 years of hobbying. I'm not naive to the fact that corals will die, but I wonder what my expectation should be. My goal of course is to promote a healthy tank. Quote Link to comment
Mangimi Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 It got me to wonder how commonplace a part of the hobby this is? i was wondering how many corals the average member has lost or loses in say 1, 5, 10 years of hobbying. Hi, I've been in the hobby at first for almost four consecutive years then a break and now in again. I never understood why you lose certain corals and others that are considered evenly hard to keep grew perfectly. I don't know if it's karma or voodoo, but if I lost a coral it was always those which I desired the most. I really can't tell why some corals make it and some doesn't. I had a Gorgon that was considered easy, but it never grew. Now I have a frogspawn that is almost dying since two month, maybe it's recovering now because of more shade and less flow. I'm losing always those zoas that I like the most... 1 Quote Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Hey, looks like the torch is indeed having problems. As for what they are I can't say. lol I've never seen any fuzz like that you are seeing around the base of a torch before. Can you take a toothbrush and lightly brush it off? If so this might be a sponge that is irritating the coral's base. As for what that disc is I couldn't say, Is it a circular tube? Just flat? Does it have a segmented back? Can't really see. Hopefully this guy pulls through but as others have said torches are touchy for unknown reasons. My best guess for this is that they get cut on their own skeletons and get bacterial infections from there. Hope it pulls thru for you though. 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Yes, coral are funny that way. Torches are ones that I have always had trouble with and yet frogspawn and hammet I could keep and they got huge. Zoas are always tricky for me so yeah, I think everyone has trouble with spmething. 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 Hey, looks like the torch is indeed having problems. As for what they are I can't say. lol I've never seen any fuzz like that you are seeing around the base of a torch before. Can you take a toothbrush and lightly brush it off? If so this might be a sponge that is irritating the coral's base. As for what that disc is I couldn't say, Is it a circular tube? Just flat? Does it have a segmented back? Can't really see. Hopefully this guy pulls through but as others have said torches are touchy for unknown reasons. My best guess for this is that they get cut on their own skeletons and get bacterial infections from there. Hope it pulls thru for you though. Yeah, I've done two coral RX dips and two iodine dips, and when I do, I suck off the fuzz. It looks clean, and I may be crazy, but it looks like they may be a torch baby--though I doubt it. It's a protrusion but at a hard angle to see what's what. Thanks for all your help Pinner, I really appreciate it 2 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 Yes, coral are funny that way. Torches are ones that I have always had trouble with and yet frogspawn and hammet I could keep and they got huge. Zoas are always tricky for me so yeah, I think everyone has trouble with spmething. Right! I even have a metallic green torch that's thriving. My frogspawn is happy. But, of course, my gold torch is hurting~ 2 Quote Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Happy to help. And if it looks like a baby torch it could very well be. Usually they don't make such huge nubs to grow off of... Just big enough for the head itself. Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 Happy to help. And if it looks like a baby torch it could very well be. Usually they don't make such huge nubs to grow off of... Just big enough for the head itself. Went ahead and dipped the torch last night while doing a water change. Plucked the barnacle off, What I thought was a little nub on the other side wasn't, I am trying to find a lower flow area for the torch. Hope this helps . Wondering how long it can take for a torch to die if it is in fact dying ? I want to say that this is week three with little change... 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 New order from Rare Reef just delivered to house. Cant wait to see what is in store. There was a snafu with the order, and the guys at rare reef wanted to refund because they lost the record of the WYSIWYG corals ordered, but I told them that I wasn't entirely worried with the WYS part as I was with the WYG part . Got an email saying that it was their bad and that they were going to take care of me. Can't wait to get home and see exactly what that may mean . If it is good, prepare yourselves for some shameless promotion. I will post pics once the corals are acclimated. Original order was: Mayan Sun Favia Orange Dream Chalice Tropical Bliss Chalice Superman Mushy I know that HarryPotter has ordered Rock Flower Nems, and they are dope. They are a few hours south so I got the florida shipping rate, awesome. They had a new year special, awesomer, They also had a 20% off on their FB page, awesomest. I'm getting ahead of myself. I should wait to see that the corals I received. Update to follow~ 5 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Hope they look nice! Fingers crossed for the torch 2 Quote Link to comment
Uphoric Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Great tank. We have very similar tastes. What camera did you use for the close ups? 1 Quote Link to comment
HarryPotter Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 New order from Rare Reef just delivered to house. Cant wait to see what is in store. There was a snafu with the order, and the guys at rare reef wanted to refund because they lost the record of the WYSIWYG corals ordered, but I told them that I wasn't entirely worried with the WYS part as I was with the WYG part . Got an email saying that it was their bad and that they were going to take care of me. Can't wait to get home and see exactly what that may mean . If it is good, prepare yourselves for some shameless promotion. I will post pics once the corals are acclimated. Original order was: Mayan Sun Favia Orange Dream Chalice Tropical Bliss Chalice Superman Mushy I know that HarryPotter has ordered Rock Flower Nems, and they are dope. They are a few hours south so I got the florida shipping rate, awesome. They had a new year special, awesomer, They also had a 20% off on their FB page, awesomest. I'm getting ahead of myself. I should wait to see that the corals I received. Update to follow~ Update!!! 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Great tank. We have very similar tastes. What camera did you use for the close ups? Using a canon 50d. It's my wife's camera. It's pretty sweet, but I need a better macro lense. Thanks. ? 2 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Update!!!Still have to upload pics tonight, but the corals sent are freaking amazing. I ordered one superman mushy and he sent me a stick with 5 or 6. He also threw in a freebie blasto with some serious colors, not your average blasto, but I don't know which one on his site. The Mayan sun is so so nice and the chalices are dynamite. Was online late last night and rare reef sent out a flash sale coupon open until 11am this morning with 25% off. I really had to hold myself back. If I had a few more months on this tank, I would have bought one of his rock flower nems. This site is legit and since they are moving locations, I think they are probably more inclined to sweeten deals He has some of those yellow hammers, good grief! 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Clowns started nipping at me today when I went in to glue down new corals. Not sure how I feel about that. Pretty funny actually 1 Quote Link to comment
Droy008 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Sound like they're getting territorial. But don't go changing the subject, we need pics! 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Sound like they're getting territorial. But don't go changing the subject, we need pics! Pics to follow . It just dawned on me that I have been planning on getting a tailspot blenny in february, and now that these guys are exhibiting this territorial behavior, I'm a bit worried. 1 Quote Link to comment
Nola Bear Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Welcome home! Bagged Acclimated Free Blasto Mayan Sun Superman Mushy Stick Tropical Bliss Chalice Orange Dream Chalice Additional Business Favia from LFS Blasto from LFS New FTS 4 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Beautiful! And don't worry about the TSB. They like to claim a hole in the rocks so they don't interfere with the clowns much. My clowns attack my hand every time, and there's no problem with my TSB. That free blasto is really nice for a freebie, btw 1 Quote Link to comment
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