The Softie Revolution - Soft coral, gorgonian, macro, LPS focused builds

[Astinus]

 

yes it is. was very busy the past couple of years. But now I'm happily unemployed (until the funds run out!) So I'm paying more attention to my tank again.

is it a GSP? it will do great pretty much anywhere you put it. may even get out of hand.

btw, i love your zoa placement. will be awesome when they star climbing! I would maybe tuck the feather into the rock work though. just a personal preference though, to hide its tube.

I do Believe it is a GSP. The LFS' Receipt lists it as a Star Polyps M, Prolly for Medium

 

TY for the help Penny.

[GTi]

I need advice, Shar, my Wife (Worries...lol) Wants to know where we should place this....

 

 

We would also like to know what kind of "Flow" is okay? I moved the Output nozzle last night thinking it was a tad to much on 1 side of the coral.

If it's GSP, it will spread fast. Consider making the rock a little island surrounded by sand then it is easier to trim the mat to keep it under control. If you place it in your main rock work it could take over and smother everything else.

 

It looks good in an area with some flow.

[Astinus]

TY Gti, I may move it to the Bare Rock u see in the Background.

[GTi]

TY Gti, I may move it to the Bare Rock u see in the Background.

 

You're welcome.

 

I like GSP and have a small island of it in my tank. Some people peel it off the rock and superglue to the back wall of the tank which makes for an interesting look!

[Astinus]

lol, I was kind of thinking same thing..Back wall...I want to save some real estate for some Hammers on the Sand Bed.

[devaji108]

glad to see there are some other softies and LPS lovers out there.

my new tank is going to focus on gorgs, sponges, LPS and softies..

[ReefWeeds]

glad to see there are some other softies and LPS lovers out there.

my new tank is going to focus on gorgs, sponges, LPS and softies..

 

When you set up the build thread, let me know and I'll post it in the index!

[FlowerMama]

 

No, but thank you for linking it and to the icky SPS

 

Gena- I love the video you found. It shows how you don't have to overdo, have a bunch, you can just have 5-6 key pieces and it made a stunning tank. Sometimes less is more. I would love to do that plus some gorgs, macros and rock flowers.

[ReefWeeds]

 

Gena- I love the video you found. It shows how you don't have to overdo, have a bunch, you can just have 5-6 key pieces and it made a stunning tank. Sometimes less is more. I would love to do that plus some gorgs, macros and rock flowers.

 

That would be really beautiful, Annette!!! When are you going to set up your new tank?

[FlowerMama]

 

That would be really beautiful, Annette!!! When are you going to set up your new tank?

 

Dave just asked for my address so .....soon. Tomorrow I'm emptying the rest of the water out of the 40 (< half full) and throw away the black mini gravel, and start using a razor blade to remove the black. I have to get some crushed coral for substrate, buy the circ pump and not sure if I want to use the old white rock now or get new. I love the biology uncured live rock brings and I think it's a better way to start. Thought I'd try Gulf Live Rock this time.

 

But I'd want a little height in some places. In the video it looks like they're just almost glued to the tank bottom.

[ReefWeeds]

 

Dave just asked for my address so .....soon. Tomorrow I'm emptying the rest of the water out of the 40 (< half full) and throw away the black mini gravel, and start using a razor blade to remove the black. I have to get some crushed coral for substrate, buy the circ pump and not sure if I want to use the old white rock now or get new. I love the biology uncured live rock brings and I think it's a better way to start. Thought I'd try Gulf Live Rock this time.

 

But I'd want a little height in some places. In the video it looks like they're just almost glued to the tank bottom.

 

That sounds like a great plan! I like the idea of starting with the uncured live rock. I have heard good things about the rock from KP too. and that's how you got Gertie after all!

[FlowerMama]

 

That sounds like a great plan! I like the idea of starting with the uncured live rock. I have heard good things about the rock from KP too. and that's how you got Gertie after all!

 

I thought I read on their site they only sell 60 lbs at a time now.

[ReefWeeds]

 

I thought I read on their site they only sell 60 lbs at a time now.

 

Oh man! That STINKS! I was thinking of getting some a few weeks ago but I don't want a lot at all.

[Coral Scaper]

The first two are Diodogorgia nodulifera and Menella sp. Both are azoox so they die if they don't get fed. On the plus side their big polyps makes feeding easy relatively easy and they are otherwise the hardiest and fastest growing NPS gorgs. Some good options food wise are oysterfeast, BBS, rotifers, cyclopeeze and dry foods designed for coral. Feed the gorgs or the whole tank at least daily and keep an eye on nutrients and they'll do great.

Not sure about the third!

A couple gorgonian photos:

 

 

 

 

[ReefWeeds]

Well, in true softie revolution fashion, I traded in some SPS today and came away with a toad and this:

 

The first two are Diodogorgia nodulifera and Menella sp. Both are azoox so they die if they don't get fed. On the plus side their big polyps makes feeding easy relatively easy and they are otherwise the hardiest and fastest growing NPS gorgs. Some good options food wise are oysterfeast, BBS, rotifers, cyclopeeze and dry foods designed for coral. Feed the gorgs or the whole tank at least daily and keep an eye on nutrients and they'll do great.

Not sure about the third!

Thank you!!!! I appreciate the info! Yeah, I've been feeding reef roids, some frozen phyto stuff for filter feeders and other stuff like that. I love the coloring.

[jedimasterben]

Well, in true softie revolution fashion, I traded in some SPS today and came away with a toad and this:

 

Thank you!!!! I appreciate the info! Yeah, I've been feeding reef roids, some frozen phyto stuff for filter feeders and other stuff like that. I love the coloring.

damn girl, going straight for the hard stuff lol. I would look into a chilled autofeeder system.

[ReefWeeds]

damn girl, going straight for the hard stuff lol. I would look into a chilled autofeeder system.

 

I feed filter feeder crap a few times a day. If I can't keep it healthy, I'll turn it back in. But yes, not a bad idea to put something on the doser

[jedimasterben]

 

I feed filter feeder crap a few times a day. If I can't keep it healthy, I'll turn it back in. But yes, not a bad idea to put something on the doser

Once you get into dendros like that one, it pretty much needs to be a near constant slow feed (combined with strong protein skimming) to keep them going. I've seen setups as simple as a wine chiller that you put in frozen food/liquid food into a wine chiller each morning on a peristaltic pump, and as elaborate as a hair dryer inside a freezer to thaw food that is dropped into a rotating thawing station that drops into the dosing reservoir.

[ReefWeeds]

Once you get into dendros like that one, it pretty much needs to be a near constant slow feed (combined with strong protein skimming) to keep them going. I've seen setups as simple as a wine chiller that you put in frozen food/liquid food into a wine chiller each morning on a peristaltic pump, and as elaborate as a hair dryer inside a freezer to thaw food that is dropped into a rotating thawing station that drops into the dosing reservoir.

 

That's actually a stereonepthya instead of the dendronepthya. So I know, not a huge difference, but the stereos are definitely easier.

And I might have the actual spellings/names wrong. Too tired to go look.

[jedimasterben]

That's actually a stereonepthya instead of the dendronepthya. So I know, not a huge difference, but the stereos are definitely easier.

And I might have the actual spellings/names wrong. Too tired to go look.

I'm pretty sure the above is a dendro, not stereo. Stereos are typically more, uh, 'branchy', for lack of a better description lol.

[ReefWeeds]

I'm pretty sure the above is a dendro, not stereo. Stereos are typically more, uh, 'branchy', for lack of a better description lol.

 

lol. Well, it's not open all the way. It was definitely more "branchy" in the store and is starting to get more branchy now. After the dip it got all peeved at me.

[FlowerMama]

Wow, you have THAT in stores? I hate my stores around here.

[HarryPotter]

Here is my new Fiji yellow leather.

 

[jedimasterben]

[HarryPotter]

Here's the thing. It's from Fiji, check. It is yellow in that picture, check. It is a leather coral, check.

 

So perhaps it is not the species YOU are thinking of (notice I never gave a specific name), I don't see where I went wrong