Mitten_reef’s IM30L

[mitten_reef]

One more from iPhone. Hardly ever see the sun coral this happy in my tank. 

[debbeach13]

Beautiful 

[mitten_reef]

20 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Beautiful 

thanks, I blame @Cannedfish and @banasophia for having such sun corals in their tanks; that made me want one.  My black one has been doing well, the orange one just doesn't like my tank, only peeking out once in a big while, hence no good photos of them yet.  They're alive, just not happy.  And they've been in my tank since black friday shopping....5 months!  

[debbeach13]

Well as long as it’s alive there is hope

[pokerdobe]

I killed mine lol. 

[spectra]

39 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

thanks, I blame @Cannedfish and @banasophia for having such sun corals in their tanks; that made me want one.  My black one has been doing well, the orange one just doesn't like my tank, only peeking out once in a big while, hence no good photos of them yet.  They're alive, just not happy.  And they've been in my tank since black friday shopping....5 months!  

my orange one is the same way............I can flood the tank with food and it hardly opens up..................WTF....................

[banasophia]

1 hour ago, mitten_reef said:

One more from iPhone. Hardly ever see the sun coral this happy in my tank. 

O.M.G. 🤯🤯🤯 that is gorgeous!!! Beautiful coral and great photo!

[ECLS Reefer]

38 minutes ago, spectra said:

my orange one is the same way............I can flood the tank with food and it hardly opens up..................WTF....................

Mine died. I dont have a lot of interest in a nocturnal coral.

[Cannedfish]

12 hours ago, mitten_reef said:

thanks, I blame @Cannedfish and @banasophia for having such sun corals in their tanks; that made me want one.  My black one has been doing well, the orange one just doesn't like my tank, only peeking out once in a big while, hence no good photos of them yet.  They're alive, just not happy.  And they've been in my tank since black friday shopping....5 months!  

What I have found worked for me (and I'm barely a functioning human being, who apparently tells bad internet jokes) with all the sons suns I've had, has been the following (note this doesn't have to be everyday, just everyday till you have trained them; also it is imperative at the start to do this at the approximately the same time each day):

 

1. Turn off all the pumps (note its easier to start to train them as your lights are going off, I do this at around 7pm when the lights are basically in super deep blue mode);

2. Put on some Barry White to get the mood right (sideways winky face); 

3. Mix up so reef roids (not a lot, I use about an 1/8 tsp) or some frozen food (Rod's for example) and use the juice from the thaw, and baste the colony, let the mixture soak over them for 5-10 minutes;

4. Turn on just the wave-makers so the juiced up water circulates in the tank for 5 or so minutes;

5. Turn off the wave-makers;

6. Hopefully, you will see a few tiny tentacles (it may just be one tentacle at first) poking out of the suns, at this time, target feed each tentacle with mysis, even if you don't, target feed the colony; let them eat for 5 minutes

7. Turn everything back on;

 

Doing this everyday for a week, I have always noticed more and more tentacles will start coming out at as the week goes on. Eventually, they will be trained that around the same time each night they will come out on their own, or will come out whenever the sense food. May luck be ever on your side.

 

[ECLS Reefer]

15 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

What I have found worked for me (and I'm barely a functioning human being, who apparently tells bad internet jokes) with all the sons suns I've had, has been the following (note this doesn't have to be everyday, just everyday till you have trained them; also it is imperative at the start to do this at the approximately the same time each day):

 

1. Turn off all the pumps (note its easier to start to train them as your lights are going off, I do this at around 7pm when the lights are basically in super deep blue mode);

2. Put on some Barry White to get the mood right (sideways winky face); 

3. Mix up so reef roids (not a lot, I use about an 1/8 tsp) or some frozen food (Rod's for example) and use the juice from the thaw, and baste the colony, let the mixture soak over them for 5-10 minutes;

4. Turn on just the wave-makers so the juiced up water circulates in the tank for 5 or so minutes;

5. Turn off the wave-makers;

6. Hopefully, you will see a few tiny tentacles (it may just be one tentacle at first) poking out of the suns, at this time, target feed each tentacle with mysis, even if you don't, target feed the colony; let them eat for 5 minutes

7. Turn everything back on;

 

Doing this everyday for a week, I have always noticed more and more tentacles will start coming out at as the week goes on. Eventually, they will be trained that around the same time each night they will come out on their own, or will come out whenever the sense food. May luck be ever on your side.

 

That’s complicated holy cow. I’ll stick to my broadcast feeders

[mitten_reef]

30 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

What I have found worked for me (and I'm barely a functioning human being, who apparently tells bad internet jokes) with all the sons suns I've had, has been the following (note this doesn't have to be everyday, just everyday till you have trained them; also it is imperative at the start to do this at the approximately the same time each day):

 

1. Turn off all the pumps (note its easier to start to train them as your lights are going off, I do this at around 7pm when the lights are basically in super deep blue mode);

2. Put on some Barry White to get the mood right (sideways winky face); 

3. Mix up so reef roids (not a lot, I use about an 1/8 tsp) or some frozen food (Rod's for example) and use the juice from the thaw, and baste the colony, let the mixture soak over them for 5-10 minutes;

4. Turn on just the wave-makers so the juiced up water circulates in the tank for 5 or so minutes;

5. Turn off the wave-makers;

6. Hopefully, you will see a few tiny tentacles (it may just be one tentacle at first) poking out of the suns, at this time, target feed each tentacle with mysis, even if you don't, target feed the colony; let them eat for 5 minutes

7. Turn everything back on;

 

Doing this everyday for a week, I have always noticed more and more tentacles will start coming out at as the week goes on. Eventually, they will be trained that around the same time each night they will come out on their own, or will come out whenever the sense food. May luck be ever on your side.

 

That sounds about what @banasophia told me when I first got them. They need a one-hour, 5-course coral gourmet meals for weeks, before they let you see their goods.  What a prima donna coral. 

[banasophia]

3 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

That sounds about what @banasophia told me when I first got them. They need a one-hour, 5-course coral gourmet meals for weeks, before they let you see their goods.  What a prima donna coral. 

Yeah, it’s true... spoiled little b####es 😂😂🤣

 

Look at my cave suns right now, because I’ve only been squirting one course over the ones in the cave for a few weeks, instead of individually feeding each polyp in there twice per night like I usually do. The tissue has totally died off in between each polyp. Luckily it’s fairly easy to grow it back... I resumed the extensive feeding a couple nights ago. 

[mitten_reef]

I’m so boredddd

 

so I guess I’ll log some alkalinity reading for the record before I forget. 

 

The other night I decided that I should make sure I don’t get my alk all f’d up - dKh 8.7, wonderful, woop woop!  Updated dosing timing is doing well. Currently dosing 6 times a day 

12 am - 2 min

4 am - 1 min

8 am - 1 min

12 pm - 1 min 

4 pm - 1 min

8 pm - 1 min

[mitten_reef]

Well, because I was bored. And the LFS guy just happened to got a box from Indo a little over a week ago. So this happened. 

[Cannedfish]

Looks terrible and full of pests... please send to NOLA, I can kill just about anything...

 

 

(seriously, killer pick up, can’t wait to you show it with a filter under blues or in day light... if only everyone’s LFS got indo like that...)

[pokerdobe]

42 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

Well, because I was bored

This is how every great story starts. On par with "hold my beer."

[mitten_reef]

34 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

Looks terrible and full of pests... please send to NOLA, I can kill just about anything...

 

 

(seriously, killer pick up, can’t wait to you show it with a filter under blues or in day light... if only everyone’s LFS got indo like that...)

There might be one in your future goodie box. 

30 minutes ago, pokerdobe said:

This is how every great story starts. On par with "hold my beer."

Hmm 🤨, hopefully this will turn into a great story.  I guess if I kill it in a spectacular fashion, it’d still make for a pretty good story. 

[mitten_reef]

Trying my best at the sun coral’s 3-course meal today.  First a nice dusting of reef roid for the appetizer, given with all pumps off for 10 min. Then let that circulate for a while (went and do the dishes. Btw, anyone else sick of doing the damn dishes during this quarantine?). Came back with a nice baster full of mysis juice, again all pumps off.  Let that sit on top for another 10 min.  Then another baster full of more chunky mysis, all pumps off. Then turn on the gyre, but keeping the return pump off.  gotta say tho, this long and leisure meal method really coax out the polyps.  Here’s a pic just after feeding. 

We’ll see where this gets us in a week.  My prediction?  A tank full of algae.  

And just another gold torch update:

 

[ECLS Reefer]

Dammit @mitten_reef look what you've turned me into 😂

 

 

Ignore the uncovered tank paraphernalia to the side.

[spectra]

I sure as hell hope it takes better pics than the phone you just used...................

[mitten_reef]

Just now, Dirté Sanchez said:

Dammit @mitten_reef look what you've turned me into 😂

 

 

Ignore the uncovered tank paraphernalia to the side.

I don’t even own a tripod. 😲. You’re going all pro on me at this. 😉.

[Matteo]

1 hour ago, mitten_reef said:

I don’t even own a tripod. 😲. You’re going all pro on me at this. 😉.

I usually don't use a tripod.... Maybe I should 🤔 #promove

[ECLS Reefer]

1 hour ago, spectra said:

I sure as hell hope it takes better pics than the phone you just used...................

I was just taking a quick shot at the direction my life has taken since corona hit. It’s pretty bad. 

[ECLS Reefer]

3 minutes ago, Matteo said:

I usually don't use a tripod.... Maybe I should 🤔 #promove

Well @jack1978 kept saying get a tripod or he’s a tripod or he wishes he could tripod 🤔 

 

It has helped with some of the blur but I haven’t made it to @mitten_reef level. Got some cheap filters in- orange looks awful for some reason while yellow and brown work well on both of the tanks with the REDSea LEDs. Someday maybe I’ll be as good as you old school peeps.

[mitten_reef]

2 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Well @jack1978 kept saying get a tripod or he’s a tripod or he wishes he could tripod 🤔 

 

It has helped with some of the blur but I haven’t made it to @mitten_reef level. Got some cheap filters in- orange looks awful for some reason while yellow and brown work well on both of the tanks with the REDSea LEDs. Someday maybe I’ll be as good as you old school peeps.

I literally just follow the steps in Dave’s tutorial I shared a few pages back.   I found it very helpful, you do need to understand photography terminology a little bit.  Other than that, it’s just about finding that good balance where your camera can work with your light (whether that is with presets of light, white balance, or some post processing settings on the computer). For example, I turned my white up just a bit and set white balance to 9000K, but I don’t do any post processing, e.g. photoshop, etc.