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My 300 to 294 build and fish room (1 Viewer)
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OP
OP
R.I.P., my favorite coral.
My hitchhiker Lobo decided to celebrate 20 years in my tanks by starting to die, and today I declared it completely gone. I'm not sure what happened. It previously had issues when nitrates and phosphates bottomed out, but that was not the case this time. The only alarming result of a Triton test was the iodine was about .24ppm which is quite high, but I don't know if that would kill corals. I did a couple water changes to bring that down some. I also tried a witch hazel bath, and ultimately I put it in a QT tank with antibiotics in case it was a bacterial infection.
Here is what it looked like back in January 2003. If you're thinking "that looks like a clam", that's because it is, but somewhere on the shell was a larva or tiny polyp of Lobo waiting to grow. The clam died after about a year, then the Lobo started becoming noticeable, looking like a mushroom at first.
Fast-forward to March 2011 and this is what it looked like. (I'm so mad at myself for not taking any pictures of it in its early stages.)
A year and a month later, it was really starting to take off.
Here it is March 5 of this year when it was really starting to go downhill. Look how wicked that skeleton is. I don't understand how evolution favored an animal that can rip itself to shreds so easily. Imagine if our bones were like that - every movement would be excruciating, plus we would probably bleed to death internally pretty quickly.
And here it is today (and a Scoly that also didn't make it).
Usually when you buy these big LPS corals, you get a lot of flesh with a small skeleton, but this one built up a pretty impressive skeleton over the years. You can see it has three distinct layers, where it had started dying in the past, but recovered and started over with a new layer. On the lower right you can see half of the clamshell that it's still attached to after all these years - the other half broke off when I moved.
This is so depressing, not only because of the loss of a cool coral, but having this one live so long and grow so large from almost "nothing" is the one thing that made me feel somewhat worthy as a reefer. Without it, I'm just another guy who kills corals.
My hitchhiker Lobo decided to celebrate 20 years in my tanks by starting to die, and today I declared it completely gone. I'm not sure what happened. It previously had issues when nitrates and phosphates bottomed out, but that was not the case this time. The only alarming result of a Triton test was the iodine was about .24ppm which is quite high, but I don't know if that would kill corals. I did a couple water changes to bring that down some. I also tried a witch hazel bath, and ultimately I put it in a QT tank with antibiotics in case it was a bacterial infection.
Here is what it looked like back in January 2003. If you're thinking "that looks like a clam", that's because it is, but somewhere on the shell was a larva or tiny polyp of Lobo waiting to grow. The clam died after about a year, then the Lobo started becoming noticeable, looking like a mushroom at first.
Fast-forward to March 2011 and this is what it looked like. (I'm so mad at myself for not taking any pictures of it in its early stages.)
A year and a month later, it was really starting to take off.
Here it is March 5 of this year when it was really starting to go downhill. Look how wicked that skeleton is. I don't understand how evolution favored an animal that can rip itself to shreds so easily. Imagine if our bones were like that - every movement would be excruciating, plus we would probably bleed to death internally pretty quickly.
And here it is today (and a Scoly that also didn't make it).
Usually when you buy these big LPS corals, you get a lot of flesh with a small skeleton, but this one built up a pretty impressive skeleton over the years. You can see it has three distinct layers, where it had started dying in the past, but recovered and started over with a new layer. On the lower right you can see half of the clamshell that it's still attached to after all these years - the other half broke off when I moved.
This is so depressing, not only because of the loss of a cool coral, but having this one live so long and grow so large from almost "nothing" is the one thing that made me feel somewhat worthy as a reefer. Without it, I'm just another guy who kills corals.
OP
OP
I thought I was joking back in post #104 when I said my bouncing mushroom might explode, but now I'm not so sure. This past Wednesday it got bigger than it ever had before, and fortunately I got some pictures. Then yesterday I noticed it is gone, so I don't know if it exploded, or simply let go and is under a rock somewhere.
OP
OP
The good news is my Fruity Pebbles is growing and getting some color back. The bad news is a big section in the middle is dying, probably for the same unknown reason so many of my corals have died this year.
I would try and break a couple tips off and glue them just to hopefully have a backup. Its hard when its in the middle like that.The good news is my Fruity Pebbles is growing and getting some color back. The bad news is a big section in the middle is dying, probably for the same unknown reason so many of my corals have died this year.
OP
OP
I definitely plan to do that if the dead area keeps getting bigger. I managed to save a piece of the Fox Flame colony about one quarter inch before the rest of it died, and so far that tiny piece is still alive.
OP
OP
I did, and the only thing concerning was the iodine was really high. I have done several water changes to hopefully lower it, but haven't done another test recently. It's probably about time for another one.
OP
OP
Trying a long-tentacled plate coral for the first time. It seems like the best of both worlds - the look and flow of an anemone, but without the worry that it will start wandering around stinging all the other corals.
OP
OP
A reefer's dream (partially) realized. I have always wanted a group of fish swimming among coral branches like you see in reef documentaries. I have sort of realized this dream with the large elkhorn Montipora colony and 4 chromis (I bought 6 but two didn't make it through the quarantine). They don't go into the branches as much as I hoped - mostly at night or when something is going on (this video was taken when doing a water change). At first the hawkfish was bothering them (he has to insert himself into almost every picture or video), but in the second half they were able to settle into the coral more.
In their current "52 weeks of reefing" video series, BRS is setting up a tank just for this. The tank will have nothing but some branching SPS, a bunch of chromis, and one grouper to scare them into the coral. It will be interesting to see how this works out.
In their current "52 weeks of reefing" video series, BRS is setting up a tank just for this. The tank will have nothing but some branching SPS, a bunch of chromis, and one grouper to scare them into the coral. It will be interesting to see how this works out.
Cody
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OP
OP
At least that way I wouldn't have to worry about whether the chromis will eventually kill each other.Have you tried a handful of piranhas? I hear they school well
Cody
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Exactly! Now we’re cooking with grease!
OP
OP
Should have cleaned the outside of the glass first, but too excited about my newest addition.
Beautiful!!Should have cleaned the outside of the glass first, but too excited about my newest addition.
Cody
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That fish did straight up blue steel for the cameraShould have cleaned the outside of the glass first, but too excited about my newest addition.
OP
OP
It's crazy how much longer his dorsal fin is after one week.
The new part isn't stiff like the rest of the fin, which makes me a little worried that it isn't new growth but a piece of it that tore loose and is dragging behind. But I can't see any signs of damage to the rest of the fin.
@voooooo, did he ever look like this when you had him?
Overall, he seems to be doing great. He is even eating flake food, and the two bites someone took out of his anal fin are healing well.
The new part isn't stiff like the rest of the fin, which makes me a little worried that it isn't new growth but a piece of it that tore loose and is dragging behind. But I can't see any signs of damage to the rest of the fin.
@voooooo, did he ever look like this when you had him?
Overall, he seems to be doing great. He is even eating flake food, and the two bites someone took out of his anal fin are healing well.
voooooo
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Hey Frank, glad to see he is doing well. His dorsal will get extremely long, get caught in pumps, fall off and regrows is what I have notice.
Tangs
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You just got the one? I heard they only do well as 2??? Good Luck and please keep up posted.
OP
OP
The person I got him from had him for about a year by himself, so hopefully he will continue to do well.
Apparently he got his dorsal fin caught on something, because he looks more like the first pictures again, but seems to be doing very well.
