20 gallon high

[KcMopar]

I am thinking I can start a zoa for ya. I was looking at it after I fragged the others. Its started three new heads!!!! So I don't want to shock it. You are definitively first in line to get one when they are ready. I started out with only three heads about four months ago so its still pretty young. Either way, I can ship whats ready in a couple weeks or three. Priority is cheap enough that it does not matter. I have a working budget for my corals so trading by shipping is more bang for my buck anyway. I got a lot of button polyp. I might try to frag as well if you are interested, here is a pic. Remember, these do not have to leave at the same time. These can be broke up into other shipments. I am not so concerned about getting even trades as I am about getting stuff I do not have. The cost of these frags commercially has no concern to me as I am more worried about them get to their destination ALIVE!!

 

[KcMopar]

PS. I am not into this hobby for profit!!! I am into this hobby for pleasure. I am sure you seen the plate coral I got Saturday!!! My wife actually wanted that Hundred dollar coral!!! Well I did to but, I was not going to say anything because it was so much. BUT!!! She seen that AND the Indonesian trumpet coral and had to have both!!! The trumpet Coral and the Plate glow green under my Blue moonlight LED's. Its so cool to have my wife addicted, UUHHHH I mean interested!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!

 

[kenny1tothe6]

LOL, Same...I just like enjoying what corals and animals I have and like to trade more then buy[unless I have nothing worth trading or someone would like me to pay instead...hehe]

Anyways, my mom[yeah, I live with my parents, and I'm 19 ] LOVES the reef too and browses thru coral auctions and such. We'll both sit and look thru the lists and drool[just got done doing that, actually and it reminded me how much I "needed" to set up an 8galBioCube with a warpaint clown goby, some sexy shrimp, & minimaxi anemones... xD ]

I seen the plate coral but haven't seen the trumpet. I bet it's awesome, tho! I like the look of them!

So back on the trading topic, those button polyps RULE! If you could frag them, I'd LOVE to add them to my zoa/paly collection!

Here's my few pics:

GSP on the back glass:

[glass is dirty from algae on that side]

The frag plug of it[it's a long story, but I kinda massacred a piece trying to get it off what was zoa[and now montipora] rock[and don't worry, I jabbed the knife in my finger, so I got what was coming, rofl!] so this is what I was able to salvage]:

And the blue paly's if I can frag any and if you'd like them?:

[BTW, you're not getting any algae on these frags. I like my mixed reef but I'm not gonna make you suffer with it. The red hair algae is as invasive as it is pretty[which IMHO, is very xD ].]

 

[kenny1tothe6]

I was in the picture taking mood today...lol

FTS:

Green implosion Palys are both open! [[and Pyro]]

[they're the brown/green ones in with the blue]

And this little xenia keeps on going...already has some new hands and such:

It was retracted cuz Ember has been hanging around it and brushing up against it...I can't wait to get some more xenias...I <3 them!

And the 'shrooms:

The newest baby is on the biggest 'shroom "separate" from the others. I was thinking last night about how it didn't have any babies yet, woke up today, looked in the tank and there was a baby... xD

Hope you guys like the new pics...

 

[KcMopar]

Looking real good!!! I was looking at my Zoa, I do not think I can frag it just yet. The base is only 3/8 x 3/8 of an inch and its just coming around with good color. Its still a pretty young frag itself. I do have some brown buttons I am going to attempt to frag to. I have the two toadstool frags doing real good so far and yesterday a fragged a piece of xenia to one of the rocks the toad stools are attached to. I tell you what xenias are hard to work with. Its much easier to put your frag rock or plug up against the xenia and let it attach itself then cut it off. Dont worry, I will get you a frag of the zoa when appropriate.

 

[kenny1tothe6]

Thanks! No worries about the zoa. My green one is a little bleached[] so that's not gonna happen for a while either. I think it got too much light being up higher which is why it's down lower now. However, when they're ready[I'm pretty sure mine will come back since I'm keeping the water clean and it's mostly the opposite conditions of what it was unhappy in], we can both trade species.

In any case, what you said about the xenia fragging, I'm gonna keep that in mind when/if mine takes over the tank. I think that way would be much less stressful for them anyways[which since I lost the one I paid $10 for, I don't like taking chances with xenia].

Also, I *THINK* the GSP on the glass has grown in width so by the time I send it, you should have a pretty good piece.

BTW, do you know anything about pineapple brain corals?

IDK why but I want 1 centerpiece coral and I think that's it. They look so awesome IMHO. Granted, it'd be after I got the new T5HO light...but... http://www.fishpondinfo.com/photos/other/corals/brain2.jpg

And 1 last thing...would you like any of my 'shrooms or do you have those?

 

[KcMopar]

I only have one, its a watermelon mushroom, real nice looking coral. I would like to have more but just have not gotten any. I thought about fragging it but could not bring myself to do it because I can't find another one and i would hate to loose it. It looks easy enough on the demo how to's but I just don't know.
That brain is awesome!!!! I do not know about the brain corals.
I have a xenia that is growing up the side of some rock, its going from one out crop to the next, I will see if I can get a pic of what I mean by them attaching to anything they touch even if its for a short period.
Have you ever thought about running an algae scrubber on you SW tank? My corals are doing great since I built mine.

 

[kenny1tothe6]

Ooo...watermelon shrooms are very nice looking! I can definitely see why you wouldn't wanna risk messing with it. I'm not fragging mine, I'm just gonna send out 1 or 2 depending on what I can grab out of the hair algae and they'll attach to your rockwork. I'm pretty sure them, the GSPs, & the montiporas are gonna LOVE your tank. They seem to be beyond hardy[almost impossible to kill] -- because they live in my tank. If they can live in there, I'm afraid of what they'll do in a "perfect" tank. xD

I definitely need to research the brain corals cuz it think it'd complete my tank. I wouldn't be opposed to actually paying up to $100 for one[when I have the $, of course]. I was also thinking about getting some bird's nest SPS corals but my tank is filling up pretty fast without even adding new ones. 2 mushrooms popped up from the LR I got from nowhere[1 red & 1 is purple, I think].

Anyways, I haven't really given algae scrubbers much thought, to be honest. I already have some macros/algae in here that I'd assume use up a lot of the waste from the water but it couldn't hurt to try it! I pulled up the general idea and it looks easy enough and worth building[plus I love projects so, that works! lol]

 

[KcMopar]

They have some new technology coming out in a month or so for a new type of scrubber that works better even.
I use to use the macro and sumps on my SW for years along with the skimmers and such. I was really against scrubbers for years until I couldn't stand the hair algae anymore and decided to build one. Best thing I ever done for my SW tanks. I sure wish I would have been a little more OPEN MINDED years ago as it would have saved me thousands!!! The only filter I use now is a scrubber, no skimmers, no filters, or filter socks. Its great to be so simple now, its even easier then my FW tanks as I dont ever water change my SW tanks anymore. I do change a couple gallons every now and then to stay ahead of the ion build up from supplements.
A center piece coral is nice, I just spent a bill on my plate coral but it made the tank!! My wife made a good selection on that one.

 

[kenny1tothe6]

Hmmm...well it would be nice to not have to worry about other filters, skimmers, that kinda thing. I think I'm gonna try building one soon. Just gotta figure out how exactly to go about it.

 

[KcMopar]

Well just hang on a bit, this new stuff is supposed to be super easy!!!

 

[KcMopar]

Those new toadstool frags are doing GREAT as well as the pulsating Xenia. I should be able to ship to you in a week or when ever you are ready to receive them. I will see if I can get pics this weekend. They have grown so much since the pic with the rubber band holding them down. No more rubber bands now and they are looking awesome!!!!

 

[kenny1tothe6]

Ok...sooo...just a tiny pic update...

The fish that constantly makes me bleed! :S

Ember:

lol

 

[KcMopar]

Great fish and wonderful coral!! I will have mine turned back around soon.

 

[kenny1tothe6]

Thanks!

And when yours is 100% back to normal, you need to show a new picture of the tanks!

 

[KcMopar]

I sure will!!! That temp dive and no pumps with the power outage for hours was really taking its toll on my invertebrates and corals. As of this morning things seemed a bit better rather then the worse as seen for the last few days. The snailed had moved for the first time in about 4 days. We will see how it looks when I get home from my shop.

 

[kenny1tothe6]

Soo...

Here's my plan: I'm getting a 4x 24W[2x 10k, 2x actinic] with moonlights T5HO light with glass lid sometime this or next week. The CF light will go on my 20gL and done with the lighting worries of my tanks.

Planned animals to get: 5x dwarf blue leg hermit crabs, 2 astrea snails, 2 nassarius snails[for 4 even tho I haven't seen the green shelled one recently probably cuz I haven't looked...lol], 1 ocellaris clownfish, 1 watchman goby, 1 emerald mithrax crab[bubble algae! Maybe it can keep it tamed], & 1 scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp. In short, this tank is gonna be soooooooo common... xD Want 2 dwarf feather dusters if I can find them. 1 pink/1 yellow.

Gonna get the fire & ice zoanthids, green clove polyps, of course toadstool coral[+ whatever corals you can frag], green & orange/purple ric shrooms, pineapple brain coral -- that kinda thing.

From there, I'm gonna try to snag macro algaes as I can. There's places I can shove them in the LR. Hopefully the crab(s) won't mess with them.

That's all for now. hehe

 

[KcMopar]

Sounds real nice. The toadstools I fragged are doing awesome, their growth and polyp extension are huge! The xenia are starting to look better but not out of the woods yet. I think next week I might try to get a button polyp going for you. The zoas are looking better but are still tiny as they have not expanded much at all. My torch corals are loking pretty good to. If we have good weather here I can ship the toad stools anytime the temp is up high enough.

 

[kenny1tothe6]

That's great that everything is beginning to recover[and the toadstools are still doing great]! I'm kind hoping the SPS will give me a nice enough piece to frag and send your way and then I'll start removing the GSP off the glass[may take an hour or more cuz I don't wanna destroy it] and pull up one of the blue dot shrooms. I just have to say tho...I can't wait until this tank is done!

 

[KcMopar]

I hear ya on the wanting it done!! I have looking at the temps here for the next week or so and the lows are going to be in the 40's. I do not think that is a good temp to ship. I can insulate the package and put a heat pack in it but i do not know what the low temps will be in our area.