SkullV's Aquarium Adventures

[SkullV]

FINALLY got a healthy Oregon Tort in, well 2 of them from Live Aquaria (Divers Den). Also got a pair of their DFS Strawberry Shortcakes. I believe, based on the description on [MENTION=3049]ORA[/MENTION] 's website that it is likely the same piece as their Shortcake, but no way to be sure without their (or LAs) confirmation. Either way, has a LOT of coloring up to do, but should be a very nice piece:

Stock Photo of the SSC:

Original TDF, WCR Green Milli, and DFS Echinata from [MENTION=171]DJE[/MENTION] continue to color up. You can see one of the half dead in shipping Oregon Torts in the background of the TDF pic, might come around, didn't RTN all the way the first night like the first one I got:

Thought I was going to lose the Echiniata in my recent rockslide disaster. My cat (little terrorist named Cow) was hitting the tank to catch the wrasses like he always does and knocked the dry side magnet off of the RW8. It must have been at near 100% at the time because it shot across the tank and messed up the whole left side of the tank. Somewhere during the small re-scape it seems that I knocked the Echiniata down into the sand. Luckily I happened to look at the tank that night with a flashlight because I found it and glued it back in. Doesn't seem to be any worse off, but lost the encrusting, just a small setback.

Also got a neat photo of the DJE No Name Milli after broadcast feeding some Coral Frenzy:

 

[rockhead]

FINALLY got a healthy Oregon Tort in, well 2 of them from Live Aquaria (Divers Den). Also got a pair of their DFS Strawberry Shortcakes. I believe, based on the description on [MENTION=3049]ORA[/MENTION] 's website that it is likely the same piece as their Shortcake, but no way to be sure without their (or LAs) confirmation. Either way, has a LOT of coloring up to do, but should be a very nice piece:

Stock Photo of the SSC:

Original TDF, WCR Green Milli, and DFS Echinata from [MENTION=171]DJE[/MENTION] continue to color up. You can see one of the half dead in shipping Oregon Torts in the background of the TDF pic, might come around, didn't RTN all the way the first night like the first one I got:

Thought I was going to lose the Echiniata in my recent rockslide disaster. My cat (little terrorist named Cow) was hitting the tank to catch the wrasses like he always does and knocked the dry side magnet off of the RW8. It must have been at near 100% at the time because it shot across the tank and messed up the whole left side of the tank. Somewhere during the small re-scape it seems that I knocked the Echiniata down into the sand. Luckily I happened to look at the tank that night with a flashlight because I found it and glued it back in. Doesn't seem to be any worse off, but lost the encrusting, just a small setback.

Also got a neat photo of the DJE No Name Milli after broadcast feeding some Coral Frenzy:

Dam Ted you are packing that thing tight , if you find yourself needing room I'm just down the road
All kidding aside you have a beautiful tank keep the updates coming.

 

[Sawdonkey]

Nice sticks Ted! Love the Oregon Tort.

I hear you on losing frags. I was relocating my BC Adam's Bubblegum a few nights ago and my Niger Trigger bit my hand right as I was pushing the frag onto the rocks. I dropped the frag behind the rocks. I couldn't see it so I was blindly trying to grab it with my pinchers for 45 minutes while doing a bunch of swearing. I looked from underneath my tank and spotted it. I had to slide my entire rock pile forward about two inches to get at it. Luckily, I have enough encrusting montis and epoxy holding the rocks together so nothing came tumbling down.

 

[SkullV]

Thanks guys! Have about 5 more pieces coming from Chicago in mid March, then I just need to find a tyree pink lemonade and I'll be a happy camper! Plan is to grow out a bunch of mini-colonies so when I move to my "forever home" I can have an easier time moving them.

Also edited the last pic in my previous post to the correct photo.

 

[ThePorkchopExpress]

Thanks guys! Have about 5 more pieces coming from Chicago in mid March, then I just need to find a tyree pink lemonade and I'll be a happy camper! Plan is to grow out a bunch of mini-colonies so when I move to my "forever home" I can have an easier time moving them.

Also edited the last pic in my previous post to the correct photo.

Did you already move to AZ? If so, how did you move all your livestock? Wife and I plan on moving west within the next year and the only thing I'm really worried about is the tank.


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[SkullV]

Did you already move to AZ? If so, how did you move all your livestock? Wife and I plan on moving west within the next year and the only thing I'm really worried about is the tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I did, and basically I sold off 99% of the livestock. All I kept was one anemone, my one clownfish, and a couple pieces that didn't sell. They got loaded up into 2 five gallon buckets that rode in the cab of the penske truck with me and my old man. The whole time the buckets had battery powered air bubblers on them and at night in the hotel (2 nights in hotels) they got heaters and koralia nano pumps added in instead of the bubblers. Everything made it alive including the one SPS piece (sunset monti) that happened to come along for the trip.

My recommendation is find someone you know with a tank in the location you're moving and ship them large frags of whatever you HAVE to keep (the coral market is WAY different out here, so don't expect to find what you are able to find in Chicago). Then sell off the rest and use the proceeds to buy new coral/move/set up a new system, etc.

 

[SkullV]

Almost bought that Cirrhilabrus cf lanceolatus on Diver's Den today but figured my other 2 wrasses wouldn't appreciate it in such close quarters. If I can ever catch my clowns and move them to another tank I'd love to get another fish, but until then, just more coral to pack in!

 

[Sawdonkey]

You got some spots on your back glass. JK,JK. Tank looks great. I like the splice you did with the photos. It's tonight to get a good FTS with good detail.

 

[SkullV]

You got some spots on your back glass. JK,JK. Tank looks great. I like the splice you did with the photos. It's tonight to get a good FTS with good detail.

Hahaha, thanks! Yeah, space is tight, but plenty of room for frags to grow, encrust, get healthy before I end up moving again (hopefully my last move ever!).

My plan, and we know how often my plans go.....according to plan, is to get a band saw when I move, cut up all the rocks that have coral encrusted to them, and put the coral in a holding tank/tub/raceway when I move. It will all end up going in DEEP frag tank plumbed into my big fish only tank. The coral will go on a black slotted frag rack at the top of the tank and the lower 2/3 of the tank will have black walls on the sides and back, with a black acrylic panel covering the front. Cryptic zone filtration and pod farm in that tank will allow me to have more of a "display refugium" (even though that makes it just a planted tank) plumbed in and not have stupid chaeto strands all over the place or caulerpa with the risk of going sexual. Well, those are my ramblings on the new system at the moment!

Right now, just happy this TCK Pikachu is getting its bright yellow back. Not holding my breath on the bright red polyps, but true yellow is sweet! Have a TCK Optimus Prime and TCK Suharsonoi coming this week as well.

 

[ThePorkchopExpress]

i hear ya on the red polyps...my TCK Gold Rush is supposed to have red polyps...i've had it for over a year and still no red polyps

 

[SkullV]

i hear ya on the red polyps...my TCK Gold Rush is supposed to have red polyps...i've had it for over a year and still no red polyps

I think it's a lot of hype over "fixed" photos, much like JF (did you see the home wrecker that got sent out from the livesale?). That being said, still nice corals. I went over to my buddy's house today and picked up the TCK Suharsonoi

 

[ThePorkchopExpress]

I think it's a lot of hype over "fixed" photos, much like JF (did you see the home wrecker that got sent out from the livesale?). That being said, still nice corals. I went over to my buddy's house today and picked up the TCK Suharsonoi

TCK's pics aren't really that bad...the packs i've gotten from the them the most of the corals actually did look like the pics...i just think that the Pikachu and a number of their other high end are pictured right from the ocean...notice how you rarely see any other Pikachus as brightly yellow with the red polyps?

the home wrecker apparently really is the "it" coral of the moment...it's supposedly really that bright in person as alluded to by many hobbyist and vendors alike...everyone that's seen it agrees it's the craziest acro they've seen in a while...those first pics, however, are obviously photoshopped...JF did post a telling pic later when pressed to compare his HW to the WD and you can see in this pic (WD in the center) the colors are much more natural and not so saturated...still a gorgeous acro...had it been in the $500 range i would have considered it but $900 for a tiny frag is a little rediculous

View attachment 15561

 

[SkullV]

TCK's pics aren't really that bad...the packs i've gotten from the them the most of the corals actually did look like the pics...i just think that the Pikachu and a number of their other high end are pictured right from the ocean...notice how you rarely see any other Pikachus as brightly yellow with the red polyps?

the home wrecker apparently really is the "it" coral of the moment...it's supposedly really that bright in person as alluded to by many hobbyist and vendors alike...everyone that's seen it agrees it's the craziest acro they've seen in a while...those first pics, however, are obviously photoshopped...JF did post a telling pic later when pressed to compare his HW to the WD and you can see in this pic (WD in the center) the colors are much more natural and not so saturated...still a gorgeous acro...had it been in the $500 range i would have considered it but $900 for a tiny frag is a little rediculous

View attachment 15561

I totally agree with everything you said. I do have a WD that I purchased from one of the reputable local stores, but frankly it just looks like a yellow tip tenuis to me at this point. Maybe it'll color up one day, maybe not.

 

[ThePorkchopExpress]

I totally agree with everything you said. I do have a WD that I purchased from one of the reputable local stores, but frankly it just looks like a yellow tip tenuis to me at this point. Maybe it'll color up one day, maybe not.

give it time bud...it's taken mine months to color up and it keeps on coloring up all the time...WD is one that i lost all hope for but lately it's really been coloring up nicely

 

[ThePorkchopExpress]

here's a sweet pic of TSA's WD...this is a far more accurate representation of what the WD really looks like

View attachment 15562

 

[SkullV]

here's a sweet pic of TSA's WD...this is a far more accurate representation of what the WD really looks like (...)

Yeah, I'd be happy with that too. Right now it looks more like this photo I found on the internet (mine is about a 1" frag). To clarify, this is not a colony of WD or the colony that my frag came from, it is just a picture from the internet that is representative of what my frag looks like at the moment:

I have had some issues with it and had to cut one of the two branches off, no doubt that led to lack of current coloration.

 

[Sawdonkey]

here's a sweet pic of TSA's WD...this is a far more accurate representation of what the WD really looks like

View attachment 15562

But even this pic's white balance is way off unless they have blue live rock.

 

[Sawdonkey]

Also Ted, love that Suharsonoi stucture.

 

[ThePorkchopExpress]

But even this pic's white balance is way off unless they have blue live rock.

Yea it's taken under all blues. Regardless, that's what the WD looks like in the real world without MB's photoshopping to make it look like this:

View attachment 15568

i don't think those colors are attainable or else someone, anyone other than MB would have achieved it by now...even JF can't

 

[SkullV]

Also Ted, love that Suharsonoi stucture.

Thanks! When I saw it I had to have it. I believe we actually had one from New Fish in the past:

In other news, I got a Tunze Care Magnet (long) today. What an amazing algae scraper! Cuts through coralline with the plastic blade and comes with a stainless blade just in case its really tough stuff. I can't believe I went this long using these POS Mag Floats!