Tyree Ponape Torch " Spawning" In My 300 gallon

**nicks387** · 02-22-2011, 11:08 PM

Lights went out and actintics are still on when i noticed a snow storm of small round balls floating around. I looked at the corals and the Ponape Torch stag was covered in them and they were floating off of it. The fish were all eating them. I went for my camera but with only the actintics on, the video didn't come out that great. I decided to take pics with flash for more detail. 2 seperate colonies, both spawning. The larger one had almost stopped by the time I got the camera, but I was able to snap pics of the smaller colony still spawning. enjoy. It was much cooler in person as the flash and actintic do not represent how the coral looks under full lighting but I didnt want to turn the lights on and ruin it.
I will load the video shortly.

**nicks387** · 02-22-2011, 11:12 PM

Maybe it was my sons red Lego in the last pics that made it start to spawn. Lol.
I am loading a video on YouTube I will try and link.

**Reef lvr** · 02-22-2011, 11:14 PM

That's awesome..Deff something to be proud of!!

**Ian** · 02-22-2011, 11:22 PM

very cool...

**clowns101** · 02-22-2011, 11:22 PM

This is a first of this spawning in captivity for me!Very cool!

You think anything will live if you care for them properly?

**skinz78** · 02-22-2011, 11:26 PM

Very cool indeed, I'm off to put Lego's in my tank to see if it helps!

**Troylee** · 02-22-2011, 11:27 PM

Like what Austin the red Lego???? Ahahahahaha lol... I don't think baby acros are gonna pop up everywhere bit who knows I sure don't lol... None the less pretty cool nick your tank must be pretty happy..

**nicks387** · 02-22-2011, 11:27 PM

Thanks guys, I have no idea about this stuff as its the first time I had it happen.
Heres the video, you can see it all floating around. My wife was looking at me like I was crazy so I told my wife this has never been filmed before in the video, Lol, I am sure I am wrong about that ,and was just excited. Pay no attention to that. Lol.
Not the best video as I was not prepared for this but cool anyway.
YouTube - Tyree Ponape Torch Spawning

**clowns101** · 02-22-2011, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by Troylee

Like what Austin the red Lego???? Ahahahahaha lol... I don't think baby acros are gonna pop up everywhere bit who knows I sure don't lol... None the less pretty cool nick your tank must be pretty happy..

I was being sarcastic,haha,but yes,the red lego,haha!I was being sarcastic about it as if the lego had spawned in the tank,haha!LOL

Im not sure if they will live either,but I know on MOFIB there has been some that have made it work!

**nicks387** · 02-22-2011, 11:33 PM

It would be cool if a few took hold and grew, but more then likely all the fish and other corals got a good meal out of it.

**Mr. Krabs** · 02-22-2011, 11:39 PM

That's cool! I guess I've alway been focused on the growth of my coral, and propagation by knife versus how they naturally propagate in the ocean..... You've got some happy coral in there!!!

**VegasRick** · 02-22-2011, 11:43 PM

Grats they must indeed be happy
I know GBR corals have a mass spawning in Dec on a full moon, actually some spawn early. So its possible this may trigger others into spawning
I'd like to hear some details about your system
photoperiod
moonlights?
temp
do you vary anything seasonally?
any recent changes in temp, lighting, feeding, etc that might have triggered it

**CONSTANTNE** · 02-22-2011, 11:59 PM

Thats awesome! Congrats!

**nicks387** · 02-23-2011, 12:00 AM

I have a Marineland 300 with a Hurricone Cat 2 external skimmer, 120 gallon sump, Vertex Rx6 duo calcium reactor, Next reef MR1 Monster dual chamber reactor running NP Biopellets. I have two 250w Radiums on HQI Ballasts, and one 400w Radium in the center on an HQI Ballast. I also have 2 80w T5's with ATI Blue Plus bulbs for actintics. Photoperiod is as follows:
1:00 P.M Actintics on
2:00 P.M Radiums on
9:00 P.M Radiums off
10:00 P.M Actintics off
Also have a 65 gallon frag tank on a reverse light cycle plumbed into the display with 8 39w T5's
Salinity -1.027 sg
Calcium -475
Magnesium -1450
Alkalinity- 9 dKH
PH 7.9 to 8.2
Nitrate -0
Phosphate- close to 0 but have not tested recently
The only thing I have done unusual lately is bring my salinity down as it had crept up too high. My ATO was broke and It was 1.032 a few weeks ago.
I also did a 50g water change last night, but I do that monthly. Still bringing down my salinity slowly to 1.025 s.g.

**DBarsotti** · 02-23-2011, 12:03 AM

great accomplishment.

**Troylee** · 02-23-2011, 12:07 AM

Pretty cool video man... Craziest thing is watching the camera go in the water to film it lol... What kind of camera you got man that would make some really cool videos

**nicks387** · 02-23-2011, 12:20 PM

Thanks guys. The camera is a canon Power Shot D10 its about a $275 to $300 12.5 mega pixel camera. Its completely waterproof and takes great pics of corals. I just put it in its underwater setting and thats it. It can also obviously take video underwater which is real cool.

**Troylee** · 02-23-2011, 12:40 PM

Ya the underwater video is awesome!!! I could chase my fish around and get some nice macro shots lol.... I saw a camera last week at frys and I thought it was just water proof in a way if it got wet it wouldn't hurt the camera I didn't think about under water photography.... I thought about building a fully sealed acrylic box and putting my nikon in it with A macro lens and just using the remote shutter but it would be to hard to keep still it would always try to float...