Are you a Bone Collector?

Do you keep your coral skeletons?

  • YES

    Votes: 194 55.4%
  • NO

    Votes: 143 40.9%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 13 3.7%

  • Total voters
    350

i cant think

Wrasse Addict
View Badges
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
17,486
Reaction score
33,618
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I keep the skeletons thinking I might be able to break them up into small pieces and use them in the substrate. I also wonder if I can grind them to powder and give them a burial in my garden and possibly add nutrients back to the soil at the same time. I have a hard time with the thought of just tossing them in the garbage. Another thought is possibly putting them into the compost.
I too have thought about this for my indoor plants because the skeletons are
formed from calcium carbonates.
 

H@rry

Troll
View Badges
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
3,397
Reaction score
551
Location
Huntsville, AL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I was tempted to save them for CARx media but I was worried that whatever killed the coral would still be present on the skeleton and infect the rest of the coral.

What do y'all think?
 

jabberwock

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
3,472
Reaction score
4,118
Location
in front of my computer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am sorry, I misunderstood. I have a collection of mammal skulls. On my fireplace mantle I have the skulls of a squirrel, box tortoise, coyote, a large bird, an armadillo, and there are several deer skulls in the room.

For corals, could you grind them up and use them as a water supplement?
 

Karen00

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
3,565
Reaction score
6,491
Location
Toronto
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I too have thought about this for my indoor plants because the skeletons are
formed from calcium carbonates.
Exactly! It seems like such a waste to just throw them out (and somehow disrespectful). There are probably a bunch of nutrients our terrestrial plants can benefit from. :)
 

Karen00

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
3,565
Reaction score
6,491
Location
Toronto
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I was tempted to save them for CARx media but I was worried that whatever killed the coral would still be present on the skeleton and infect the rest of the coral.

What do y'all think?
Personally, I feel if the coral simply died from improper conditions in the tank then the skeleton would be fine to use. If it died of an actual virus or bacteria than I would say it's probably not a good idea to use it for that. Although there might be a way to sterilize the skeleton. I would like to hear others chime in about sterilization (like with hydrogen peroxide or something like that).
 

ying yang

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2021
Messages
4,860
Reaction score
10,106
Location
Liverpool
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am a teacher. My 7th grade students painted these:). I had to buy them -- any donations of coral skeletons greatly appreciated :)
I was inspired by https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/drews-dry-never-die-3x3-table-top-reef.354636/
IMG_8809.jpg

IMG_8682.jpg
IMG_8681.jpg
What a great idea for the kids to have fun and also educational I presume as I bet you talk and show what the real coral alive would look like,nice one
 

ying yang

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2021
Messages
4,860
Reaction score
10,106
Location
Liverpool
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I keep them for the kids in my outreach programs. I will put them next to pictures of it alive for comparison. Fun to look at.
Also great,same as last post,bravo.

For myself,I've kept a few off the torches,green slimer and recently a chalice which died,in hopes can grow back but also looks cool covered in coraline ^_^
 

DanATL

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 11, 2021
Messages
69
Reaction score
64
Location
Atlanta
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's going to happen to 100% of those of us who keep coral. Coral deaths. One of the saddest parts of being a reef aquarium owner is the loss of coral. To watch your beloved livestock become irritated, close up and then to literally die in front of your eyes is terrible! With all that trauma, who needs a reminder that gets left with certain type of corals? Yes, we're talking the skeleton here. :loudly-crying-face: Let's talk about it.

Do you keep your coral skeletons, why or why not?
bigstock-Dry-Coral-Isolated-On-A-White--433640138.jpg
Yeah, that's what builds reefs.
 

Klyle

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2020
Messages
819
Reaction score
403
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I keep them. They're cool to pull out of a box and look at... plus when I'm explaining corals to friends it helps. I'm trying to get a jack o lantern leptoseris to grow over some old birdsnest skeleton at the moment
 

TWOODZ

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
23
Reaction score
3
Location
Eastsound
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's going to happen to 100% of those of us who keep coral. Coral deaths. One of the saddest parts of being a reef aquarium owner is the loss of coral. To watch your beloved livestock become irritated, close up and then to literally die in front of your eyes is terrible! With all that trauma, who needs a reminder that gets left with certain type of corals? Yes, we're talking the skeleton here. :loudly-crying-face: Let's talk about it.

Do you keep your coral skeletons, why or why not?
bigstock-Dry-Coral-Isolated-On-A-White--433640138.jpg
I crush mine and throw them where I cannot see them, sometimes with larger ones I use them to hold a frag plug, I don't like to waste anything I don't have to.
 

When to mix up fish meal: When was the last time you tried a different brand of food for your reef?

  • I regularly change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 17 29.3%
  • I occasionally change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 20 34.5%
  • I rarely change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 16 27.6%
  • I never change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 4 6.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 1.7%
Back
Top