Every day I am surrounded by corals and reef geeks. It’s an awesome place to be; a cool life. Every day I screw stuff up, and hear of others’ screwups. Every day I learn a few things. On the whole, if I screw up less than I learn, that’s a good day. When it comes to keeping and growing corals, a few constants seem to keep popping up; seem to ring true.
Here are a few I see often. You no doubt have more?
Placement of corals- Yeah, it’s not just important to place a coral in the right place aesthetically. You need to take into account the growth form or appearance of the coral, which gives you great clues as to how the coral should be oriented into the flow or light in your system. Don’t think this is critical? Then try placing one coral frag just “any old place” and the other in an orientation and location in which it can optimize access to flow, lighting, and nutrients.
Getting to know your coral on a more intimate level- Sure, we have those ridiculous names that we all love, but those only can tell you so much. I mean, what does “Hypersonic Radioactive Blue Tenuis” really tell you, besides that a) you probably paid too much, and b) it’s most likely an Acropora tenuis? When you know the actual species name, you’d be surprised at the amount of helpful scientific information that’s out there, which can give you far more insight on the coral than knowing that it’s been “approved for LE status…” (Just don’t start me today…)
Stability of the basic parameters- Trust me on this. Any coral farmer will tell you not to obsess on hitting specific numbers. Rather, aim for a range. Stability. Alkalinity, in particular, has an amazing way of coming up and biting you on the rear when you don’t keep it stable. And need I remind you of what could happen if your specific gravity starts drifting upwards under your knows? A few points upwards from NSW levels will have your corals screaming for your attention. I’m just sayin’.
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Food size- Yeah, it’s awesome that you feed your corals; even more awesome when you feed the right food size. And more often still when you feed the right food size at the right time. Feed your corals at night, after lights out, when they are extending their polyps and other feeding apparatus. No sense in pouring coral food literally down the drain, right?
Room to roam- An addendum to the aforementioned spiel on placement; Make sure that your corals have room to expand and grow. Yeah, they’ll literally grow right into each other when they’re happy. So what not give them plenty of room from the get go? yeah, it may mean looking at a rather sparse tank at first, particularly when you’re starting with frags…but when you find yourself trying to extricate that Red Millie from the Blue Vermiculata colony, you’ll appreciate your foresight.
Not all who wander are lost- Old expression, but it holds true. As we’ve repeated almost to the point of you getting a visceral reaction every time I mention it- just because everyone else does it “that way” doesn’t mean it’s the right way. If something different is working for you, it just might be because you’re the reefer doing it right. Don’t be afraid to innovate.
Everyone is an “expert” at something. Don’t let anyone take that away from you…Yet, don’t take every “expert’s” word as the only way, because, in all likelihood, it isn’t. Just because someone is famous, has a fancy title or advanced degree, writes a blog, or has a posse of “yes men” around him/her doesn’t mean that person knows what the heck he/she is talking about. Ask to see a pic of his/her tank. We’re reefers. It’s about reefing.
My best advice? Screw stuff up. Fix it. Learn. Share. Repeat.
And be sure to….Stay Wet.
Time for a workout and coffee. See ya.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
Here are a few I see often. You no doubt have more?
Placement of corals- Yeah, it’s not just important to place a coral in the right place aesthetically. You need to take into account the growth form or appearance of the coral, which gives you great clues as to how the coral should be oriented into the flow or light in your system. Don’t think this is critical? Then try placing one coral frag just “any old place” and the other in an orientation and location in which it can optimize access to flow, lighting, and nutrients.
Getting to know your coral on a more intimate level- Sure, we have those ridiculous names that we all love, but those only can tell you so much. I mean, what does “Hypersonic Radioactive Blue Tenuis” really tell you, besides that a) you probably paid too much, and b) it’s most likely an Acropora tenuis? When you know the actual species name, you’d be surprised at the amount of helpful scientific information that’s out there, which can give you far more insight on the coral than knowing that it’s been “approved for LE status…” (Just don’t start me today…)
Stability of the basic parameters- Trust me on this. Any coral farmer will tell you not to obsess on hitting specific numbers. Rather, aim for a range. Stability. Alkalinity, in particular, has an amazing way of coming up and biting you on the rear when you don’t keep it stable. And need I remind you of what could happen if your specific gravity starts drifting upwards under your knows? A few points upwards from NSW levels will have your corals screaming for your attention. I’m just sayin’.
Food size- Yeah, it’s awesome that you feed your corals; even more awesome when you feed the right food size. And more often still when you feed the right food size at the right time. Feed your corals at night, after lights out, when they are extending their polyps and other feeding apparatus. No sense in pouring coral food literally down the drain, right?
Room to roam- An addendum to the aforementioned spiel on placement; Make sure that your corals have room to expand and grow. Yeah, they’ll literally grow right into each other when they’re happy. So what not give them plenty of room from the get go? yeah, it may mean looking at a rather sparse tank at first, particularly when you’re starting with frags…but when you find yourself trying to extricate that Red Millie from the Blue Vermiculata colony, you’ll appreciate your foresight.
Not all who wander are lost- Old expression, but it holds true. As we’ve repeated almost to the point of you getting a visceral reaction every time I mention it- just because everyone else does it “that way” doesn’t mean it’s the right way. If something different is working for you, it just might be because you’re the reefer doing it right. Don’t be afraid to innovate.
Everyone is an “expert” at something. Don’t let anyone take that away from you…Yet, don’t take every “expert’s” word as the only way, because, in all likelihood, it isn’t. Just because someone is famous, has a fancy title or advanced degree, writes a blog, or has a posse of “yes men” around him/her doesn’t mean that person knows what the heck he/she is talking about. Ask to see a pic of his/her tank. We’re reefers. It’s about reefing.
My best advice? Screw stuff up. Fix it. Learn. Share. Repeat.
And be sure to….Stay Wet.
Time for a workout and coffee. See ya.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
