Help With Angry Bird Please

[Eldredge]

That coral will be dead in a month. Ive had a couple pricey tenuis do it from various people. I think it happens because the sellers are dosing certain elements, using supplements you aren't.. If you have success with certain strains of coral from a specific seller/hobbyist-stick with them.

Not what I want to hear, but you may be right. It looked like this in the bag though, so it wasn't caused by chemistry differences. That might affect the recovery though. I guess we will see. Thanks for your input.

 

[Eldredge]

Day 1 (no shipping or dipping stress)

8 weeks later

Beautiful coral! Are you showing that this coral tends to lighten up when it is fragged even if it isn't shipped, or was the frag from a light part of the colony and then colored up? Thanks!

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Beautiful coral! Are you showing that this coral tends to lighten up when it is fragged even if it isn't shipped, or was the frag from a light part of the colony and then colored up? Thanks!

Just showing pale corals can recover. Several years ago I had many conversations with RRU about his systems and he told me all he does is feed his fish. No special dosing of anything. He doesn’t even use a skimmer

 

[Eldredge]

Just showing pale corals can recover. Several years ago I had many conversations with RRU about his systems and he told me all he does is feed his fish. No special dosing of anything. He doesn’t even use a skimmer

Thanks! Good to know.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Here’s another one at 2 week intervals

Actually those are probably at monthly intervals

 

[flyfisherman]

Buy 10 standard sized tenuis frags. Maybe 6 out of 10 will make it to mini colonies in your system, probably more like.4 out of 10. Some will barely grow for yrs, some will morph colors, some will fade and die. Im calling BS if anybody says they can go 10 for 10.

 

[Eldredge]

Buy 10 standard sized tenuis frags. Maybe 6 out of 10 will make it to mini colonies in your system, probably more like.4 out of 10. Some will barely grow for yrs, some will morph colors, some will fade and die. Im calling BS if anybody says they can go 10 for 10.

The only other tenuis frag I have is a Big R/WWC Walt Disney. My understanding is that it is one of the easier ones, but it has taken a few months to finally start growing in my system. I would like to get a SCOP and one or two others.

My thought was that the well known pieces that have been aquacultured for a long time might beat the odds you mentioned? Do you think the odds are that bad for the aquacultured stuff? Or, are you referring to wild/maricultured frags?

Thanks for your input.

 

[ScottB]

The only other tenuis frag I have is a Big R/WWC Walt Disney. My understanding is that it is one of the easier ones, but it has taken a few months to finally start growing in my system. I would like to get a SCOP and one or two others.

My thought was that the well known pieces that have been aquacultured for a long time might beat the odds you mentioned? Do you think the odds are that bad for the aquacultured stuff? Or, are you referring to wild/maricultured frags?

Thanks for your input.

WD has always been a robust tenuis for me. Grows super fast. Judging from this forum (and the pricing) it seems Angry Birds is much more temperamental.

 

[Eldredge]

WD has always been a robust tenuis for me. Grows super fast. Judging from this forum (and the pricing) it seems Angry Birds is much more temperamental.

That makes sense. My frustration has been the fact that this piece came in on the verge of death. It’s still hanging in there, but we got off to a really rough start. I’m hoping for the best, but things haven’t changed much.

Thanks for your input.

 

[ScottB]

That makes sense. My frustration has been the fact that this piece came in on the verge of death. It’s still hanging in there, but we got off to a really rough start. I’m hoping for the best, but things haven’t changed much.

Thanks for your input.

Yeah, that was not a good look at all. We are all rooting for you. So you got that going for ya.

 

[Eldredge]

Yeah, that was not a good look at all. We are all rooting for you. So you got that going for ya.

Thanks!

 

[Eldredge]

Sorry, mispost.

 

[Eldredge]

I thought I would post an occasional update until we reach the end whether good or bad.

I’m kind of surprised how long it can remain relatively unchanged. I think it may be starting to get a tiny bit of color. I never thought I would be anxious or happy to see a coral turn tan lol.

 

[ScottB]

I thought I would post an occasional update until we reach the end whether good or bad.

I’m kind of surprised how long it can remain relatively unchanged. I think it may be starting to get a tiny bit of color. I never thought I would be anxious or happy to see a coral turn tan lol.

It still has flesh!

I have a chunk of BC Bonfire that was hip-checked off a rack into a nest of purple staghorn. Face down. The stag is absolutely spotless. The Bonfire looks exactly like this. I thought it would be in the reactor bucket by now but it has kept flesh. So the PTSD therapy sessions continue with it.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Here’s 11/23

And here’s today

Looks like you have some coralline algae invading the base of the AB. Could just be the angle of the pics but I would carefully scrape that off.

 

[Eldredge]

It still has flesh!

I have a chunk of BC Bonfire that was hip-checked off a rack into a nest of purple staghorn. Face down. The stag is absolutely spotless. The Bonfire looks exactly like this. I thought it would be in the reactor bucket by now but it has kept flesh. So the PTSD therapy sessions continue with it.

Looks like we're in the same boat. Hopefully we both have a happy ending. Thanks!

 

[Eldredge]

Here’s 11/23

And here’s today

Looks like you have some coralline algae invading the base of the AB. Could just be the angle of the pics but I would carefully scrape that off.

Thanks Charlie! I have been debating about cleaning the plug. I have been trying to leave it alone and stable as much as possible, but I think I will take your advice. Thanks again!

 

[therman]

I ordered once from RRU and they all arrived about the same. Died in quarantine.. Lesson learned. If you havent noticed, I sense a trend.

There are very few people that I will acquire tenuis from any more. Quality is usually poor and extremely resistant gray parasitic copepods are almost ubiquitous.

 

[Eldredge]

I ordered once from RRU and they all arrived about the same. Died in quarantine.. Lesson learned. If you havent noticed, I sense a trend.

There are very few people that I will acquire tenuis from any more. Quality is usually poor and extremely resistant gray parasitic copepods are almost ubiquitous.

Thanks for the information! I really appreciate the input from someone with your experience and skill. I haven't noticed the pods, but I may have to take a closer magnified look. I (apparently incorrectly) assumed that going directly to the source would provide the best frag...

I just received a JF Jolt frag from one of the recent sales here (not from Jason Fox), and it came in quite pale also. Not as bad as the Angry Bird, but more pale than I would like. I wonder if there is something "going around"? I guess that is the trend you are referring to. Maybe the gray parasitic copepod you are referring to? Do you have any more information about this?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[therman]

I (apparently incorrectly) assumed that going directly to the source would provide the best frag...

That was my incorrect assumption too. I just meant the trend of people posting the condition of the frags they received from RRU. Mine was over a year ago I think, so I don't think it is a sudden recent development.

The parasitic copepods are similar to red bugs but more dorsoventrally flattened, much more camouflaged, and resistant to regular dosages of Interceptor and sometimes Bayer dipping. You can see them best at night with a flashlight, sometimes they have reflective eyes that are easier to spot. They are clear to beige colored, sometimes with a transverse lighter beige to white band across the middle. They seem to prefer tenuis, hoeksemai, tortuosa and other dark blue corals. Sometimes they are on granulosa and other "smooth skinned" acros, but seem to be at lower densities. They are also fast and will run inside the corallites to hide, so they are much harder to detect than red bugs.

I usually quarantine and treat twice with 12x the normal dosing of Interceptor for 6 hours, 2 weeks apart, in addition to Bayer dipping. I've heard the potassium salt dips are more effective, but I had them survive those too.

It is such a hassle that I try to avoid getting corals from anyone but the handful of people that I trust, who I know are aware of them and how to treat for them.