LE Tyree Captain America "Last Frag" Paly Growout!!!

[slipondajimmy]

I have seen very nice things come out of 5g frag tanks.

????Running a growout of a high $$ polyp in a 10 display with 10 frag system?? And your asking for suggestions????

Sorry to doubt the situation, but seems high risk to me.

 

[pakora]

????Running a growout of a high $$ polyp in a 10 display with 10 frag system?? And your asking for suggestions????

Sorry to doubt the situation, but seems high risk to me.

High maintenance maybe, high risk I dont think so. Not everyone has the space for 120 gallon tanks!

 

[GrouperGenius]

Don't get me wrong, I hope it all works out. Tank propogation is best for everybody. Just seems that if one was confident enough to take several folks $$ would not be asking for advice after the fact.

 

[RaddReef319]

I've had amazing growth in my heavily stocked AGA 20 gallon and never had any problems. I've fragged many of my specimens with great results.

 

[cparka23]

grouper, I dunno about that. Seems perfectly fine to me. People used to say the same thing about putting expensive SPS corals in nano reefs not too long ago. It's more feasible than you might think.

I've had no problem growing zoas in a smaller system and doing it with extremely little maintenance. If that's his regimen for the growout, it looks more than adequate to me.

Also consider that this is a softie. I might be more concerned if it was something that is known to be super-sensitive to the slightest change.

 

[pakora]

A fellow reefer pmed me with his experience on feeding his corals and said if i fed them more food they would grow like weeds. If i can have the paly grow out faster than my current methods then that would be great. I was just asking if anybody had any feedback based on that. Besides if the frag does melt or something happens there is a refund button I can click.

:xd:

 

[flricordia]

Just my opinion for what it is worth, but since it is a protopaly I would not bother with micro foods since all they will be doing is adding to the bioload on the system but rather target feed with current off something like Rod's coral food, minced silversides, krill, mysis...foods like that.
Will take about a month possibly longer before enough babies have grown so the frag can be halved. THis will excite them to grow faster and as was stated earlier in the thread, like NG, once these build in numbers the faster they will grow, especially after being fragged.
I think you will find that daily additions (doses figured by drops) of additives such as iodine, moly/stron, calcium, etc. will provide a more balanced set of parameters for growth instead of weekly large single doses.
But all that is JMO.
I fragged 4 polyps out of the center of these NG not long ago and they are already filling in. Frag them and they grow faster and faster. The trick is knowing when to start fragging.

 

[pakora]

Thank you flricordia for taking the time to share some of your wisdom

Cyclopleeze has all of that stuff in it (krill etc). I target feed the Formula 1 but the phyto I dose into the tank. I havent heard of Rod's coral food but I will look into that. I dont know how to break up the iodine since the directions state 1 drop per 25 gallons per week. Moly/Stron and Calcium can be split up though. Thank you again for your advice!

Just my opinion for what it is worth, but since it is a protopaly I would not bother with micro foods since all they will be doing is adding to the bioload on the system but rather target feed with current off something like Rod's coral food, minced silversides, krill, mysis...foods like that.
Will take about a month possibly longer before enough babies have grown so the frag can be halved. THis will excite them to grow faster and as was stated earlier in the thread, like NG, once these build in numbers the faster they will grow, especially after being fragged.
I think you will find that daily additions (doses figured by drops) of additives such as iodine, moly/stron, calcium, etc. will provide a more balanced set of parameters for growth instead of weekly large single doses.
But all that is JMO.
I fragged 4 polyps out of the center of these NG not long ago and they are already filling in. Frag them and they grow faster and faster. The trick is knowing when to start fragging.

 

[Tens]

whoa we need to do a grow out on those purple hornets you have there. very nice looking garden BTW

 

[mak060]

I must say I have to agree with Grouper Genius. Based on your approach, it occurs to me you don't have much experience with growing. Please don't take offense. To others, true, SPS are not as tricky as once billed, but because over years people have learned what is necessary and sufficient for the majority of those commercially available. Zoas and palys, on the other hand, are still somewhat finicky, not being so similar across the board. Heck, with people like flricorda searching for novel ways to ensure health, such as injecting his with iodine, and I'd bet in a aged, stable system, growing a new, wild-type protopaly in a ten gallon tank seems risky. My 0.02. BTW, to the iodine question you pondered, the solution is dilution. Good luck on your endeavors!

 

[pakora]

Thank you for your reply. There is no offense taken.

Prior to my current set up years back I had another saltwater tank, I made all of my "mistakes" then. Im happy to say that I have a good sound wealth of knowledge thanks to people like you whom care enough to take the time to post their wisdom. My tanks although small (some would call them nano's) are very well maintained. It might seem risky if you put a glass box around it and start analyzing it from every angle and start doing statistical calculations of what could good wrong. It doesnt seem risky to me. All of my corals are open, and imo happy. Im not even asking for anybody to pay right now, they can pay at their leisure. I just said that those who pay will be assured a spot in the growout. I did this because it will take a while to grow out 40 polyps already.

This forum is for seeking opinions of other reefers. I was just asking their opinion. Im not some high ranking official or a president where anything I say should get scrutenized. I dont dose heavily three times a week and I wanted to know if doing this would pose any problems. Would you rather I just go gung ho and start experimenting on my own and then come to the forums crying when everything dies!? As for the dilluting, thats obvious but I should have been more precise. With the diluted iodine what type of container could i keep it in for storage to dose everyday instead of once a week?

Here are some photos I took this morning of my setup and of the Captain. Please notice how all my corals are open. If you see anything wrong please let me know (if you choose to).

and once again just to clarify, im not making money off this project. The goal is for us to have a bank so that when the next rare coral comes around we have enough to start another growout. Bear in mind I dont plan on growing every single thing in my own tank. I plan on having other reefers grow the frags out in their tanks. This will give everyone an opportunity for everyone to have fun.

I must say I have to agree with Grouper Genius. Based on your approach, it occurs to me you don't have much experience with growing. Please don't take offense. To others, true, SPS are not as tricky as once billed, but because over years people have learned what is necessary and sufficient for the majority of those commercially available. Zoas and palys, on the other hand, are still somewhat finicky, not being so similar across the board. Heck, with people like flricorda searching for novel ways to ensure health, such as injecting his with iodine, and I'd bet in a aged, stable system, growing a new, wild-type protopaly in a ten gallon tank seems risky. My 0.02. BTW, to the iodine question you pondered, the solution is dilution. Good luck on your endeavors!

 

[flricordia]

My best maintained tanks are nanos. First tank was a 20 long and a freaking beautiful tank. This was back in the early 90s. Not a lot of high tech equipment back then nor much info on keeping reefs, especially nanos. Internet was not available and all my insight came from local reefkeepers I would meet at the reef shops around town.
Back then the way we kept our reef tanks was by relying on consistant water changes and a set of parameters that you did your best to maintain through liquid/powder test kits.
Nanos have always been easier for me to maintain, probably because those are what I was used to. My first large tank wasn't untill a few years ago and I hated it. Couldn't keep it balanced no matter what, I suppose because I was not used to keeping one over 30gls. Kind of like riding a dirt bike all your like on the trails, then being expected to ride a panhead though heavily populated city streets.
Nanos are fine for growing out corals, zoanthids included. With some basic knowledge and attention to your water parameters there is no reason you can't have good growth.
I would suggest you get more LR and count on it for your system's nitrogen export rather then filter mediums.

 

[slipondajimmy]

Man with the lights off the CA does not look so hot. No color at all. It almost looks brown

 

[Corals Mania]

count me in LMK if you want me to PP you

 

[pakora]

I will get some more live rock. I have a little over 11lbs in there and some rubble in the frag tank.

More rocks for everyone!

My best maintained tanks are nanos. First tank was a 20 long and a freaking beautiful tank. This was back in the early 90s. Not a lot of high tech equipment back then nor much info on keeping reefs, especially nanos. Internet was not available and all my insight came from local reefkeepers I would meet at the reef shops around town.
Back then the way we kept our reef tanks was by relying on consistant water changes and a set of parameters that you did your best to maintain through liquid/powder test kits.
Nanos have always been easier for me to maintain, probably because those are what I was used to. My first large tank wasn't untill a few years ago and I hated it. Couldn't keep it balanced no matter what, I suppose because I was not used to keeping one over 30gls. Kind of like riding a dirt bike all your like on the trails, then being expected to ride a panhead though heavily populated city streets.
Nanos are fine for growing out corals, zoanthids included. With some basic knowledge and attention to your water parameters there is no reason you can't have good growth.
I would suggest you get more LR and count on it for your system's nitrogen export rather then filter mediums.

 

[pakora]

I ran up to the tank just now, the colors are a little dull but maybe that was because of shipping. Im not a photography expert, could be my crappy photo skills also LOL

Man with the lights off the CA does not look so hot. No color at all. It almost looks brown

 

[pakora]

Adding you to the list, updating thread

count me in LMK if you want me to PP you

 

[ReefRunner]

Pakora,
I think you will do fine. Your are correct in that you do not need a large system to be a successful grower. I happen to have one but have made my share of mistakes. A large system does not make you immune from that. I like your approach and your honesty about your setup. I understood the risk when I joined the growout. And, unlike the chalice growout I joined, you have stated that you would refund our money if it failed. Seems like a win-win situation to me

Robin

 

[pakora]

Thank you Robin,

I would be alarmed if I was doing this growout from a .5 gallon LOL!

As long as you keep on top of your tank (and keep it topped of ) you'll be fine no matter what size. You da best!

:tongue:

Pakora,
I think you will do fine. Your are correct in that you do not need a large system to be a successful grower. I happen to have one but have made my share of mistakes. A large system does not make you immune from that. I like your approach and your honesty about your setup. I understood the risk when I joined the growout. And, unlike the chalice growout I joined, you have stated that you would refund our money if it failed. Seems like a win-win situation to me

Robin

 

[epicenter]

PM sent, Thanks for the opportunity, most would let greed stand in the way of a kind guesture.