Watchguy's SPS Addiction (photo intense)

[watchguy123]

This piece is blowing my mind. What species are you thinking it is? Austera or gemmifera or something similar? The colors on it are fresh as can be and I would be blown away to find a frag of something like this in a friends tank. If it grows out I would love a piece as well. Just let me know if you ever have frags for sale down the road.

I was told it was a humilis.

Well I have radium bulbs if u want them
My ballast can’t overdrive them and I don’t like the color or par of them

Sweet offer, I will pm you.

a few more pictures:

This little frag has been described as a melting crayon. Not sure whether it will keep all the colors as it grows or if the colors will just be at the new growth encrustation. Time will tell

The photo below is a Big R Candyland. Funny I have another candyland from a different vendor and the only thing they have in common is the name. This piece below is relatively new in my tank, so it is just starting to color up. Lets see what it does.

 

[watchguy123]

another day, more photos

RR CJ Pinky

I have a lot of lps mixed in and so Ill include them in bunches

 

[watchguy123]

Walt Disney, this is actually from three different pieces that have now grown into each other and amalgamated. A tiny nub that survived in my tank and two separate frags I purchased. Excited to see some additional colors coming in. The most color at the base is from a nub i saved that was eternally green, this is so cool. You can see the color under white lights but not as dramatically for sure.

The frag below is a strange monti that I picked up, i have two different frags of it growing in my tank. Super slow grower. you can also see it in the picture above in the upper right hand corner.

 

[C. Eymann]

Agreed. Isn't crazy how some of the most famous vendors have disappeared. I remember well, Steve Tyree limited editions, RR USA, RR Asia.

Steve is still out there doing coral shows, he was just in my hometown KC this weekend. He had to shut down dynamic morphology, but he still runs reeffarmers coral farmers market I believe.
Steve is a super nice, down to earth, very laid back guy.

One vendor I remember brought out a lot of hot W/C stuff was Reefermadness back in the mid 2000's, some of the best SPS back then was coming from Pacific Aqua Farms too.

 

[HotRocks]

You have definitely mastered the art sir! Beautiful corals, vibrant colors, and amazing photography. @watchguy123 certainly has it going on!

 

[C. Eymann]

This piece is blowing my mind. What species are you thinking it is? Austera or gemmifera or something similar? The colors on it are fresh as can be and I would be blown away to find a frag of something like this in a friends tank. If it grows out I would love a piece as well. Just let me know if you ever have frags for sale down the road.

That piece is insane ! I have never seen colors like that on Acros from the digitate species complex.

it could be gemmifera or humilis, me thinks it might be A. samoensis, eitherway, mindboggling colors! needs a name! lol

@watchguy123
You my friend have an incredible collection, amazing photog and reefkeeping skills!
Lots of eye candy ITT...

Edit- I'm a watch guy myself , mostly vintage sub $1000 stuff though.
It's funny that comic book names are a thing in the watch hobby too! I was just thinking about that- orange monster, spring drive tuna, Panda daytona, hulk sub, blumo, moon watch pogue etc etc lol

 

[watchguy123]

You have definitely mastered the art sir! Beautiful corals, vibrant colors, and amazing photography. @watchguy123 certainly has it going on!

Thank you. I enjoy the sharing, it was staring at beautiful photos of other peoples acros that got me motivated originally. Hopefully, my photos get other people excited about coral as well.

That piece is insane ! I have never seen colors like that on Acros from the digitate species complex.

it could be gemmifera or humilis, me thinks it might be A. samoensis, eitherway, mindboggling colors! needs a name! lol

@watchguy123
You my friend have an incredible collection, amazing photog and reefkeeping skills!
Lots of eye candy ITT...

Edit- I'm a watch guy myself , mostly vintage sub $1000 stuff though.
It's funny that comic book names are a thing in the watch hobby too! I was just thinking about that- orange monster, spring drive tuna, Panda daytona, hulk sub, blumo, moon watch pogue etc etc lol

I am excited about that humilis piece. I placed it high in my tank but as far back as possible--I don't know why I chose that spot. It makes it a wee bit challenging to actually photograph it. Its growing really well so hopefully continues to blossom.

I only have two watches, my mistake. I really wish I had started collecting them a long time ago. I usually follow the watch auctions on the major auction houses, Sothebys, Christies, etc. I always want to pull the trigger, but I am careful not to. Kind of the same thing with looking at coral and fish, there are so many pretty choices out there, but only so many dollars to go around.

A couple more pictures:

This growing frag is really pretty, purplish body with yellow/gold highlights on the corallites.

This is one of my favorites. It didn't survive in my tank from the power outage but I was able to get a frag from a friend of mine who had it. Its really a tiny nub and I am not sure it is encrusting at all and I have had it for some months. So I am not sure if it will actually thrive or not, hopeful though. Z's Yellow Eyed Jawdropper

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Thank you. I enjoy the sharing, it was staring at beautiful photos of other peoples acros that got me motivated originally. Hopefully, my photos get other people excited about coral as well.

I am excited about that humilis piece. I placed it high in my tank but as far back as possible--I don't know why I chose that spot. It makes it a wee bit challenging to actually photograph it. Its growing really well so hopefully continues to blossom.

I only have two watches, my mistake. I really wish I had started collecting them a long time ago. I usually follow the watch auctions on the major auction houses, Sothebys, Christies, etc. I always want to pull the trigger, but I am careful not to. Kind of the same thing with looking at coral and fish, there are so many pretty choices out there, but only so many dollars to go around.

A couple more pictures:

This growing frag is really pretty, purplish body with yellow/gold highlights on the corallites.

This is one of my favorites. It didn't survive in my tank from the power outage but I was able to get a frag from a friend of mine who had it. Its really a tiny nub and I am not sure it is encrusting at all and I have had it for some months. So I am not sure if it will actually thrive or not, hopeful though. Z's Yellow Eyed Jawdropper

Awesome!! Hope it grows out for you!

 

[watchguy123]

Awesome!! Hope it grows out for you!

Thank you.

A couple more pictures

A really pretty granulosa that I can't really convince to take off and grow yet. I cut off the tip in an effort to stimulate it. I glued the nub next to the original frag

An entirely different sps frag that shares the similar reddish/purplish color is almost mini colony size. The blue growth tips are nice and unusual on this acro.

 

[watchguy123]

Another day, a couple more pictures

The photo below is ASD rainbow millie. This picture captures it going through a strange color phase where it has a strong purple to the base and blue tips. This picture was actually taken in September, in fact this last series of 100 plus photos is from then.

The ASD Rainbow is now maturing into the colors that you would expect for it but the picture below is an interesting anomaly of transitional color. I will take more pictures in November to share. I am aiming to take pictures every couple months to document changes. This photo shows an interesting temporary color

I haven't included many LPS but I have quite a few scattered about. Here is a pretty iron man acan

 

[watchguy123]

Getting a little hungry, first thing in the morning plus a bit weary eyed (sorry about the poor focus)

 

[watchguy123]

Well this is about the last of my sps series until I retake some new photos.

this frag has been with me for probably three years. It just sat and sat and no color or growth. In the last few months it has begun to show some growth and color. It is not very high up but i don't think that has had much to do with its lack of growth. This was a frag hyped to me so kind of disappointing that it took all this time to show much interest. Hopefully the wait will be worthwhile. Below it is my cool raja rampage chalice which is just a few inches off the sand. When I stare at this picture I get a little dizzy because the perspective is so unusual. I take virtually all top down photos. This is looking down at vertical rock work with a frag growing out from the side of the rock work while encrusting.

The last picture below is a pretty favia I picked up at a Coral Farmer's Market. I find it unusual. It was sold as a favia and for the most part looks like a favia, but it almost hints at being a platygra. I still believe it to be a faivia though, just weird. The bright colors are really extraordinary, yellow centers, bordered in vivid red with a growing leading edge of bright gold. During the day, it will usually extend/fluff up almost to the edge of that three inch disk. It can be so difficult to determine size sometimes by looking at a picture without reference.

 

[tnyr5]

Agreed. Isn't crazy how some of the most famous vendors have disappeared. I remember well, Steve Tyree limited editions, RR USA, RR Asia.

A few more for today

I wanted to add some names to the pictures but when I am at the computer screen looking at a frag photo that is cropped, it is hard to place where in the tank its positioned and id it.

So just another little frag with promise

The frag below is truly crazy and came from a good reefing friend. Those are a lot of colors there, pinkish/red, purple, blue and green.

Well now, that's pretty cool ( Also most likely A. samoensis) It reminds me a bit of the ATL purple heart.

 

[OnPointCorals]

Hey Mark. Great to see you back in full swing. I always enjoy your pics.

Figured you would like this one. Took a quick pic of your Z-1. I’m not sure if you still have it or it was one of your loses. But here you are (vermetid snail has made a nice home in it too ):

Z-1 by Domenic B., on Flickr

 

[therman]

Great to see you back in the game Mark. Any updates on that humilis? Those and gemmifera seem to be getting quite rare in the hobby without regular imports any more. I'm sure I've got something to trade you if it is ever available, though I know as a humilis that can take a while

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Hey I asked first . No but really, I am sure we all want to see how it’s looking!

 

[dodgerblew]

Mark, pics and corals look great as usual. Would like to come out, do some lunch and catch up

 

[watchguy123]

Great to see you back in the game Mark. Any updates on that humilis? Those and gemmifera seem to be getting quite rare in the hobby without regular imports any more. I'm sure I've got something to trade you if it is ever available, though I know as a humilis that can take a while

Its turning out pretty cool. I have been busy with all kinds of projects so I havent taken any sps pictures in a while. But I will try to get a photo of the humilus tomorrow if I can. My next few weeks are committed to a different project so I may not get another round of sps growth pictures for another four or six weeks. But the tank is doing well and I am happy.

Hey I asked first . No but really, I am sure we all want to see how it’s looking!

I am aiming for a photo of it tomorrow.

Mark, pics and corals look great as usual. Would like to come out, do some lunch and catch up

Call me and lets have lunch.

I have a bunch of favias that I have been growing out for a while. Here is a partial photo showcase of some of the ones I have growing. I know favias don't belong in an sps thread but until my sps mature into colonies, the LPS provide lots of color. All of these are on disks, because I dont want them to encrust onto the rock work and and ever sting my sps. I think all but the last two are on three inch disks.


JF Goldrush Seems to be a slow grower but awfully pretty

Z's Kbam Love the gold rim on this one as well.

JF Psycho Rim Its prettier and brighter in person.

Z's Vultron seems to be pretty similar to a WWC Ultron but on steroids

Wolverine Paw I have two little mini colonies

Cherry Corals Full Tilt/ JF Yellow Submarine

And now a couple of "not gold rimmed" favias

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Its turning out pretty cool. I have been busy with all kinds of projects so I havent taken any sps pictures in a while. But I will try to get a photo of the humilus tomorrow if I can. My next few weeks are committed to a different project so I may not get another round of sps growth pictures for another four or six weeks. But the tank is doing well and I am happy.


I am aiming for a photo of it tomorrow.

Call me and lets have lunch.

I have a bunch of favias that I have been growing out for a while. Here is a partial photo showcase of some of the ones I have growing. I know favias don't belong in an sps thread but until my sps mature into colonies, the LPS provide lots of color. All of these are on disks, because I dont want them to encrust onto the rock work and and ever sting my sps. I think all but the last two are on three inch disks.


JF Goldrush Seems to be a slow grower but awfully pretty

Z's Kbam Love the gold rim on this one as well.

JF Psycho Rim Its prettier and brighter in person.

Z's Vultron seems to be pretty similar to a WWC Ultron but on steroids

Wolverine Paw I have two little mini colonies

Cherry Corals Full Tilt/ JF Yellow Submarine

And now a couple of "not gold rimmed" favias

Those are dope! Favias are some of my favs!

 

[Rick5]

Those look awesome!