Are you a Bone Collector?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

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. Let's talk about it.

Do you keep your coral skeletons, why or why not?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yes BUT NOT by choice. Ever go to a frag swap and bring home frags and place into your frag rack or hole in rock for it to fall into a crevice you will never reach or have than clumsy fish that knocks it into a hole

THAT WOULD BE ME !!!

 

[Gtinnel]

I keep the skeleton in the tank for an extended period of time because I’ve had times where they have miraculously came back from what seemed to be complete death. I will eventually remove them though, I don’t like looking in the tank and seeing dead skeletons. When I decide to remove them from the tank I throw them away.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Nope. I used to put what I could in the calcium reactor. Now I just chuck them. Fortunately, I haven't chucked a dead skeleton in quite a while. Hopefully the reefing gods aren't listening right now! LOL.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

I have some from 20 or more years ago. They still have beauty

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I've personally don't like the $500 master scoly (old school price) reminder.

 

[A Young Reefer]

Nope it’s just painful to look at.

 

[Petcrazyson]

No. I find it too frustrating knowing these were once in my care and that I’m at fault for it’s innocent demise. That doesn’t mean I don’t have some. I have a few acro skeletons hidden away.

 

[CoralB]

I keep the skeleton in the tank for an extended period of time because I’ve had times where they have miraculously came back from what seemed to be complete death. I will eventually remove them though, I don’t like looking in the tank and seeing dead skeletons. When I decide to remove them from the tank I throw them away.

Did you see that game against state ???

 

[CoralB]

No prisoners!!

 

[Mschmidt]

Voted other, cuz I pop them in the back of the tank out of sight. they desolve and become recycled.

 

[Stoney]

Painful but I keep them all because I think it's the best and most natural form of biomedia. Most of the rocks available are so dense I doubt they have any real porosity. Coral skeleton is so light in comparison.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Voted other, cuz I pop them in the back of the tank out of sight. they desolve and become recycled.

Is that beneficial for the rest of the system like bacteria and supplements wise?

 

[shakacuz]

I keep the skeleton in the tank for an extended period of time because I’ve had times where they have miraculously came back from what seemed to be complete death. I will eventually remove them though, I don’t like looking in the tank and seeing dead skeletons. When I decide to remove them from the tank I throw them away.

this is what i do. as long as i see any fragment of live tissue i do not throw it out

 

[Gtinnel]

this is what i do. as long as i see any fragment of live tissue i do not throw it out

Ive had some that didn’t even have a fragment of tissue (that I could see) and they recovered.

 

[X-37B]

Yes I keep all of them. When I took down my 120 I had a few large colonies left after fragging. My wife uses them for art projects and I process the rest through my calcium reactor.

 

[yusufhadiwinata]

iam keeping my coral skeleton, not only keeping, but also coloring with my soon

consider to vote, which one what do you like

 

[tbrown]

I have most of my coral skeletons. The ones I toss are usually ones that got an infection and were removed from the tank. Those I don't want back in the tank just in case. Older skeletons that died from negligence or a spike I'll usually leave in the tank for a bit, kinda like @Gtinnel said - you never know when it has a little life left you just don't see. After a while when I'm tired of looking at them I usually throw them in my "rubble" pile in the fuge. Pods still use them as "home" even if the coral doesn't.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I have a few that I bleached out and have been meaning to move back in. They would make good rocks for encrusters to grow around.

 

[Jim Gomoll]

Started in the 80's with large pieces of dead corals in Fish only tanks well before dry and live rock we can buy today. Over years tips have break off and now into corals which Ive been keeping skeletons of those I've killed. I use them for either frag bases on frag plugs (can pop off after they grow out) along with starting to make small mini sculptures on rubble rock bases, gluing on pieces of encrusting corals like Montis and Porites.
Who said encrusting corals cant look like Acros, Stylos, Birdsnests, etc.