Bubba's SPS Journey

[Bpb]

My JF Jolt is finally getting red polyps. I thought this thing was a dud for sure but it's finally starting to do something.

Day 1

Today

Looking awesome. You know I always wonder “what is it about these aquaculture guys that allow them to pull such spectacular colors from their acros?” And then it should be pretty obvious. If I spent 12 hours a day meticulously going over my system with a fine tooth comb I’m sure my colors and growth would be as good too. I tend to forget it’s their career. Not a hobby

 

[Mattrg02]

Had a Slimer and Digi duke it out for a while. I must say, Digitata held it's own against the Slimer pretty well. Got tired of the little algae patches coming up on dead tissue so they got separated..

“Don’t touch!”

 

[Wrangy]

Anyone who doesn't like frag pics, especially with what you can do to those frags given time is a liar haha

Love the colouring up they're doing man and the jolt looks like it's going to turn out really special!

 

[Mystikal]

Loooking good! Love the time difference photos. Keep it coming.

 

[bubbaque]

Couple of new frags. I got the TSA Daydream during their live sale and the Fruity pebbles I went there and got.

TSA Daydream

TSA Fruity Pebbles

 

[bubbaque]

Here is a pic of my refugium. This thing super gross, as I never really vaccum out the detritus or scrape the walls. I just keep cutting the chaeto and letting everything else do it's thing.

I found some baby Banggai cardinals in there about a month ago that must of went through the overflow from my display. I have never fed them anything so they must be living off the pods or whatever finds its way in there.

 

[tigé21v]

Here is a pic of my refugium. This thing super gross, as I never really vaccum out the detritus or scrape the walls. I just keep cutting the chaeto and letting everything else do it's thing.

I found some baby Banggai cardinals in there about a month ago that must of went through the overflow from my display. I have never fed them anything so they must be living off the pods or whatever finds its way in there.

Is that "trickle" really the amount of water you're putting through your fuge??
If so, it must've been a long slow ride on the water slide for those cardinals!;Joyful

 

[bubbaque]

Is that "trickle" really the amount of water you're putting through your fuge??
If so, it must've been a long slow ride on the water slide for those cardinals!;Joyful

That made me laugh pretty hard. No, my display drains to my tanks in the garage. The garage tanks then drain to that refugium and then everything goes back to my sump in the house under my display tank. Those banggai's went through several overflows to make it down there. That small trickle you see if the emergency drain to the frag tank next to it. I put it up high so I can hear a loud noise if the main drain is ever clogged. There are two holes drilled into the side of the refugium that both tanks drain into.

 

[tigé21v]

Did you post pics of your pickups from WWC (the budgie and the unnamed) and I missed them? I may have, as this thread seems to grow by a couple of pages every day.

 

[drawman]

Did you post pics of your pickups from WWC (the budgie and the unnamed) and I missed them? I may have, as this thread seems to grow by a couple of pages every day.

+1 I want to see that unnamed frag! He did post the budgie.

 

[bubbaque]

Did you post pics of your pickups from WWC (the budgie and the unnamed) and I missed them? I may have, as this thread seems to grow by a couple of pages every day.

I did post the Budgie Smuggler a few pages ago (search Budgie in the search bar and click in this thread). WWC has two colonies of it in their 900 gallon and I got to see them in full daylight and their daylight pic is pretty accurate. It's a true standout piece for sure. As frags they do not look impressive. They had three frags for sale during their in store sale and non of them were impressive. I told one of the owners, Vic that the frags don't look that impressive and I wasn't sold on paying the price. He said I have to go to their store (I was in their farm which is 5 mins away) and take a look at the colonies. I went and checked out their colonies and I was instantly sold.

As far as the unnamed frag, when I went to pick it up it was pretty light in color but I didn't think much about it as it still looked pretty great. I took it home and placed it pretty high up and within about 3-4 hours I seen it was stressed out. The skin wasn't peeling but I could see it was bleaching and it was bleaching fast. I didn't think it was going to last the day. The next morning I moved it down to the sandbed hoping to save it. For the next week I didn't see any polyps but I seen it stopped bleaching out. Now I see polyps out and looks to be a little happier each day but it will be a while before I take pic.

 

[drawman]

I did post the Budgie Smuggler a few pages ago (search Budgie in the search bar and click in this thread). WWC has two colonies of it in their 900 gallon and I got to see them in full daylight and their daylight pic is pretty accurate. It's a true standout piece for sure. As frags they do not look impressive. They had three frags for sale during their in store sale and non of them were impressive. I told one of the owners, Vic that the frags don't look that impressive and I wasn't sold on paying the price. He said I have to go to their store (I was in their farm which is 5 mins away) and take a look at the colonies. I went and checked out their colonies and I was instantly sold.

As far as the unnamed frag, when I went to pick it up it was pretty light in color but I didn't think much about it as it still looked pretty great. I took it home and placed it pretty high up and within about 3-4 hours I seen it was stressed out. The skin wasn't peeling but I could see it was bleaching and it was bleaching fast. I didn't think it was going to last the day. The next morning I moved it down to the sandbed hoping to save it. For the next week I didn't see any polyps but I seen it stopped bleaching out. Now I see polyps out and looks to be a little happier each day but it will be a while before I take pic.

 

[bubbaque]

lol! I took a pic of it when I thought it was going to die. I will share it that same time I share what it looks like when it is healthy.

 

[tigé21v]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

[tigé21v]

I did post the Budgie Smuggler a few pages ago (search Budgie in the search bar and click in this thread). WWC has two colonies of it in their 900 gallon and I got to see them in full daylight and their daylight pic is pretty accurate. It's a true standout piece for sure. As frags they do not look impressive. They had three frags for sale during their in store sale and non of them were impressive. I told one of the owners, Vic that the frags don't look that impressive and I wasn't sold on paying the price. He said I have to go to their store (I was in their farm which is 5 mins away) and take a look at the colonies. I went and checked out their colonies and I was instantly sold.

As far as the unnamed frag, when I went to pick it up it was pretty light in color but I didn't think much about it as it still looked pretty great. I took it home and placed it pretty high up and within about 3-4 hours I seen it was stressed out. The skin wasn't peeling but I could see it was bleaching and it was bleaching fast. I didn't think it was going to last the day. The next morning I moved it down to the sandbed hoping to save it. For the next week I didn't see any polyps but I seen it stopped bleaching out. Now I see polyps out and looks to be a little happier each day but it will be a while before I take pic.

I saw the pic of the budgie a while back, thought it was a shot of it at WWC.
Gotta give you props on your "hakuna matata" attitude regarding the WWC unnamed. You probably spent more on that one frag than I've dropped on corals in the past few years.
Do you not QT your new arrivals?

 

[bubbaque]

I saw the pic of the budgie a while back, thought it was a shot of it at WWC.
Gotta give you props on your "hakuna matata" attitude regarding the WWC unnamed. You probably spent more on that one frag than I've dropped on corals in the past few years.
Do you not QT your new arrivals?

I haven't lost a frag in a long time so it has giving me the confidence to buy more expensive corals. Like most people I started out buying the cheaper ones but I think most end up regretting having a lot of those as their tank starts to do well, at least that's how I feel. I have several that I wish I could go back and never add but they're are so well encrusted, there isn't much I can do at this point.

No I don't QT. I dip in bayer and baste them while they sit in the dip. I think my dips have worked or at least I hope. I hope by taking pics regularly and up close, someone would point out bite marks or red bugs if they seen any. Sometimes when I dip I think I baste too hard as I blow the skin off sometimes but I try and get all the corners blown out.

 

[McPikie]

Finding fish in your sump that you didn't know you had is just epic ha haha.

I was thinking of ditching my filter socks and just letting my sump go crazy as my cheato seems to die off too quickly.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Like most people I started out buying the cheaper ones but I think most end up regretting having a lot of those as their tank starts to do well, at least that's how I feel. I have several that I wish I could go back and never add but they're are so well encrusted, there isn't much I can do at this point.

This is what I am thinking about with my new build. The display is only 30 gallons and every coral has to count. I will probably only have a dozen (total LPS and SPS) corals and let them grow and fill.

Your thoughts really put it in perspective for me. Thanks!

 

[bubbaque]

Few more frags. These are not great lookers right now but I want to document their change in my tank.

WWC En Fuego.

WWC French tickler - mostly a grey frag with a little pink right now.

WWC berry blast - Seen their colony in person so I know this one will look nice with time.

 

[JonJ]

Few more frags. These are not great lookers right now but I want to document their change in my tank.

WWC En Fuego.

WWC French tickler - mostly a grey frag with a little pink right now.

WWC berry blast - Seen their colony in person so I know this one will look nice with time.

I got that WWC French Tickler last week and mine was a pale greyish/pink color too. Can't wait to see it color up!