OUsnakebyte

First, if this is violating a forum rule, please delete the thread. Okay all... I'm desperate. Earlier this week I finally received the protocol for rearing this year's crop of Elkhorn coral larvae, A. palmata - for the SECORE project, secore.org. But hey, that's better than last year when I received it WHILE I WAS IN PUERTO RICO... Things have changed up a bit this year - last year I only had three tanks to deal with, so I was able to float them in the grow out tank (90 gallon, with 40 gallon sump). This year, as you can can see with eight 10 gallon tanks, I have a lot more to deal with. I've worked with our HVAC guys time and again, but I just don't trust that in the 6 days I'll have them in settling tanks that the temp won't drop too low. To compund the problem, my supervisor is out of town, and I have no idea what our money situation is like - I've also been told that we are out of spending for the year and won't be renewed with money until October. I've called other units in the Zoo (Amazonia is the only other who would have any small heaters) - nuthin'. I know... boo hoo me... So, what I'm looking for is this. Do any of you have a heater that you would be able to lend me for just a little while? Obviously the better quality ones are what I'm looking for - these larvae are not very tolerant of swings - but I'll take what I can get. I need a total of 8, and I'm looking to keep each 10 gallon at 26 celsius (~79 F). I leave Friday the 15th of August and return the 27th. The palmata larvae will be in the 8, 10 gallon tanks for 6 days, after which I will transfer the settlers to the grow out tank and will be done with the heaters, which I will return to you. As for getting the heaters to me... I am closing this weekend, which means I can leave work at 6:30pm, after which I will head to the wamas meeting at NADC. I can pick up the heaters there if you will be at the meeting (or have someone drop them off for you). Thanks in advance, Mike

Agree 100% with Dave. Lower temps are usually tolerated much more than higher temps. 82 really is pushing the threshold. 78 is great. 75-76... you're golden, especially with the Indo-pacific corals you are likely keeping (IP is, generally though not always, a few degrees cooler than the Caribbean). Cheers Mike

Jason has it, spot on.

That is by far the single most disturbing characteristic of the old world monkeys that creeps me out the most... Well now, to be fair - that is a female and juvenile. Perhaps there is something we're not seeing that resembles a male gorilla's "reverse nipple" - whatever that means - some sort of sexual dimorphism, as in a silver back. And, we still have not established which subspecies of gorilla it refers to. Are there geographic variances in differing populations...? Is that species of zoanthid, dubbed "Reverse Gorilla Nipple", an East African endemic? Hmmm.... this is interesting. There just might be a thesis here yet...

I find it easier (and cheaper...) to refer to them as Zoanthus sp. and then identify the color(s) represented. I stopped by the Great Ape house again just to double check - I still don't understand the "reverse gorilla nipple" coloration. Of course, we have Western Lowland gorillas; I've never seen a Mountain Gorilla's nipple. Perhaps there is something there...

Hey all - Thanks for yet another awesome frag-fest extravaganza!!! I hope everyone went home with a little slice of the reef. Say, did anyone find a pair of forceps during cleanup? They would have been over at the main frag table. An example can be seen here: Forceps Cheers Mike

Good to hear this is going well. Don't you love not having to top off?!?! Have you added a fan blowing at the glass? Nothing huge, just a small desktop fan. If you haven't, that might help out a little. Pics soon? Cheers Mike

If leaky bags are a continual problem, try one of two things: 1) Switch to plastic cups, found at your local grocery. I buy them about 25-30 at a time, with lids. And, they can be reused! (don't throw them away...!) 2) If you use bags, wrap your frag(s) in paper towel (it would be wet, of course), and of course make sure that it is of a brand that is free of any inks and/or dyes. Then, if your bag leaks, the frag will still be wrapped in damp paper towel. You can actually ship sps frags wrapped in damp paper towel if need be... Cheers Mike

I meant to add this earlier, but I am planning to come. Chip - I sent you a PM about an acro. Did you get it? Thoughts? Cheers Mike

The gold standard of coral ID books; yes, I highly recommend. We have the 3 volume set at work, and they are my main reference materials. In addition to ID, Veron takes you through the history and evolution of reefs and also about his improvement on Darwinian evolution, Reticulate Evolution. There is also an accompanying CD found here - AIMS However, these materials only discuss the Scleractinians. For gorgonians, zoanthids, other octocorals, etc., you'll need to look elsewhere. Happy reading and ID'ing!!! Cheers Mike

Don't forget to floss. Just... please... dont' use Lifeboy... (A Christmas Story, anyone...?) Hi, I'm Mike, and I make jokes in uncomfortable situations. Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. It's what I do. Later

Yup, here: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=21414 Probably not, but those "in the know" will care enough to use biodegradable sun screen. A quick google search yields these first three results: Result 1 Result 2 Result 3 Cheers Mike

Hey Dave - I don't have any experience with any of those - we have a Tiger Shark here that is designed for up to 3/4" acrylic. The other I use - I cannot seem to find a brand name for, but they both float - on 2" acrylic is BIG, but it is still not powerful enough to remove coraline. I did rig up a pvc/kent scraper/hose clamp "device" that scrapes coraline (mimics the Easy Blade), but that's a different story. My only advice is to get one that is rated larger than your acrylic thickness vs the max rating on the magnet (does that make any sense...?). So, I wouldn't get the Tiger Shark since yours is 3/4" - but I'm guessing that is what you are going for. You'll thank the extra clamping force (though little fingers might not, if you know what I mean...) when trying to remove stubborn items from the wall... I also wrap an acrylic-safe towel around the outside of the magnet when algae wiping - helps prevent scratches from a worn felt pad. Cheers Mike

Dr. Baums is going to be joing the SECORE team this August. I am really looking forward to meeting and working with her. They are interested in the genetics of the Puerto Rico population of palmata - basically the largest, lone remaining population of Elkhorn in the Caribbean. I'll be watching to see how this work of hers turns out as well.

And that statement right there sums it up soooooo often for me...

Am I reading this correctly...? Do you have a kidney stone...?

I've only done it once, and it was a special case. I had a specialty pvc connector (male thread x reducing barb to a very odd size) that I needed, and the one I had was c-r-u-s-t-y. I couldn't find a replacement anywhere. Needless to say, one end of this piece was threaded, but the threads didn't quite match up with the female end of the new piece I was threading it to. I tried several rounds of tape to no avail. Finally, I decided to go out on a limb and glue the sucker - worked like a charm. Again, I've only done this once. I stopped siliconing (if that is a verb...?) bulkheads long ago - after I found out I was a moron for doing that... Cheers Mike

I have done both of these - no problems at all. I did not use any primer when I glued the threaded connections - but that's mostly b/c I forgot to... Cheers Mike

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. 16 gallons is next to nothing to deal with, especially when combined with a water change... Get a rubbermaid tub - or just use your spare tank, and go for it... Cheers Mike

That really sucks man, but it sounds like it could have been much worse. Let me know if you lost anything I have, and I'll get you some frags when you are ready. Mike

Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't know how trustworthy the source was (random visitor...), but I have two sumps at work that are fiberglass... Ozone won't be an issue where this is going. Thanks, Mike

I thought that was to keep the fiberglass from fading in color over time...? I could be totally wrong here. This fiberglass rod is of course not showing at all - covered by rock and cement - and eventually coral... Cheers Mike

So, I built a pinnacle/column/whatever akin to what Sanjay did in his tank - 'cept this one is about 3 feet tall. He (Sanjay) used fiberglass rod (from McMaster-Carr), which I did as well (mine is 3/4"). Said pinnacle is currently "curing" in fresh water, and I am steadfastly nearing the date where I am a green light to place it in an existing tank. Then, someone a few days back goes and tells me that using fiberglass is a bad idea b/c it will, over time, deteriorate in the presence of saltwater. Ummm... yeah... I can just picture this structure, heavily encrusted with corals, come tumbling down one day. Can anyone validate or deny the claim stated above...??? A google search on the subject has led me nowhere. Cheers Mike

I have absolutely no idea what I just read...???

Re the cuttle and the puffer - I think you will be amazed at the size of prey that a cuttle, even a small one, (or octopus for that matter) can wrangle. I have seen juvenile officinalis take on prey that is at least half of their body length - not to mention the already stated toxicity of puffers. I would advise only sessile invertebrates as tankmates for your cuttlefish, if any. And, I agree 100% with what Dave said about tank maturity - six months at a minimum and best to wait a year. I don't believe anyone here has told you not to do this or that you can't - I certainly have not. All we have been saying is to take it s... l... o... w..., which from the posts I have read of yours, you seem to be ignoring the advice - 1 to 2 months and then straight to the cuttle, for example. Yes, I know - you are going to monitor the water chemistry, yadda, yadda, yadda... Rapid shifts can happen in any tank, small or large. The potential for these shifts to happen is greater in newly established tanks than in more mature ones. "Hardier" species will generally weather these shifts better than more sensitive ones. That's all we have been saying - gather experience and take it slow. Do what you will with the advice. Remember, it is a life you are dealing with here - captive bred or not. I truly and honestly hope, for the sake of the cuttlefish, that you are totally successful the whole way in your endeavor. I'm done. Cheers Mike