NonSequitur

I've wondered the same thing (particularly in the case of branching corals like frogspawn), it'll really be interesting to see what responses this question brings.

Oh yeah, I forgot about finger leathers.. could be that one too.. I'll change my vote to *shrug*.

The bottom one looks like either a kenya tree or a colt coral.. looks more like a colt coral to me, but I can't get the full size view to load.

He's doing really well.. and doing a really good job of keeping the coralline off of the glass.. right now he has a couple of shells and a lot of caulerpa (he's in my small tank at the moment because the coralline was getting out of control), but he's carried xenia, zoas, snails and hermits, small rocks.. you name it, if he can lift it, he's carried it. It'll be a lot of fun to watch once I move him back into the big tank and the rabbitfish decides it wants to eat his camouflage.

Unfortunately your experience matches with mine.. my urchins (I have a royal urchin that has been carrying around a stalk of xenia for well over a month and a pink pincushion urchin that prefers to carry hermit crabs) really love coralline and the short brown algae that grows on the rocks that the blennies seem to love as well, but won't touch derbesia. They seem to keep the tanks free of most other microalgae, and will usually eat nori if nothing else appealing is available, but half the time they don't eat it and just carry it around instead. If you've never watched a rabbitfish try to eat nori off of the back of an urchin you're missing out.

Sounds like either diatoms or possibly the very beginnings of a cyanobacteria bloom. Have you tested your water parameters?

I've had good success with aiptasia-x not only for aiptasia, but for majanos as well.. from what I've read it's primarily sodium hydroxide (NaOH, AKA lye), which is very effective when applied directly over the nuisance anemone (it exhibits an intense localized heating reaction, plus is very strongly basic), but you have to be careful about overspray, as it can be irritating to other animals if you get it on them, plus large quantities of it can affect SG, as it releases sodium as it reacts . It's definitely something to use with care, but in my experience works very well as a last resort when used according to the label directions.

Is this a fighting conch, or a queen conch? I've been contemplating getting a fighting conch to add to my clean up crew.

Not a great FTS, but I just had to post it.. the cats discovered the warm spots on top of the canopy.

I think I would be in on the 19th as well.. not sure how much I'd be in for yet (depends on if I get my tax refund by then).

I'm still interested if you still have some.. I didn't get a chance to come before (lots of chaos at my house lately), but let me know when it's a good time for you, I'd love to come and pick one up.

Also, I'd say test the new water with the same hydrometer you usually use before adding it. In my experience swing arm hydrometers (if that's what you're using) are almost always inaccurate, but they are typically consistently (with themselves) inaccurate.

Perhaps a series of small daily water changes (5-10% or so) with RO saltwater adjusted to your pH and salinity. Adding a large amount of 1.026 water (which is usually what comes from the LFS) to your tank will definitely be stressful for your fish.

How long has the tank been set up? I'm concerned that you're seeing any nitrites at all, since those usually drop to 0 once the tank is fully cycled.

The first thing that comes to mind is the chemistry of the new water. Did you test to make sure the salinity and pH of the old and new water matched (or at least were close)? I've seen (as well as heard anecdotal reports) that the mixing instructions on salt mixes tend to be inconsistent. It is also possible that the salinity and pH of your tank water had shifted due to evaporation, top offs, etc. to not match the specs of newly mixed water, and that could be causing stress. Also, when you mixed the new water, did you let it sit (or, better yet, circulate) after mixing and adding dechlorinator, or did you use it immediately? If you didn't let it "age" it's possible that the dechlorinator didn't have a chance to fully neutralize the chlorine before being added, and I've heard that freshly mixed saltwater tends to be somewhat irritating if used immediately after mixing, but I'm sure opinions on that vary.

I'd love to take some of the red flame if you still have it, but I won't be back into town until tomorrow. If nobody else claims it and you think it can keep until then, that would be great, but if not I understand.

I can't wait to get back into town to post some of the pics I took. My daughter fell in love with your naso tang.. "he loved having his picture taken!" and is now begging me for one. She got some suprisingly good pictures with the camera on her DSi.

Sorry for the double post, posting from my phone at midnight after a very long day is probably a bad idea.

I'm interested in the pocillipora, but an in san Antonio for a family emergency until some time later this week. don't hold it for me if you have someone else interested before I get back, but if it's still there I want it.

I'm interested in the pocillipora, but an in san Antonio for a family emergency until some time later this week. don't hold it for me if you have someone els

Talk to Derry about the pectinia frags he has.. I've not had much luck with SPS corals, but so far the frag I got from him is still alive, colored, and extending its polyps.

I've seen it a few places, but here are two that mention the possibility: Advanced Aquarist and Wet Web Media. And here's a post on nano-reef.com with pictures (I think you might have to join the site to see them): Nano-reef post I don't think it's particularly common, but apparently it can happen.

Oh wow.. gulf coast ecosystems has all sorts of nice products. Once they get the photosynthetic gorgonians back in stock I'll definitely have to pick some up.

That would be Tito's: Tito's Vodka Cited for Water Pollution