Hello from the U.P.

[HeiHei29er]

Just joined and wanted to say a quick hello.

I'm about a year into saltwater after many years with fresh water. I have a 150 gallon corner pentagon tank and am still learning much about keeping a mixed reef tank.

See you in the forums!

 

[user 26995]

Hey, Welcome to Reef Frontiers. That sounds like a great size & shape tank.
Some of us here still keep fresh water too.
Look forward to hearing more about your tank.
What kind of equipment are you runing and what are you keeping for lifestock?

 

[HeiHei29er]

I was at a LFS and talking to the owner about converting to salt. Of course, they said no big deal and not really that different than fresh. So, I made a snap decision, turned in 3 years worth of cichlids for credit, and then started researching what it would take to run a reef tank. Rude awakening and let the learning curve begin.

I started with the basics and have upgraded along the way. Current equipment list...

150 gallon corner pentagon
40B sump Refugium--> Return <--Skimmer
Tunze Silence return pump
4x 1600 gph JBJ Oceanstream PH
Marineland 300 Skimmer
Apex controller (just installed it today!)
DIY T5HO (6 bulb)
DIY LED (36" Steve's LED)

Livestock:
Purple Stylo
M. Spongodes
M. Digitata
S. Guttatus
Green Nepthea
Purple Nepthea
Hairy Shroom
Baby Rics
Duncan
Torch
Wall Hammer
Branch Hammer
Frogspawn
Fungia
Candy Cane
Acan Lord garden x8

Currently fighting a bad case of Ich, so the fish are going fast. Still have Oc. Clown, Starry Blenny, Chalk Bass, PJ Card. Have lost Kole Tang, Hippo Tang, Orchid Dotty, and Oc. Clown.

Will start a thread with some pics.

 

[NanaReefer]

Welcome to RF!! Very sorry to hear about your fish loss I know it hurts....

 

[HeiHei29er]

Welcome to RF!! Very sorry to hear about your fish loss I know it hurts....

Thanks. This has turned into a disaster. Lost the other clown and chalk bass this morning. Made some very bad decisions and in the end, probably would have been better off never taking the fish out of the DT. I'll tell you about it next time we talk.

On a happy note...

The corals are doing great and don't seem to mind an ich infested tank one bit.

 

[senji]

never heard or seen purple nepthea, i have green. put up some pics(easyst way it img code from photobucket) and when your done battling ich maybe i can get u to ship a frag of the purple?

 

[HeiHei29er]

Not the greatest picture, but gives you an idea.

http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/turbulence_2010/IMG_17871024x683_zpsb0054141.jpg

 

[NanaReefer]

I think that's a great pic!!

 

[NanaReefer]

Not the greatest picture, but gives you an idea.

http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/turbulence_2010/IMG_17871024x683_zpsb0054141.jpg

I swear you can grow anything!

 

[HeiHei29er]

I swear you can grow anything!

Nope. Zoas still baffle me. I've tried 2 or 3 different times. They slowly whither and die. Not enough food, too much light, too much flow, wrong parameters, just don't know on them.

 

[NanaReefer]

Nope. Zoas still baffle me. I've tried 2 or 3 different times. They slowly whither and die. Not enough food, too much light, too much flow, wrong parameters, just don't know on them.

Well let me be the first to welcome you to the unofficial Vanishing Zoa Club-LOL Now you see em now you don't!

 

[senji]

not too burst your bubble the green 1 is a nephtea and the orange/pink one is plain old kenya tree. as far as i can see

 

[HeiHei29er]

Sold on DD as an ORA Nepthea. Might be a Kenya tree. I'm not great at coral ID's.

 

[HeiHei29er]

not too burst your bubble the green 1 is a nephtea and the orange/pink one is plain old kenya tree. as far as i can see

Thanks for the help with the ID. I've read about Kenya Trees and their spreading, but I never really looked into them.

Do all Nepthea sp. and Capnella sp. drop branches and spread through a tank or just the orange/pink one shown in the picture above? I'm a little confused on this as LiveAquaria calls this a Kenya Tree
Kenya Tree Coral

but they call what I bought an ORA Nepthea
Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den® - Nephthea sp.

However, after digging deeper, the threads I read about Kenya Trees spreading that have pics show the ORA Nepthea and not the coral that LiveAquaria calls a Kenya Tree. Does "Kenya Tree" capture all the corals in the Nepthea and Capnella sp and do they all spread?

Thanks for the help.

 

[user 26995]

Is the one you are calling a "kenya" pink or orange.
There is a Pink colt coral that many people call kenya tree. They do not drop branches like the orange kenya tree does. I have a few pink colt corals. I really like them.

 

[user 26995]

Oh, yes they all will spread, but not uncontrollably. The branchs will not pop off, but if allowed to touch something, they will lean over, attach to it and then seperate from the original piece. My green nepthea is attached to the back wall of the tank. The pink colt will do that too.

 

[HeiHei29er]

The one I have is in the link above called the ORA Nepthea. I really want to stay away from the one that drops branches as there are a few spots in my rock work that I could never get at if one landed there. After the above posts, I'm concerned that I got one.

Any help you can give is much appreciated. I really like the look of it, but will have to rip it out if it's going to drop and spread.

EDIT: Just saw your other post. I should be good if it only spreads locally. Thanks.

 

[user 26995]

Here is a good example of both the pink colt and the green nepthea.
the green nepthea is in the back right covering the back wall of the tank. The pink colt is a couple years old. It had not moved or migrated at all. Just got bigger.

 

[user 26995]

They are very easy to cut back too. Give it some time. You will learn how to frag it and pass it around. They will attach themselves to rubble rock and then you can keep a small one and sell off the bigger one and start over. Or make a few smaller ones and sell them.

 

[HeiHei29er]

They are very easy to cut back too. Give it some time. You will learn how to frag it and pass it around. They will attach themselves to rubble rock and then you can keep a small one and sell off the bigger one and start over. Or make a few smaller ones and sell them.

Thanks a bunch!

Is it OK to cut it in the tank, or better to pull it and avoid and toxins from the softie?