Sps picos

[brandon429]

this can give some ideas a vid of mixed picos

one of them is sealed and does not evaporate, thats a first in marine aquaria, and the others are transportable to be driven around to schools and public shows to discuss marine bio

just an update to the system its five years old now and able to run long term

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuIIPFeUd2Q

[brandon429]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3onG2SvzKc&feature=related

[Haydn24]

Awesome! :)

[brandon429]

thank you for stopping in the aquatic turtle at the end of this last video is perfect for your tank man, i took a look at your planted tank. Those thick course leaves are suited for this species of very small aquatic turtle that lives its whole life in the water, it doesn't emerse to bask like other turtles.

The stinkpot is an ideal turtle for a planted tank additionally in that it doesn't eat the plants, a common behavior in aquatic turtles.

this vid is mainly pico reefs but at the end is a planted tank that gives really clear video up close of a swimming stinkpot in a giant planted tank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XOsitYhihc

[brandon429]

here are some growth pics of the sps

[brandon429]

this before and after shot shows pest removal (red brush algae) total removal with a blue jet flame lighter called a bernzomatic grill lighter.

there are no pests in pico reef care if you use this method, it works on aiptasia, valonia, gha, etc

I fragged my sps before burning near it mainly it was shading lower corals and time for the work...

[brandon429]

10 months between pics

[Cerianthus]

Excellent! Gorgeous!!!!!
Although done 2.5 pico but not in 1 G.

No way, is that a Catallaphyllia on top? It's been awhile for me. I see a Hydnophora and perhaps brown porites/seriatophora???

Getting the itch again. I am cleaning up my 2.5 G soon and start bothering old friends for frags., lol!

[brandon429]

hey thanks for stopping in nice to meet you. no elegance coral here just a duncanopsammia its all contorted but still kickin lol

[CritterLover]

So I am not imagining things, the corals grew right through the glass? Also, I have a newbie question: What does "sps" stand for?

[brandon429]

small polyped scleractinians, just a type of coral that was once exclusive to multithousand dollar systems and the care methods are evolving into just the bare necessities...



thank you for noticing that about the glass, I directly planted it like that for that reason. Not one time in thousands of views has anyone asked about it until now, so thats some kind of artistic completion for the universe how does it feel to be that person. really though it was just a take off on those illusion effects sold at pet stores where the magnet shark is in two halves one inside one outside the tank, but I did it with a montipora coral skeleton on the outside, superglued to the tank, and a direct match of the living version directly on top of it making that look- again thanks. i made up the term exoscaping corny but fitting.

[brandon429]

here are shots of something very rare, the coral alveopora grown onto glass. This is a bizarre growth variant that can be induced upon many stony corals sharing a vase



this is about a years growth

[brandon429]

if anyone can identify this animal you are in a league of your own. It is exactly the size of this letter o and it was found swimming around the currents, settling across rocks.

acoel flatworms were the first suspect. but this has a body cavity and symmetry and knoblike radiata not found in helminths or any other worm we've seen. it has zooxanthellae, like coral, my idea is it could be a coral planula.

a standing request exists for anyone to provide a google link describing this animal

[Cerianthus]

I tend to agree with you on this one as possible coral planula since you already have Alv growing on the glass on its own if I understood correctly.

Although never have seen such crawling/free swimming personally, I had many corals pop up on the glass/rock, even stem of other branch corals out of no where.
I did not realized until when I discover cloudiness of the tank one morning. It looked like if someone dose calcium powder additive. Not thinking, I applied mechanical filter (DOnt believe in mech filters in reef) only to realize that the timing was around FULL MOON. Never made that mistakes again. From time to time, I noticed similar cloudiness which were sequenced with full moon. I actually saw limpets releasing couple of time when stayed up late during full moon phase.
From that moment on, I spend more time looking for new growth (motly lps, Goniopora, Euphyllia, etc: not too many sps in early 90's other than hydnophora, monti , etc) and to my surprises, found many all over the tanks.
Never made millions by growing them, lol, but what a fascinating experiences!!

OMG, Itching is getting worse by the minute, lol!

[brandon429]

thats a great point that the alveopora might be mature enough to release a brooded planula I had asked Dr Shimek about the organism and even he wasnt sure thats unbelievable he can call em like a quick draw cowboy but not this time

[reefyoyo1000]

hey brandon i remember those vids there awesome (im rafflereefer10 on youtube)!
and critter lover the coral growing out of the glass is coal skalatons glued there
and sps stands for small polyp stony!

[brandon429]

Hello friend I have been really busy at work, can only get on a couple times a week thanks for stopping in.

I can tell you are in the planning stages of setting one up and you already keep saltwater as well right?