Birdsnest progression pics

[pIankton]

A few of our local club members are in a contest to see who gets the best growth over a 6 month period based on a particular frag or colony. I chose this birdsnest which was sold to me as Ponape. It's under a little too much light and the pink in the tips have faded out some, but I'm very happy with the growth. Thought I would share.

First pic is December 1st 2007. Second pic is today:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1295.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1369.jpg

[jgskt620]

nice growth

[ServantSoldier]

good choice on birdsnest.. I have some ORA green that is out of control.

[Aquadam]

I recently had a pink birdsnest that I acclimated, and the next day it was dead...little intimidating.

[pIankton]

And here's one from today:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1392.jpg

[Dansin]

Wow tha's unreal growth. What ever your doing keep it up.

[pIankton]

From this past Sunday:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1454.jpg

[Tu Ku]

The formation of that colony is really interesting, and the growth is incredible.

[BLKTANG]

I cant wait till my Tubs PP BN grows up.


Nice piece.

[pIankton]

Thanks everyone. It grows so fast - definitely one of the coolest pieces I have. You can see some dark pink tips under the shaded areas (toward the bottom left) but for the most part, I don't get the pink. I guess it's getting too much light.

[scunfcu]

I have same frag, but not that much branches. recently moved from 20g to 75g. Not getting much of purple tips. Interesting you have no sump or fuge. My setup is similar:

75G Sumpless, fugeless, Octopus HOB BH-300F, Koralia 3, barebottom, about 70 lbs of LR, mixed reef, Five 54W T5 lighting.

What and how much and often do you dose? Two Part Solutions? Do you have fish and do you feed your sps?

I am using Esv Bionic dosing once per week because my sps are mostly just frags for now.

[iriejp1]

I know you have a small description of your setup in your sig...but to a total newb like me would you mind describing your light setup? Are those flourescents or MH?

[melanotaenia]

that thing is growing like it is on Steroids! What are you dosing in the tank?

[pIankton]

Thanks everyone. I don't try to do anything special and actually experiment more often than not.

Lighting is a 6 bulb Tek fixture. Bulbs from front to back are:
Blue+
Blue+
Aquasun
Blue+
Aquablue special
Blue+

Sounds like a lot of blue+ but it actually gives a nice 14k look.

This is what I do dosing wise. It's kind of a modified GARF method and it works very well for me and my coral's needs:

Top off every other day using Advantage Calcium one day, Reef Builder the next, Advantage Magnesium the next and repeat. It's usually about a gallon or so worth of top-off per day and I adjust the amount of supplements as needed. In addition to all of the supps, I do a 2 or 3 gallon water change every other night. I try to do it every night, but you know how it goes... Sounds like a PITA, but it only takes literally like 2 minutes. Funny thing about the water change - I actually caught some flack from people when I told them what I was doing. They said, you'll never remove any organics that way. They're right, that's what my skimmer's for. My water changes are for replacing nutrients, not removing them.

I firmly believe that my skimmer is under-rated for my tank and that's what I wanted. I'm not trying to strip the tank clean with it and it does work very hard. I actually just replaced the stock pump it comes with for a Sedra and it works even better now.

Anyway, yeah I've got some fish. A sailfin tang, lawnmower blenny, coral beauty, six-line wrasse, green chromis and a fiji blue devil damsel. I also had a large maroon in there that was recently removed to her own tank and I lost my Copperband butterfly mysteriously about a month ago. My tank was packed with fish and I fed very heavily. Now that the 2 fish are gone, I still feed heavily, but not as much as I was and I think the tank is happier.

But no sump, no fuge, no reactors or anything. I'll post a few other pics of some random things:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1455.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1456.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1458.jpg

[alten78]

Very nice! I believe Randy changes something like a gallon a day for his water changes as well, I was going to try that route myself here shortly. FTS?

[CSS Reef]

Warning thsi is not a pretty looking birdsnest, but grows like a weed!

Nov 2007

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n208/481824/birds_before.jpg

March 2008

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n208/481824/birds_after.jpg

[BLKTANG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12285009#post12285009 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CSS Reef
Warning thsi is not a pretty looking birdsnest, but grows like a weed!

Nov 2007

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n208/481824/birds_before.jpg

March 2008

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n208/481824/birds_after.jpg


Thats crazy growth in 4 months.:eek1:

[NanoReefWanabe]

i would have liked to enter the contest...and wish i had date stamps...but this it last november...my green birdsnest
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l46/crazyoldcougar/IMG_4432.jpg

and this is it today...i would guesstimate it has more than quintupled in size
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l46/crazyoldcougar/IMG_4861.jpg

[jcp7857]

Wow all awesome growth!!!

[mcliffy2]

weird my "regular" birdsnest is starting to development ponape type coloration (green skin, purple polyps) under high light...makes me wonder if the ponape variety is a variation that somehow adapted to lower light in the wild (so it colors up more under the same lighting conditions). check it out:

http://lh3.google.com/mcliffy2/R_mYn2U6NdI/AAAAAAAABMk/No2bnzwc_fw/s800/IMGP2041.jpg

[pIankton]

Got some ****-eyed angle shots - no straight on: This particular tank is only a year old this month...

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1467.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1466.jpg

[pIankton]

LOL - didn't expect to see that as a censor... sorry.

[scunfcu]

Appreciate the info, think your method seems to be paying off, your corals looks good.

Hats off to another sumpless, fugeless setup! With SPS too!!!!

[pIankton]

Thanks man - 'preciate it ;)

[hdesai123]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12285568#post12285568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pIankton
Got some ****-eyed angle shots - no straight on: This particular tank is only a year old this month...

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1467.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1466.jpg

Dude thats a nice tank and above all a great idea of setting up a frag rack. I never saw a in tank frag-rack like that before.

[pIankton]

Thanks. The frag rack is 100% eggcrate and just hangs over the lip of the tank. Easy in - easy out and no suction cups

[NanoReefWanabe]

hehe my frag rack is the same..

[pIankton]

Latest one from tonight:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p262/sneeyatch/IMG_1473.jpg

[Ti]

awesome birds guys

[luke33]

Looks great man! FWIW, by chance i have the same bulb alignment as you....identical, and its by far my favorite t5 setup so far.

[pIankton]

Thanks - I had the opportunity to see the bulb colors first hand before I even made my purchase, so that helped a lot. It's a nice 12 - 14K color.

[Gilby]

Very nice growth! I have the same fixture, I may try that bulb combo in the next couple of weeks to see if I can get more growth out of my corals.