So I took the plunge...!

[stricknine]

After in the hobby for not quite a year, I bought my first Acro frag, a pink milli, suggested to me as an easy starter SPS.

Im wondering now, is it doing well? Had it for 4 days now, colour is looking good, all polyps have a white stringy thing coming out of the middle, is this a good sign?

Also hooked on the SPS and plan to buy a green pocillipora tomorrow. Is this ok for a rookie?

THANKS!

[TomRep]

Sure the "white stringy thing" isn't part of thr polyp? Most mille's tend to be quite "hairy" and have a single piece of the polyps that is quite a bit longer then the rest of the polyp.
tom

[macreefster]

sounds like a great start stricknine (great name). welcome to the disease called SPS.

[stricknine]

Thanks all, after I put together my new set up (what a mess, dont ask) I made sure to have the light and flow for SPS and from there it was just a matter of time... like I need another addiction!

The "stringy thing" seems to be out of the "mouth?" of the polyp, I thought it was a good thing... not very hairy though.

So if the milli makes it, is the pocillipora a good second? All I know thus far is to maintain the additional four (mag, alk, ca, and strontium) and light/flow is good.

Can I feed these guys?

Thanks all, I have a feeling I will be on the SPS forum a heck of a lot more often!

Any reviews on "zeolit?" or the other competitor?

[IFbettas]

Pictures would help with the millie. If it is actually coming out of the mouth of the polyps then it is a bad sign, but if it is one of the tentacles, then it is ok. Pocillapora is really hardy too, so it should make a good second sps for you. You don't need to worry about strontium. There is no actual proof that it is necessary to sps health, even though we do know that sps incorporate strontium into their skeletons when it is available. You can't feed them the way you can feed other corals, but they will eat phyto plankton, and some other coral foods.

[stricknine]

Here it is

http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr147/m_strickland/P3070019.jpg

http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr147/m_strickland/P3070003.jpg

Depending if this is a good or bad pic, I'd love to have a poci. As far as feeding, I have phyto and zoo plankton from Kent Marine. I put a few drops of each in once a week, is this okay? Should I target feed the phyto or zoo?

Thanks!

[TomRep]

If the white thing you were talking about is the white things I see in the photo, it's just the polp starting to extend and is a good thing! Color looks great as well. As far as feeding, sps get the majority of their food from the lighting and the nutrients in the water (ie. fish poop). If you feed the fish, you'll feed the coral! looks like your off to a great start!
tom

[divewsharks]

looks good, should get much 'hairier' as it acclimates to the tank. some people feed the their SPS, many don't, as mentioned the feed their fish, and the fish waste feeds the corals.
go for the pocillapora.

[stricknine]

Thanks for the help all.

[stricknine]

BUMP!

Any more tips/advice?

Thanks.

[ngn8dogg]

nice looking milli. Mine love flow. I don't dose or test for stontium either. Poccis are very hardy , If you want hardy sps , Monti caps and digitatas are super hardy and grow very fast too. Good luck

[IFbettas]

+1 on digitatas and caps being really hardy. That millie looks really nice and healthy, so you can add the poccillapora whenever you want.

Watch out though, if you're not careful you'll get addicted to these little colored sticks.:p

[reefer31]

For some reason my orange digitata is like the slowest growing coral in my tank! haha :P Its hardy but I must be doing something wrong, actually I take that back, the coral is growing pretty good now it just took awhile to get it to the point of growing at a pretty good rate.

[stricknine]

Thanks all.

So I added the poci last night, and im not sure, but it looks as if it may be bleaching. the top was getting on the white side with little to no polyp extensiion, but the back and the sides with less light were looking much better than the top.

My plan is to leave it for a few days? I would post a pic but my underwater camera cratered last night when I put it in the tank. (good thing its on warranty)

I am running a TX5 w/ 2" riser brackets. Put the poci mid-high, probably 10" from the water, 1' from the light. Too much?

Thanks.

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14593397#post14593397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stricknine
Thanks all.

So I added the poci last night, and im not sure, but it looks as if it may be bleaching. the top was getting on the white side with little to no polyp extensiion, but the back and the sides with less light were looking much better than the top.

My plan is to leave it for a few days? I would post a pic but my underwater camera cratered last night when I put it in the tank. (good thing its on warranty)

I am running a TX5 w/ 2" riser brackets. Put the poci mid-high, probably 10" from the water, 1' from the light. Too much?

Thanks.

My Poci's are halfway down and look good, but if you are seeing polyp recession and whiting of the fleash I would move it down to the sand bed for week. It should recover within a week letting you move it up the rockwork.

[divewsharks]

move it down onto the sand, in good flow, see how it responds; if all good, then slowl move it up to desired location (may need to acclimate to the new lighting).

[stricknine]

will do, thanks!

[IFbettas]

Yeah, it sounds like it got too much light if the top was bleaching and the sides were ok. Move it up slowly so it can get used to the lights.