Poci Baby

[Weatherman]

A little less than two years ago, I transferred a pocillopora from my 180g tank to my brand-new, bare-bottom 120g tank. In self defense, the pocillopora performed a minor polyp bailout, and since then I’ve found little pocillopora colonies all over the tank.

I thought I had long since found all the little, new colonies… until this evening.

I found a new one.

Anyone want to take a guess as to where this one is growing?

[gman0526]

Overflow?

[Weatherman]

Close.

It is a vertical, plastic surface.

What other vertical plastic surfaces do I have in my tank?

[gman0526]

There's the eductor pvc and the streams

[Weatherman]

Yep.

It's growing on the back of the pvc pipe leading down to the eductor on the left.

At last count, there were a little over 40 small pocillopora colonies, growing in just about every combination of light intensity and flow. They all started as one or two polyps and now, after 21 months, are about the size of a dime to a quarter around the base with branches about a half inch in length.

[gman0526]

I remember when you had the polyp invasion

Jack, is that a recent picture of your tank? BTW I went to check your blog the other day and couldn't find it ??

[Weatherman]

No, that was about nine months ago. The tank is not as pretty now.

I never imagined a pocillopora would be capable of chemical warfare, but there doesn't seem to be any other explanation as to what has happened over the past nine months. The "canary acro" I had bleached and died, along with another acro. I also lost both stylophora and the seriatopora. With the exception of the pocillopora (and all of its babies) all the other coral are kind of sad looking.

I got so frustrated that I thought of tearing the tank down (especially after my Bullet-3 flooded a second time). But, then I decided to try one last thing. I'm running carbon 24/7. If it is chemical warfare, the impact should be reduced by that. I can always do an 80% water change like I did early last year. Things perked up after that, at least for a while. But I need to find a permanent fix that won't require 80% water changes every four months.

In any case, here are some more babies. They are all healthy, just like their momma.




I took my blog offline since I haven't updated it since summer.

[Weatherman]

Did I mention I hate calcium reactors?

With the low evaporation rate during the winter months, the kalkwasser drip on my 120 doesn’t keep up with the alk demand from all those fast-growing poci babies.

So, I’ve had to fire up my GEO.

Every time I turn on that reactor, green algae blooms. It grows on the glass, and it’s not that easy film you can just wipe off. It’s tough green stuff that you, literally, have to take a brillo pad to get off.

CaribSea claims that A.R.M. is phosphate free, but sometimes I wonder. I’m sure the extra supply of dissolved CO2 from the reactor doesn’t help, either.

[REEF-DADDY]

No doubt there is phosphate in the A.R.M. Have you tested your levels in the tank with a Hanna?

[gman0526]

I agree, have yet to see any aragonite based sustrate that has no binded PO4. Would you say that moving away from NSW was a good decision for you? At least you're still hanging in there

[Weatherman]

Still no regrets moving away from NSW. Although I have thought about going back. As long as the ocean isn't stirred up by hurricanes, the water quality is pretty good with the Gulf Stream right off shore.

I've never measured phosphate with anything but a Salifert test kit. It always tested clear. Maybe I'll get a Hanna, just for fun.

[gman0526]

Have you tested your reactor's effluent for PO4 ?

[Weatherman]

I pitched my Salifert test kit a long time ago since it always showed clear, so I never got a chance to measure the phosphate level of the effluent.

I've never checked on Hanna meters. Is this the one people use?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...04+2035+114038


Since it uses changes in refractive index, I wonder if the high calcium and carbonate ion concentration in reactor effluent would affect that.

[REEF-DADDY]

Yup but I think its the low range you want You may want to double check A local reefer tests mine.