First SPS and my water

boilermaker1 · 12/31/2006, 09:01 PM

The LFS fragged some of the stuff in their displays, had monti digitata frags for $15 (its about 1.5-2"), figured what the hey, I'd give it a try and see how it went. I brought it home, and it started coming back out, but its a bit splotchy. I don't know it its still not fully open or unhappy.
Just want to make sure my water and tank is ok

PH - 8.0 ( think this is a bit low, not sure why, I just did a water change)
Ammo - 0
Nitrates - less than 5
Nitrites - 0
Ca - 400
KH - 110 mg/L
Temp - 78.1F
Salinity 1.025 (refractometer)

Lights are 2x175 single ended halides, 2x96 Actinics (actinics are off right now)

I have an OR3500 return pump (900 GPH), a seio 820, 2 MJ600s and a 900, its basically positioned between all of them. Its about 2' away from the seio in glancing flow of the stream and its getting the bounce back off the front glass from the return pump jet and getting hit by the MJ900 and one of the 600s. Its in about the highest flow spot in my tank. Everything else is happy in the tank (LPS, Softies, the fish, inverts).
Do I just have to wait and see if it opens? Or is there something wrong here... it was completely brownish pink in the store except the growing tip of the finger.

wrott · 12/31/2006, 09:10 PM

It will take a couple of days/weeks to be certain that it is going to survive.
Tank should be fine, fresh(unmounted) frags can be tricky.
Did you glue it yet?

boilermaker1 · 12/31/2006, 09:12 PM

It was mounted to a little piece of rock when I bought it. I epoxied the little rock to a rock in my tank.

wrott · 12/31/2006, 09:19 PM

Can you tell if the base has encrusted around the mount? If yes, then you have a good frag. You said that you can see some polyp extention--that and good color are all you can really look for--just don't have it directly in front of a PH (sounds like it's OK from your first post).
Try to match lighting from the tank it was in--if much different, then acclimate to new lighting.

roons · 12/31/2006, 09:22 PM

fwiw, i have a thriving sps tank and my ph is routinely 7.8 ish...........so dont think yours is too low................while 8.2-8.4 is the best , ive found ph to be the least thing to worry about, least in my tank

also, when i put a new coral in my tank, i leave it on the bottom with no lights for about 4 hours, then slowly ramp the lights up over a few days, then i leave it on bottom for a week with normal lighting, then slowly move it up to where i want it..............

boilermaker1 · 12/31/2006, 09:34 PM

This is what it looks like right now. The superglue or whatever they used to attach the frag is the same color as the finger itself, and it doesnt look smooth, so it seems to have attached itself.

as far as where it is... its hard to see in the full tank pic, but its on the rock in front of, and in between the torch and the hammer.

wrott · 12/31/2006, 10:07 PM

Nice tank, that's a huge colt !!
Did you notice the bare white patches at the LFS?
I don't think it's anything to worry about, being a digi, it should show signs of growth in 2-3 weeks.

boilermaker1 · 12/31/2006, 10:23 PM

At the LFS it was all the same color, the brownish pink color that the polyps are.... so I'm thinking it must still be a bit shocked. I also bought a frag of Favia brain and its doing just fine.... I'll just have to keep an eye on it for the next couple days/weeks.
(thats actually now 3 colts... it was 1 a while ago

)

wrott · 12/31/2006, 10:35 PM

Cool, good luck and happy new year !!

boilermaker1 · 12/31/2006, 10:41 PM

You too, thanks for the help.

Rhodesholar · 12/31/2006, 10:50 PM

The Digitatas in my experience are pretty bullet proof and your setup sounds and looks great, so that tank is great for them to thrive.

I have had pieces break off mine, I then move the pieces all over the tank basically abusing them and they still grow. I have left them just laying in substrate not attached to anything and they grow like weeds. Even if you have some die back on the frag it will recover rapidly, at least in my experience.

Hope that helps.

ERICinFL · 12/31/2006, 10:58 PM

I have a digi frag that I thought was completely dead. I broke it off the rock it was glued to and just tossed it on the substrate. It got blown around by water flow and moved around by critters. Then one day, I noticed a small patch of polyps on it. I picked it up, glued it back on the rock and it's almost completely healed over. You shouldn't have any problems.

Tang Salad · 12/31/2006, 11:10 PM

:LOL: Love the avatar ERIC!

Sweet tank boilermaker, the monti should be fine. Just be careful thefrogspawn doesn't nail it.

jag1979 · 01/01/2007, 01:52 PM

"Just be careful thefrogspawn doesn't nail it"

12/31/2006, 09:01 PM	#1
boilermaker1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chantilly, VA Posts: 784	First SPS and my water The LFS fragged some of the stuff in their displays, had monti digitata frags for $15 (its about 1.5-2"), figured what the hey, I'd give it a try and see how it went. I brought it home, and it started coming back out, but its a bit splotchy. I don't know it its still not fully open or unhappy. Just want to make sure my water and tank is ok PH - 8.0 ( think this is a bit low, not sure why, I just did a water change) Ammo - 0 Nitrates - less than 5 Nitrites - 0 Ca - 400 KH - 110 mg/L Temp - 78.1F Salinity 1.025 (refractometer) Lights are 2x175 single ended halides, 2x96 Actinics (actinics are off right now) I have an OR3500 return pump (900 GPH), a seio 820, 2 MJ600s and a 900, its basically positioned between all of them. Its about 2' away from the seio in glancing flow of the stream and its getting the bounce back off the front glass from the return pump jet and getting hit by the MJ900 and one of the 600s. Its in about the highest flow spot in my tank. Everything else is happy in the tank (LPS, Softies, the fish, inverts). Do I just have to wait and see if it opens? Or is there something wrong here... it was completely brownish pink in the store except the growing tip of the finger.

12/31/2006, 09:10 PM	#2
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	It will take a couple of days/weeks to be certain that it is going to survive. Tank should be fine, fresh(unmounted) frags can be tricky. Did you glue it yet? __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

12/31/2006, 09:19 PM	#4
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	Can you tell if the base has encrusted around the mount? If yes, then you have a good frag. You said that you can see some polyp extention--that and good color are all you can really look for--just don't have it directly in front of a PH (sounds like it's OK from your first post). Try to match lighting from the tank it was in--if much different, then acclimate to new lighting. __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

12/31/2006, 10:07 PM	#7
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	Nice tank, that's a huge colt !! Did you notice the bare white patches at the LFS? I don't think it's anything to worry about, being a digi, it should show signs of growth in 2-3 weeks. __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

12/31/2006, 10:35 PM	#9
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	Cool, good luck and happy new year !! __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

12/31/2006, 09:12 PM	#3
boilermaker1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chantilly, VA Posts: 784	It was mounted to a little piece of rock when I bought it. I epoxied the little rock to a rock in my tank.

12/31/2006, 09:22 PM	#5
roons Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: saugerties ,ny Posts: 1,240	fwiw, i have a thriving sps tank and my ph is routinely 7.8 ish...........so dont think yours is too low................while 8.2-8.4 is the best , ive found ph to be the least thing to worry about, least in my tank also, when i put a new coral in my tank, i leave it on the bottom with no lights for about 4 hours, then slowly ramp the lights up over a few days, then i leave it on bottom for a week with normal lighting, then slowly move it up to where i want it..............

12/31/2006, 09:34 PM	#6
boilermaker1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chantilly, VA Posts: 784	This is what it looks like right now. The superglue or whatever they used to attach the frag is the same color as the finger itself, and it doesnt look smooth, so it seems to have attached itself. as far as where it is... its hard to see in the full tank pic, but its on the rock in front of, and in between the torch and the hammer.

12/31/2006, 10:23 PM	#8
boilermaker1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chantilly, VA Posts: 784	At the LFS it was all the same color, the brownish pink color that the polyps are.... so I'm thinking it must still be a bit shocked. I also bought a frag of Favia brain and its doing just fine.... I'll just have to keep an eye on it for the next couple days/weeks. (thats actually now 3 colts... it was 1 a while ago )

12/31/2006, 10:41 PM	#10
boilermaker1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chantilly, VA Posts: 784	You too, thanks for the help.

12/31/2006, 10:50 PM	#11
Rhodesholar Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Crivitz Wi Posts: 754	The Digitatas in my experience are pretty bullet proof and your setup sounds and looks great, so that tank is great for them to thrive. I have had pieces break off mine, I then move the pieces all over the tank basically abusing them and they still grow. I have left them just laying in substrate not attached to anything and they grow like weeds. Even if you have some die back on the frag it will recover rapidly, at least in my experience. Hope that helps.

12/31/2006, 10:58 PM	#12
ERICinFL Rejisturd Mimbur Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Brevard County, FL Posts: 1,346	I have a digi frag that I thought was completely dead. I broke it off the rock it was glued to and just tossed it on the substrate. It got blown around by water flow and moved around by critters. Then one day, I noticed a small patch of polyps on it. I picked it up, glued it back on the rock and it's almost completely healed over. You shouldn't have any problems. __________________ Ummmm... yeah... don't touch the Mag Float. Sorry kids, your college fund is gone, but the tank looks SWEET right? Current Tank Info: 150gal mixed reef. ER CS135, 65gal sump/fuge with a Mag12 return. (2) Korillia 4s, (1) modded MJ1200, two SunSun 3200gph powerheads. 250+lbs LR.

12/31/2006, 11:10 PM	#13
Tang Salad Algae skeptic Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 78702 Posts: 3,098	:LOL: Love the avatar ERIC! Sweet tank boilermaker, the monti should be fine. Just be careful thefrogspawn doesn't nail it. __________________ Your algae is not special. Current Tank Info: TBD ADA 120-P SPS NLPS

01/01/2007, 01:52 PM	#14
jag1979 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 982	"Just be careful thefrogspawn doesn't nail it" __________________ clowns, bi-color pseudo, coral beauty, yellow tang GBTA, crocea clam xenia, various polyps/zoa's, candy cane, tree leather, frogspawn, torch, various mushrooms, green/red plate, birdsnest Current Tank Info: 180 AGA, tunze 6100, 6025 and 6060, 3 x 250 mh's, 3 x 80 t5's, ASM G4+