It happened AGAIN!!

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Last year on 3/28/2013 the Green Star Polyps (GSP) in my NanoCube 12DX (12g system) spawned. I know I started a thread about it but for the life of me I can't find that thread. :dunno:

Well today it happened again. Mid-morning today I started noticing "floating debris" in my tank. I watched and saw the GSP starting to release "eggs" into the water column. It's been going on now for about 4 hours non-stop and is really cool. Below are some pics and video of the event:








And here are some "details" about today that I want to keep on file to compare with future similar events:

4/30/2014 10:00am *start*
Lunar phase today is Waxing Crescent.
The current moon phase is from 2014-04-29 07:17 to 2014-05-07 04:16.
The moon is in zodiac sign Taurus The moon is in zodiac sign Taurus.

A large series of storms have just passed through our area and the weather outside is unsettled and windy.

Below is a graphic depiction of what the moon current looks like
GSP_Spawn_4_30_2014_lunar_phase_zpsee906624.jpg
 

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Wow I've had GSP's for years and never noticed them doing that. Do the fish eat the eggs?

Steve I'm the same way. What's strange is I have a couple of different kinds of GSP in my tank and it's the same exact ones doing this time as did it last year. You can't see the other in the pictures but on the upper back wall are some NEON green GSP and they have never spawned.

Yes there is only 1 fish in the tank and she eats initially but then she ignores them. I'm sure later in the day/evening she eats all along. Somehow within 24hrs they are all gone. There are thousands if not more and tomorrow (or by the next day) they will be ALL gone and I don't mean stuck in the filter sponge. I think ALIENS come down and eat them when I leave the office for the evening :)
 

reeferman

Well-Known Member
thats awesome Allen!them blue cloves[you remember those guys hahaha]would do that about every 60 days or so.i imagine thats how they got to plague proportions.
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
That's VERY COOL! I had no idea that could happen.
I'm sure hoping that my GSP never does that, YIKES :eek:
I like my GSP but I certainly don't want it picking where it will grow & become the dominating coral in my tank.
 

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
The moon cycle has everything to do with it. Since this spawning event happened on the New Moon, I would expect an equal or greater spawning event on the Full Moon coming up. When I was shedding crabs for a living I'd work 24 hours during the moons in April and May. And then there's another spawning event around the moons in October.

Taking this into consideration it would indicate that if we wanted to breed things and have the best success --
 

Wolffman64

Active Member
Awesome event and pictures. Fantastic and rare event to see in real life, and even rarer to see in your own living room!
 

Mrsalt

Active Member
PREMIUM
That's great.

I wonder then if moonlights actually do any good at all as it would almost seem that the coral can sense the gravitation pull of the moon. It also must be able to count to 24, like its now reset and needs to feel 23 more strong moon tugs followed by weaker moon tugs to know when it's a year down the line and to rue spawn again.
I'm not sure atmospherics would concern it. I say this as its within a confined body of water therefore no additional surges / wave action.
I do wonder if the tank has experienced any salinity changes of a slightly less compressive atmosphere, thus less "top up"

All very interesting stuff. I would love to know more about this fascinating topic.
 

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
When I was a full-time commercial fisherman I knew what the tide was doing just by the feel. Also, dated a woman once that went 180 degrees during the full moon. The moon phases effect us in many ways, it's just that most of us aren't in tune with it. Yes, definitely, our critters in our tanks can feel the moon phases. Next time one of your shrimp or crabs shed or is spawning check what the moon is doing.
 

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
When I was a full-time commercial fisherman I knew what the tide was doing just by the feel. Also, dated a woman once that went 180 degrees during the full moon. The moon phases effect us in many ways, it's just that most of us aren't in tune with it. Yes, definitely, our critters in our tanks can feel the moon phases. Next time one of your shrimp or crabs shed or is spawning check what the moon is doing.

Mike that's exactly why I noted the details of the moon phase in this thread so the next time it happens I'll have a record of it for comparison.

I can't believe I completely over looked it. I must have skipped a page (or two) during my search. Great find Glenn :) Thank you.

That's VERY COOL! I had no idea that could happen.
I'm sure hoping that my GSP never does that, YIKES :eek:
I like my GSP but I certainly don't want it picking where it will grow & become the dominating coral in my tank.
I don't think they "survive" because after last year's "event" I didn't notice any GSP growing in any new places other than where the mat is "spreading" as it always does.

The moon cycle has everything to do with it. Since this spawning event happened on the New Moon, I would expect an equal or greater spawning event on the Full Moon coming up. When I was shedding crabs for a living I'd work 24 hours during the moons in April and May. And then there's another spawning event around the moons in October.

Taking this into consideration it would indicate that if we wanted to breed things and have the best success --

I'll keep a close eye to see if it does happen. Unfortunately if it happens over the weekend or even right after I leave for the evening I will probably never know it happened.

That's great.

I wonder then if moonlights actually do any good at all as it would almost seem that the coral can sense the gravitation pull of the moon. It also must be able to count to 24, like its now reset and needs to feel 23 more strong moon tugs followed by weaker moon tugs to know when it's a year down the line and to rue spawn again.
I'm not sure atmospherics would concern it. I say this as its within a confined body of water therefore no additional surges / wave action.
I do wonder if the tank has experienced any salinity changes of a slightly less compressive atmosphere, thus less "top up"

All very interesting stuff. I would love to know more about this fascinating topic.

Yes it would have to be something more than just "moon light" because this tank gets absolutely ZERO light from 5pm until 7:30am so yes I'm sure the "pull of the moon" is a huge factor.

In regards to "salinity changes" I doubt it. This tank only evaporates about 1/2 gallon a month and I keep the Top-off pretty consistent. I have a small mark in the rear chamber and every time I open the lid if it's more than 1/8" from the mark I add the needed water. Honestly I don't add much at all on this tank and I haven't done a water change in..... well let's just say it is WAY beyond time for a water change on this tank... about 30x over due LOL

Awesome event and pictures. Fantastic and rare event to see in real life, and even rarer to see in your own living room!
My thoughts exactly although this is my office tank so it's sitting here on my desk at work. But I'm still absolutely thrilled to get to witness it first hand and TWICE now which is even better :)


Thank you everyone for the kind remarks :)
 

Mrsalt

Active Member
PREMIUM
What's amazing is they can count, so they spawn at the same time each year. Some little biological clock. It is something that occurs naturally but is so hard for scientists to replicate in a closed water system. You have a window to something amazing. That's truely awesome :)
 

Mrsalt

Active Member
PREMIUM
Yes but what I'm getting at is it counts 23 neap and leap moons when the moon and the sun combined inline pull with a greater force. But it does not do it every month, but awaits till 23 times this Luna event happens to do it again. Along with the rest of it genius so they "mate" at a set date every year.

That's what I was getting at in my post further up :p
 

Mrsalt

Active Member
PREMIUM
Maybe I should try it at the next full moon.

"Honest officer it is only natural, take corals for example......... "Clank neh nah neh nah.
 
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