Reefmack's RSM 130

[Reefmack]

I hope you didn't have to make a visit just to hear that diagnosis LOL!

[nornicle]

Reefmack

Most people keep their zoas on 'rock' islands in the substrate to prevent them taking over other corals and other pieces of rock and essentially invading the tank, I've noticed your zoas are spread well truly 'throughout' the tank, is this a problem for you?

[Reefmack]

nornicle - yep it's a problem. They can grow over everthing! GSP also, and Xenia and ......

[Reefmack]

I guess an update on my tank is way overdue! Here's mine as of this afternoon. My prized colony of red/orange zoas that used to sit dead center on my rock wall came loose, so I set it on the bottom, but before I could find the time to remount it the whole colony died off within a few days - strange. The monster orange Monti cap is growing exponentially and shading a large part of my rock now, plus growing into and over other corals. I hate to break it apart but may have to soon. Or get some sun corals to put in the shade.



I'm not too happy with the way the tank looks now, or the corals now fighting over space. I once couldn't wait to see my corals grow - now I wish they'd stop!

I got this Cynarina a couple days ago and have it in my pretty bare 9G tank. Since I've always had problems with this 9G tank running dirty (no ability to surface skim) I'm setting up a smaller 6G Nano Cube and will just keep softies in it (3 W/gallon). My plans are to relocate several corals on the bottom of the RSM into the 6G, but now I'm wondering if I have the space on the bottom of the RSM for the Cynarina. It was supposed to be 3 inches, but fully expanded it's bewteen 5-6 inches. This thing is much bigger than expected:



For a comparison here it is currently residing in the soon to be taken down 9G tank:



My Palau Green Nepthea that I got off Ebay months ago - it was barely an inch high frag when I got it. A slow grower but it seems to be taking off lately:



My red Blastomussa Wellsi has gone from one polyp to a clump of several now. I love those green zoas/palys on the left:



My finger leather with green polyps is growing through the "roof" now:



The leather isn't like others I've had - it doesn't take "naps" and then wake up and shed a skin. It just grows and grows and grows.

Here's an example of the corals fighting for space. The greenish palys on the left are the ones that nuked the tank a while back when I pulled off most of the colony and the slime they expelled came close to killing off a lot of my corals. They're started to cover up some pink & green Pocillopora to the left of them, and encroaching on my hyacinth birdsnest. In the middle is a small "tower" that used to be a green branching Montipora - it's now a tower of intermingled palys, eagle eye zoas, and GSP, with the big orange Monti cap steadily growing its way over all of them.



Another shot of space competition - my Monti cap fighting for space with my big green Acropora - the Acropora has grown a lot and the base is now a solid piece of calcium about 2 inches across. In the battles the Acropora usually seems to be winning. The branching orange Monti digitata unfortunately looses these battles. That small round plate on the top of the Monti cap was where the Monti cap completely grew around a piece of the digitata, and in the process formed that small cup.



This is the guy that I blame for knocking my ill-fated red/orange zoa colony loose. His favorite place to roost was on top of the rock that had the colony. It's now that bare spot that he's laying on top of:



A couple of my Ricordea yuma crew:



Group shot of the yuma crew - I started with 2 and the purple/green ones have multiplied down the right side of my rock:



My latest addition - a small ORA pink birdsnest frag. After a couple of weeks it seems to finally be getting pink:



And last but not least, a picture of the awfully stinky crud that my new RSM model Euro-Reef skimmer pulls out of the water.



IMO an amazing skimmer that consistently pulls the nasties out of what I used to consider clean water, based on the skimmate from previous skimmers.

[echopiece]

Looking good RM! I love that yuma/ricordea on the left with the rainbow colors! Very nice! I just bought a blue ricordea Florida today.

[Reefmack]

Thanks. Yep - that orange/multicolored yuma has always been one of my favorites. Unfortunately that one has never multiplied! I've had both types about 2 years now. I've got the floridas too, but they're in locations difficult to get a picture of them.

[Frankie]

Terry the tank is looking great! I agree that you need to just give in and start to prune your corals. It is a shame to let the Monti go nuts like that. It will eventually kill off everything in the tank if left unchecked. It hurt but I just tossed my last Monti cap. A nice red one also. These things get way to big for my taste.
Other then that your corals look awesome and your camera shots are wonderful! Thank you for sharing

[mbdave]

I hate myself for lovin yumas....

[Arreola]

Tank is looking great Reefmack
I have to agree with Frankie about pruning some of the big corals.

Also that Skimmer is a darn monster.
I will be receiving mine some time next week.

Have a great weekend

[Sapphire]

Great looking corals as always, but I gree it's time to do some pruning - I look at like I do the rose - they look odd when you first do it but way better later on!!

[Reefmack]

Thanks everyone. I guess I really do need to hack off some of the Monti cap, and let it be ugly for a while. I'm a bit concerned that I'll have a rock slide doing so, but if it gets any heavier I may have that anyway. I'm thinking a pliers may be the best way to break off the edges? Any ideas?

I suppose I could mount the pieces on frag plugs and take them to the lfs for credit. That would take some of the pain away.

Here's a pic I found from last July 5 to give an idea how much this thing has grown in 11 months:



I know where all my Part A calcium is going!

[Frankie]

The Monti is very delicate and will snap off easy with just your fingers. It has the consistency of a stiff cracker.

[redseareef]

Terry,
The tank is looking awesome! Did you move the green Nethia into the MAx tank? I have been looking for one of those for my tank!
Thanks

[nanoreefing4fun]

Nice pics Terry - tank looking nice ! Wow that Monti cap has really grown in the last year, hopefully you can frag him some

[Reefmack]

Frankie - thanks for the heads up on the Monti cap - sounds easier than i thought.

redseareef - the green Nephthea has been in the RSM from the beginning. I originally had it on a mag mount frag rack in the RSM, tied to a small piece of rubble with a rubber band till it attached, then mounted it where it currently is. Really pretty coral, but a slow grower for me. Check Ebay - my little 1" frag was $20 (vs Liveaquaria price at that time of about $80 I think). They do show up on Ebay every so often.

nanoreefing4fun - yep -it really has grown quickly!