Anyone in El Paso/Las Cruces area?

[tormented]

Sounds good, I'll buy a thermos this week. :joy: :jumping:
However...do you guys want to split the rock or fight it out for it?

You can kinda see the rock will be decent on each split if it sounds good? Just an idea, tell me what you think.
If you both want it and are willing to split then I would probably want a second type of coral in trade from one of you.

Come to think of it I should buy a few thermoses for the future. :notsure:

 

[kdfrosty]

I have no problem splitting it with Lynn. I just dont have any additional coral frags that I can put in. In fact, I'd rather not have the button polyps if I have to kick in another frag.

 

[tormented]

No problem KD. Ill still take the star polyps.
Lynn- do you have anything else for trade? Im mostly interested in anything hardy and that spreads fast. Even split in half it will be a decent bunch of polyps. If you dont have anything else I may still take the green stars you have if it looks good.
I could do a mail trade but I still prefer if you guys could come down here. I am impatient but ill wait for whenever you head down this way. If a month, thats ok. I just dont trust the mail, ive had too many problems with mail that wasnt alive, let alone with living corals. Insurance wont keep the things alive if it goes late or worse.

 

[kdfrosty]

I have shipped A LOT of stuff via USPS priority, and since we are shipping from only El Paso to Albuquerque I can guarantee my package arrives alive. Did you happen you review the thermos instructions. With many soft corals it's a sure bet.

 

[lafster]

KD, I assumed I would kick in the extra frag if we were to split the polyps.
Tormented, I have some zoanthid polyps that could go that I think are different than yours. Also, I could get you a mushroom or two fragged, if you are willing to wait a bit. And I've got green stars, but it sounds like that is what KD has for you. I can e-mail some pics if you are interested.
Whatever, you guys want to do is fine with me. If we want to wait until KD is heading down that way for work, I could get stuff to Albuquerque for him to drive down. I've never mailed anything myself either.
Lynn

 

[tormented]

Originally Posted by lafster
Whatever, you guys want to do is fine with me. If we want to wait until KD is heading down that way for work, I could get stuff to Albuquerque for him to drive down. I've never mailed anything myself either.
Lynn
Lets do it that way then, since theres no rush. Sound ok KD?

 

[kdfrosty]

I guess so, but no guarantees on a date.

 

[tormented]

Bad news maybe...I just made a close exam of the rock for breaking, and its not really easy to split without causing several smaller frags and not 2 pieces. If it was me I wouldnt care either way, but if either of you mind getting several smaller frags instead of one big one then Im not sure what to do. What do you guys think?

 

[tormented]

It also occurs to me that KD is far more experienced in this, right? How would it sound if you do the split of the button polyps? I think if I do it I will make a mess of it. Its pretty much a new thing for me. :notsure:

 

[kdfrosty]

I've never fragged button polyps (Palythoa sp.), but am fairly sure that it is done much like Zoanthids....easily.
Palythoa grow on a polyp mat, which covers the LR, and acts as a base for the polyps themselves. If you are interested in breaking the rock apart, the best thing to do is use a flathead screwdriver and a hammer. Just put the flathead into a desired break point in the rock, and give it a few taps. LR breaks up surprisingly easy.
When the rock breaks up, it and the polyps will be still be connected by the aforementioned polyp mat. You can just use a razor blade or Xacto knife to cut the met around the polyps, and seperate the rock you just broke apart.
There's a couple of things I want to point out here....
1) These are some HARDY corals. They can be out of water over 5 minutes and still come back healthy....probably even longer. They ship REALLY well, and can tolerate less than perfect water conditions.
2) Palythoa spread like weeds!!!!! If you read the following thread, you'll see that there are people dying to get rid of them:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...ghlight=button
3) These corals are a great beginners coral, and a great coral to use when learning how to frag. The only coral that might be easier is mushrooms.
Tormented-
If I was you I would give fragging a try. I don't care if I recieve 3 small rocks covered in the polyps. As long as I get a living specimen, I'm happy.
Let me know what you think, and what you decide to do.

 

[tormented]

Sounds easy enough then.

Just let me know when you are headed down here. I can separate the polyps easy enough now that I know a bit about it. I feel like such a n00b.

 

[tormented]

Ive just finished reading about all the people who hate these polyps and I just think its funny that I WANT the types that others hate. Hehe thats how my life goes, I always have a different opinion than most, and love what others dislike.

I love polyps, what can I say?
SO what I will do with these brown ones is break off about half of them from the main rock piece, and unless either of you wants the core rock then I will hang onto it, or one of you gets the broken off peices, and the other a hard rock with encrusting polyps.
I leave it up to you two to decide who gets what, and will even keep it whole and you both can decide what you like when it gets up there if you like.
Lynn, Id love to see pics if you have them? Thx.

 

[lafster]

Here are some pictures from my tank (perhaps, I've never posted any pictures.)

I have lots of these zoanthus and spotted mushrooms. I could frag some off for you.

I have one of these mushrooms (on the right) on a plug that you could have, but not this rock. I like this one.

These polyps are similar to yours, I think, but may be more green. Hard to tell from your pictures. You could have the hole rock.
Take your pick. All of these are pretty hardy and should spread if your tank is in moderately good condition.
Edit: I've had those spotted mushrooms (or at least the same stock ) for at least seven years. I bought some of them when I set up my first 30 gal. reef tank. At one point I thought I had lost all of them, but, as you can see, they made a comeback. They were some of the few things that survived the evacuation from the fire a few years back.
Lynn

 

[tormented]

Lynn, Ill take anything you want to part with. Mine dont really have any green except for a few with barely any in the center. They are mostly like yours but all brown. Damn I need a new cam.
I wouldnt mind the mushroom in your 2nd pic, but they all look good to me. Surprise me maybe.

A fire? Damn what a nightmare that must have been, Id be so depressed if I had any losses like that. What happened? If you dont mind my asking...

 

[kdfrosty]

Whoa, Lynn!!!!!!!
Why were you holding out on the pictures for so long!!?!?!?! Those are some great lookin pics you took! Nice spotted shrooms too!

 

[tormented]

I have to agree, I said "Niiiice" when i saw them.

At this point I am sooo jealous of you two. If I had any cash Id be in el paso buying some now.

 

[kdfrosty]

Oooohhh.....
I might be going to El Paso mid-November to meet with some clients. I'll keep you both posted.
Yup, I love those spotted shroomies.
BTW, Lynn...I'll be up in Los Alamos at LANL next week (Wed, 11/2). Any chance that we can work something out by then?

 

[tormented]

Ive got an offtopic couple of questions for you two: DO you have any pieces of rock with green or purple coraline algae, not the pink? Pinks ok but its overwhelming. If you happen to have any and can spare a piece that would be great.

Also [though I think I asked KD already but my memory sucks and I dont have the old emails after my outlook express bombed on me] do either of you have a good 'pod population? If so could i get a bit of sand from your tank? Mine all vanished a few months ago and I cant afford to buy any more LR or LS. A small cup would be enough, right? Thx.

 

[lafster]

KD,
I have to drive my wife to a doctor's appointment in Santa Fe at 2:00 on Wednesday. We will need to leave by 1:00 at the latest. If we could get together at lunchtime or earlier, I can do it. I don't know how that fits in with your schedule.
I should have some purple. I'll see if I have a small, loose rock. I don't know about my pod population.
Lynn

 

[tormented]

Oops did I say purple? Thats what I get for posting when ive had 0 sleep.

Im just after green, actually. Its kind of hard to find, it seems. :notsure:
As for pods, anything is better than none.