Hammer & Frogspawn Questions

dejaco

Member
Okay 210 gallon system been up and running just over a year.
I have a few zoo's and mushrooms so far. I want to add something other than more zoo's and shrooms. Reading everything I can I find hammers, frogspawn, and pipe organ corals are all supposed to be relatively hardy and easy. BUT I have come across 2 different authors who mention all three do not ship well. Have any of you experience with this? Also any suggestions on corals to add for looks.
Currently 210 g display with 45 g sump
2 - 250 watt Xm 10000 K MH
2 - 160 watt VHO actinic white
2 - Sieo M1100 powerheads
4 - Maxijet 1200 phs
300 lbs live rock
4 - 6 inches of sand
Chiller 1/3 hp Titanium (set at 79' F)
Sump has blue filter pads, 2 Magnum 350 cannisters running carbon, Corallife
Needlewheel skimmer (rated for 250 g), 2 heaters forat nite, 2 quiet one 6000
return pumps, and a larrge amount of chaeto algae growing.
Corals so far -
Starburst, candy cane, button polyps, pulsing xenia, pink & lavender zoo's, red mushrooms, and open brain (trachyphylla). Everything has been ok, even fragged a few.
It's time to fill'er up.
Thinking of 4 more brightly colored zoo's, striped mushrooms (blue striped & green striped), yellow button polyps, another candycane, pipe organ, hammer,
and frog spawn. Suggestion welcome.
Parameters stable and as follows - (Instant ocean mix)
79' F - SG = 1.024 - Ca = 400 to 440 - Alk = 220 to 240 ppm CaCO3 (11.4 dKH) - Am, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Phosphate all Zero. Kents Turbo calcium and Superbuffer dKH mixed with each monthly water change. Reef Complete used weekly. Okay thats the system in a nutshell so looking for thought and suggestions - lfs has very little selection next closet is 130 miles away so catalog is my best bet.
 

acrylic51

Active Member
Pipe Organs I woudn't recommend.....but Frogspawn and Hammers would be super easy......you won't have a problem with shipping if they were handled right......I've gotten some that the bags leaked and were barely covered in water and they took a couple hours before they came around......I was actually suprised.....I had called the supplier and advised him of the condition when I recieved them........
 

dejaco

Member
Okay thanks for replies - hammer & frogspawn will be ordered
Leaves me looking for one other addition wanted something "flowery"
(actually my wife and duaghter) They had planned the pipe organ for front
dead center! So help me out here - is there something flowery that the girls will like that is HARDY. After a year of watching coraline grow live mad the whole house is waiting waving / undulating corals. My duaghter is absolutely mesmorized by the xenia. More suggestions welcome!
 

acrylic51

Active Member
You migh get mixed replies, but I've always had luck with Gonipora's........sometimes called "Flower Pot"
 
E

emeralcrab

Guest
I have not had luck with frogspawn and shipping, last one I tried the water had leaked out and the temp was about 60, it did not survive. But a green bubble coral and fox coral are doing great, they were in the same shipment, fox coral was totally out of water, it is doing great, it looks like a flower.
 

alyssia

Active Member
Flowerpots almost never survive in captivity. I have had two frogspawns shipped (both are doing great) and one hammer shipped. The hammer was fine when it arrived but died within a week.
 

acrylic51

Active Member
Flowerpots are iffy, but I've been able to keep 2 for the past 2 years with no issues, but no luck with the "reds" though.......Frogspawn and Hammers shouldn't be an issue.....
 

dragonboy

Active Member
They can survive but they will look very boney once you recieve them and will take awhile for them to come out. I would say they are pretty sensitive when ship for those who survive is just base on each case not everything is always gurantee through mailed order.
 

n2theblue

Member
I have a Kenya Branching Tree coral that is somewhat flowery. It is without a doubt the hardiest coral I have and has survived all my newbie mistakes.
 
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