More new additions

[attml]

My local aquarium club (CMAS) had a frag event at one of the nicer LFS and they purchased 3 very expensive acropora colonies and fraged them up for members for free. I also traded for some other free stff as well so I have some additions to my SPS tank as well as my LPS & soft tank. Let me know what you think!
Acropora Plana

 

[attml]

Acropora Echinata

 

[attml]

Acropora Jacqelinia

 

[the claw]

That's awesome. I'm jealous that we don't have anything like that around here.

 

[rickster]

and with all due respect, since most of us cannot get access to such rare frags...then I think you you owe this thread an update every now and again....what do you say?

 

[attml]

Orange Montipora Capricornis

 

[attml]

Rickster and The Claw,
Thank you! I will be glad to update the pictures. I enjoy doing the side by side pics so that you can see the growth. When these grow a little i will post them!

 

[jlem]

What do you attach them to the rocks with?

 

[rickster]

Im happy

 

[attml]

Stylophora pistillata (Cats Paw)

 

[attml]

jlem,
The perfered method for SPS coarals is either super glue (I use Quicktite by Loctite) or Marine Putty (which I try to avoid as much as possible because it is a little messy). in time the coral will encrust over the glue or putty to the rock.
Rickster,
Glad to obilge!

 

[attml]

Hairy Mushroom

 

[attml]

Capenalla

 

[the claw]

I have got to get a camera to take pictures of my tank with. I have a very nice camera for photographing wildlife, but lenses just don't cut it for macro work. Nice photos.

 

[attml]

This one is a little damaged but I think it is Montipora Digitata or an outside possibility it is Seriatopora hystrix. I should know when it colors up!

 

[attml]

The Claw,
Thank you! I am not always happy with the shots I get with my current camera. As you can see with these they aren't 100% sharpe. I want Ryebread's Camera!

 

[rickster]

holy cow,
did you go to frag heaven?
I want to ask a very serious question. ok?
Do you own a microscope?
Rickster

 

[attml]

Tonight was very good night. We usually meet once a month and there is always a lot of frag swapping. I usually come home with 2-4 frags. Our membership fee is only $25 for the year but I have received probably hunderds of dollars worth of corals. In the summer we do tank tours and check out each others systems and in the fall, spring & winter we meet at the Nat'l Aquarium in Baltimore once per month. We always have great speakers (Dana Riddle, Anthony Calfo, etc..)and demos. We also get a 10-15% discount at all of the LFSs. You should look around you may have group near you. I didn't even know our group (Chesapeake Marine Aquarium Society) existed until I stumbled onto their website!

 

[rickster]

I asked a fairly serious question. Im not trying to sidestep any conversation, but I believe a microscope is mandatory for coral tanks. In addition it can be used for SO many other interesting things. Why is it, do you think, that everybody on EVERY reef board gets hung up on the trade/industry?

 

[attml]

I am not sure I am following your questions? A microscope would be cool to have but definetly not a must have for reefkeeping. The only way to truely identify a coral is after it is dead and a microscope might be useful for that but since I am never going to write a book about coral identification I will probably never need one. I do look at my tank frequently with a magnifine glass and see some pretty interesting things!
I am not sure what you mean by "hung up on the trade indrusty"? Are you talking about the physical act of trading with each other like I did with my club members tonight or are you talking about the practices of industrial coral collection and resale in general?