##### Picture Entry: BC RAINDROP ON ROSES GROW-OUT CONTEST #####

Nburg's Reef · Mar 30, 2023

Interesting how some frags encrusted so much in some tanks but not others. Mine did not encrust much and just started growing from the tips. Those encrusted frags will make nice robust colonies tho!

Redfoxtang · Mar 30, 2023

March entry! Still just kinda hanging in there. Haven’t seen much encrusting or growth. But still alive!

@lynn.reef.nerd
@Reefing102
@BranchingHammer

CaptPatrick · Mar 30, 2023

@lynn.reef.nerd
@Reefing102
@BranchingHammer

March entry

Battlecorals · Mar 30, 2023

Nburg said:
Interesting how some frags encrusted so much in some tanks but not others. Mine did not encrust much and just started growing from the tips. Those encrusted frags will make nice robust colonies tho!

agreee! I find that extremely fascinating. same coral responding so differently in essentially the same situation. would Be amazing to zero in on whatever is actually causing the different responses and if its somehing that can be manipulated

BranchingHammer · Mar 30, 2023

Nburg said:
Interesting how some frags encrusted so much in some tanks but not others. Mine did not encrust much and just started growing from the tips. Those encrusted frags will make nice robust colonies tho!

Definitely interesting. I would say mine is taking more of the encrusting route before branching, but maybe that is because I gave it so much clean, flat area to encrust on with the tile.

Jason Hieger · Mar 30, 2023

March:

@lynn.reef.nerd
@Reefing102
@BranchingHammer

Flux Capacitor · Mar 30, 2023

March Photo

@lynn.reef.nerd
@Reefing102
@BranchingHammer

I need to figure out how to take better photos. The amount of encrusting I have is crazy compared to the height it’s showing. It’s about 4 time the size of the frag plug now. Either way its very happy and hairy where it’s at.

Wiskey · Mar 31, 2023

@lynn.reef.nerd
@Reefing102
@BranchingHammer

I'm getting in just under the wire on this one! My coral actually shrunk this month, but my new 300 gallon tank is getting delivered today, and installed this weekend!!! Hopefully the move goes smoothly and it will give me the space to move things around and give them space so they can have the flow they need. I'm struggling right now with tip burn on and off and I really think it's just because this tank is completely crammed in.

Anyway, here we are. March entry:

Whiskey

Chee-tomorpha · Mar 31, 2023

Nburg said:
Interesting how some frags encrusted so much in some tanks but not others. Mine did not encrust much and just started growing from the tips. Those encrusted frags will make nice robust colonies tho!

I was wondering that myself too. The growth patterns and color presentations are so different for the same coral. I don't know much about SPS but have found everything so far fascinating.

The new branches on mine seem to be growing in a counter-clockwise helical spiral. Even the top part has begun to turn as it grows. They grew out straight but have been growing to the side. Maybe the current has something to do with it?

Chee-tomorpha · Mar 31, 2023

BranchingHammer said:
Definitely interesting. I would say mine is taking more of the encrusting route before branching, but maybe that is because I gave it so much clean, flat area to encrust on with the tile.

I think so too. I have a few other coral where they had stopped encrusting as it had reached the plugs edges. I found out about Coral Gum and gave it a shot. Since then it's been going bananas encrusting on the sides with light. It did wonders for the coral in this competition too.

Indo Bonsai and Flame Monti just took off.

Chee-tomorpha · Mar 31, 2023

Flux Capacitor said:
March Photo

@lynn.reef.nerd
@Reefing102
@BranchingHammer

I need to figure out how to take better photos. The amount of encrusting I have is crazy compared to the height it’s showing. It’s about 4 time the size of the frag plug now. Either way its very happy and hairy where it’s at.

My tank looked similar to yours with all that bushy algae taking over everything. I relocated a Powder Brown and Scopus Tang into the tank and within a month, it was gone. Didn't have to do anything as far as chemical treatments.

Flux Capacitor · Mar 31, 2023

Chee-tomorpha said:
My tank looked similar to yours with all that bushy algae taking over everything. I relocated a Powder Brown and Scopus Tang into the tank and within a month, it was gone. Didn't have to do anything as far as chemical treatments.

Thanks for the info! It doesn’t really bother me or the corals much. I’m gonna add a couple tuxedo urchins to cut back on it a little bit. I have a yellow, blue, and blonde naso. I have been considering a new fish, maybe I’ll look into a bristle tooth or something like that.

SamMule · Mar 31, 2023

March entry: I think it's starting to encrust again.
@lynn.reef.nerd
@BranchingHammer
@Reefing102

A friendly PSA: Don't forget to recalibrate your refractometer!
Or whatever you use to measure salinity. I was apparently mixing my salt at ~39ppt for the last couple of months. No wonder things have been weird...

BranchingHammer · Mar 31, 2023

@jasper9 @lynn.reef.nerd

You have a few more hours to submit your entries. Get them in while you still can

Chee-tomorpha · Mar 31, 2023

SamMule said:
March entry: I think it's starting to encrust again.
@lynn.reef.nerd
@BranchingHammer
@Reefing102

A friendly PSA: Don't forget to recalibrate your refractometer!
Or whatever you use to measure salinity. I was apparently mixing my salt at ~39ppt for the last couple of months. No wonder things have been weird...

Nice! I ordered some calibration fluid for mine cuz things haven't returned to normal. Thanks

BranchingHammer · Apr 1, 2023

Here is the spreadsheet update for March.

Raindrops on Roses
22-Oct	22-Nov	22-Dec	23-Jan	23-Jan	23-Feb	23-Mar

am3gross	x	x	x	x	x	x
Ancient Mariner	x	x	x	x	x	x
Betex	x	x	x	x	x	x
BranchingHammer	x	x	x	x	x	x
CaptPatrick	x	x	x	x	x	x
Chee-tomorpha	x	x	x	x	x	x
Chris Spaulding	x	x	x	x	x	x
chrisjj625	x	x	x	x	x	x
CrunchyBananas	x	x	x	x	x	x
Enchanted Reefs	x	x	x	x	x	x
Flux Capacitor	x	x	x	x	x	x
fowler279	x	x	x	x	x	x
Jason Hieger	x	x	x	x	x	x
jasper9	x	x	x	x	Missing	OUT
mackdave	x	x	x	x	x	x
Mattiejay6	x	x	x	x	Missing	x
Nburg	x	x	x	x	x	x
Obdoc63	x	x	x	x	x	x
PapaPat	x	x	x	x	Missing	x
prcardinal91	x	x	x	x	x	x
Redfoxtang	x	x	x	x	x	x
SamMule	x	x	x	x	x	x
Wiskey	x	xx	x	x	x	x
Zaven D	x	x	x	x	x	x
Lynn.reef.nerd	x	x	x	x	x	missing

Ancient Mariner · Apr 5, 2023

April pic:

@lynn.reef.nerd
@Reefing102 @BranchingHammer

Progression shots, most recent 3 months:

lynn.reef.nerd · Apr 5, 2023

BranchingHammer said:
Here is the spreadsheet update for March.

Raindrops on Roses
22-Oct
22-Nov
22-Dec
23-Jan
23-Jan
23-Feb
23-Mar
am3gross x x x x x x
Ancient Mariner x x x x x x
Betex x x x x x x
BranchingHammer x x x x x x
CaptPatrick x x x x x x
Chee-tomorpha x x x x x x
Chris Spaulding x x x x x x
chrisjj625 x x x x x x
CrunchyBananas x x x x x x
Enchanted Reefs x x x x x x
Flux Capacitor x x x x x x
fowler279 x x x x x x
Jason Hieger x x x x x x
jasper9 x x x x Missing OUT
mackdave x x x x x x
Mattiejay6 x x x x Missing x
Nburg x x x x x x
Obdoc63 x x x x x x
PapaPat x x x x Missing x
prcardinal91 x x x x x x
Redfoxtang x x x x x x
SamMule x x x x x x
Wiskey x xx x x x x
Zaven D x x x x x x
Lynn.reef.nerd x x x x x missing

Much appreciated! I was out from home last weekend. Been hectic.