tribbitt
Supporting Member
Hello everybody! As the title (vaguely) implies, I'm going to be documenting the recovery of a banana torch, and the shenanigans that this process entails. It's been almost a month and it's gotten healthier the longer I've had it, so I thought it's time for a project diary about recovering this piece!
It was given to me by some kind reefers (who I think are members, but I don't know their tag) when they began the breakdown process of their tank. At that point, the tank was receiving less care than usual, and the torches started to bail.
By the time I got the torch, it was half off its skeleton, and by the time I got home, it fully separated.
This is the beginning of the process of rescuing the torch.
The CONTRAPTION:
A mushroom cage would allow the torch to tumble around, get squished against a side, or simply move around too much from jostling by passing livestock. So, I designed something that I think is easily replicable and accessible, and would be great if it could lead to a success.
At the bottom of the cage I put a concrete frag plug (couldn't find aragonite), with most of the stem cut so that it would be flush on the bottom so it could sit on the sandbed. I superglued this plug in place with a tiny dab of glue, so it doesn't shift or rotate.
I then cut the top of a plastic water bottle and placed it upside down in the cage. In this way, the torch would always be funneled back on top of the plug. I cut a wavy pattern into the top and bottom of this funnel, as well as perhaps a hundred pinholes, in order to permit limited flow through the cage.
Here's a high-fidelity technical rendering of my design:
Here is the actual coral polyp that I'm trying to save, on day 1
And here it is today, nearly one month later (I boosted the blues for the photo):
It's at 250-280 par, but I don't know how much light truly makes it past the cage. I guesstimate ~1/2. Flow is pretty unidirectional, but the torch doesn't seem to care.
If anyone has had success with a similar method, please share your secrets. Fingers crossed for the torch, and happy reefing!
It was given to me by some kind reefers (who I think are members, but I don't know their tag) when they began the breakdown process of their tank. At that point, the tank was receiving less care than usual, and the torches started to bail.
By the time I got the torch, it was half off its skeleton, and by the time I got home, it fully separated.
This is the beginning of the process of rescuing the torch.
The CONTRAPTION:
A mushroom cage would allow the torch to tumble around, get squished against a side, or simply move around too much from jostling by passing livestock. So, I designed something that I think is easily replicable and accessible, and would be great if it could lead to a success.
At the bottom of the cage I put a concrete frag plug (couldn't find aragonite), with most of the stem cut so that it would be flush on the bottom so it could sit on the sandbed. I superglued this plug in place with a tiny dab of glue, so it doesn't shift or rotate.
I then cut the top of a plastic water bottle and placed it upside down in the cage. In this way, the torch would always be funneled back on top of the plug. I cut a wavy pattern into the top and bottom of this funnel, as well as perhaps a hundred pinholes, in order to permit limited flow through the cage.
Here's a high-fidelity technical rendering of my design:
Here is the actual coral polyp that I'm trying to save, on day 1
And here it is today, nearly one month later (I boosted the blues for the photo):
It's at 250-280 par, but I don't know how much light truly makes it past the cage. I guesstimate ~1/2. Flow is pretty unidirectional, but the torch doesn't seem to care.
If anyone has had success with a similar method, please share your secrets. Fingers crossed for the torch, and happy reefing!
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