The McKay build thread.

**Steve McKay** · 06-12-2010, 06:30 PM

It's time to try capturing the cleaner shrimp again. I thought I found two holes that would fit a couple frags w/o gluing them but I was wrong, one hole was too big and one too small so I left the frags on the rack. The Bonsai is starting to color up, it's now purple but a hazy dark purple. I try and get some photos tomorrow.

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 01:44 PM

Time for a few photos. First another one of my Redleg hermits and Coco worm.

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 01:57 PM

My new frags are doing well. The Australian Delicate Staghorn Acropora still has some issues, one day it has tissue recession and the next it doesn't. I don't like the ORA plugs they are too big, and unless you want to drill a crater in your mount you can only do one of two things. one, snap it off. Two cut the top off. I haven't decided which way to go. probably both methods. The ones that have a small base I'll cut the top off the plug. The ones that have encrusted the top of the plug I'll snap off and hopefully the encrusted plug will continue to grow, giving me a new frag.

**Parrothead** · 06-13-2010, 02:29 PM

Hey Steve,

Just an idea here, but do you think it would be possible to either file down or trim the plugs down to get a size you can work with?????

Just a thought

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Parrothead

Hey Steve,

Just an idea here, but do you think it would be possible to either file down or trim the plugs down to get a size you can work with?????

Just a thought

The plugs are a good 1.5" filing would take too long and might damage the coral. Trimming the plugs is what I"m talking about when I mentioned cutting the top off.

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 02:39 PM

My Acans and Favites is doing great. The echinata is growing and has about 11 or twelve eyes now. The lordhowensis is also growing well and has started to encrust the rock it's mounted to. The Favites has regained most of its color after being sun burned as I call it. It is still getting too much par but there's nothing I can do until I upgrade to a bigger tank that is taller, and I can't wait to do that. I forgot to mention that the hole in the Favites caused by a infection or what not, has almost closed up. There is a possibility that the hole was made by something else because it always has detritus coming out of it????

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 02:43 PM

You have seen my Acropora valida recently but it is doing so well now I had to include it. It is still growing like a weed.

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 02:49 PM

The blue and purple digitata's are growing fast now. The purple digitata has really taken off here recently. It is getting too much light but is doing great.

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 02:54 PM

The red Monti cap is doing well. It has totally encrusted the glue line where it broke off during shipping and is now working on the plug. I'm sure it is growing all around the edges but I can't tell I see it every day.

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 02:58 PM

The Merulina is holding its own, it has colored up slightly on the side that has less light which leads me to think that it is getting too much par also. Hopefully this will all change when I get a taller tank.

**Steve McKay** · 06-13-2010, 03:04 PM

The Porites has given me so much trouble with bubble algae that I went to extreme measures. I cut both tips off and mounted them both to a new plug. They are doing very well and I'm wondering whether they will grow into each other.