SeaCrop.Com - Nano Pack

[fishfreek]

What sort of time frame are we talking about until these frags get to be a decent size?

that would depend on what you would call a decent size. Just a little bigger would be decent size for a small nano tank. Now if you wanted decent size for say a 180 gal tank then it would take a fair amount of time to grow to a size that they would not be overlooked in a 180.

Please define the size your refering to when you say 'decent size'.

[loganizzi]

Please define the size your refering to when you say 'decent size'.

I was thinking on the order of a medium size (45gal.) tank with nothing in it but LR and some fish. I'm looking to get started building a reef and am trying to find an economical way to begin, but also want to have something that won't get lost in the tank (for too long, anyway).

[MaryHM]

I'm Mary, owner of SeaCrop and just wanted to jump in here for a sec...

About the hair algae on the Capnella. It couldn't have been that way when it left our facility. All of the nano pack corals are carefully cleaned and sorted out into little sand bed trays. Before they are packed, each piece that is unmounted is checked to insure that the base is healed. During this process, I would have noticed if there was any algae on the piece.

People are concerned about the size of the pieces. Aaron, maybe you could take some pics of the corals next to a reference point- like a ruler or a quarter. I know that's a big hassle, but I think it would help people understand the sizing a little better. Most packs go out with some tiny frags, small frags, and medium frags.

[fishfreek]

Aaron, maybe you could take some pics of the corals next to a reference point- like a ruler or a quarter.

Yes I was going to do that today aswell.

My new photos will show the item that was thought of as hair algae is not there as of today. All of the soft corals are a little larger today since they are recovering from shippment.

[fishfreek]

Ok, The gallery has been updated with some quick photos including a 1" wide tape measure. I tried to hold the tape measure as close to the coral as I could with out touching it. On the candy coral its important to note that about 1/2 of the hard stalk is pushed down into the sand. So the frag itself might measure 2X the size that is exposed. The important part is the size of the coral head so thats why that coral shows the height and across measurement.

http://www.vafishfreek.com/gallery/album09

As you can see most everything is over 1" in size as far as the actual coral minus maybe the rock its on or the skeleton its built.

The names on the photos should be correct to some degree. I will spend this afternoon getting beter photos of the individual corals and properly identifying them.

[fishfreek]

The album has now been updated with what I feel are rather decent photos of each coral individually. The two red mushrooms with purple pokadots are great to look at.

p.s. Everything for the most part has been identified and is labled.

[Salt4Us]

They are beautiful and a great price, I like the Pavona!

[reefrunner69]

People are concerned about the size of the pieces. Aaron, maybe you could take some pics of the corals next to a reference point- like a ruler or a quarter. I know that's a big hassle, but I think it would help people understand the sizing a little better. Most packs go out with some tiny frags, small frags, and medium frags.

Sorry about the hair algae comment, but I saw what I saw in the pic, I am very glad you jumped in and told us how the frags are prepared prior to shipping. To be honest...I wish I had known about your site prior to ordering from Jeff's back in Sept-Oct. From the looks...your nano pack would have been ideal for my tank.

[alrmc4]

i think they look great and the most terrific part is you are saving something alive that would have ended up in the trash i say good for you i will remember for my future tank

[MaryHM]

I wish I had known about your site prior to ordering from Jeff's back in Sept-Oct.

I just opened SeaCrop the end of January. I've had my import/wholesale business for over 4 years though.

the most terrific part is you are saving something alive that would have ended up in the trash

YES!! And that's the point. As an importer, we have received lots of corals that our retailers won't accept. We used to put them in one of our tubs and try to sell them dirt cheap as 2nd grade corals. Surprisingly, very few retailers were interested. So we ended up having to toss out about 40 damaged corals a month (we receive thousands) just to make space. I hate throwing away any living tissue, but I just didn't have a choice. This new program is working out so well. And once we get our greenhouses up, it's going to be even better! More room for serious propagation.

[sykospark]

After reading this review and seeing the images, I am definately going to order the 12 pack after I get my nano up and running. Win Win situation! Lil critters get a nice home, and it's a nice way to stock a new tank!

Thanks for the great review and pics!

[fishfreek]

Im glad my review was of benift to you. Good luck with your order and please feel free to post back with photos of your own.

[nugrad2005]

Would you recommend this pack for someone starting a large reef tank, or only for a nano? Theoretically shouldn't even the littlest frags become big guys some day?

-Dan

[michealprater]

You could definatly use it for a big tank. You will just have to have lots of patience.

[fishfreek]

Things will grow. Differnt frags will grow at different rates. Of course your not going to find prices on larger corals to be any where close to the price of these frags.

[fishfreek]

Ok. Here is a followup on the nano pack.

http://www.vafishfreek.com/gallery/Seacrop_Followup

The above link will take you to a photo album that shows all the nano pack corals just over two weeks after I have got them. The two leathers and the green stars did not stay attached to the rocks I attached them to so I have been fighting them trying to get them positioned where they can attach on their own.

All the frags show great signs of health. The hard corals have great polyp extension on them. The mushrooms are showing great color.

[bizzybeas]

Wow. I think this is really impressive. I have my new reef which is still empty except for some live rock. I have been researching some online dealers, but no one has this great of a deal.

[reefrunner69]

The two leathers and the green stars did not stay attached to the rocks I attached them to

How did you attatch them? I have found that super glue gel works great with star polyps, just attatched a couple clippings to my back glass last night.

Best method I've found with leathers is a rubber band.

[fishfreek]

well i used epoxy on the stars but i did not have a good rock with a flat surface so I did not get good contact between the two.

The leathers I used ample superglue gel and that held them for about a week then one day they just came 'unglued'.

[reefrunner69]

The epoxy is not gonna hold the GSP mat, use the glue. IME, SG doesn't work well with leathers for the very reason you cited, although you were lucky, I never got a week out of them.