Graham’s (GWS3) Eye Candy Thread – Best of the Best

gws3 · Feb 11, 2022

SKA Jackpot - Growing well since I last took photos, definitely one of the nicest rainbow tenuis out there.

RR Orange Passion - This mini colony has become insanely bright. I've grown this piece in the past and never pulled this good of colors. I've always thought SCOP is the better OP hands down, but this mini colony of RROP is pulling brighter colors than SCOP. I guess my parameters are perfect for this particular coral right now.

RMF Jared's Fuego - Also branching out nicely since my last update. Another top notch rainbow tenuis.

RRU Angry Birds - I haven't fragged this one yet. It's a nice blue tenuis with red polyps, I've never figured out why it warrants such a high price. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice tenuis, but I think there are more colorful ones out there for less money. Just my opinion.

TGC Acrolandia - Coming along nicely, I can see it's potential, I think it has a lot more to give color-wise as it continues to grow out.

JF Jolt - This piece is growing well again since I almost lost it a few years ago. I'm still trying to get the crazy red and yellow polyps back. From pics I see online a lot of others also struggle to color it up to it's full potential. I remember seeing Jason's mother colony a few years ago and when it's colored up to it's full potential it's downright amazing.

gws3 · Feb 11, 2022

RMF Lucky Charms - I think it's still my all-time favorite rainbow tenuis. This is the largest colony I have growing currently. The colors in the branches are nice, but I think the best colors are found in the mature polyps. See the close up of the encrusting base.

TCK Superstar - A nice tenuis from TCK. It's shifted colors on me a bit as it's grown out.

TCK Wildcard - Another nice rainbow tenuis from TCK, finally throwing a lot of branches.

TCK Thunderbird - Coming along nicely.

gws3 · Feb 11, 2022

Rainbow Smoothie - This was a frag I got as a no-name or lost the name of it. It's one of the absolute nicest acros I own. Has developed insane colors over time in my system. Unfortunately it grows very slowly, this is the only piece I have. I almost lost it last year when the base started to recede. I cut it an fortunately it had recovered. I'm hoping it grows a bit more so I can cut some frags for backups.

RMF Snapdragon - Interesting piece from RMF. People think it's Fox Flame when they see it, but if you put the two corals side-by-side it's without a doubt a different coral. It has some copper and green undertones that don't show up on Fox Flame.

RMF Tiger's Blood - This piece is growing well and the grafting it has developed in my system has continued to spread. Probably my favorite and bets colored of the yellow-bodied red-polyped acros (pink floyd, diabolic pacman, afterparty, etc). I have them all and it's just a bit brighter than the rest, especially with the grafting. You can see the grafting better in the close up pic.

CRT Limit Breaker - Another beautiful acro from Hung. Picking up pace and branching nicely.

dakoop · Feb 11, 2022

Drool

gws3 · Feb 11, 2022

CRT Kickass - When I first got this frag I have to admit I thought it was just PC Rainbow with a new name. That kind of thing happens way too much in this hobby. It has the same growth pattern, but as it turns into a colony it develops some colors you don't see on PC Rainbow. Rather than being predominately red, it's more of a bright pink. And then it also develops this mint green branch base color. I actually sold my only colony to another hobbyist a couple years ago and grew this back out from a frag I kept. Lucky for me it's a good grower, not quite as fast as PC Rainbow, but definitely pretty quick.

BC Bonfire - Coloring up nicely, very similar to Aquaticman.

RRC Rainbow Table - this coral looks best as a mini colony. You get the pink body transitioning to blue in the new branches with a bright green base. Once it reaches tabling size it is pink in the center with a blue outer ring of new growth, very pretty, but you miss out on the green base as it will typically shade itself like most tables do.

CRT Zerbert - This piece has disappointed me a bit color wise. I haven't been able to pull nearly as nice of colors out of it as Hung does. For some reason the older growth turned green on me. I have it under T5s, maybe it's time to cut a chunk and blast it under blue LEDs.

BC Honeycomb - A classic from Battlecorals, really good grower once it reaches this size.

gws3 · Feb 11, 2022

RR Fruitopia - I'm really starting to enjoy this coral more as it reaches colony size. It's very cool how it transitions in the center out to the growth tips from green to pink to purple to blue with some orange hues along the way.

TGC Planet of the Apes - Another nice piece from TGC / CRT (Hung).

CRT Joyride - Growing out nicely, picking up pace, going to make a super nice looking colony.

BC Hawaii - This ones very pretty but I should have photographed it under whites. It doesn't have much fluorescent pop, but has some beautiful pastels under whiter lighting.

IC Cyclops - Probably the brightest yellow acro I have. Starting to fill out nicely.

POTO Optimus Prime - Updated pic of this colony. The frags I put under G5 Blues have been absolutely glowing.

CRT Retribution - Another one from Hung. About 2 years of growth from a frag to this small colony.

docwells · Feb 12, 2022

Your coral are amazing. Hope to get on this level someday.
Can you post your tank parameters?

gws3 · Feb 12, 2022

docwells said:
Your coral are amazing. Hope to get on this level someday.
Can you post your tank parameters?

Thanks! Sure, not a problem. I try to keep things as simple as possible. I have three systems but run them all with similar parameters:

Alk 7.5-8.5
PO4 0.10-0.15
NO3 1.0-2.5 (I'd like to get this a bit higher, been feeding a bit extra and started using a bit of oyster feast in one system to see if I can gradually increase it)
Salinity 35.0-35.5 ppt
Ca 420-450
Mg 1300-1400
K 400

Noxsolaris · Feb 12, 2022

I think your unnamed Malaysian deep water green should be called Graham’s Ganja.

revhtree · Feb 12, 2022

Amazing amazing job!!!

docwells · Feb 13, 2022

gws3 said:
Thanks! Sure, not a problem. I try to keep things as simple as possible. I have three systems but run them all with similar parameters:

Alk 7.5-8.5
PO4 0.10-0.15
NO3 1.0-2.5 (I'd like to get this a bit higher, been feeding a bit extra and started using a bit of oyster feast in one system to see if I can gradually increase it)
Salinity 35.0-35.5 ppt
Ca 420-450
Mg 1300-1400
K 400

Thanks for the information.
I am shooting for similar parameters. Tank is still young so it is a work in process.
Would love to buy frags from you later once get tank where I want it, which I hope will be soon.

adsf430 · Mar 24, 2022

Do you have a colony pic of your Hung's Rainbow under blues?

Graffiti Spot · Mar 25, 2022

Looking good man! I love that bc Hawaii piece and the tenuis are nicely photographed in that light.

reefslugs · Mar 26, 2022

You have got to show me a FTS. Can you tell me your settings on the Radions?

animan · Mar 27, 2022

Awesome painting job!

gws3 · Mar 27, 2022

adsf430 said:
Do you have a colony pic of your Hung's Rainbow under blues?

This is the "mother". And that was before I cut some frags. Unfortunately it grows extremely slowly.

A Young Reefer · Mar 27, 2022

I choked on my water looking at the photos.
#GoalsICantAfford.

gws3 · Mar 27, 2022

reefslugs said:
You have got to show me a FTS. Can you tell me your settings on the Radions?

This is my larger display tank under blues.

I run different radion profiles based on if and what I'm supplementing them with. On the 300 gallon in the pic below I also run t5 blue plus and reefbrites. On this tank the radion profile is:

Cool White 60
Blue 100
Royal 100
Red 100
UV 100
Violet 100
Cyan 50
Lime 50