Newbie Experiment:Dead or Alive?

[royalreef]

Always wanted a reef/coral aquarium so I've jumped in and tried a crude mini aquarium. My colleage gave me a "coral" she got of the beach in Mexico. I put it in a beaker of 20% warm salt water to observe. Is it alive?

[phoenixhieghts]

if it is alive - it will be dead soon!

[Otty]

Originally Posted by phoenixhieghts

if it is alive - it will be dead soon!

Amen!

[dh1758]

Whatever it is I don't see it surviving for more than a few hours or at most a day or two. IMO you really don't have a chance to keeping it alive unless you take it back to the ocean, or to another mature tank.

[Otty]

Plus it is illegal to take coral as they are protected in most area's.

[omard]

Originally Posted by phoenixhieghts

if it is alive - it will be dead soon!

Ditto.





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[amcarrig]

Originally Posted by royalreef

Always wanted a reef/coral aquarium so I've jumped in and tried a crude mini aquarium. My colleage gave me a "coral" she got of the beach in Mexico. I put it in a beaker of 20% warm salt water to observe. Is it alive?

If she pulled the coral off of the beach (dry sand), then it's most likely dead. If she pulled the coral out of the water, it's quite possibly alive (assuming it went straight from the ocean to your beaker-if she transported it dry, it's most likely dead). Impossible to tell without a picture though

[royalreef]

Thanks, she pulled from the water & transported dry. While I have it a beaker, my class has named it loves observing its details.

[royalreef]

Even as I novice, I'm well aware that it was illegal for my co-worker to pull the coral from the Gulf and take it home. I explained to her, in great detail why it was a poor decision. Still hoped that it would live. Thanks for your input.

[ReefSparky]

Originally Posted by royalreef

I put it in a beaker of 20% warm salt water to observe. Is it alive?

Is that to say it's in 80% fresh water? And what exactly is "warm" water? Could we have some numbers?

How are you achieving water movement?
How is the water in this beeker being oxygenated?
What are you using for lighting?

Sounds like your coral's days are numbered.