Coral ID?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
B

black_sun

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 31, 2008
1,136
1
66
39
New Jersey
I work at a pet store and my fish specialist was clearing out some corals that had died from our frag tanks. She offered me a few of the skeletons for decorations for my new tank, and I took a few that looked interesting.

I hadn't really been paying much attention to my tank since I added the coral skeletons a couple weeks ago, until I noticed what I thought was slime growing. Upon closer inspection, it looks like 4 out of 5 corals have come back to life, and 1 is growing incredibly fast.

I was wondering if anyone could ID them, since my specialist didn't remember which ones she had pulled out and given to me.

nce1vm.jpg4l61p2.jpg

nce1vm.jpg

4l61p2.jpg
 
They are some sort of Fungia also known as plate corals. They are an astounding coral, I have seen one, that litterally detached itself from its skeleton and moved away (forming a new skeleton elsewhere), and the old one, looking white/bare started to grow new fungia "babies" from a tiny spot left on it. Each baby self fragmented off and it kept creating new ones for a wile untill around 8 tiny new fungia corals where made in addition to the orrigonal. So it doesn't surprize me in the least that this guy survived even though he looked dead, so nice find!
 
Also, just as a side note, I like to use skeletons for my encrusting corals, so they encrust in more interesting shapes then live rock normally provids, I've also seen people grow zoas/pallies on acropora skeletons and stuff to a really neat look.
 
Cool, cool. Thanks guys.

Random questions... What are the care requirements on these guys? Obviously my tank is meeting them, but I never intended to have coral in it. And now that it's there, I kind of like it and would like it to continue to grow and thrive.

Additionally, under whatever care requirements these are growing under are there other corals I could add in with them? ...I think I may consider doing a coral tank now, haha.
 
read the info on the link below to get info and care for them.
Would in my opinon also set them on the substrate of your aquarium. They seem to do better on a flat surface as well can be easily broken. Since they are on the rocks, would be worried about them getting hit or knocked off and broken.

http://animal-world.com/Aquarium-Coral-Reefs/Plate-Coral
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom