varanus37 Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 So these guys came on the frag disk with my micros. No idea what they are but they're doing nicely and haven't harmed anyone. I rather like them so I hope they're not a bad thing. Sorry about the yellow shot, bad white balance on the camera. They look like tiny galaxea to me. Bill Link to comment
FLcracker94 Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 top pic is a good nice coral, not sure what the name is though, but I know its good. keep it. Not sure what the bottom one is though... Maybe someone can ID the bottom pic, and get the name of the top coral. lol Link to comment
ReadyReefer Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 he already knows what the coral in the top pic is, he posted it in the micro thread. to answer your question, it almost looks like a small goniopora (flower pot) coral. they are notoriously hard to keep alive, although there have been successes recently with unskimmed systems. i don't think it will harm anything, so keep it and if it survives, you will have two neat corals for the price of one Link to comment
varanus37 Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share Posted July 22, 2007 You misunderstood. I know what the red guys are. Its a colony of micros. I was using that picture so people could get a size reference on the smaller cluster. Sorry about that. Its the little cluster of brown/green guys that I'm curious about. Thanks for the input. Bill Very kewl if thats what they are. I do run a skimmer so I hope they'll make it. Its been more than a month though and no problems so far. They've actually increased in size so hopefully I get lucky with that low survival rate. Bill Link to comment
c est ma Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Bill, how interesting! I am fairly sure I have exactly the same hitchhiker on a new candy cane frag--see pics here: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=125438&hl= Whatever it is, we're in this together! --Diane Link to comment
varanus37 Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share Posted July 22, 2007 Sweet! The current thought is that its a very small goniopora or "flower pot". To be honest it looks just like a mini version of the flower pots at my LFS. The way the "fingers" and tips of the coral show in the light though looks exactly like my galaxea. They have that green finger coming to a light green/whitish tip. Time for more pics I think. Bill Link to comment
varanus37 Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share Posted July 22, 2007 So heres a shot that sorta shows the white tips I was talking about. My galaxea have just the same coloration but the shape of this thing is exactly like the goniopora. Kewl to say the least. Bill Link to comment
c est ma Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Bill, at least your little colony is in a much better place to frag than mine. Are you going to try to cut off that corner of the plug? --Diane Link to comment
varanus37 Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 I'm not sure. My tank is a 55 so its fairly large to view something like that. The micros look enormous next to them and they're a smaller coral in my tank. For now they stay where they are unless the micros start to crowd them. I do have a 5 gallon tank thats really short that I'm looking at turning into a mini-reef. Maybe actually making a nano since I've been on this site for so long with a 55, haha. Bill Link to comment
c est ma Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Good thing you were looking closely at the micros or you'd never have seen the little guys! Yeah, I was thinking that if both colonies grew you'd have some negative interaction on your hands. Also, you could get a piece of "rock" big enough to handle if you sliced off the hitcher now rather than after the micros were too close. Link to comment
varanus37 Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 I'm thinking that as well. I've also seen where people had problems with domes of micros like this growing on frag plugs. Apparently the transition from growing in that dome shape to a flat surface is difficult. Its easier to chip the plug down so that the growth allows for full polyp development just right onto the live rock. I guess that 90 degree bend can be difficult for a polyp to achieve and problems can arise. So I think tomorrow may have to see some LR, LS and water from the 55 go into the nano. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for the input and kewl thread on the reproduction of LPS! Bill Link to comment
c est ma Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Well, that could be a fun project in itself--setting up the nano, that is. I'll be watching for updates. Link to comment
ReadyReefer Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 now that i think about it it kind of does look like galaxia too, but i think i'm going to still go with goniopora. if it survives and grows i could easily see that turning into a centerpiece. i'm kinda a goniopora freak right now, but the only ones at my LFS are $70 and already look bleached. here's a link to a goniopora website. link Link to comment
varanus37 Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 Well I fully intend on keeping the little guys. I'm still in debate mode about the new nano. Its not setting up the new tank that bothers me, its the possibility that this coral could be very delicate. Whatever it is that makes my tank good for growing it might not be correctly simulated in the new nano. Sucks that flower pots are so expensive where you're at. My LFS has 2 that look nice and are only 40 if I remember correctly. I'm sure I'll be out that way sometime soon to window shop some more. I'll price compare. The rock that piece is on is actually quite large. I may chunk off the little cluster and just move it away a few inches and let them both do their thing. Time will tell. Bill Link to comment
varanus37 Posted December 1, 2007 Author Share Posted December 1, 2007 UPDATE. So my micros are overflowing and my gonio (possibly) is also growing and doing well. I think it's time to frag it off the plug and see what I can do. Probably just going to chisel the corner of the plug off and keep it in the same place it is now. I've learned that they can be very delicate and not many have success with them so I don't want to change much about their tank placement or the parameters that are associated with that spot in the tank. Here are some pics to show the growth and after I frag tonight I'll post some more. Thanks for following, Bill Notice that there are multiple lobes to the gonio now. Oh and a boatload of micros, LOL. Link to comment
varanus37 Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 So I've changed my vote for what this is to possibly Pocillopora? I fragged it from the plug and pissed it off. When it retracted I could distinctly see the lobes. Looks like pics I've seen of Poci. Any suggestions? Its doing great and I epoxied the crap out of it so it would stay in the hole I put it in. Heres hoping it does as well as it has been. Bill Link to comment
mvite Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 You need to squirt that puppy---or flick some water at it with your fingers to knock off some of the slime. I think it looks like a monti confusa at the moment----but it could change with new pics. Link to comment
varanus37 Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 It is almost furry when the polyps are extended. Confusa isn't a bad call actually. The polyp extension reminds me of galaxea. Now that you said that I'm staring between the 2, LOL. Time will tell I suppose. Bill Link to comment
c est ma Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Wow, Bill, that thing has really done well! I'm so happy to see this update. Except for the fact that I lost my similar hitcher... But congrats! To me something like this is much more fun than something you went out and bought. --Diane Link to comment
varanus37 Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Yeah, going from one lil goober of a lobe to 4 that were big enough to frag as a chunk was really kewl. It was even more fun for me because I fragged them to make room for those micros! So I've got 2 nice pieces that are flourishing. Plus, now that I understand more of how to chip down the plugs it will be easier for me to do the micros. They seem to have difficulty with the flat surfaces of the plug. Causes them to grow in the dome shape and seem squished. If I'm able to slope that flat surface or chip it out from the bottom a bit it will allow them to expand more readily. Bill Link to comment
c est ma Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention--those micros are gorgeous! What you said about the flat plug surface makes sense. Makes one wonder why they don't come with sloped edges in the first place. Would make a more natural looking colony when covered, too... --Diane Link to comment
varanus37 Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Well one side was close enough to the edge that it didn't matter. That was the side that is now growing off of the plug in the picture. The other side had the gap between polyp and edge of plug. That turned out to be beneficial when I found the other coral growing there. Makes sense to have them chunked up how you need them but that'd be tough for an individual seller to do. Bill Link to comment
c est ma Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I see. You can tell I've never "professionally" fragged. --D Link to comment
SPS20 Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 That coral looks like a goniopora in some ways, but the polyps are sooo small for goniopora. Now, goniopora is closely related to porites (they are both poritids after all) so I feel I should toss out there for your consideration that it may be a form of porites. The polyps on porites corals do look like miniature goniopora polyps, so its not that wacky an idea. If you can, count the number of tentacles at the end of each stalk. Unless I am mistaken, that can help you distinguish between poritid species. (it might just be too small to do that though) - Josh Link to comment
varanus37 Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Awesome suggestion. I think I might be able to do that. Very good point about the porites relation. Thanks, Bill Link to comment
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