Plate Coral Lovin'

[kush.]

okay, after looking through this thread i now know i NEED a plate. how advanced of a reef keeper do you have to be to take care of these bad boys? Would someone new to the hobby be able to pull it off? What are the requirements needed to keep them happy? Thanks

[RayWhisperer]

I'm convinced a LTP would do great in a NPS tank with really moderate lighting. All the research I've done points to this being an ideal setup.

 

I may actually enter this months photo contest

 

 

Everything I see says "dirty water" for them. I think that with my feeding regimen now that I could possibly support one now. I know a ton more about them, but I'm still hesitant about it. I'd hate to lose another one.

 

Also, I only see that they need moderate-high light, usually on the higher end. Don't know how well they'd do long-term, even with heavy feedings.

I'll have to get a pic up here next week. I have my second LTP. My first was years ago and lived until I neglected the tank. Anyhow, this one is easily 5 months in my system (I know, not long term by any measure) without a hitch.

 

While I wouldn't call my system dirty, I wouldn't call it clean either. I maintain SPS easily without them shifting to brown, so Phosphates aren't an issue. I feed heavily once a day (fish, not corals). I feed the LTP and a 8" Mini Maxi once a week.

 

Flow is just enough to keep the tentacles up and swaying gently. Lighting is 4 bulb T-5 cheapo ebay light. Sandbed is about 15" below the light.

 

 

okay, after looking through this thread i now know i NEED a plate. how advanced of a reef keeper do you have to be to take care of these bad boys? Would someone new to the hobby be able to pull it off? What are the requirements needed to keep them happy? Thanks

Feed the meaty food once a week. Other than that, they are fairly easy (at least the short tentacle variety.)

[jedimasterben]

I'll have to get a pic up here next week. I have my second LTP. My first was years ago and lived until I neglected the tank. Anyhow, this one is easily 5 months in my system (I know, not long term by any measure) without a hitch.

 

While I wouldn't call my system dirty, I wouldn't call it clean either. I maintain SPS easily without them shifting to brown, so Phosphates aren't an issue. I feed heavily once a day (fish, not corals). I feed the LTP and a 8" Mini Maxi once a week.

 

Flow is just enough to keep the tentacles up and swaying gently. Lighting is 4 bulb T-5 cheapo ebay light. Sandbed is about 15" below the light.

 

 

Feed the meaty food once a week. Other than that, they are fairly easy (at least the short tentacle variety.)

Thank you very much for your experience. Every little bit helps when trying to understand this coral.

[Psychosis]

I say moderate lighting because they originate from rather murky lagoons. I've seen high lighting cited as a necessity, but generally these things aren't kept for more than a year. That gives you free range to say what ever you'd like, it's dead any way. Similarly, plates in the wild are more often than not found upside down, feeding happily on what ever wanders under them. More than any other LPS outside of true NPS, i think these things need to be fed. That said, for all i know what they're really missing is the mud. Maybe they aspirate differently, maybe they have short lifespans. Lack of data to say any thing with authority. This, like a lot of other things, is guess work.

 

Some data points I do have (strictly from reported cases of keeping them in a system for over a year) are mild exposure to otherwise intense lighting, feeding religiously, moderate flow, and vigilance. Aswe all know, even a hair of tissue necrosis and the things more than likely out the door. If you have to handle it, lightly press it until nearly all the water has been expelled from it's flesh (good practice with any plate), don't place precariously hanging frags/rocks/etc over it, and be extremely careful with the flow.

 

That's what I've got, any way. In happier news, my Diaseris plate has begun the self fragging process. Sweet.

[tinctorus]

I really want to find a Diaseris plate coral at one of my LFS's, Maybe I can have my buddy who owns a store order one for me, I just think they are really cool in that they are "self fragging" corals yah know?

[tinctorus]

Heres some plate corals that are pretty sweet

This ones just for you Kat, cause its pink!

 

 

This thing looks amazing but I think that pic was taken under some pretty heavy actinics

 

This one may not last long or at least if it does itll take someone whos very good with plates since its a heliofungia Sp

 

 

 

Has anyone ever ordered from this guy on ebay who has all these plates?

Woo's aquatics

 

Heres a REALLY cool Diaseris plate coral "actually 3 plate corals together since I see 3 mouths"

[RayWhisperer]

I apologize for crappy cell phone pics. They always look bad, plus they seem too heavily blue.

 

Anyways, the flesh is green with yellow stripes throughout. Tentacles are an off white with yellowish white tips. This is about the amount of turbulence the coral is subjected to. 2 Koralia 425's alternating along a 33" tank for 1 minute each, plus a MJ 1200 return pump running constant gives you...

Pump 1

Pump 2

 

As a side note, I waited to get a picture of some very strange behavior, but had no such luck today. There are times I have seen the cardinal actually, seemingly, hosting the coral. I've seen it sit within the tentacles on many occasions. It seems to do it more often when frightened (hence you'll see somebody's hand slapping the tank from the other side.) Stupid fish didn't know whether it should be scared, or if it was feeding time. It hovered over the coral but didn't get in it.

[jedimasterben]

I apologize for crappy cell phone pics. They always look bad, plus they seem too heavily blue.

 

Anyways, the flesh is green with yellow stripes throughout. Tentacles are an off white with yellowish white tips. This is about the amount of turbulence the coral is subjected to. 2 Koralia 425's alternating along a 33" tank for 1 minute each, plus a MJ 1200 return pump running constant gives you...

Pump 1

Pump 2

 

As a side note, I waited to get a picture of some very strange behavior, but had no such luck today. There are times I have seen the cardinal actually, seemingly, hosting the coral. I've seen it sit within the tentacles on many occasions. It seems to do it more often when frightened (hence you'll see somebody's hand slapping the tank from the other side.) Stupid fish didn't know whether it should be scared, or if it was feeding time. It hovered over the coral but didn't get in it.

That thing is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

[Jacob042426]

that is one MASSIVE maxi-mini you have there, ray.

[RayWhisperer]

Allow me to correct myself. I grabbed the wrong pic for pump 2. Both of the above pics are Pump 1. Here's pump 2, along with the shot with the cardinal in it.

 

Thanks J's.

[metrokat]

Grrrr. There shall be no more pink plates! NO MO!

[Psychosis]

Crap. Now I need to go plate shopping again, jerks.

 

Let's see, Cycloseris, Diaseris...I think I have about 3 left that are commonly found in the trade, and 12 that aren't commonly found. I'll guess $2000 all told. I need a more budget minded hobby...

[tinctorus]

That doesn't sound too bad considering I paid $100 for my 2 inch bright orange.

REALLY!!!

I only paid 30 bucks for my bright orange one and it was about 4"s across so I thought that was a pretty good price

[Gramophone]

REALLY!!!

I only paid 30 bucks for my bright orange one and it was about 4"s across so I thought that was a pretty good price

 

I guess it's really all in what it's worth to you, and if you can find it for less than that, it makes your day.

$30 is definitely a killer price for a 4" bright orange plate -- good find!

[chachew]

Is it because they walk?

 

My plate hasnt moved at ALL since it was placed in my tank. Do they tend to walk towards the correct lighting/flow that they are seeking? Or are they looking for food? I feed it half a krill once a week and it destroys that thing!

[Gramophone]

My plate hasnt moved at ALL since it was placed in my tank. Do they tend to walk towards the correct lighting/flow that they are seeking? Or are they looking for food? I feed it half a krill once a week and it destroys that thing!

 

They move very slow for appropriate light and flow. Mine used to move about half an inch every now and then, but they haven't moved recently, thankfully

 

Managed to get a crappy "top-shot" picture of my fungia friends

 

[fretfreak13]

I haven't read through this whole thread, but an there was a full article in this months reefkeeper magazine about diaseris plates. They sound really cool, and honestly I've always killed the more common type. Does anyone keep the diaseris ones, and are they a bit hardier?

[BulkRate]

Supposedly they stay smaller than most fungias, can be fragged by hand if pressure's put along the lines the coral weakens for itself and eat just about anything you put in the tank. I'm trying to source a few... an LFS here has a beautiful (but full-grown) green-fringed purple center'd one but I'm looking for red/mixed. I saw that article...would love to have a garden of multicolored nickel/quarter sized ones.

[tinctorus]

I haven't read through this whole thread, but an there was a full article in this months reefkeeper magazine about diaseris plates. They sound really cool, and honestly I've always killed the more common type. Does anyone keep the diaseris ones, and are they a bit hardier?

Ive seen some recently on a few site's selling Diaseris plates, one of them was an AMAZING purple, just wish I had the money to buy it

Heres an orange one from cherry corals but I cant seem to find the sick purple one I saw earlier this week

 

plate

[fretfreak13]

Thanks tinctorus! If you stumble upon it, I'd love to see it! I'll keep an eye on cherry corals to see if any other neat ones pop up.

[LynnO]

Just wanted to say that I love this thread! Maybe when I get a little more time under my belt, I will get a plate!

[Jessy-Ray]

They move very slow for appropriate light and flow. Mine used to move about half an inch every now and then, but they haven't moved recently, thankfully

 

Managed to get a crappy "top-shot" picture of my fungia friends

 

oh snap!!! so awesome

[albertthiel]

oh snap!!! so awesome

Nice shot indeed .... and yes they can move quite a bit when they want to, even if they are turned upside down they can flip themselves back over according to the literature on them

 

NICE

[albertthiel]

Anyone ever seen a PPE fungia? Deep purple plate with Neon green rim and mouth .......

 

Wow that is nice one for sure !

[Gramophone]

Wow that is nice one for sure !

 

Agreed. That's amazing!