2 coral id's please

[needmorecowbell]

i have these two corals that i bought. I couldnt understand the person and was to shy to ask what he was saying a fourth time. i know im able to take care of them though.. well here they are.. thanks for the help

 

[Sniperhank]

Blastomussa Coral is what the first one looks like...maybe some type of acan?

Can't tell about the second one.

 

[needmorecowbell]

That's what I thought but it doesn't open.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Neither of the corals open up

 

[Feelthereefer]

I believe the first is a chalice coral of some sort and the other pic is kinda hard to tell

 

[needmorecowbell]

Yep I checked it's definitely a chalice. Does the other frag need more clarity or in a different light? Thanks!

 

[Feelthereefer]

Ya just a better pic cant really tell from the one posted maybe take from a few diff angles..

 

[carey]

The other one looks like a blastomussa to me.

 

[needmorecowbell]

How could I make sure that it's a blastomussa? It doesnt look like it in the pic really well but it kind of looks like the top of a pineapple. The texture of it reminds me of one.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I think I found the exact species of mine, it's just that mine has stayed closed up.

 

[severum mama]

My guess on the first one is Acanthastrea echinata. Doesn't really look like a chalice to me. My guess on the second one is a Blastomussa.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I already have an acan and it looks a lot different. This has multiple polyps on one piece of "flesh". My acan has separate polyps.

 

[severum mama]

There are different species of Acans. Here are a couple links to Acan echinata. Looks very similar to yours, no?
Bright Green Eye Acan. Echinata - Acanthastrea echinata
Saltwater Aquarium Corals for Marine Reef Aquariums: Acan Brain Coral, Acanthastrea echinata

 

[needmorecowbell]

Wow they do look alike! I guess you learn stuff new everyday, so does it open up like other acans or does it stay closed always? Does the blastomussa I posted seem similar to my other coral? Thanks for all the help

 

[severum mama]

That's just what it looks like, it isn't really "fleshy" like the other Acan you have. So no, it won't "open up" the way that your other acan does. I think it's a beautiful coral.

I actually have very limited experience with Blastos, so that was just a guess. The one you posted does look similar. Hopefully someone with more experience can help you out with that one. LOL.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Alright thanks so much!

 

[needmorecowbell]

I target fed the corals and the acan ate like it did in the videos but the blastomussa isn't really eating the food, just kinda grabbing it lol. It's been about an hour and a half. Is there a reason for this.

 

[kay-bee19]

The feeder tentacles of blastomussa's are short and under-developed when compared to the longer and quick acting feeders of acans and some other LPS corals.

Blastomussa's seem to use their entire polyp tissue to grasp and envelope food where it then guides it to the mouth (a relatively slow process when compared to the quicker action of acan feeder tentacles which snatch and retract food in).

Blastomussa wellsi are the larger-polyped variety of blasto and can (very slowly) consume larger food items like mysis shrimp.

Blastomussa merleti (the kind you have), is the smaller-polyped branching variety (polyps usually 1cm-1.5cm across) seems geared toward capturing much smaller food items and their feeders (and polyp surface area) are smaller than b. wellsi and seem to have a poorer grip. I used to squirt cyclopeez directly on b. merleti when all of my water circulation was turned off (so the water flow wouldn't wisk the food from their grasp).

Close up of short blastomussa merleti feeder tentacles. For them to eat their polyps need to be fully expanded due to the way the eat:

 

[needmorecowbell]

Oh so that's why they weren't eating, I'll buy that type of food and use it. This morning they opened a lot more. Ill try sometime soon, thanks!