Coral/sponge id please !

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pritchard

Aquarium Advice Freak
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Apr 27, 2011
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I've been told it's a montipora plate coral (sps) but I was told it was a type of sponge when I purchased it ! I've searched montipora,s and can't find one as smooth looking as this it grows like mad and feels a bit like leather ! I've took a cutting from it and it's doing well ! Any help clearing this up would be appreciated !

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The cutting
 

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yes it is a montipora plate coral (sps)
I plan on getting one myself I love how they grow
 
If it feels like leather, it's not a Montipora. Very interesting though, as I've never seen anything like that before. Did you get this rock from Florida?
I would love a frag of that. Where are you located?
 
Wolverhampton, England lol ! The guy at the lfs I got it from said it was sponge ?
 
The whole thing waves about in the flow it looks amazing and my clowns have bullied my bi colour blenny out of it and started to host it ! I dose my system with 1 drop of iodine daily and this seems to really do well I don't know if the iodine is why ?

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I don't know. It could be I suppose. Does it seem porous? "Smooth looking" Reminded me of something sort of waxy, and not very porous. I'm thinking a type of algae. I saw a sponge called Phyllospongia lamellosa, that does grow in a similar way, but it looks bumpy and not smooth like yours.
Awesome find.
 
Btw, stop the iodine. Don't add anything to the tank you can't test for and are sure you need.
That iodine is going to build up and then become a problem. There is plenty of everything in your salt mix. When in doubt, do a water change.
 
Yeh waxy is a good way to describe it it's smooth and it has like a slimy film on it !

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Here's a close up of that shiny film !
 
Got it thanks ! This very unusual sponge resembles Chalice and plate corals. It has a semi-rigid, rubbery body and bright purple color. The pores are very tiny and this sponge can even be exposed to air during fragging and placement unlike other sponges. It is slightly photosynthetic as well as a filter feeder and should be in moderate lighting.
 
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