I like it, but I dont know what it is...

[Roly99]

Hey all!

Well, after about 2 weeks of water tests coming up good, i finally got out to the LFS and decided to buy some corals. I bought a small rock with some polyps on it to see how it would do. It seems to be doing just fine, and as a matter of fact it seems to be getting bigger...

Today I decided to go back. Now my LFS sells nano rocks for about $11 or 2 for $20, so i bought a a different kind of polyp (green, it looks nice) and i saw this other thing that looked really nice. I think it might be a favia brain coral, or at least of piece of it (from the pictures i've seen). It has a really bright green center under actinic lighting and with the 10k light the outer edge looks like a pale purple. Just wondering what this thing is so that I can help care for it propperly.

Thanks all!

 

[steve r]

candy cane or trumpet coral. it is an LPS. make sure to keep your calcium at a good level if you purchase this. they can do just fine under the correct amount of PC lighting. will do fine under VHO and halides as well. medium light medium flow.

steve

 

[steve-s]

Might want to stand it upright as well. No reason you can't place it in the sand either. The continued proximity of the rock will eventually irritate the coral polyp and further the recession you already have. With good water quality and feedings, that will clear up fairly well otherwise.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Roly99]

Thanks guys. So how should I go about feeding it? I looked up the trumpet coral and it says it has very short sweeper tenticles, but I cant seem to see them. Where should i put the brine shrimp? will it go into it's little mouth looking thing?

Also, yesterday night it let something black out of the center opening, one of my fish quickly ate it up...is this normal?

Thanks.

 

[steve-s]

Thanks guys. So how should I go about feeding it? I looked up the trumpet coral and it says it has very short sweeper tenticles, but I cant seem to see them. Where should i put the brine shrimp? will it go into it's little mouth looking thing?

The sweepers will more commonly be visible after lights out, several hours later in fact. The more accustom corals becomes to feeding schedules, the more likely to see it during the day but it's not that common with this particluar coral. The sweepers (mesenterials) get quite long so be sure there is a good 4-5" free space (no other corals) around it. Feed it small peices of meaty marine foods (brine, mysis or the like) a few times a week. It's not absolutely necessary but you will have a much healthier long lived specimen. Place the foods (gentley) on the mouth opening, it will either consume it or ignore it, not always going to happen.

Also, yesterday night it let something black out of the center opening, one of my fish quickly ate it up...is this normal?

Corals of this type actually defecate visible quantities. Rarely it can be the coral expelling zooxanthellae but if the color looks normal otherwise, I wouldn't worry.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Roly99]

Thanks steve. I fed it some frozen brine shrimp the day before yesterday and yesterday it opened it's mouth almost fully. However I still dont see any sweepers though. Could it be that it's malnourished? Or does it take some time to grow sweepers? In either case, it looks a little bit healthier after the feedings.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[steve-s]

The "sweepers" are there, they just won't be visible all the time. It is more than possible the coral is malnourished as is common with captive kept species of this type. You can stimulate a feeding response by adding some cyclop eeze or other strong scent odor to the water just prior to feeding time.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Roly99]

Thanks steve, hopefully with consistent feedings and lighting times it'll grow. Appreciate the help.