Coral Lifespan

[john0087]

Hey all,

I was just thinking last night. I have never read in any of my reef books any mention about the natural lifespan of corals. I remember from my bio classes in grade school that reefs are built up from the "skeletons" of generations of corals, but what happens in our tanks? Assuming that you provide adequate lighting and great water, what is a life span of a captive coral.

Just wondering really, I guess I really had a slow night list night...

John

[austinsdad]

Different strokes for different folks, and so on, and so on and shooby dooby dooby. Oooooh sha sha.

Sorry, some may not be old enuf to remember that song.

But what I was trying to say is that I'm sure lots of diifernt corals have different lifespans. Some grow as earlier established polyps may die off. But it still looks like the coral is enlarging. Some just spread.

Really hard to say anything about lifespans. It depends on water, circulation, light, who's picking on it, whether fragged or not. Bunch of different variables that could make a dif, but hard to say how long a given coral will live.

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, wouldnt a frag off a coral be like a new coral? and thus live longer than the coral it came from?

[austinsdad]

If it's just a piece of the same one you brought home, then I'd think no. If a new branch grows and you frag it, then maybe so.

[sir_dudeguy]

oh ya thats what i meant..like if it breaks off itself, wouldnt that be like a baby coral so to speak?

[john0087]

Make sence to me, just sounds weird, corals dieing of old age.

So, has anyone here had a coral long enough for it to die of natural casues. I am guessing that they can live for a long time.

Can you tell the difference between a mature coral vs a young coral?