Coral (maybe) ID, please!

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Devilishturtles

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Jul 9, 2003
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Location
Frederick, Maryland
So I got me some Star Polyps yesterday and I was noticing this growth on the underside. I donned some gloves and went crusing in the tank to examine the polyps closer. It definitley looks like a coral to me, I see polyps extended, which you can see in the picture. Question is...what kind? I know it's an SPS and I'm thinking Porites sp. What do you guys thing?

Also, does it look salvageable? The star polyps have curled onto every corner of the rock, so I'm guessing there used to be much more of that coral there before the polyps took over. Can I cut the polyps away?

Thanks!
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Devilshirts I am, not to good with ID but it is defintely an encrusted SPS and I actually have the same one I will post a pic of.

As far as the star polyps, GSP/PSP are very easy and safe to frag. You may be able to just peel the mat up with your fingernail which is what I usually do or use a razor.
 
Sorry about the blurry pic. I had this rock in my sump for almost 6 months and it still lived when I transfered it to the main tank.

I wish I was better with names...

EDIT: I tried to post my pic and I got this? Am I doing something wrong?

Sorry, but the maximum filesize for all attachments is reached. Please contact the Board Administrator if you have questions.
 
Tom, if you have photobucket you can load it there and provide a url to the pic as an option.
 
Lindsay, you lucky duck. Looks like porites sp. to me. My favorite sps. :) Very hardy but, those starts will slowly smother it out.
 
Innovator, Thanks for the ID, that was my guess in my original post. :)

Tom, there have been photo upload issues, but uploading with a photo host will work for now. Like photobucket.com. Thanks for the tip on fragging the GSP's, but now I'm gonna end up with about 15 frags of GSP. Might have to give a few away to some people soon. :p

Cindy, dude...Wednesday is THE day to go to Randallstown. They had so much stuff there! I also got a bubble coral that looks pretty awesome. The GSP's are stressed now...still not opening up, but hopefully they will soon!

So do you guys think I can peel away the GSP's frag them up into some different pieces than chisel away the Porites, leaving some rock underneath? I'm kinda 'cited. :) I assume I should place it high in the tank, in an area of high flow?
 
I'd use a dremel and cut along the edges if possible, peeling the mat back when needed. Since they come from diverse locations you might have to play with placements. I would start off with med. lighting (vague I know) with med. - high flow.
 
Devilishturtles said:
Cindy, dude...Wednesday is THE day to go to Randallstown. They had so much stuff there! I also got a bubble coral that looks pretty awesome. The GSP's are stressed now...still not opening up, but hopefully they will soon!

If I knew you were in the market for star polyps, I could have hooked you up. I have them growing on my back glass. Wouldn't have taken much to scrape some off for you. :) I'll have to do a Randallstown run. Maybe next Wed. We'll see.
 
Sweet, thanks guys.

I'll have to make a trip to Wal-Mart or Home Depot tommorow and get a dremel. Any reccomended blade to get? They are only about 50-60 dollars right? I want to try and do it right and salvage the Porites.

Cindy, I didn't know I was in the market either..but I saw them and thought "what the heck?". They looked nice and the price wasn't that bad for the size. If you go to Randallstown, let me know. I have a lot more time during the day now.

I'll let you guys know how it goes! Thanks again!
 
Dont worry about the star polyps they usually open up. I have done a few tank transfers and sometimes they stay closed for a day or two as well as after fragging but they always open back up.

EDIT: I dont know if this will work right. I registered for photobucket.

Here is the one I got on LR and I think it may be the same. Sorry for the bad pic

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Thanks Tom, it worked. If you want to know, you can click the box under the picture on the photobucket page, scroll down and click on the "generate html code" or something like that, then just copy and paste it into here.

The polyps opened up nicely, it seems immediatley after I posted this, lol. They are looking very healthy, but of course, overshadowing the Porites. The dremel definitley needs to be gotten tommorow if I want to save the coral I think. It looks pretty bad a little lower (bleached, looks damaged).
 
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