Corals in the RSM - pictures and comments on successes, failures, new additions, etc.

[Reefmack]

I thought it would be nice to have a place to post photos and comments of the corals that RSM owners have had success with, and what they haven't, in the RSM tank. A place to post pictures of new corals and frags that they just picked up, and of course pictures to track the growth. Some owners have upgraded the lighting, but a lot haven't, and we all know that even the stock lights are enough for success with even some of the SPS types. Let's see some pictures of the corals in your RSMs!

I'll start it off with a frag I picked up yesterday - I went to pick up some frozen food (PE Mysis) at the lfs, and found a nice addition in the $19.95 frag tank. One of those impulse buys, and neither me or the kid helping me knew for sure what it was. After doing some searching, and after getting some possible ID's in the RS Coral section it's a Pavona species - most likely P. maldivensis or P. cactus:

It about 3.5 - 4" long:



Closeup showing the corallite structure:



OK - let's see some pictures of those RSM corals!

[Mavjoy]

Nice pick up Reefmack. Looks very healthy.

[Arreola]

I took this picture a few minutes ago.

[Reefmack]

Thanks Mavjoy. Very nice Arreola!

I took this Saturday - one of my duncan colonies. It started out with 3 heads 2-3 months ago, and now has so many heads that it's hard to count them all:



This was a small Palau Nepthea frag that I got from Ebay on August 10. It was only about an inch high



on Saturday I took it off of my Magnetic frag rack and attached it to a large rock in my RSM. It's now close to 3 inches high:

[LaurentSeattle]

Here my first contribution to this thread: The Green Star Polyps.

Plenty of Pros:

- Very beautiful! Very pleasantly ondulating in the flow.
- Very nice green "radioactive" fluorescence under blue light.
- Not agressive at all.
- Do very well under the stock RSM lights.
- Cheap! (around $20 and often free from fellow reefers)
- Grow fast - but not too fast.
- Easy for beginners: Can survive in not so perfect water quality.
- Do not require manual feeding.

Just a few Cons:

- Can be overwhelmed by pest algae if high level of NO3.
- Some complain they grow really too fast.
- Need more flow that it is provided by the only two stock pumps of the RSM. (But anyway, everyone adds an extra powerhead in the RSM. Right?)

[Reefmack]

Laurent - Great picture and information! My GSP came on my original liverock, and they can indeed grow like a weed! But they're very pretty to watch swaying in the current.

Mine came as a small patch on my LR, on the bottom left of the tank, and has gradually covered a good bit of the left side of my rock now. It multiplies by spreading out the mat that the polyps sprout up from. A good choice in the RSM, or any tank, if controlled.



It has overgrown and overtaken some things, but still a nice and colorful addition.

[LaurentSeattle]

Second on my list of my favorite corals are the Ricordae Yuma, possibly another perfect coral for beginners like me.

Again plenty of Pros:

- Beautiful. Not as colorful as their Floridian cousins, but still very beautiful.
- Not agressive at all.
- Not cheap, but at least reasonably priced: I got my colony for $25 at the LFS.
- Very happy with the RSM stock lights.
- Easy for beginners: Mine never looked stressed when my NO3 levels went a bit out of control a little while ago.
- They do reproduce and multiply. Slowly though, but they do, even in beginner's aquaria. I got three "babies" in about one year time, still alive and well.
- No need to target feed them.

Cons
- None ???

A great addition to RSM tanks!




See you tomorrow night (PST) with my third choice...

[LaurentSeattle]

Third on my list of my favorite corals is the Sarcophyton. I was a bit scared to purchase this specimen a while ago but they are indeed very hardy.

Again plenty of Pros:

- Truly beautiful. I love how they gently wave in the current...
- Reasonably priced: I got mine for $29 at the LFS.
- Very happy with the RSM stock lights.
- Very easy for beginners: Mine never looked stressed at all when my NO3 levels went a bit out of control a little while ago. It just kept getting bigger and bigger!
- They sometimes retract and hide and then come back a few hours or few days later in full glory!
- No hand feeding required.

Cons:

- The LFS guy told me: they can grow HUGE!
- My books say they can release toxins harmful to other corals placed downstream. But no such thing in my RSM...



About to expand:



Retracted polyps:

[Reefmack]

Laurent - nice information and pictures. In the first photo what was the blue coral underneath the mushroom leather coral?

[MatthewJ]

This is great guys, really helpful. My tank is finally done cycling and this will really help me make decisions about which corals to try. I've got 2 clowns and I've heard that the Sarcophyton might make a good host for them. Arreola, what are those pink things? reefmack, are the duncans easy to care for in a stock RSM?

[Arreola]

Originally Posted by myusernameRocks

This is great guys, really helpful. My tank is finally done cycling and this will really help me make decisions about which corals to try. I've got 2 clowns and I've heard that the Sarcophyton might make a good host for them. Arreola, what are those pink things? reefmack, are the duncans easy to care for in a stock RSM?

Those are Duncans (Duncanopsammia axifuga) also known as Whisker Corals.

Although considered rare and expensive in the US, Duncanopsammia axifuga is a common addition to many Australian reef tanks. Usually found in deeper water near sandy substrate, Duncanopsammia axifuga is very adaptable to lighting conditions. Coloration can vary from gray-pink to light green on the tentacles, a pink to intense blue-green on the oral disc and brown to bright green on the corallites. The size of polyps (including tentacles) can be up to approximately 4.5 cm across, while the corallites are approximately 1 cm to 1.5 cm across.

It is a fast grower given the right conditions, and usually develops new polyps directly adjacent to an existing one. As with all other LPS, maintaining calcium and alkalinity levels is necessary, while excess phosphates and nitrates can slow growth.

While possessing zooxanthella and being capable of photosynthesis, this coral appreciates regular feeding with any meaty marine foods able to fit into the expanded polyp's mouth.

Duncanopsammia axifuga is a relatively unaggressive coral, incapable of producing sweeper tentacles, and generally comes out underneath when competing with other stony corals. It is best left with plenty of space to grow, as well as relatively unaggressive neighbours.

Hope this info helps.
Regards
Arreola

[Reefmack]

myusernameRocks - as Arreola's information states, I think the Duncans would do great in the RSM. They don't require high light, or high flow, and seem to multiply like crazy under most conditions. And the price is really dropping on these corals because of this.

[LaurentSeattle]

myusernameRocks: My Sarcophyton almost instantly retracts when disturbed by a shrimp or a snail. I am not sure about how it would "tolerate" a clown fish...

Reefmack: I have no idea about the pink at the base of the sarcophyton. Is it just the "foot" of the sarcophyton??? That was I thought...

[mrfishy]

hi
my green heliofungia growing like mad !!!
cheers
drew

[Reefmack]

Looks great mrfishy! Nice color!