wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification.

MatthewJ · 11-13-2008, 07:29 PM

I went to a local guy to buy some frags today(JJ at frags.org). Man, he really hooked me up. He's a great guy. I'm sorry I don't have good pictures of them all (only bad ones of a couple). My wife has the good camera in France --and yes, I waited for her to leave before buying the corals

Anyway, he gave me 7 frags. The "red cap" he gave me is huge, maybe too big. It's like 7 inches long and 5 inches wide. I also got:

neon tip birds nest (3.5" piece)
green slimer (two 5" pieces)
2 groups of zoas. each has probably 10 or so polyps. not sure if same or different.
2 corals I have no idea what are, so I'm not sure where to put them. Can you help me with these? I'll follow up with good pics of everything in about a week.

some kind of encrusting coral:

some other unknown coral:

Reefmack · 11-13-2008, 09:00 PM

I'm pretty sure the top is Montipora confusa, and the second is a different Montipora. Both are most likely encrusting types, but the confusa will show some upward growth as well. I'd keep them mid -top as they do need a good amount of light, and will grow over and "encrust the rock they're on.

Montipora confusa

You can find a lot of links on M. confusa, and other Montipoa species. I just took the first one on a Google search.

MatthewJ · 11-13-2008, 11:09 PM

Thanks for the link. Very interesting. Seems to require intense lighting. I wonder if the RSM stock lighting will cut the mustard? I guess we'll see. I'm also concerned about the acro's and the lighting. They were so cool in his show tank though. I was kind of gushing over them which is why I think he grabbed some frags.

Frankie · 11-13-2008, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefmack

I'm pretty sure the top is Montipora confusa, and the second is a different Montipora. Both are most likely encrusting types, but the confusa will show some upward growth as well. I'd keep them mid -top as they do need a good amount of light, and will grow over and "encrust the rock they're on.

Montipora confusa

You can find a lot of links on M. confusa, and other Montipoa species. I just took the first one on a Google search.

Nice ID Reefmack

Stacef · 11-13-2008, 11:12 PM

Wow very neat!

MatthewJ · 11-13-2008, 11:59 PM

Perhaps the other coral is a Montipora sunset?

Montipora danae

redseareef · 11-14-2008, 01:29 AM

Nice score there, both nice Monte's. Let us know if they hold the color under the standard 130 lighting. I am really anxious to hear about it!!! I would place them up high in the tank if you can.
Those are actually pretty nice to get a idea on the lighting intensity! Please keep us posted!!
Thanks

Reefmack · 11-14-2008, 08:38 AM

Frankie - thanks!

myusernamerocks - I had first replied that the second one might be a sunset Monti, then erased that opinion as I wasn't really sure about that LOL! Montis aren't as difficult as some of the other SPS types, so if you mount them where they'll get a lot of light intensity I think they'll do fine. Same with those other SPS. I've seen more than one RSM with stock lighting that has has great success with the SPS types, even some Acropora. Keeping the nitrates down will help. I've seen some recent opinions that low nitrate levels may actually be beneficial to SPS, rather than shooting for zero as is the common opinion. Lots of conflicting opinions in this hobby!

MatthewJ · 11-14-2008, 04:16 PM

I think one of the zoa groups might be dying. It is the one that hadn't opened up. They're all closed and a few of them are excreting a little sliver of black. That can't be good can it? Is there anything I can do?

Reefmack · 11-14-2008, 04:30 PM

I don't think I'd worry about the zoas yet - they may take a few days to open. That black stringy stuff is probably just waste that they're excreting as they get over acclimating to new conditions. Keep an eye on them though and see what happens.

MatthewJ · 11-17-2008, 12:30 AM

The zoa's are all occasionally opening up. It's infrequent, but good to see. Could the micro bubbles be causing them to close?

JJ finally got back to me, and said this about the encrusting corals:

"Green encrusting is Montipora Spongodes"
"brown with gree polyps is montipora Hispada"

As the link reefmack provided indicated, the Spongodes looks a lot like confusa. Frankly, I can't tell the difference between the two. The spongodes appears more common, but I can't find much in terms of care. but I wish I had seen where the frag came from, but I don't recall seeing it in his tanks. I'm looking forward to seeing how it grows. I'm hoping it looks like this:

Adam Black · 11-17-2008, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myusernameRocks

The zoa's are all occasionally opening up. It's infrequent, but good to see. Could the micro bubbles be causing them to close?

JJ finally got back to me, and said this about the encrusting corals:

"Green encrusting is Montipora Spongodes"
"brown with gree polyps is montipora Hispada"

As the link reefmack provided indicated, the Spongodes looks a lot like confusa. Frankly, I can't tell the difference between the two. The spongodes appears more common, but I can't find much in terms of care. but I wish I had seen where the frag came from, but I don't recall seeing it in his tanks. I'm looking forward to seeing how it grows. I'm hoping it looks like this:

Lol That pic is of my Montipora spongodes. It was taken a few years ago. I got it about a year and a half ago from Jason(sherman).

Reefmack · 11-17-2008, 09:04 AM

Beautiful spongodes, whoseever it is LOL! It's a coral on my wish list - that or confusa. Telling the difference, for me between spongodes and confusa can indeed be "confusa"ing

Adam Black · 11-17-2008, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefmack

Beautiful spongodes, whoseever it is LOL! It's a coral on my wish list - that or confusa. Telling the difference, for me between spongodes and confusa can indeed be "confusa"ing

Pay for shipping and I'll give you a piece. Well I've got to learn how to ship live stock first. Maybe someone can help.

Reefmack · 11-17-2008, 01:07 PM

Adam Black - thanks, but right now I have no room to add any more corals anyway. I've never shipped any live stuff myself. Based on all the things I've gotten they usually arrive triple bagged in either a styrofoam cooler, or a box with styrofoam sides, top & bottom. Newspaper to fill in the spaces and absorb any leakage, and a heat pack in the winter or a cold pack in the summer. It's a pretty involved packaging. I'm sure not set up to live ship anything!

11-13-2008, 07:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. I went to a local guy to buy some frags today(JJ at frags.org). Man, he really hooked me up. He's a great guy. I'm sorry I don't have good pictures of them all (only bad ones of a couple). My wife has the good camera in France --and yes, I waited for her to leave before buying the corals Anyway, he gave me 7 frags. The "red cap" he gave me is huge, maybe too big. It's like 7 inches long and 5 inches wide. I also got: neon tip birds nest (3.5" piece) green slimer (two 5" pieces) 2 groups of zoas. each has probably 10 or so polyps. not sure if same or different. 2 corals I have no idea what are, so I'm not sure where to put them. Can you help me with these? I'll follow up with good pics of everything in about a week. some kind of encrusting coral: some other unknown coral:

11-13-2008, 09:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,153 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. I'm pretty sure the top is Montipora confusa, and the second is a different Montipora. Both are most likely encrusting types, but the confusa will show some upward growth as well. I'd keep them mid -top as they do need a good amount of light, and will grow over and "encrust the rock they're on. Montipora confusa You can find a lot of links on M. confusa, and other Montipoa species. I just took the first one on a Google search. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

11-13-2008, 11:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. Thanks for the link. Very interesting. Seems to require intense lighting. I wonder if the RSM stock lighting will cut the mustard? I guess we'll see. I'm also concerned about the acro's and the lighting. They were so cool in his show tank though. I was kind of gushing over them which is why I think he grabbed some frags.

11-13-2008, 11:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Stacef Golden Moray Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Dubuque Posts: 2,620 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. Wow very neat! __________________ Stace My 72g Build-full of pictures, we all know you loce pictures! I've had to pay my price. The things I did not know at first, I learned by doin' twice. -Billy Joel

11-13-2008, 11:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. Perhaps the other coral is a Montipora sunset? Montipora danae

11-14-2008, 01:29 AM	#7 (permalink)
redseareef RS Sponsor Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: L.A. California Posts: 1,363 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. Nice score there, both nice Monte's. Let us know if they hold the color under the standard 130 lighting. I am really anxious to hear about it!!! I would place them up high in the tank if you can. Those are actually pretty nice to get a idea on the lighting intensity! Please keep us posted!! Thanks

11-14-2008, 08:38 AM	#8 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,153 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. Frankie - thanks! myusernamerocks - I had first replied that the second one might be a sunset Monti, then erased that opinion as I wasn't really sure about that LOL! Montis aren't as difficult as some of the other SPS types, so if you mount them where they'll get a lot of light intensity I think they'll do fine. Same with those other SPS. I've seen more than one RSM with stock lighting that has has great success with the SPS types, even some Acropora. Keeping the nitrates down will help. I've seen some recent opinions that low nitrate levels may actually be beneficial to SPS, rather than shooting for zero as is the common opinion. Lots of conflicting opinions in this hobby! __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

11-14-2008, 04:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. I think one of the zoa groups might be dying. It is the one that hadn't opened up. They're all closed and a few of them are excreting a little sliver of black. That can't be good can it? Is there anything I can do?

11-14-2008, 04:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,153 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. I don't think I'd worry about the zoas yet - they may take a few days to open. That black stringy stuff is probably just waste that they're excreting as they get over acclimating to new conditions. Keep an eye on them though and see what happens. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

11-17-2008, 12:30 AM	#11 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. The zoa's are all occasionally opening up. It's infrequent, but good to see. Could the micro bubbles be causing them to close? JJ finally got back to me, and said this about the encrusting corals: "Green encrusting is Montipora Spongodes" "brown with gree polyps is montipora Hispada" As the link reefmack provided indicated, the Spongodes looks a lot like confusa. Frankly, I can't tell the difference between the two. The spongodes appears more common, but I can't find much in terms of care. but I wish I had seen where the frag came from, but I don't recall seeing it in his tanks. I'm looking forward to seeing how it grows. I'm hoping it looks like this:

11-17-2008, 09:04 AM	#13 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,153 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. Beautiful spongodes, whoseever it is LOL! It's a coral on my wish list - that or confusa. Telling the difference, for me between spongodes and confusa can indeed be "confusa"ing __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

11-17-2008, 01:07 PM	#15 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,153 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: wohoo, new coral frags! help with identification. Adam Black - thanks, but right now I have no room to add any more corals anyway. I've never shipped any live stuff myself. Based on all the things I've gotten they usually arrive triple bagged in either a styrofoam cooler, or a box with styrofoam sides, top & bottom. Newspaper to fill in the spaces and absorb any leakage, and a heat pack in the winter or a cold pack in the summer. It's a pretty involved packaging. I'm sure not set up to live ship anything! __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

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