View Full Version : Which coral should I add for more movement?
IridescentLily
06/09/2011, 12:19 AM
I have a corner rock space which is in need of a coral that moves nice in the flow.
It's a 29g tank.
I've got a torch coral on one side of the tank which is growing beautifully, and then the rest are lps on the sand, or zoas on rocks.
Now I need to balance out the other side of the tank with a coral that's good for some movement artistically speaking.
I'd like--whatever coral it is--to be as colorful as possible.
Working with the criteria above, which the following corals would you get?
Thanks all in advance for any suggestions.
davocean
06/09/2011, 10:34 AM
One of my favorites and first added corals is frogspawn, bright green w/ purple tips, but they do have other colors as well.
IridescentLily
06/09/2011, 10:40 AM
I was thinking a coco worm at first but we don't have the food it needs.
Then i thought of pulsing Xenia. I like the look of it, I was concerned because I've read that either some cannot keep Xenia alive, or that it takes over the tank. Any experiences of either of these scenarios from any Xenia owners here?
Duncans I thought of at the last minute because you can see their tentacles move in the flow.
I'd LOVE Another euphyllia but I don't know if it would get along with the other corals where I would put it. The other euphyllia on the other side doesn't bother anything though but there are less corals than this other side.
Thanks.
mess7777
06/09/2011, 10:44 AM
Xenia is cool, i like it. I have heard if your tank is too pure it doesn't grow well. I have not experienced it growing like a weed in my system, it grows but not ridiculously. Hair algae grows much faster imo!!!
If you want some get it. If it spreads out too far cut some out and sell it.
tiffyreefer
06/09/2011, 10:45 AM
Xenia does tend to take over. I've had my battles. If you get the Pom Pom Xenia it doesn't spread as bad. It grows a thicker stalk and gets taller instead of just spreading everywhere. What about a nice peach hammer :) If you can score one at a decent price.
JustinM
06/09/2011, 10:46 AM
One of my favorites and first added corals is frogspawn, bright green w/ purple tips, but they do have other colors as well.
+1 on this. A friend of mine just gave me some frogspawn(bright green with purple tips), and it moves beautifully with the flow.
BlueCorn
06/09/2011, 10:52 AM
Just added GSP to the poll.
davocean
06/09/2011, 10:56 AM
Both GSP and zenia for me became troublesome to control, it gets out of hand very quickly IME.
My frog and hammers touch and seem to have no issues at all.
I also like that peach/orange colored hammer tiffyreefer mentioned, and I've seen some cool rootbeer colored frogspawn.
Rybren
06/09/2011, 11:01 AM
April,
I have both Xenia and GSP in my 75. Both spread like wildfire and are a real pain to eradicate. I regret the day that I added them.
A Kenya Tree would work. They get nice and tall, and sway in the current. I have heard stories of them getting out of control as well, but in the 8 or 9 months that I've had mine, there hasn't been any spreading.
I also like the Frogspawns. They come in a number of colour combos and look really cool. The clowns host in one of mine, and after 2 years, the coral is still in great shape and doesn't seem to mind.
Sugar Magnolia
06/09/2011, 11:04 AM
I've got blue xenia and star polyps in my tank, both segregated to their own little rocks. The star polyps grow like a weed, the blue xenia is extremely slow growing.
Here's what can happen when you put GSP on your main rockwork. (not my tank)
muffe
06/09/2011, 11:05 AM
Everyone hates on GSP, but it's cool with me.
davocean
06/09/2011, 11:15 AM
Everyone hates on GSP, but it's cool with me.
I certainly don't hate it, just giving fair warning.
There is a GSP I really like, the long hair GSP that can grow on the back wall of glass makes an awesome background.
IridescentLily
06/09/2011, 11:31 AM
Would a hammer or frogspawn sting a lobo next to it with any of their longer sweeper tentacles?
How 'bout aggression with Ricordea?
Ricordea and loboPhyllia are the corals on that side.
Thanks for all the good info you all.
Lynnmw1208
06/09/2011, 11:56 AM
I just got a duncan and I must say that these corals are beautiful!! I put mine up mid tank and it loves the moderate flow and looks nice swaying around too :)
cjdevito
06/09/2011, 12:11 PM
You could just give cespitularia a try, it's a xeniid but not a xenia. Not nearly as likely to take over your tank, grows taller than most xenia, sways nicely in the current, looks blue with iridescence when looked at from above or in direct sunlight. Doesn't pulse (well, not really) but sways beautifully in the current.
Sugar Magnolia
06/09/2011, 12:18 PM
You could just give cespitularia a try, it's a xeniid but not a xenia.
Cespitularia aka blue xenia. I really like mine. With your actinic lighting I think it would look great in your tank April!
cjdevito
06/09/2011, 12:28 PM
Cespitularia aka blue xenia.
I try to avoid using "blue xenia" as a name for anything, considering there are like nine different organisms that get referred to as that. Too confusing. Besides, cespitularia comes in a number of colors besides blue... pink, purple, yellow, green... it's just that blue is by far the easiest variety to get. The only other color that's relatively easy to get is pink, which is grown by and sold by LoneStar Aquaculture.
Thisseemsfishy
06/09/2011, 12:34 PM
Ill give you Xenia if you want it...pink or blue (sorry for the general terminology), just cover the shipping.....
I would go for a hammer or duncans. I have an orange hammer and ORA green duncans that are beautiful. The Duncas grow pretty fast for an LPS, you can also get them in purple, which is what i'm trying to hunt down.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/jsho27/DSCF1735.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/jsho27/DSCF1680.jpg
jdwreefer
06/09/2011, 12:57 PM
I love my duncan.
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MarkGP
06/09/2011, 01:12 PM
Spaghetti leather! Lots of movement. The color is a little off in this picture...it was more green.
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j48/markgp/DSCN1378.jpg
MarkGP
06/09/2011, 01:13 PM
Or perhaps this!
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j48/markgp/DSCN2422.jpg
Sugar Magnolia
06/09/2011, 01:31 PM
I try to avoid using "blue xenia" as a name for anything, considering there are like nine different organisms that get referred to as that. Too confusing.
I know, but for the sake of most novice reefers, common names seem to be easier to understand. Liveaquaria even lists it as being also known as blue xenia. Darn stuff is kind of pricey too. I got mine in a local club group buy/ trade.
Fishfish0001
06/09/2011, 01:41 PM
If you're worried about the GSP, place it growing "up". I put mine on the back wall of my tank, and it only grows p, not much side to side (very slowly), and it doesn't grow down at all.
Or make it a little outcropping where it can't spread. I like the tank of all GSP.... I I ever upgrade my Biocube is becoming that :D
aleonn
06/09/2011, 02:00 PM
I love my Duncans. Low maintenance, sway, and grow fast without having to target feed (although I do feed them mysis). Prices nowadays are a lot cheaper than a few years ago--I'm sure local hobbyists have them on sale in your area for great prices.
elegance coral
06/09/2011, 03:35 PM
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h7qqSbk8804" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
walkerbrody
06/09/2011, 03:41 PM
Galexia looks cool with decent water movement. Colt coral looks nice and grows quickly, not very colorful though. If you have the correct setup nothing is more colorful or better movement than a rose bubble tip anemone.
walkerbrody
06/09/2011, 03:41 PM
Or perhaps this!
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j48/markgp/DSCN2422.jpg
What is this?
e46slc
06/09/2011, 05:21 PM
I voted Duncan. They're easy to care for and look great when expanded!
droth335
06/09/2011, 05:29 PM
Would a hammer or frogspawn sting a lobo next to it with any of their longer sweeper tentacles?
How 'bout aggression with Ricordea?
Ricordea and loboPhyllia are the corals on that side.
Thanks for all the good info you all.
Yes, members of the Euphylia family are very aggressive and have quite a "reach" when they sense another coral within "their" space. I have had several corals damaged that I thought were out of reach of a hammer/frogspawn/torch.
MarkGP
06/09/2011, 05:31 PM
It's a macroalgae called Nemastoma.
IridescentLily
06/09/2011, 06:15 PM
Cespitularia aka blue xenia. I really like mine. With your actinic lighting I think it would look great in your tank April!
Thanks cj, that's gorgeous!
And I believe you're right Sugar they would look really cool. :-0
Ill give you Xenia if you want it...pink or blue (sorry for the general terminology), just cover the shipping.....
I would go for a hammer or duncans. I have an orange hammer and ORA green duncans that are beautiful. The Duncas grow pretty fast for an LPS, you can also get them in purple, which is what i'm trying to hunt down.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/jsho27/DSCF1735.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/jsho27/DSCF1680.jpg
Omg I love those!
And If I decide on xenia I'll pm you, thats very kind of you. :)
IridescentLily
06/09/2011, 06:41 PM
Galexia looks cool with decent water movement. Colt coral looks nice and grows quickly, not very colorful though. If you have the correct setup nothing is more colorful or better movement than a rose bubble tip anemone.
Oh gosh I've seen some gorgeous colored galaxea and rbt too.
Can't do galaxea because I think it would sting my lobo nearby.
Yes, members of the Euphylia family are very aggressive and have quite a "reach" when they sense another coral within "their" space. I have had several corals damaged that I thought were out of reach of a hammer/frogspawn/torch.
I was afraid of that. Thanks so much for clarifying that for me.
I love my torch and it's doing so well because there's nothing near it. Nor is IT near any other corals :) maybe if we acquire a bigger tank in the future I can fit another euphyllia by its self.
Thanks so much you all, with your help I've got it narrowed down to a smaller list of either the blue Xenid species on page one that is not
Xenia. Or xenia. Or the red/pink macro algae posted above. Or gsp.
I have a couple more questiOns though; can either of these can be within five or six inches from my lobophyllia, in terms of aggression or chemical warfare?
Thanks much :)
Crkbaby
06/09/2011, 06:55 PM
Xenia spreads be aware and I dont mean to the rocks its next too it will go to random other places also. I pull about a 3-5 lb piece of live rock out covered in it every few months but I do enjoy the pulsing so I keep it. I love hammers especially the more rare ones bright orange, blue ones, Purple heads with green stalks I perfer hammers 100X over frogspawn.
IridescentLily
06/10/2011, 10:18 PM
....so, heres an odd update; this morning I woke up and went to look at the tank as usual, and the lobo had fallen onto the sanded sometime during the night.
So we moved her in the cave area and put her on a rock.
She loves it there. So we decided we'd either leave it there or move it to the sand bed in a more stable spot.
So Now that corner is completely empty.
So were going to get another Euphyllia!
A pink hammer.
:)
Thanks muchly for all your suggestions.
davocean
06/10/2011, 11:34 PM
Pics!
Lynnmw1208
06/11/2011, 08:49 AM
....so, heres an odd update; this morning I woke up and went to look at the tank as usual, and the lobo had fallen onto the sanded sometime during the night.
So we moved her in the cave area and put her on a rock.
She loves it there. So we decided we'd either leave it there or move it to the sand bed in a more stable spot.
So Now that corner is completely empty.
So were going to get another Euphyllia!
A pink hammer.
:)
Thanks muchly for all your suggestions.
awesome! pink hammers are so cool!! I love mine! Although it doesn't glow in moonlights... But it looks nice during the day :)
Randy Holmes-Farley
06/11/2011, 08:59 AM
If you want movement, I'd go with certain soft corals or anemones. :)
BlueCorn
06/11/2011, 09:01 AM
Soft corals? What are these "soft corals" of which you speak?
Glazner
06/11/2011, 09:11 AM
Nepthia(sp) it's green but bright green. Not as much movement but I like my plate coral(fungia i think), it's bright orange and offers a lot of color. Don't think you can go wrong with a hammer either...
Bnortz
06/11/2011, 09:34 AM
if you want a softie i like waving hand anthelia...it does grow quite fast and can become invasive, but beautiful nonetheless. or my vote goes for duncan
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