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View Full Version : Who has the largest bubble coral???


Aquabucket
08/19/2006, 06:23 PM
Just wondering who has the largest bubble coral out there. Mine expands to over a foot in dia. I am hoping it won't get too much bigger or I might have to trade it out or sell it. Luckily though the sweepers never get more than an inch or two.

Here is a pic of mine under T5 actinics:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/537/32290Cardinals01.jpg

xcreonx
08/19/2006, 06:49 PM
Nice! I had one that would expand to maybe 8 inches. One of my fav corals for sure.

ACBlinky
08/19/2006, 06:57 PM
Wow, a foot! Mine used to expand to ~8" or so. I added a bit more flow and moved the bubble closer to the lights, now it expands to about 6". Mine's absolutely vicious, it produces long sweepers (for a bubble) when it's hungry and killed my cleaner shrimp a while back. Now it has a good 6" of space on all sides, but I'll probably have to sell it once it gets as large as yours!

Aquabucket
08/19/2006, 07:01 PM
Looks like my estimation was a bit off. I just measured it and its expanding to 10-1/2 inches. I really hope that is its maximum size ~ the coral is about 2 years old.

jessezm
08/19/2006, 08:20 PM
Is there really ever a "maximum" size for a coral? I mean, with proper conditions why would it ever stop growing?

Aquabucket
08/19/2006, 09:09 PM
Don't know how big they can get in captivity or the wild ~ that's why I posted. I doubt one could get to the size of a volkswagon but who knows?

jessezm
08/19/2006, 09:14 PM
If it could I think it would be a good candidate for a horror movie!

Konadog
08/19/2006, 09:29 PM
I had one in my old 100 gallon tank that was over 17" x 12" when fully expanded.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/9086bubble1.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/9086bubble.JPG

As you can see, it would sting anything it could to gain more room.

Aquabucket
08/19/2006, 09:34 PM
Holy #&*@!!!

Looks like I am headed for trouble. Did you ever try cutting it back? It also looks like yours has 2 seperate heads/stalks?

Konadog
08/19/2006, 09:42 PM
It was all one piece! The skeleton curved around a few times, a little larger than a softball. I never tried to split it, but Anthony Calfo has done it by splitting the skeleton, and over time, slowly separating the two pieces letting the flesh tear on it's own.

menard
08/19/2006, 10:39 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7973436#post7973436 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Konadog
I had one in my old 100 gallon tank that was over 17" x 12" when fully expanded.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/9086bubble1.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/9086bubble.JPG

As you can see, it would sting anything it could to gain more room. That poor birdsnest toast.:(

Serioussnaps
08/19/2006, 11:38 PM
uh huh

Flatlander
08/20/2006, 08:12 AM
Mine was close to 1.5ft. sq. and could reach even more to sting neighbours. I had it almost 12 yrs. before a large Tuxedo urchin, that was just staying temporary in my tank, mauled it, giving it some type of infection and downhill it went. :mad:

I only have a couple close ups left in my gallery w/the cinnamons that use to live in it. They moved to the pictured pipe after it died.

The base, which was the size of a golf ball when purchased, needed two hands to hold it. I once thought about cutting the base and then slowly pulling the coral apart, a little at a time, over many months. I read someplace that they separate. Never had the guts to try it though.