hydnophora good starter?

thecichlidpleco · 09/25/2007, 07:58 PM

Just started frag tank, 10 gallon with 70w MH, might switch to 20 gallon due to all the evopration, but it is sunpod, so I am limited on length. Anyways, I know hydnophora is aggressive when it comes to neighbors, but would this be an easy enough sps to start out with. I read that they are not too picky about flow or lighting.

JetCat USA · 09/25/2007, 08:18 PM

they are pretty hardy but they do like flow and they don't fair well with low lighting but lighting shouldn't be a problem with the sunpod over the 10

3mrhythm · 10/01/2007, 09:44 PM

they grow like weeds and are super hardy

chrismhaase · 10/01/2007, 09:45 PM

Ditto. Mine likes some water movement.

TwistedTiger · 10/04/2007, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thecichlidpleco
Anyways, I know hydnophora is aggressive when it comes to neighbors, but would this be an easy enough sps to start out with.

I believe hydnophora is considered an LPS, but it is easy to keep. However it is deadly to almost anything it touches so give it room.

JetCat USA · 10/04/2007, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TwistedTiger
I believe hydnophora is considered an LPS ........

it's considered an SPS, if there was a classification of MPS (medium polyp stony) then it'd fall into that rank

Norwood IND · 10/04/2007, 07:43 PM

Hmmm... I would start out with something less aggressive like digitata or birds nest...

zdawgnight · 10/04/2007, 09:05 PM

yeah then we can share frags!!!

five.five-six · 10/04/2007, 09:22 PM

caps are perty ez to start with

HBtank · 10/04/2007, 10:12 PM

I find mine to be easy. Likes flow and light, growing like a weed. I recently increased the room around it by alot before it got aggressive. It is an awesome flourecent green and has done nothing but look good and grow since day one.

Oldude · 10/04/2007, 11:34 PM

They are easy but aggressive.

wentreefgirl · 10/05/2007, 04:53 AM

Eh, I would go with something prettier and less deadly. They can shoot out sweepers that would extend halfway across your ten and kill whatever else in site. Then what. Start all over again. What they said. Digis or caps maybe.

JetCat USA · 10/05/2007, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wentreefgirl
Eh, I would go with something prettier and less deadly. They can shoot out sweepers that would extend halfway across your ten and kill whatever else in site. Then what. Start all over again. What they said. Digis or caps maybe.

I've always heard that but myself I've never had mine extend sweepers. anyone got some pics of theirs with sweepers extended??

mine has done quiet well, as has the cap that's right next to it. i do frag it before the two touch but it gets within a 1/2" and never a problem. it's also IMO a very attractive eye appealing coral.

and a top down:

HBtank · 10/05/2007, 06:47 AM

Yeh, I would hardly call them unnatractive. If there is a more solid/bright flourecent green branching coral, I have yet to see it, not to mention the long polyps that love current.

I have the same variety and have also never seen sweepers, but still keep things away. I hope it stays peaceful.

PSam · 10/05/2007, 08:23 AM

The sweepers are pretty amazing. I've walked to tank only to find a neighboring coral covered in them, dead.

stony_corals · 10/05/2007, 09:33 AM

JetCat, very nice! I've had them in the past, and didn't notice the sweepers.(Doesn't mean they weren't there though). Awesome!

elkinsda · 10/05/2007, 10:05 AM

Hydnophora is a really awesome coral. I've got a piece of encrusting hydnophora, my other piece was lost due to a alk drop.

I've not seen a coral yet that can out match a hydnophora sting!

bureau13 · 10/05/2007, 10:38 AM

Mine is fairly cool, but nowhere near as gorgeous as JetCats. I've also never seen any evidence of long streamers, however it did fall off its perch once, right between an acro and an A. millepora and wiped out the close half of both.

jds

GatorWPB · 10/06/2007, 09:23 AM

There are several different kinds of hydno. Mine is less fuzzy and a lighter green. But it is beautiful and grows really well in the bottom half of my tank. Very hardy too. Ive never seen long sweepers, and I always check just to make sure.

JetCat USA · 10/06/2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GatorWPB
There are several different kinds of hydno. Mine is less fuzzy and a lighter green.

encrusting and branching but there are different color variants. lighting/flow/water quality and the other usuals play a part in how 'fuzzy' they are. when i got this one back in 03 it was presumed to be dead but algae never grew over the skeleton so a guy just gave it to me and said 'I think it's still alive'. it sat in my tank for a month as a slightly green tinted skeleton that still never grew algae over any part of it, about another month later it slowly started expanding tissue, another month later it had some slight polyp expansion. i did some digging and this is from Aug 04.

in the above pic in my previous post the small lighter more yellow color one was supposed to be an encrusting, but as we can see that just isn't the case

09/25/2007, 07:58 PM	#1
thecichlidpleco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,231	hydnophora good starter? Just started frag tank, 10 gallon with 70w MH, might switch to 20 gallon due to all the evopration, but it is sunpod, so I am limited on length. Anyways, I know hydnophora is aggressive when it comes to neighbors, but would this be an easy enough sps to start out with. I read that they are not too picky about flow or lighting. __________________ knowledge is power, power leads to abuse, study hard, be evil Owning a tank is like being with that girlfriend who could care less about you, but you couldn't stand being without her. Current Tank Info: 125 Reef, (3) 250w aquamedic oceanlights ETSS 600 skimmer, mag12 return, (2) Tunze 6055's with 7095 controller, 100 gallon sump

10/01/2007, 09:45 PM	#4
chrismhaase Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Tampa, FL- (Fish Hawk) Posts: 2,417	Ditto. Mine likes some water movement. __________________ Click the red house to see my 90 SPS build. Always accepting frags!! Current Tank Info: 90 SPS Dominated, 2 250w IceCap ballasts firing 2 14K Aqua Connect MH lights, IceCap 660 firing 4 110w VHOs, Euro Reef 180, DIY Canopy and Stand, 100 gallon Rubbermaid sump, Tunze 6000 X 2, Tunze 7095, Tunze 6045, 2 Phosban Reactors, Panworld 50px-x

10/04/2007, 09:05 PM	#8
zdawgnight Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 433	yeah then we can share frags!!! __________________ "Hurting people is not a good thing! Well, sometimes it is...But not when its a bunch of people looking for something to eat!" Current Tank Info: 24 gal sps aquapod w/ 150mh and solana anemone tank w/ 150

10/04/2007, 09:22 PM	#9
five.five-six Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: California Posts: 4,548	caps are perty ez to start with __________________ Originally posted by yellowslayer13: "I hate that hole" Current Tank Info: Once upon a time I had: 180 gal mostly empty, ACIII, 250MH/VHO, e-Shops, jbj chiller, Kalkwasser doseing

10/04/2007, 11:34 PM	#11
Oldude Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 3,036	They are easy but aggressive. __________________ ______________________ Greg ~ April 2010 TOTM ~

09/25/2007, 08:18 PM	#2
JetCat USA Moved On Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 2,895	they are pretty hardy but they do like flow and they don't fair well with low lighting but lighting shouldn't be a problem with the sunpod over the 10

10/01/2007, 09:44 PM	#3
3mrhythm Moved On Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Farmington NH Posts: 88	they grow like weeds and are super hardy

10/04/2007, 07:43 PM	#7
Norwood IND Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Westchester, NY Posts: 213	Hmmm... I would start out with something less aggressive like digitata or birds nest...

10/04/2007, 10:12 PM	#10
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,472	I find mine to be easy. Likes flow and light, growing like a weed. I recently increased the room around it by alot before it got aggressive. It is an awesome flourecent green and has done nothing but look good and grow since day one.

10/05/2007, 04:53 AM	#12
wentreefgirl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New milford, ct Posts: 3,010	Eh, I would go with something prettier and less deadly. They can shoot out sweepers that would extend halfway across your ten and kill whatever else in site. Then what. Start all over again. What they said. Digis or caps maybe.

10/05/2007, 06:47 AM	#14
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,472	Yeh, I would hardly call them unnatractive. If there is a more solid/bright flourecent green branching coral, I have yet to see it, not to mention the long polyps that love current. I have the same variety and have also never seen sweepers, but still keep things away. I hope it stays peaceful. Last edited by HBtank; 10/05/2007 at 06:57 AM.

10/05/2007, 08:23 AM	#15
PSam Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 3,111	The sweepers are pretty amazing. I've walked to tank only to find a neighboring coral covered in them, dead. __________________ ..no vemos las cosas como son las vemos como somos nosotros...

10/05/2007, 09:33 AM	#16
stony_corals Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,339	JetCat, very nice! I've had them in the past, and didn't notice the sweepers.(Doesn't mean they weren't there though). Awesome!

10/05/2007, 10:05 AM	#17
elkinsda Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 299	Hydnophora is a really awesome coral. I've got a piece of encrusting hydnophora, my other piece was lost due to a alk drop. I've not seen a coral yet that can out match a hydnophora sting!

10/05/2007, 10:38 AM	#18
bureau13 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South Florida Posts: 1,946	Mine is fairly cool, but nowhere near as gorgeous as JetCats. I've also never seen any evidence of long streamers, however it did fall off its perch once, right between an acro and an A. millepora and wiped out the close half of both. jds

10/06/2007, 09:23 AM	#19
GatorWPB Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: West Palm Beach Posts: 568	There are several different kinds of hydno. Mine is less fuzzy and a lighter green. But it is beautiful and grows really well in the bottom half of my tank. Very hardy too. Ive never seen long sweepers, and I always check just to make sure.