145g Reef Tank - Coral

Heliofungia actiniformis

Plate coral

This plate coral looks very similar to an anemone at first sight. It is however completely unrelated, actually an LPS.

I feed it a small piece of fish or krill once every two weeks, the rest of the time it catches whatever it can grab on to when I feed the fish.

They say one must place them on the sand substrate, but I found that by doing that they quickly become covered in sand and then obviously retract their tentacles.

It receives strong flow and strong light.

Cladiella?

Cladiella?

I could not find the scientific name for this soft coral. It attracted me since it does not grow like a tree (think Colt coral), but rather a small bush. In the flow of the water column the polyps sway graciously and fluidly.

I never target feed it - and it is currently on the substrate.

Currently it is located at a medium light and strong flow part of the tank.

Dendronephthya

Carnation coral

I bought this magnificent coral before I knew how difficult carnation corals are to keep.

Currently it is shaded from direct light, and a rather strong current flows over it.

I am trying different particle sizes in plankton as food - will see if I can keep it happy.

Montipora

Montipora

This montipora did not show any sighs of growth for the first 4 months since I bought it. The past two weeks changed all that.

One can clearly see the light pink band around the cup where new growth is starting. I do however believe my lighting/flow is insufficient since unless this is a slow growing coral, it is not flourishing.

Acropora

Acropora

What can I say? I bought this acropora as a tiny maricultured specimen and within 8 months it grew like this. There is no stopping it.

I will soon have to trim it as it is very close to the surface.

It receives rather strong flow and the most lighting in the tank.

Galaxea fascicularis

Galaxy coral

This galaxy is beautiful when the current sways the green tipped tentacles. As you can see it became damaged recently and the tissue receded. I am very confident the reason for this is due to the fact that my leather coral was placed upstream about 10cm away from it. I believe the leather exuded lots of chemicals and this caused RTN.

It kept on receding, and stopped the moment I removed the leather coral to my new 480g tank and moved the galaxy back to the back of the tank where I originally placed it.

It receives strong flow and medium lighting.

Seriatopora caliendrum

Club finger coral

I immediately fell for this magnificent coral. If you look closely it has thousands of flower like polyps always open and swaying in the water column.

Beware however it has a potent sting - as it is currently stinging my colt coral.

It receives medium flow and strong lighting.

Euphyllia divisa

Frogspawn coral

At night this euphyllia generates sweeper tentacles 3-5 times the length of the tentacles as shown here. Therefore I have not placed it next to any competing corals.

It readily takes pieces of mysis.

Medium flow and strong lighting seems to make this coral happy.

Euphyllia divisa

Frogspawn coral

For some unknown reason this euphyllia lost two of its heads recently - the tissue just melted away.

It could be due to a number of reasons - most probably linked to the chemicals the leather coral exuded.

It receives medium flow and strong lighting.

Euphyllia paradivisa

Hammer coral

A beautiful coral indeed. I rarely target feed it as it catches small pieces of shrimp when I feed the fish.

It receives medium flow and medium lighting.

Tubastraea aurea

Yellow sun coral

This is one of my saddest stories. As beautiful as my sun coral looks here (when I just started the tank), it gradually started to become less healthy. It was all my fault - I did not feed it at least twice a week anymore, I got lazy and only target fed it about once in three to four weeks.

Eventually a small piece of the tissue receded on one head, and immediately the bryopsis took over.

It is now almost completely lost :(

Zoanthus

Zoanthids

These zoanthids have doubled in size since I bought them. They took over the adjacent rock and are really flourishing.

They are located where there is good flow and strong lighting.

Alcyonium

Colt coral

From a limp, unhappy colt coral to this amazing tree like host to my clownfish, my colt coral really seemed to have taken off.

Sarcophyton

Leather coral

This leather was very happy in my tank, but eventually became too big and spent most of the final days retracted.

Since I removed it to my 480g tank it is much happier.

Rhodactis?

Mushroom

These mushrooms were stung by my green anemone, and now only a couple of organisms are still alive.

They receive a bit too much flow so they are not extremely happy.

Porites

Porites

A picture of my porites with the christmas tree worms. The porites changed from a pink colour to this dark brown. I assume it is due to the zooxanthellae multiplying.

It seems very happy and lots of growth is evident. It is placed in a strong current, with strong lighting.

Rhodactis

Mushroom

These mushrooms are multiplying but at a very slow rate. I believe there is a bit too much flow, but they receive just enough light.

I never target feed them.

Favia

Closed brain coral

This brain coral had been with me since the beginning. However I cannot see any growth. It is also not dying - so I am not sure what is going on.

It has lots of light but not too strong water flow.

A week ago I saw its sweeper tentacles for the first time - they look very similar to galaxy's sweeper tentacles.

Acropora

Acropora

Another sad story. The white acropora to the right died - it is now covered in algae. The pink acropora on the left is still alive but I cannot see any signs of growth. Flow and light is very similar to the other acropora I have that is flourishing.

Palythoa

Zoanthid

These zoanthids came with the live rock. Actually, they were not visible and grew to be this size.

They feed on the pieces of krill and other shrimp I feed to my fish.

Undescribed

Yellow polyps

When I purchased this rock with yellow polyps there were only a handful. Since then they multiplied so much as to have spread to the rocks next to it.

It started to sting my Stylophora, so I moved it away.

They love cyclopeeze.