Acropora Spathulata

[Aww7979]

Anyone else growing out A. Spathulata? I have a nice colony that is starting to get some nice color in it, but it grows pretty slowly for me. I'm looking for experienced stories or possible frags to swap or buy. I love the pic I see online, but I'm not able to reproduce the colors I see.

 

[mc-cro]

I had a very nice wild colony from Unique, at the 6 month point it hadnt grown, and actually started to STN. I fragged it out and save 3 little nubs. that was about 3-4 months ago, those nubs are holding on and coloring up, but absolutely no growth. One of the frags has encrusted maybe a few millmeters, but thats it.

 

[Aww7979]

What kind of color? Have pics?

 

[mc-cro]

I dont have any current pictures of the nubs, but here is a picture of the colony when it came in

 

[Jettareefer]

I have one I bought for $2 a year ago from lfs that was a 1 branch turd brown frag. Fast forward to today it's a light green with orange highlights. Theses acros have a very cool growth structure I have a crappy actinic photo I'll post.

 

[biggles]

Here's one of my spath pieces at night with a spathcrab - i may have made that name up.........

 

[toothman]

that coral does not grow for me.

 

[SPotter]

Mine has been fading just like pictures over the last few days. I thought it was because a emerald crab had been using it as its home but after seeing this thread I don't think so. Really bummed because it's such a beautiful piece.

 

[Dapg8gt]

I have a hard time with them also. I was given a thick multi branch 5" "frag" from a wild piece and it went from doing nothing for a few months, to rtn'g and me saving a few nubs then fast forward 5 months( this month) later the last nub just lost its tissue and is gone.. I will try another eventually as I feel I need to have one now that I lost it =).

 

[badguitarist]

I purchased a 1 inch frag in October. after a month in quarantine where it promptly browned out. it went into my display. By now the color is doing better (pink with green highlights but still not completely colored up) and growth is great. This coral started encrusting almost immediately. after 6 weeks in the display it has fully encrusted the rock its on.

Here are the conditions it is kept in:

Light- a foot under 250W Radium 20,000k PAR about 250

Flow- very brisk. water turns over about 60 times per hour. Sits on top of reef ledge where four return lines hooked up to a sqwd spray it with alternating currents. also close to a vortech set on alternating currents

Water parameters- Normal. Sg 1.026, Cal 340 ppm, Alk 11DKH, Mag 1350ppm, pH 8.05-8.2, temp 76-78.

This is a 60 gallon tank that receives very heavy feedings (3-4 times daily) of fresh seafood run through a blender and 30 gallon water changes every 1-2 weeks.

Hope this helps.

 

[Piper27]

Jetta and biggles are you sure thoes are spathulata? They look a little more like a Millie or something.

I have a frag that struggled for a few months and finally is encrusting and growing small nubs on its side. Hopefully when I give it more light it would grow a little. I saw someone's pic of one they had been growing but its growth was very skinny which made it look like it wasn't a spath. There are so few pictures of this coral grown in tanks so its hard to even tell what it would loom lime with new growth. A friend does have a green one he is having luck with maybe he will chime in. His colorful ones are not growing though.

 

[fishguy597]

+1 they look more like a Mille to me. Mc-cro looks more like it to me. The coralites are different. I picked one up about 2-3 months ago. It's encrusting and has a couple nubs starting to grow. I have mine in the upper third of the tank. It's getting pounded with flow and loves it. The color has come around to a pink,red,blue, and hues of white. The polyps are always out but it's not as hairy as a milli. I'll try to post a pic when the lights come on.

 

[Piper27]

I have not seen a spath with polyps that stick out much at all, mostly they seem to stay close to the coral body. But doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I would love to see pics of a fuzzy spath.

 

[biggles]

Ignore my pic as i think you're right Piper

 

[Piper27]

Well we cant ignore beautiful pics from you but I will try if you say so...

 

[Piper27]

The big colony you added to your tank seems like it could be a spath from what I remember though biggles. Was it?

 

[fishguy597]

Sorry small phone pic

 

[biggles]

Do you mean this one mate, pretty sure it's a milli.

This was that other one btw when i first got it as a little brown turd.

 

[Piper27]

Yea that one.

 

[Aww7979]

I dont have any current pictures of the nubs, but here is a picture of the colony when it came in

That is sweet, I hope your frags come back!