Australian Millepora

[Me No Nemo]

Anyone have any experience with this Australian coral? Would love any advice as I've never grown this species personally. Thanks!

 

[murphreef]

what the heck is that thing? if thats a milli then there is a whole new breed out there lol

 

[danfrith]

Looks like lace coral. I think its non- photosynthetic.

 

[Amphiprion]

I can't tell if it is actually Millepora spp. or Stylaster spp. or similar hydrocoral (growth form points me to that). Millepora spp. are pretty easy to take care of and grow in conditions that suit many common sps corals. I would start out with lower light and acclimate slowly, though. Stylaster spp, on the other hand, pretty much never do well due to lack of proper foods (as well as info as to what those foods actually are).

 

[cham]

Very nice Marcye

 

[Me No Nemo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10421992#post10421992 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amphiprion
I can't tell if it is actually Millepora spp. or Stylaster spp. or similar hydrocoral (growth form points me to that). Millepora spp. are pretty easy to take care of and grow in conditions that suit many common sps corals. I would start out with lower light and acclimate slowly, though. Stylaster spp, on the other hand, pretty much never do well due to lack of proper foods (as well as info as to what those foods actually are).

I'm in the same boat...deciding between the millepora and stylaster. Came in as an Australian Fire Coral but doesn't sting...ask me how I know I'm just trying to figure out how to treat it. I have it in low light right now but don't want to deprive it of light if it needs it. Thanks Cham It really doesn't even look real!

 

[Rovert]

Saw some of this at an LFS in purple. Very cool. Good luck with it!

 

[Me No Nemo]

Well, Veron's Corals of the World points to Distichopora (hydrozoan) and they are azooxanthellate. The Hawaiian Edu labels the Hydrozoan fire corals (Millepora spp.). So, anyone have any thoughts on proper care?

 

[Me No Nemo]

Thanks, Rovert. I had a piece of purple that I kept for quite a while, but the structure was slightly different and it came in on some Tonga rock.

 

[Diamandi]

Looks simillar to red sea millepora. I've never seen any other sps arround it while divind; moreover there are some divers that noticed it stinging.
I wouldn't try it in aquarium with other corals (IMO).

 

[ned2getfish]

That is just a fire coral use to seem the all the time 15yrs ago

 

[karlmarx]

I used to have that before my tank crashed. It grows like GSP and encrusts rockslike crazy. It is very aggressive and will kill coral it grows near. I had mine located at the floor of the aquarium with high flow. Like I said its braches encrusted any rock it came into contact with and spread from there.

 

[Amphiprion]

You are right--it should be Distichopora spp. I simply mixed the two up--Stylaster is much thinner and delicate looking.

 

[Serioussnaps]

I don't see any polyps...it looks fake.

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10425373#post10425373 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Serioussnaps
I don't see any polyps...it looks fake.

It has polyps, but it is a hydrocoral, so they are tiny and within the pores.

 

[Vanquish]

Agree on the Distichopora ID.... This species require constand feeding of phytoplankton... I've kept a purple one before and it wasted away slowly as I do not dose phytoplankton...