Black Tubastrea

[michael_cb_125]

Hello everyone!

I am in the process of finding a few Black Tubastrea colonies. For a coral that is not that pricey or rare, they sure are difficult to find.

Does anyone have any idea where I may look, or have you seen any for sale as of late?


Thanks

~Michael

 

[stunreefer]

Michael, if you have any decent LFS around they're generally on their lists - might try to have one bring some in for you.

You could also have the good docs email you when they get some: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+321+424&pcatid=424

I'm sure you know, but Tubastrea micrantha can vary in "stalk" and polyp color, along with growth forms (branching vs. ball)... that's one thing that makes me less inclined to order them online unless it's WYSIWYG, as you won't know what you're going to get! Then again, momma says life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get

This is probably the nicest colors I've seen on one, this is Merriqs piece:

 

[michael_cb_125]

I love that piece, great color.

So far all the corals that I have added to the tank have been WYSIWYG. But I "aint skeered" to try my chances with a sight un seen order, provided it is with a quality vendor (LA, BZ, etc)

I would love to get my hands on a few nice branching "trees".

Unfortunately, the LFS around here are terrible and I do not give them my money.

~Michael

 

[stunreefer]

 

[E.intheC]

I've only seen them every now and then in the LFS's around here. They usually last a week or two and then are gone. Unlike many other corals, they typically only come in one at a time.

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

I'm pretty sure the "branching" black Tubastrea variety is T. micrantha and the "ball" variety is T. diaphana. T. micrantha needs a lot of food and a lot of flow, similar to what you have need for Acropora sp. They're actually found in the same places as Acropora and other high flow/high light corals.

 

[gobygoddess]

I'm pretty sure the "branching" black Tubastrea variety is T. micrantha and the "ball" variety is T. diaphana. T. micrantha needs a lot of food and a lot of flow, similar to what you have need for Acropora sp. They're actually found in the same places as Acropora and other high flow/high light corals.

NICE! Like it as much as this if not more...

my dendro

 

[ChadTheSpike]

I love that piece, great color.

So far all the corals that I have added to the tank have been WYSIWYG. But I "aint skeered" to try my chances with a sight un seen order, provided it is with a quality vendor (LA, BZ, etc)

I would love to get my hands on a few nice branching "trees".

Unfortunately, the LFS around here are terrible and I do not give them my money.

~Michael

Micheal,

I have the same problem with lfs'... About 1.5 hours away, though, there is a pretty good one whereI saw a nice black tubastrea specimen in. The place does ship and has good quality stuff.

http://www.exoticaquatics.com/index.html

Good luck,

Chad

 

[foxhuntr]

i have a colony of black sun coral with about 15-20 heads on it ...... it is the branching.... nice and healthy and eat like pigs... they look better in person and without a flash....

 

[foxhuntr]

this is with a flash....they looking like a black blob without a flash

 

[uhuru]

came as a hitchhiker on a sponge rock - of course, it not really a hitchhiker to me!

just got it tonight and its eaten 3 times in the last 5 hrs... these guys are hungry! they engulf their food very fast.

 

[Romulox234]

Do they only branch out when they spread or are there types that spread all over the rocks like a regular orange sun coral?

 

[uhuru]

mine appear to be the type that just spread over the rock, I would love to get my hands on branching ones but I've been on multiple waiting lists for a months now without any luck

 

[Romulox234]

Id like to get my hands on the ones that spread all over the rock!

I used to have a branching type but it was a pain to feed since some polyps were on the underside and backside and some i just couldnt get to they were at such wierd angles

 

[suta4242]

mine appear to be the type that just spread over the rock, I would love to get my hands on branching ones but I've been on multiple waiting lists for a months now without any luck

T. micranthus are really hard to feed because of the obliquely angled polyps IME. So if you get one go for small colonies or better still frags less than 15cm. If you get an actual tree there'll be hundreds of polyps and feeding won't be easy. The large one I had required being put in a bucket to feed! And it preferred flow to fully expand the polyps etc... So if you get one like this my advice is to frag it into manageable sized pieces. JMO/E

:wave:

 

[Romulox234]

+1 on the above, the oblique polyps are hard to get to
I also noticed that it opened up really nice pretty much all the time during the day when it was directly in front of the korelia, IMO they prefer SPS type flow rather than low flow like there orange cousins

 

[ecologic2020]

Green sun polyps galore!

Green sun polyps galore!

We have plenty of T. micranthus and can ship anywhere but California. They come in as part of our coral reef research samples from oil platforms. We can send small, medium and large pieces (golf ball, orange, and cabbage sizes) to anyone who may be interested in helping with the research. I can be reached at scottporter@ecorigs.org for more info.

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

Already sold but:
http://www.cherrycorals.com/product.php?productid=4341&cat=168&page=1