Difficult Corals

[IndyMatt]

Mods do you think we can start a thread about difficult LPS corals. I have bought two corals because they looked good and thought they wouldn't be a problem. I think we need to start a thread so that it is more visible which corals to buy and which corals you need to do more research on before you get them. I know you are supposed to do research before you buy anything but when you see that piece of eye candy in the store....

My two were the following:

Long Tentacle Plate - Heliofungia actiniformis - Don't confuse this with the short tentacle plate.

Elegance Coral - Catalaphyllia jardinei - Used to be very hardy, todays specimens are parishing for some unknown reason.

I believe LFS should stop selling these two corals and they should be special order only. They have horrible life expectancies and are being collected from the wild where 90% of them die in captivity.

 

[John Kelly]

Re: Difficult Corals

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8222923#post8222923 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IndyMatt
I know you are supposed to do research before you buy anything but when you see that piece of eye candy in the store....

This is exactly why a sticky thread about difficult corals would be useless as a warning to noobs. It's a good idea, but once the coral is purchased it usually isn't returnable..........so you are stuck with it anyway.

Although I'm sure some would disagree with me, the responsibility of warning the consumer should lie on the shoulders of the LFS and their employees. If they don't want to take the responsibility, then the government may eventually do it for them in the form of regulations, restrictions, and licenses............some day.

 

[IndyMatt]

Re: Re: Difficult Corals

Re: Re: Difficult Corals

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8223528#post8223528 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by John Kelly

Although I'm sure some would disagree with me, the responsibility of warning the consumer should lie on the shoulders of the LFS and their employees. If they don't want to take the responsibility, then the government may eventually do it for them in the form of regulations, restrictions, and licenses............some day.

It would at least warn a few people, I tend to read sticky threads and it would help. At least it would raise the visibility and would help some. I actually do agree that the LFS employees should warn customers about difficult corals. I for one, would support legislation restricting the import of some corals. These LFS need to realize that eventually regulations will be here and species that perish in captivity will be the martyrs.

 

[blange3]

Great idea. I also think we need to point new reefers in the direction of good starter corals.

I think everyone should start with a 'beginner' tank to get an idea of the husbandry requirements. I have a 55 that was filled with all those corals people love to hate because they grow out of control; anthelia, kenya tree, green star polyps, but they are growing great, kept my interest going and I learned a lot about good care and maintenance practices for a year before I moved on to a tank focused on LPS.

Some of the eye candy that gives most reefers problems might do better in the hands of more seasoned aquarists. Look at goniporas. Most die, but some reefers have them reproducing and thriving.

 

[blange3]

There was a delay between my composing and posting my reply and I missed John's comments before I posted.

I agree that many noob's buy first and research later. And the more trusting among us actually believe that they have done their homework by discussing their choices with the LFS owner. But if there is a sticky, it could only help. Everyone needs to take stewardship of our living resources seriously. Both the LFS employee and the purchaser.

 

[Confooseld]

Re: Re: Difficult Corals

Re: Re: Difficult Corals

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8223528#post8223528 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by John Kelly
This is exactly why a sticky thread about difficult corals would be useless as a warning to noobs. It's a good idea, but once the coral is purchased it usually isn't returnable..........so you are stuck with it anyway.

Although I'm sure some would disagree with me, the responsibility of warning the consumer should lie on the shoulders of the LFS and their employees. If they don't want to take the responsibility, then the government may eventually do it for them in the form of regulations, restrictions, and licenses............some day.

BS I've researched all my stuff before hand and still gotten screwed a couple times because the book was wrong but people didn't have a sticky online. Though of course I don't consider coming on here posting "is xxx coral easy to keep" research as so many people are totally clueless.

 

[lakehorse61]

I wish i would have read this before i bought one last week. it is my second. i bought one a year ago but it was in a smaller tank without my superduper filtration & lightning.........guess it didnt matter. it started dying within 3 days & was rotting in a week before i pulled the thing out stinking like a dead anemone i helped a friend retrieve from her tank.

yuck....

i am taking the skeleton back to the LFS today. $130 is alot of money for 3 days of beauty. i should have known better.

 

[TheBigOne]

you gotta do your homework before you buy. thats all there is to it. if you can't keep yourself from buying something pretty, there's an issue with self control. sticky after sticky will end up consuming so much space it will become a book or article in and of itself... there are already articles and info in books and magazines.

plus forums are for asking questions and getting answers. post here and get an answer. it will take 10 minutes or less to get a response, enough time to go back to the store and buy the animal before the next customer.

also, if people didnt try to keep hard corals we'd never make any progess in their husbandry. before your time acropora were EXTREMELY difficult to maintain. people thought they were impossible. but today they are not at all hard, varying on species of course.

eventually someone, maybe a novice, will unlock the key to maintaining goniopora or elegance or whatever else. we cant ban difficult species because people wasted their time and money buying eye candy.

doesnt that make sense?

 

[lovelylinda]

I would welcome a newbie guide- despite my research, I've been sold a couple of corals that I shouldn't have, Now I trust what I've read and ignore the lfs's advice to the contrary. My corals have all flourished, but as a newbie, I'm only interested in starter corals. I don't want to kill anything. I started with easy fish, and intend to make haste slowly. So far, I've had a very positive experience, and my newbie tank is beautiful.

 

[blange3]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8229929#post8229929 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheBigOne
you gotta do your homework before you buy. thats all there is to it. if you can't keep yourself from buying something pretty, there's an issue with self control. sticky after sticky will end up consuming so much space it will become a book or article in and of itself... there are already articles and info in books and magazines.

plus forums are for asking questions and getting answers. post here and get an answer. it will take 10 minutes or less to get a response, enough time to go back to the store and buy the animal before the next customer.

also, if people didnt try to keep hard corals we'd never make any progess in their husbandry. before your time acropora were EXTREMELY difficult to maintain. people thought they were impossible. but today they are not at all hard, varying on species of course.

eventually someone, maybe a novice, will unlock the key to maintaining goniopora or elegance or whatever else. we cant ban difficult species because people wasted their time and money buying eye candy.

doesnt that make sense?

A lot of good points, and I certainly don't think we need to clone the Tang Police and have our own squad of LPS police here.

And I know that too many stickies will just make things more confusing, but I think a basic list of commonly available LPS and a difficulty rating might save some corals, and keep the noobs from making as many silly mistakes as they might without.

My live rock collection is filled with skeletons of LPS I killed about 6 years ago when all I used for info was the advice of a well respected LFS owner and books. My rebirth as a reefer came 2 years ago with a heavy use of RC and other forums, and I haven't killed a piece of coral yet.

Someday I do plan on giving some of the difficult LPS a try. I believe that experienced hobbyists can make valid discoveries about coral husbandry, but the rookies need to learn the basics on Kenya Trees, Candycanes and Frogspawns; not on Heliofungias and elegance corals IMHO.

 

[lakehorse61]

I took 1/2 the responsibility in this purchase & the LFS gave me 1/2 credit which was nice. I would love to be successful at keeping an elegance but i dont think i will try again.

i will stick to my anemones, zoes, mushrooms, hammers, torches, clams, & leathers(oh & fish of course). Acroporas have not be my friend either.

 

[blange3]

I think there is something to be said for focusing a tank on specific groups of corals, especially in moderate sized tanks.

My return to reefing was fueled by a free 55 gallon tank and stand. I got it going with easy softies and an LTA that I've had for 7 years. I always liked LPS the best and started adding some frags of frogspawn and candycanes. The LPS were growing slowly, but not like the softies.

Next I got a good deal on a 75 with a sump. I took my time and cycled it for 5 months with the intention of making it an LPS only tank. While I was waiting I got some leathers from a friend and the 55 was packed. Everything looked good, but not a lot of growth.

When the 75 was mature enough, I moved the LPS to that tank, tuned the flow to be Eupyllia friendly and started adding more LPS. Lots of improved growth in both tanks since I'm tailoring things to their specific needs.

 

[IndyMatt]

So are there any other fussy LPS corals besides Elegance and Long Tentacle Plates?

Also, 75% of the elegance is dead and rotting there are two polyps that are doing halfway okay. Should I frag these off of the main piece?

 

[John Kelly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8237379#post8237379 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IndyMatt
So are there any other fussy LPS corals besides Elegance and Long Tentacle Plates?

Goniopora

Originally posted</a> by IndyMatt
Also, 75% of the elegance is dead and rotting there are two polyps that are doing halfway okay. Should I frag these off of the main piece?

You could try, but if it were mine, I wouldn't bother. The disease that causes their decline is contagious so chances are the two polyps are already doomed.

 

[rcklbs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8230461#post8230461 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lovelylinda
I would welcome a newbie guide- despite my research, I've been sold a couple of corals that I shouldn't have, Now I trust what I've read and ignore the lfs's advice to the contrary. My corals have all flourished, but as a newbie, I'm only interested in starter corals. I don't want to kill anything. I started with easy fish, and intend to make haste slowly. So far, I've had a very positive experience, and my newbie tank is beautiful.

You might check out extreme corals website they have a page that deals with corals and level of care needed. They are also very upfront about what you should and should'nt have based on your setup and experience level. Hope this helps.

boomer 609

 

[blange3]

So John,

It looks like you might be a source of Gonipora tips.

 

[lakehorse61]

indy i would bag the elegance before it fouls your tank. it is a nasty situation if that happens.

 

[whatcaneyedo]

... a LFS just brought in another elegance coral. They just hired a new fish department person and I guess they thought the name on the order list looked attractive. They had just bought in one earlier this summer that died within a week. I wonder how many have to die before they get a clue. Anyways I was wondering if someone could post some information about why the long tentacle plates are difficult as I see the focus on this thread has been exclusively on elegance?