impulse buy...SPS?

[FishWrangler]

On an impulse we purchased the coral below and I'm assuming it's an SPS coral. Can anyone ID it and give us the 411 on how to keep it healthy?

(clown goby will not leave it alone...)

 

[Netta]

I'm not an expert, but it kinda looks like a leather coral. If it is, that would make it a soft coral.

 

[rovster]

Definitely as SPS, and definitely in need of TLC!

 

[Nanook]

[moved]

 

[FishWrangler]

Definitely as SPS, and definitely in need of TLC!

Why is it definitely in need of TLC?? Looks like it did at the LFS.

<i>This thread has been moved to the current forum.</i>

I'm more interested in how to care for it then what it is, I'd appreciate my thread moved back to where I originally posted it.

 

[Frick]

It's a Sinularia species, aka finger leather. Not a SPS coral but a soft coral. It does have tiny little rice like skeleton pieces called sclerites, seen at the bottom. These can be examined to give you a better idea of which Sinularia it is you have. I am not great with IDing the exact species on leathers because there is much more info needed than a picture.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Finger_leather_coral,_Sinularia_polydactyla_(6165871011).jpg
http://www.zoologischemededelingen.nl/82/nr01/a16

 

[Frick]

Oh BTW keep an eye on the clown goby. They can agitate some corals until they die. I don't think it will be and issue with a soft coral like yours tho.

 

[FishWrangler]

Oh BTW keep an eye on the clown goby. They can agitate some corals until they die. I don't think it will be and issue with a soft coral like yours tho.

ty Frick, that's it! Also, appreciate the heads up on the clown goby, he loves that new coral!

 

[Frick]

ty Frick, that's it! Also, appreciate the heads up on the clown goby, he loves that new coral!

No problem, just make sure the goby doesn't love it too much. LOL

 

[JPMagyar]

No problem, just make sure the goby doesn't love it too much. LOL

Frick,

Please know that this is not a personal issue, but an honest desire to get to the "truth". So . . .

I agree that clown gobies are frequently accused of harassing acropora, but I keep several pairs in my tank at all times and have never lost an acropora due to "clown goby irritation". The tiny amount of research I found on them indicates they are likely symbiotes of acroporas, protecting them from pests rather than irritants themselves. Do you know of any actual scientific articles that show them to be harmful to acropora?

 

[Frick]

Frick,

Please know that this is not a personal issue, but an honest desire to get to the "truth". So . . .

I agree that clown gobies are frequently accused of harassing acropora, but I keep several pairs in my tank at all times and have never lost an acropora due to "clown goby irritation". The tiny amount of research I found on them indicates they are likely symbiotes of acroporas, protecting them from pests rather than irritants themselves. Do you know of any actual scientific articles that show them to be harmful to acropora?

I was merely warning the OP of the possibility of a clown goby getting carried away with perching in this corals. I did not say it was going to happen, but advising on observation of its behavior.

They can occasionally bother a coral to death. Here is one case;
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1482450

I have seen it happen to other reefer's tanks myself. I have also seen them live peacefully in an aquarium, it is something unpredictable, but I thought it was advise that should be taken into account.

 

[blackthunda77]

Frick,

Please know that this is not a personal issue, but an honest desire to get to the "truth". So . . .

I agree that clown gobies are frequently accused of harassing acropora, but I keep several pairs in my tank at all times and have never lost an acropora due to "clown goby irritation". The tiny amount of research I found on them indicates they are likely symbiotes of acroporas, protecting them from pests rather than irritants themselves. Do you know of any actual scientific articles that show them to be harmful to acropora?

I also depends highly on the size of tank you have. Seems like you have a 240 gal and ive seen some of your threads and you have a nice collection of corals. The OP has that coral and goby most likely in their 29 gal bio cube. The more corals the gobies can perch on throughout the day the less irritated an individual coral will get.

 

[FishWrangler]

I also depends highly on the size of tank you have. Seems like you have a 240 gal and ive seen some of your threads and you have a nice collection of corals. The OP has that coral and goby most likely in their 29 gal bio cube. The more corals the gobies can perch on throughout the day the less irritated an individual coral will get.

Yepper, it's in my 29g biocube and the goby is (almost) always on the coral....which doesn't seem to mind it.