Plate coral placement

[TruReef]

Im seeing conflicting info on this....where should it be, on the sand bed or on the rocks?

From Live Aquaria- With placement in the aquarium, keep in mind that it will often inflate itself with water and expand to twice its size. It will do best on the bottom of a reef aquarium, preferably lying on a fine sandy substrate.

From ReefKeeping Magazine- On the reef, Fungia are often found on small rock ledges, not necessarily on sand surfaces; and only at night do plate corals completely extend their tentacles and swell up with water as they actively try to capture plankton.

 

[discocarp]

They're fine either way. I keep mine on the glass in a bare bottom tank. In the wild I saw them while snorkeling in the Philippines on large flat rocks.

They do move themselves so falls are a risk.

 

[cloak]

Mine have always done well on the sand bed. I didn't want to risk putting them on the reef slope, being that they can move & all.

 

[kurt_n]

Im seeing conflicting info on this....where should it be, on the sand bed or on the rocks?

From Live Aquaria- With placement in the aquarium, keep in mind that it will often inflate itself with water and expand to twice its size. It will do best on the bottom of a reef aquarium, preferably lying on a fine sandy substrate.

From ReefKeeping Magazine- On the reef, Fungia are often found on small rock ledges, not necessarily on sand surfaces; and only at night do plate corals completely extend their tentacles and swell up with water as they actively try to capture plankton.

I don't see this as conflicting... Live Aquaria is talking about "in the aquarium" and ReefKeeping says "On the reef, Fungia are often found..." That's not to say that they aren't found on the sandbed also! My guess is the ones on the sandbed live a much longer life than the ones found on the rocks!

When I kept them, they would swell up and move themselves any time of the day, and often... regardless of the flow they were in. They just plain move, period. So if you put them on the rock, don't be surprised to wake up in the morning with them upside down in the sand with damaged tissue!

 

[cloak]

Here's a good article.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/4/inverts

HTH.

 

[triggreef]

I don't see this as conflicting... Live Aquaria is talking about "in the aquarium" and ReefKeeping says "On the reef, Fungia are often found..." That's not to say that they aren't found on the sandbed also! My guess is the ones on the sandbed live a much longer life than the ones found on the rocks!

When I kept them, they would swell up and move themselves any time of the day, and often... regardless of the flow they were in. They just plain move, period. So if you put them on the rock, don't be surprised to wake up in the morning with them upside down in the sand with damaged tissue!

I agree with this. My only issue with them is containing them. I keep some small rock rubble boardering to keep mine from moving too far.