Proper placement for Alveopora and Frogspawn

[Gomrjoe]

Hi,

New to LPS, not new to the hobby. Need some advice on placement of some branching Alveopora and a Frogspawn that I recently purchased about 2 1/2 weeks ago.

The Alveopora is a nice piece, but tricky to place because of the shape, it keeps falling over. It seems to be doing better now, I have it about middle to high in my tank, low water flow. Still not sure if it is fully happy yet.

As for the Frogspawn, it is about middle also, low to to moderate flow. The Frogspawn is definitely doing better now, I think I finally found it a home, but still curious on proper placement recommendations.

Do either of these corals require feeding? What placement would you suggest?

Tank Specs:
610 Watts: 350 MH / 260 PC Actinics
100 gal

Params:
sg: 1.024
temp: 77.5
nitrates: < 10
ammonia and nitrites: 0
PO4: 0
Calcium: 420

 

[fierceseaman]

frogspawn seems to enjoy a moderate flow and moderate lighting but I have mine pretty high in my tank under T5s. not MH but not what i would call moderate either. I also feed my frogspawn some shrimp from the grocery store once or twice a week, cut it up so that the FS has an easier time swallowing it. Only feed it at night once the tentacles have retracted to their night time length. You also might have to hold the shrimp in place for a while to get the FS to latch on.

I've also heard some suggestions that FS seem to enjoy a little higher nitrates than your average coral, something in the order or 10-20 ppm but that is just anecdotal and nothing I would take as gospel.

Hope that helps.

 

[chris wright]

Mate Alveopora are not an easy care coral, compared to other LPS. They have similar requirements to Goniopora. I'm not saying they are impossible to keep, just have more demanding requirements.

Here's a link to a good source on Goniopora, worth checking out, they even have a forum on this site that deals with these corals only.

Goniopora.org

HTH

Cheers

Chris

 

[Gomrjoe]

Great resource!

Thanks Chris... I checked out that site, it had a ton of information. I have been using Phytoplankton already and CyclopsEeze, now I know that I should target feed.

The only question I have that I did not see on that site, or just missed, is when to feed... should I feed it when the light is on or off? At night the polyps are not out, so I am guessing it has to be during the light cycle.

Thanks!

 

[ILoveReefer]

Daytime when the polyps are fully opened

 

[chris wright]

I find with my goni that it will accept food at any time :lol: If you have any fish in the tank, it would be an idea to feed after lights out. I have a canary wrasse that continually stole food from my goni, so now i feed after lights out.
But if you find that you have to feed during the day do so. If there is fish, feed them first to get their attention away from the alveopora, because they wiil steal the food if given the chance.

I have also found that Brine shrimp is a good food to encourage feeding as well, the coral gets used to accepting food of this size which I like, as I know that it's feeding.

My tank has a side light beside it so I can see whats going on after the main lights go out. Prime time for feeding, as their is no fish around then and this encourages the coral to keep its polyps out, in my experience anyway.

Cheers

Chris

 

[Gomrjoe]

Perhaps this is a silly question, but how do you know when the Avleopora is actually feeding? I know with Frogspawn and other LPS they have tentacles that are sticky that the food can stick to, and then they open up in the middle and a mouth appears, but what about Avleopora?

Thanks,

 

[ILoveReefer]

I only have experience with branching Alveopora. Never did actually see it feed because its mouths are so small. Planktonic and Brine is whats recommended and I have been squirting this in his direction in my tank twice a week for over a year. Never seen him eat but he's doing well.

 

[Gomrjoe]

Thats what I did last night, I targed fed some CyclopsEeze and I dose phytoplankton into my current twice a week, so hopefully between those methods it will thrive.

I have branching avleopora also, so far it is doing well, it is fully open. It has almost been one month since we got it. I will try and snap a couple of pics tonight and post.

 

[chris wright]

Try feeding foods that are small enough for the coral to accept, and also that wiil allow you visual recognition that the food has been acepted. Brine shrimp is good for this. Turn your circulation system/power heads off so you can see if the coral is hanging on to what it is feed. I find this the easiest method.

Cheers

Chris