Questions About My Order

[Yedgy]

Hello,

I just received my first order from LiveAquaria (4 aquacultured soft corals). Your packaging was very impressive, to say the least! Three of the corals seem to have made it through the shipping process unharmed, but unfortunately the lemon tree Neospongodes seems to have suffered some structural damage. FWIW, the package showed no outward sign of abuse or mishandling by the shipper. The coral's "trunk" was sharply bent, with a clear kink in it. Unlike its purple cousin, it has not exhibited any inflation or polyp extension at all. Hopefully it will show some signs of life tomorrow. I'm obviously worried about it, but I remain hopeful! Is this behavior normal among Neospongodes specimens?

My other question is about the square aragonite plugs on which the frags are mounted. What's the recommended way of cutting them down? I'd like to cut them close to the frags and remove much of the depth before mounting on the LR with aquascaping epoxy once I move them to their final locations.

Thanks in advance for your help! I'm looking forward to receiving my Fiji yellow leather tomorrow.

 

[dfs/la2]

Yedgy,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your order. We apologize for the way you received your coral. It is possible the coral is stressed and it will right itself once it fully adjusts to your aquarium. Please contact us with your order information so we may document your concerns and keep us posted on the health of the coral.

You can trim the plug with a sharp pair of kitchen shears or scissors. We recommend leaving the coral attached to the plug. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Stacie R.
Technical Support
Drs Foster and Smith

 

[Yedgy]

Thanks for the quick response! The yellow neo is doing MUCH better today! My Fiji leather arrived today, and although it's quite stressed from the journey, I can already tell today it's going to be beautiful within a few days, with plenty of ruffles around the edges. The coralline algae encrusting the rock is some of the most vibrantly colored I've ever seen. Any way to get it to spread throughout the aquarium?

 

[dfs/la2]

Yedgy,

Thank you for keeping us informed on the health of the coral. It’s great to hear that it is looking much better.

Coralline algae will spread on the rocks as it grows. Calcium is one the most important additions to encourage good coralline algae growth. Calcium levels should be about 400 to 440 mg/l. Also keeping phosphates low will help as well. It will spread slowly but will start to cover any live rock it can. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us. Good luck with the new additions to your aquarium.

Stacie R.
Technical Support
Drs Foster and Smith