Trach or Lobo, how to tell difference?

robertifly

Premium Member
I have one or the other, not sure how to tell, I've had over a year. Also another question on LP's: I see several photos of corals that you can see the skeleton ribs protruding the flesh, I'd love to see some discussion on the condition please. Normal, sign of problems, etc. Thanks,Robert.
 
If I remember correctly, Lobo's attach themselves to rocky substarte at a early age and will be pretty well anchored to the rock. Lobo skeletons tend to be a bit more "toothy" looking when the tissue is deflated.

Trachs have a more cone shaped skeleton (point at the bottom) and are often found on the sand. The skeleton is smoother with less defined ridges.
 
TRACH

TRACH

Thanks this one definitely had the tooth and stays on the sand where I can move it if I like. Just took a pic with the lights just coming up on atinic only but my camera flashed, hope you can see good enough to see the skeleton ribs. Funny when it is blown up big you don't see them at all. But I don't remember them before.
119493TRACH_001a.jpg
 
I read that the protruding skeleton could be a sign of a under nourished coral. I thoufght I had read somewhere before that trachs got fed through photo and did not need supplemental feeding. Well I cut up some shrimp and gave it five small pieces next to mouths which it did take in whle the tentacles were out before the lights came on today. Right now it is blown up and looking good. I'll continue feeding every other day or so as long as it will eat to see if that is what it needs. BTW,
 
Looks like a Trach, which will benifit from feeding of meaty foods, especially if the feeder tentacles are out.
 
I was looking at it last night and it was still all puffed up really big and the mouth were sort of pucked out like I have never seen before when it seemed to inhale and then exhale and what looked like smoke came out of 4 of 5 mouths. I guess it expelled some form of waste from the shrimp I fed it yesterday morning do you think? Also this morning it didn't have the feeder tentacles out so I guess it wasn't hungry again today.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14779030#post14779030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by robertifly
I was looking at it last night and it was still all puffed up really big and the mouth were sort of pucked out like I have never seen before when it seemed to inhale and then exhale and what looked like smoke came out of 4 of 5 mouths. I guess it expelled some form of waste from the shrimp I fed it yesterday morning do you think? Also this morning it didn't have the feeder tentacles out so I guess it wasn't hungry again today.

when I first read that you were feeding shrimp, I was going to say .. it sounds too big. That was definitely the shrimp being 'sent back out'.. you need to cut your food much, much smaller and feed it to your brain. Those pieces were too big
 
Thanks for the pics Max, yours look great. The two are very similar perhaps the method of attachment mentions earlier is a good identifier. E.intheC, I did cut pieces small as I could and still get them to stay on the end of my feeding tube spike. What, how do you guys feed yours? Oh btw, I just picked up a piece of War Coral acan today, what if any food would it take directly? Thanks for the help :)
 
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