SPS guru_s
 

Since the only thing that I absolutely know for certain about SPS is how to kill it...well not quite...;) I am however, really taking baby steps as far as Coral ID. Ran some searches on back and forth on the vernon site...maybe I just got frustrated with the search and layout. Plus my corals range from 2 inches to 8 inches wide and not 3 feet so comparison is tough now and then with their "wild" pictures.

At any rate.
Anyone know what these are, IE scientific AND layman or common name if applicable?


[B]This is coral 1A[/B]
[IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee294/CleveYank/Coral%20Farm/Coral%20ID%20Inquiry/1A_id.jpg[/IMG]

[B]This is 1B or same coral different shot[/B]
[IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee294/CleveYank/Coral%20Farm/Coral%20ID%20Inquiry/1B_id.jpg[/IMG]

[B]This is one of one of coral 2[/B] I picked up a frag of this 3 years ago. It grew from small 3/4 of inch frag in a growing DOWN and out encrusting pattern 1st. Then and only until recently has it began growing upward. Rather slow growing despite medium to high Ca addition and 500 watts of 14K DE Phoenix bulbs and being rather higher in the tank in nice fluctuatiing flow.
[IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee294/CleveYank/Coral%20Farm/Coral%20ID%20Inquiry/2_id.jpg[/IMG]

[B]This is coral 3A[/B] When I picked up a frag of this...they called it a green acro. It seems a bit hairy for that...and yet it's different than a millie.
[IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee294/CleveYank/Coral%20Farm/Coral%20ID%20Inquiry/3A_id.jpg[/IMG]

[B]This is coral 3B[/B]
[IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee294/CleveYank/Coral%20Farm/Coral%20ID%20Inquiry/3B_id.jpg[/IMG]

[B]This is one of one of coral 4[/B] This coral started out greenish olive with the blue tips. While other corals have not changed too much this one is almost a light tan now I assume due to 14K's.
[IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee294/CleveYank/Coral%20Farm/Coral%20ID%20Inquiry/4_id.jpg[/IMG]

[B]This is one of one of coral 5[/B] Party who sold this called it acro and didn't know the name, but it's polyps don't look quite right for acro. They are kinda circular looking almost like poci...which I do not think at least it is poci. Too upright growth habit I believe.
[IMG]http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee294/CleveYank/Coral%20Farm/Coral%20ID%20Inquiry/5_id.jpg[/IMG]

Tell me what you think.

ahh.... purty sticks

Thanks bond007069, well you should know. The nifty Yellow one I got from you. BTW. I have the highoutput Fan that I promised you when you hooked me up set aside for you.

#2 looks like a GARF purple bonsai that is not happy. Are the polyps green? It grows exactly as you describe, slow and encrusts and then shoots out sprouts. Tiny frags (<1/2'') of it often go for $40+.

#4 is a blue tipped Acropora tenius.

hmmmm sjfishguy.
#2...The polyps are not green. The body is as you see it and the polyps are an almost white color. It's always been this color.

It was at one of the swaps..."I don't know what it's called buddy but it's nice...I want $35"...so I bought it from the guy. Well that's a riddle.

I found some pics of GARF purple Bonsia....The polyp end is kinda shaped the same But I don't have any of that color...it never did.

[url]http://www.strictlyfrags.com/purple_bonsai_acropora.htm[/url]

Thanks for the reply...I'm not sure it's the same ;)

I have a small piece of GARF purple bonsai that I can not get to color up for the life of me. It looks like crap and looks just like that. No one is really sure of the species of the purple bonsai, so maybe it is just the same species, just not the garf variety.

You know...after I posted, I did another search in google with how to take care of....and I landed on RC post where guy had 2 of them....one was bold purple...and the other was slightly lighter. I've always had it in the upper part of the tank because the expert that sold it to me said...now be sure and keep that in high light in tank. But since I had no clue whatsoever what it might be or was? I have some frags and they are 6 inches from the bulbs and same color...so maybe I need to drop the mother colony down.

What bulbs are you running sjfishguy?

I am running a 150W 14k Phoenix over a 30 cube. I have had this bonsai for two months now and it just looks worse everyday. I have two peices, one right under the bulb and another I recently moved lower in the tank. They still both look like crap. I keep looking for redbugs but can't find any on any corals, and all my other acros look great. The guy I got the coral from has all kinds of rare stuff and his tank is ridiculous. He runs SE bulbs though, not sure of the brand or wattage. I am not saying that is a bonsai for sure, but mine looks EXACTLY like that. I think my alk/ph fluctuation in my small tank may have to do with the lack of color, but who knows really.

I'm running with great parameters...better than I have in years. They never really been aweful, but my attention to detail is obcessive now. But the link might be the brand or K value of bulbs. Now you have gotten my attention...radiums or some of the better 20K's maybe. You should email him and see what he thinks. I'd sure be happy to know. Because the difference would be night and day.