Leptastrea Pruinosa

[Mental1]

Anyone have one of these? Supposed to be rare but just found a frag the same size as I got for $9 versus $89. So what's the scoop with these guys? I have it on the bottom at the moment but am not sure where it can go. It's encrusting ...

[Mental1]

here's a picture

[Justin74]

First off thats a very pretty piece
But ya, that happens to be the more common out of all of the morphs of a not so common coral at the moment, and fraggle reef is selling that morph at an unbelievably low price. I bought the same morph and after shipping paid close to that price myself($75), plus youd still be paying 50 after shipping so dont be too hard on yourself

Personally Ive found that Leps seems to do betterin terms of corlation in low to moderate lighting, but more importantly is partial to a moderate to high sporatic laminar current. Hope that helps

-Justin

[Justin74]

Heres one I started awhile back
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=835168

-Justin

[Mental1]

OMG!!!! I feel so screwed! Sigh. I cannot believe all of the color morphs in that thread. Mine is puffed up a lot more than the picture which was taken when I first got it. I am thinking of putting it on top of the skeleton of my poor little oculina that died recently and let is encrust over that skeleton. Where can I get some frags of some of the other morphs? I can't believe I can get the same exact thing for $9. Very frustrating when coral dollars are limited.

[reefkoi]

I've got mine very high in the tank right under a 1,000 watt MH so I don't think you can overlight one of them.
C

[Justin74]

Originally posted by reefkoi
I've got mine very high in the tank right under a 1,000 watt MH so I don't think you can overlight one of them.
C

Not entirely true. While some may be tolerant of high light, some are not. Now, true, it wont kill it, and can acclimate assuming other conditions are met. But my green skirt with mint green centers loses most of it's color to brown if left in high light. I have since lowered it and ultimately have half of it under a ledge and the colors are looking vibrant again. While the opposite can be said with my red/blue morph. Which has had high intense lighting from the get and the corals pigmentation only lightens if lowered.

Leptastrea pruinosa in particular are collected in waters ranging from knee deep to 50+ft depths, but not all Leps are pruinosa. Some are transversa, and purpurea (among others as well but arent usually seen in the hobby). So for the sake of light shock always a good idea to 'light acclimate' these guys when dealing with intense lighting.

Again, dont feel screwed!YOU SUPPORTED YOUR LFS!! NEVER A BAD DECISION!! There is no one anywhere selling Leps that cheap, Miguel is obviously spreading the wealth @9$, but his supply does have a limit Im sure. Fraggle Reef is just one of those places you always have to check, top notch stuff at rock bottom prices. How do you think everyone felt when he was selling the war coral for $39 when countless others have dumped hundreds?

Good sources for finding these gems? Besides fraggle reef;
http://www.AquaticCollection.com
http://www.yourreef.com
http://www.reefready.net
http://www.atlantisaquarium.net

Happy hunting

-Justin

[Mental1]

Thanks Justin. I did buy it online (not LFS whom I also support) and I emailed the guy. He said the following:

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not sure how they managed that. I had to pull some serious strings and wait almost a year to get this stuff. Then on top of that I was only permitted a couple and I had to pay through the nose for them."

So I am cool with it. I think the ones at Fraggle Rock are home grown. IS the stuff from Fraggle Reef good? I know you say topnotch but is it? I am always hesitant about e-bay auctioneers! I like the leps though and really liked the thread you started. I had the same reaction though after researching online -- surface to 50 feet deep -- what do you do with them?

It is looking happy though ... on the sand bed but the skirt looks brown. Will it purple up if I move it higher? Or is it supposed to be brown?

[Justin74]

Hey Sherri, Id be more inclined to believe that morph would go brown if raised higher, assuming the tanks not loaded with nitrates/phosphates.

I will always recommend Fraggle Reef. Great guy, if I ever see him personally hope to shake his hand
Ive been a troll on his sight for over a couple years and have always been suprised by the consistant eye candy he brings in at working man(and gal ) prices.

I believe what the seller told you as well, even though I dont know who he is. It is definately not one of those corals that come in with every batch, and unless your a heavy hitter in terms of ordering from shippers and wholesellers youd be even less inclined to see them come in.

By the way, Dr. Mac has some cool ones as well right now, another good seller Ive had great experiences with. Also the sights I gave you I have personally dealt with for all except atlantis, and have had nothing but good dealings with.

-Justin

[Mental1]

Yea -- I like the guy I got it from -- he seems very genuine. Thanks for the feedback on fraggle reef.

I looked at all the sites you mentioned and one had the following: A very unique Leptastrea/Cyphastrea. Frags are 1 1/4" x 1 1/4"+ and have 5-6 polyps.

So would Leptastrea/Cyphastrea" be a lep or a cyphastrea or can it actually be both?

[Duce]

I have Cyphastrea and had Leptastrea and IMO Leptastrea and Cyphastrea look quite different...

[Justin74]

They are two distinct and seperate genus of coral.

-Justin

[Mental1]

After looking at pictures I agree. Can you look at this and see what you think?

http://www.cherrycorals.com/product....1&cat=8&page=1

[Mental1]

then look at this:

http://www.cherrycorals.com/product.php?productid=198

[organism]

Originally posted by Mental1
After looking at pictures I agree. Can you look at this and see what you think?

http://www.cherrycorals.com/product....1&cat=8&page=1

That one's a nice macro of the same leptastrea that you have, the other one is the orange mouth leptastrea, not cyphastreas though.

[Mental1]

Mine will get that purple/blue? I guess I need to move mine to some shade! It's on the bottom of 24 inch deep deep tank with 5x39 T5's 6 inches above the tank... Will move it! I think I have room for a small lep field out of the light .... I couldn't see the lep on Ultimate Frags ...

[Justin74]

Hey Organism, figured youd find your way here

Ya, he nailed it, both are Leps. The second one is a pretty hard piece to get ahold of, looks just like a piece I got from an old collector here in Sac, aka sandollar.

Sherri, if your tank is 24" and you have 5x39, I wouldnt shade it, but rather leave it on the bottom how you have it, can take a few months for it to really "purple" up. Your system is very close to mine, the only difference is 1 more 39w T5 and my tank is 20" instead of 24. So Id think it's in the perfect spot where it's at, as long as its getting a good current goin over it.

-Justin

[Mental1]

I am trying to buy the gold one too but can't get a response from the people there for some reason... But my collection will grow of tiny little frags - I got the blue eyed one from Fraggle Reef coming next week. I will have to decide what and how to let them encrust when they fill up their plug. I am seeing a bigger tank in my future. I keep trying to resist but my love of LPS is drawing me down a path that is hard to resist! I need to be talked out of it! But the hammers, frogspawns, elegance, scoly, plates and now these guys. Sigh.

Anyway, I did not realize it would take so long to color up -- I will leave it where it is. It seems to be happy -- very fuzzy.

Thanks for the lep education. Justin -- you coral rock!

[Justin74]

Aw shux thanks Sherri!
Out of all my lps these guys hit me hardest, I was on a rampage for a lil while

-Justin

[Lint_Licker]

Im glad I came across this post, I have one that came in on zoa rock (hitchhiker). I didnt have a clue what it was, the skirt/tentacles were throwing me off.


Thanks!

Link back to my post

[Mental1]

Lint Licker (does that mean you are into belly buttons?) -- what a great hitchhiker you got! I think I will have about four different ones when I am done. Justin -- dude -- we share a passion. I am a newcomer to the leps for sure. But I am definitely loving them.

[Justin74]

Hey thats great L.L. Good headsup for everyone as well, thats the fourth time Ive seen/heard leps coming in with zooanthids.

This has inspired me to do some fragging! I have a particular uncommon morph that i have yet to see come in anywhere else, and think it deserves to be in circulation before anything bad happens that would prevent me from doing so. Wish me luck!

-Justin

[Duce]

Both are nice color Lepta....

But to be honest I am starting to get a bit annoy with fish stores doing these ultra macro shots...I can't see them that up close even if they are in my tank...why can't they just do shots from "normal" distance ....

OK enough of my rant

[gflat65]

Hey Justin-My first Leptastrea was a zoa hithiker, too. It has brownish skirts with a light bluish center. That started a mini obsession, too.

[Justin74]

Originally posted by gflat65
Hey Justin-My first Leptastrea was a zoa hithiker, too. It has brownish skirts with a light bluish center. That started a mini obsession, too.

I forgot you mentioned that awhile back! That's the fifth time then

-Justin