Plate Coral

AJ69 · #1 05/12/2005, 08:09 AM

My tank is bb my newbie Q is, Could I keep a LTP at the bottom? I've seen that most of the people have sand in their tanks,when they have brain or plate corals.Need advise/experience before I buy it.
Thanks

Steven Pro · #2 05/12/2005, 11:06 AM

If LTP stands for Long Tentacle Plate coral or Heliofungia, I would caution you against adding one, especially considering your self description as a newbie. These are challenging corals that tend to die off after a short while in captivity. The current thinking is they starve to death, plus they ship poorly. Try instead the so-called Short Tentacle Plate coral or Fungia. These are a much hardier choice.

Blastomussaman · #3 05/12/2005, 11:20 AM

I totally agree with Steven. Helios are a challenge to even an experienced aquarist. Most do not last over a year or so. Fungia is definiitely a better choice.

AJ69 · #4 05/12/2005, 01:44 PM

OK,then how about bare bottom tank for the Fungia(plates) any issue or concerns?

Blastomussaman · #5 05/12/2005, 01:57 PM

I wouldn't put them on bare bottom, very unnatural. They roam the sand/rubble beds and feed off some of the fauna. That's what they do in the wild. I've kept my fungia on my sandbed for many years and hardly ever feeding it. If you feed it alot, it becomes really mobile so I don't like it. But I guess if you feed it regularly, it'll survive bare bottom. Never tried it though, it would be weird looking IMO.

organism · #6 05/12/2005, 02:36 PM

actually, I heard that putting them on rubble or bare bottom is really bad for them, they definitely prefer sand, the thing is they bloat up at night sometimes, and if there's sharp rocks or a bare bottom underneath them they can cut themselves and retract, opening themselves up for all kinds of infections. I have seen people putting a small dish of sand in their bare bottom tanks and putting the fungia in that though...

simion3 · #7 05/12/2005, 04:56 PM

i've got two plates and my tank is barebottom and theyre both doing awesome. i dont think theyve moved much if at all since i got them.

gcrowptc · #8 05/12/2005, 05:47 PM

Mine is on a bb and is doing awesome, mine has not moved either and I rarely feed it, it is amazing I have tons of the good bugs and with out the sand so am sure it gets it's fill of them to eat

DRZL-sauras · #9 05/12/2005, 08:33 PM

just sold my fungia 30 min ago but it did great on my BB.

bergzy · #10 05/12/2005, 11:26 PM

here is my fungia snacking on a small morsel of food.

since then, i have never fed him. the greedy bugger!

Narkon · #11 05/13/2005, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by organism
the thing is they bloat up at night sometimes, and if there's sharp rocks or a bare bottom underneath them they can cut themselves

How does bare bottom cut them? I can see the crush coral doing this.

I have never really heard of the fugia having a problem with BB, except that some people think it is unnatural looking, or some how just not right. Which to me means that nothing in our hobby is really natural. But I get away from what this is leading to.

I have had a fugia, and they can move. So be warned about that.

AJ69 · #12 05/13/2005, 08:24 AM

Thanks for the info/advise

organism · #13 05/13/2005, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Narkon
How does bare bottom cut them? I can see the crush coral doing this.

I have never really heard of the fugia having a problem with BB, except that some people think it is unnatural looking, or some how just not right. Which to me means that nothing in our hobby is really natural. But I get away from what this is leading to.

I have had a fugia, and they can move. So be warned about that.

can't remember where I read it, but I guess it was wrong, good to know though, I'm about to put in a bb tank and I love fungias too much to not have one in there...

dvmsn · #14 05/13/2005, 12:23 PM

It will be fine. It is extremely common to find these guys on hard substrate in nature.

Steven Pro · #15 05/13/2005, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dvmsn
It will be fine. It is extremely common to find these guys on hard substrate in nature.

Where did you read that?

dvmsn · #16 05/13/2005, 02:19 PM

"Most Fungiids are found in shallow water (under ten meters in depth) on various types of substrates; rocky, sandy, to silty." from http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fungiidae.htm

Steven Pro · #17 05/13/2005, 03:31 PM

Bob is a great guy, a genius when it comes to fish and fish keeping, and I count him as a personal friend. He has probably forgotten more than I know, but he is a fish guy, not a coral guy.

From Anthony Calfo's "Book of Coral Propagation"
"These solitary animals predominately live in protected waters (without strong current) on soft substrates, which they can move across easily with unexpected speed. ..... In captivity, these motile animals must be kept on the bottom of the display upon a soft substrate. Misplaced Fungiids set upon rock will almost certainly tumble from their perch and suffer damage with attempts to move naturally. Otherwise, the abrasive expansion and retraction of polyp tissue against a stone surface will create wounds, which leave the animal similarly open to infection."

dvmsn · #18 05/13/2005, 03:52 PM

Please don't misunderstand me. I agree that a sandy bottom is the most common and prefered habitat. I also agree whole heartedly that these guys crawl around are not suitable for propping on rock work. The original question was basically, is it ok to keep these on the bottom of a bare bottom tank. IMO that is a suitable "substrate" and will not result in harm to the coral.

Steven Pro · #19 05/13/2005, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dvmsn
Please don't misunderstand me. I agree that a sandy bottom is the most common and prefered habitat. I also agree whole heartedly that these guys crawl around are not suitable for propping on rock work. The original question was basically, is it ok to keep these on the bottom of a bare bottom tank. IMO that is a suitable "substrate" and will not result in harm to the coral.

I agree as well.