Any Leptastrea owners out there?

[joetbs]

Here's a couple of my frags. Flame is finally growing at a decent rate.





joe

[Justin74]

Nice flame joe Mines starting to pick up some momentum too. Is that blue eyed pruinosa from reeffarmer? Ive put that guy in my cart so many times but just never checked out..
Those are some good pics they both look very healthy, thanks for sharing!!

-Justin

[joetbs]

Thanks Justin. I remember when i got it, it was maybe 5 polyps.

The blue eye was just a hitchhiker on another coral. That pic is from October, it's a different color now. I'll see if i can snap a pic.

joe

[Justin74]

Nice hitchiker! Out here in the west it seems like no stone is left unturned, and no hitcher is saved from a plug Nice score.

Ya, please do show some updates in color change, those are golden. Great reference to show the color range, helps avoid multiple purchases on the same coral

-Justin

[Miamireefer]

damn Justin...really? When purchased from a very reputable seller thats the label it had.. to be exact it was Leptastrea pruinosa..


Oh well.....still a favorite of mine in my coral collection.

[Justin74]

Originally posted by Miamireefer
damn Justin...really? When purchased from a very reputable seller thats the label it had.. to be exact it was Leptastrea pruinosa..


Oh well.....still a favorite of mine in my coral collection.

I do find it odd how small the polyps are, usually they seem bigger in favia, maybe its just the picture. Being extra small like that I could understand how it could get mis'ID'd. I could be totally wrong, as these things will puff up big time if conditions are off. Typically they look like lil zooanthid colonies how their tenticles come out, like the two pics posted above by joe. There are a few specie that have upward projected coralites similar to what you posted but even then they still look a lil different.

May I ask where you got it from?

-Justin

[joetbs]

Alright, got an updated pic:



Also had another hitchhiker - that is right up against the glass so I couldn't get a decent shot. Has cool star shaped centers though.

[Justin74]

Those look awesome joe!Looks like its turning teal! You'll have to remember this thread if you ever get a better angle on the green centered one, nice fatty tenticles! Good stuff

-Justin

[theop]

What do these usually go for? There is one for sale (listed as Leptastrea purpurea) for $80 local to me that looks to have a couple hundred polyps. Good deal?

[Justin74]

You may want to hold on that guy, or even better reserve it if you can. It's definately showing a few signs of stress, gaping mouths, faded coloration as well as a few patches of exposed skeleton. Not to say that it doesnt have the potential to bounce back in a few weeks under proper conditions. But you should be confident that you can provide those conditions. This particular morph has been coming through the west coast for the past couple of months regularly now, but Im uncertain if it will develope the red skirts w/ blue mouths and is just a faded version of that. Or there is a similar morph that is turning out to be more lavender once colored in, OR it could be just the places that are selling it as such and is still just the red and blue morph but faded. I believe it to be the red/blue morph. And for 80 dollars sounds fair, although the actually size is a lil elusive in your photo. But would be fair if slightly larger than the size of a grown man's fist. Definately one of the more eye catching morphs and usually the first to be pointed out in my tank

-Justin

[Justin74]

This pic was a flash shot with the tank under actinic so it came out kinda dark but you can see my red/blue one in the upper left corner. Again if you can reserve it, go for it! Definately is a beaut.





-Justin

[theop]

Thanks for the info! Now that you mention it, I can see the stress signs you're talking about. How big is the one in your picture? This one is listed at 5" across.

Unless they are ultra-fragile, it should be happy in my tank. I have 10 different LPS species that are doing well and growing including platygyra, blastomussa, and favia.

[Justin74]

It sounds like you are a perfect candidate to try The overall health is still quite salvageable, and is not too different from quite a few that innitially come in.

5+" is a good value at 80.It's also quite common to find 5-7" pieces go for a 100+ bucks.

Looking foward to seeing it in your system!

-Justin

[Miamireefer]

Justin...purchased it from a local who has a very good rep and sells on e bay as well

reef gardener

[Justin74]

Originally posted by theop
Thanks for the info! Now that you mention it, I can see the stress signs you're talking about. How big is the one in your picture? This one is listed at 5" across.

Thats about a 5X3.5" colony Second biggest I have, the biggest is the one right next to it. And from the whats been coming in for the past year is pretty uncommon, I've never seen another one. But then I havent been looking except for the past year.


miamireefer: Thats cool, quite a few people have a hard time id'ing this coral as it looks like a few different ones sometimes when they first come in, especially if he gets his stuff trans shipped. Quite possible that peice you have may look like one under innitial conditions. I know Ive seen a few goniopora I have had to do a double take on when Im out lookin for leps. And a name doesnt make it any prettier, have you tried looking for an ID? Some people dont know about the sight so I'll post it anyway,
http://whelk.aims.gov.au/coralsearch/coralid_search.php
But it may help, or may just show you how many possible specie it could be amazing how just nailing it to a genus can be so difficult, let alone a specie.

Working on some better shots than my fuzzies before and to show some updates, but it aint working out so good, I still need to figure the camera out and the owner aint so helpfull

-Justin

[gflat65]

You'll be fine, theop. They are pretty hardy. Just start it low and move it up slowly. Mine seemed to not like the 250W DE's (at any depth for some reason), but are doing great under 175W Ushio 14K's (at about 15" below water level). Glad to see you around again.

[theop]

Originally posted by gflat65
You'll be fine, theop. They are pretty hardy. Just start it low and move it up slowly. Mine seemed to not like the 250W DE's (at any depth for some reason), but are doing great under 175W Ushio 14K's (at about 15" below water level). Glad to see you around again.

Thanks. I'm going to take a look at it tomorrow and will probably bring it home. It will be under a 14K 150W HQI with PC actinics in a 37g oceanic and definately near the bottom.

I've been around... just not on the MTRC board anymore, obviously. But I think I passed the addiction on to Crumbletop before I moved.

[Justin74]

My only suggestion is make sure it has enough flow on it. I notice this particular morph likes alot of flow and seems to help spur it's growth faster very similar to sps in that regard. Once it gets acclimated i'd raise it up after a couple weeks unless it seems happy where it is. I have mine up high under T5 so it's getting ALOT of light and it's coloration stays very vivid, but may only be just a reflection of it's tolerance as well. Definately more tolerable than alot of other ones Im noticing

Took some pics like I said I was, gonna check em out now and see if there worth croppin and posting, dont hold your breath though, lol

-Justin

[Justin74]

Im on the old pc so cant quite tell how clear these will be, so please forgive.
The larger one is the one I recently one and is developing sweetly, tried to get this one a while back when Atlantis had it. The red hairy one to the left is the LE"gold lep" from Matt at reefready.net, the one next to it is what I thought might develope into the same morph but Im happily wrong. Another rarity that was salvaged from sandollar's tank before his temporary hiatis from the hobby. Lucky to be local


I'll try and post some more pics soon.

-Justin

[bookfish]

"Lucky to be local "
Yup.

[Justin74]

Hey Jim
We wont speak of how lucky thou art Pretty bummed, OT aint lookin like I'll get to say wassup at the swappy. Soon as I get my act together Im puttin you on my places to hit when I make it out to the bay if nothing else but to say hi
Heres another pic, posted it too many times but this time it's clearer heheh, one of the more common to see but one of the prettiest nonetheless.


-Justin

[Justin74]

Heres a lesser resized shot of the two, the similarities but definate differences.


-Justin

[theop]

Here is the coral that I showed before, now in my tank. It is healthier than the seller's prior pic and has colored up some. It's about 4.5" square.

Justin, is this the color morph that you thought it may be?

[Justin74]

Sure does look like it Great decision on getting it!Looks way better and obviosly happy to be yours now, great PE. Heres one I took this morning, but bein in the back of the tank its hard to get good definition, but honestly its kind hard to see the tenticles in person there just fine, in fact I can see the green slimers way more distinctly and its right next to it.


-Justin

[Justin74]

By the way, the blue and red lep was goin for around 45 an inch on Atlantis's sight. So you definately scored like no ones business

-Justin