Question about Frogspawn

Gomrjoe · #1 09/17/2007, 01:01 PM

Hello,

I am new to keeping Frogspawn, just picked up a piece from the LFS a few days ago, it has 5 heads on it, small in size. How do they grow? I was told they are branching, does that mean that they will just keep extending out and forming new heads, separating from one another, or will new heads pop up on adjacent rocks?

Not sure how it works exactly, I have never had them before.

Thanks!

theop · #2 09/17/2007, 01:44 PM

An existing head will start to split into two as it grows. Also, you may see very small heads start to grow out out of the "trunk" right where the flesh stops.

They don't drop off or spit out new unattached heads.

Wrench · #3 09/17/2007, 01:48 PM

If you're familiar with Caulastrea, members of the Euphyllia family are very similar in the way they grow.

Gomrjoe · #4 09/17/2007, 08:12 PM

I am not familiar with Caulastrea, is that a flower looking LPS, like a zoa but with a longer stalk?

Wrench · #5 09/17/2007, 08:17 PM

This is a Caulastrea, or Candy Cane coral. It reproduces similarly to a Frogspawn, Torch or Hammer (Euphyllia) by splitting at the mouth. The difference is that the Caulastrea can't split at the base. I used it as a comparison so you could see the growth pattern since the tentacles of a Frogspawn make it difficult to see the heads and mouths.

Gomrjoe · #6 09/17/2007, 08:20 PM

Sorry, can't see the pic.

Wrench · #7 09/17/2007, 08:44 PM

It shows up on my screen.

Try this one;

Lotus99 · #8 09/17/2007, 10:29 PM

Basically, the head will divide into two heads, both attached to the same skeleton. The heads will then each grow their own skeleton from the common splitting point.

fierceseaman · #9 09/18/2007, 09:22 AM

dunno who's that is but its a great looking candy cane!

Wrench · #10 09/18/2007, 09:49 AM

That's mine. Thank you

Key is feeding several times a week. I have another colony and I did a test. I feed this one 3-4 times a week and the other one only once. Guess which is doing better

There are four THREE WAY splits on that colony in the pic

Echav · #11 09/18/2007, 10:32 AM

Had a 4 head hammer grow to 8 in just a couple months. Hammers and frogspawns seem to grow fast. You can always tel at night when they are splitting, in the day its to full to see the heads themselves.