Name dem Corals!

[bugen4]

Hey gang,

I recently picked up a new coal from my lfs but I have no idea what it is! Every time I go to the store, I act all giddy and child-like, and am really too excited about picking up a new coral that I forget to ask what it is =/

So here are some pictures:

This is the one I just picked up and has bloomed beautifully since introducing him to the tank yesterday. Does anyone know what it is or what I can feed it (I have choices bewtween phytoplex and live brine shrimp)?

I've had this one for about 3 months and never knew what it was or what it's called.
I have recently been feeding it one live brine shrimp every day (its so awesome to watch him engulf it!) and since the feedings, he's been growing very big, very fast.
Now, it's recently been creeping over to the coral pylon on it's right and I've noticed that, when it retracts, I can see a little small one where the big one is creeping over. Does anyone know what's going on there? Is that how they reproduce or "split"?

Not a coral but I wanted to post this because I'm very proud of my clam =D
Actually, does anyone know the exact name of this clam? I think an ultra turquoise maxima?

I hope you guys like the pics and my tank is looking so colorful from all the corals!

 

[FishyReef]

1st one appears to be either a small duncan head or a polyp of some sort, and the 2nd is a blastomussa (low-medium light and flow). The smaller polyps that you are seeing is just it reproducing and growing - sounds like it is happy. How big is the polyp on that one? That will give a better idea if it is an aussi blasto or a merletti blasto.

The clam is quite pretty - looks like an ultra maxima clam to me. What kind of lighting do you have for it?

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

+1, def. a Duncan, then Blasto, and not sure on the type of clam.

 

[bugen4]

1st one appears to be either a small duncan head or a polyp of some sort, and the 2nd is a blastomussa (low-medium light and flow). The smaller polyps that you are seeing is just it reproducing and growing - sounds like it is happy. How big is the polyp on that one? That will give a better idea if it is an aussi blasto or a merletti blasto.

The clam is quite pretty - looks like an ultra maxima clam to me. What kind of lighting do you have for it?

I have a Biocube 29 with the stock lighting in it, the actinic lighting and the natural moonlight. However I changed the daylight to a Coralife 10K 36w bulb. Not sure if that's enough but I placed the clam higher to the surface so it can get as much light as it can.

As for the blastomussa, its only about the size of a dime. It does look hugh though compared to the frag that its on =P

 

[chuck78]

Hate to tell you, but you'll need a much stronger light to support that Maxima Clam. I'd buy the HQI light that mounts to the top of your biocube. Failure to do so will end with an extremely long death for that clam. For starters, blue is the hardest color to keep on a clam b/c it requires such an intense light...second clams need light for energy & to feed !! It won't be long before that blue turns purple...then finally dark brown. The mantle becoming darker is a last attempt at the clam trying to absorb more light in order to feed. I wish that your sales person had properly briefed you. Please forgive me for bringing bad news & good luck with your clam !

 

[bugen4]

Thanks for the advice. The sales person did inform me of the lighting requirements for the clam when I wanted to buy it, and I told him the specs of my tank lighting (like above). He said it might be enough but to place the clam higher up to receive as much light as possible.

I would def buy the HQI light but looking at pics online, it seems like the setup leaves the top of the tank completly open and am afraid that the fish might jump out... or is there a clear acrillic pane covering that?

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree -- duncan and blastomussa. Although I'm voting blastomussa wellsi, not merletti. Hard to say for sure until it grows some more.

 

[chuck78]

No, I'm afraid the top is left completely open. I think that with a little creativity & a trip to home depot, you could come up with something. You could add a sort of black trim to the edge of a pefectly cut egg crate or perhaps a mini mesh fence thats used in screen doors. I see ppl make all kinds of cool lids for their HQI bio set ups!!