Whats this little thing?

[MR P]

Hi,

Well I've got my nano off the ground and it's now cycling with some live rock and sand. Anyway, I found this on one of the pieces of live rock

http://www.reefcorals.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=111&pictureid=853

Can anyone ID it for me please?

Cheers
Olly

[piglet]

Looks like a polyp from a sun coral

Piglet

[MR P]

Cool. The large ones I've seen look pretty awesome. Whats the chances of it surviving long enough to become something I don't need a macro lens for? I've got about 6 of them around the tank.

[piglet]

Could be something else ;) wait and see what the other guys say could be a mojano or something similar but the colour to me looks like that of a sun coral :)

Piglet

[MR P]

True. My initial thoughts due to the colouring and what looks like a small mouth was that it could be one but it's so small it's tough to tell.

Grow damn it :)

[Gaters]

Looks like a polyp from a sun coral

Piglet

I agree they reproduce by sending baby polyps out-like this-try to feed it a couple of times a week.

[piglet]

If it is a sun coral polyp and you have 6 seperate ones you are a very lucky bunny :)

As Gaters said try target feeding to get them to grow ;)

Piglet

[cl0wn]

agree with piglet, looks like a sun coral frag, you lucky bunny!!

[angel1]

hope it survives the cycle for you :)

LILYANN :p

[Tangman]

Hi if you touch and it retracts is the case thats left hard to the touch if so its a Sun coral bud, if not it could be anything. HTH Twiggy:D:D

[Ocean Corals]

At first i thought it was a sun but now i am thinking it may not be. They dont tend to grow in signal heads. But that does not mean your has not!! But i think you may have a Balanophyllia Coral if you have you are very lucky!!! I have been after one for a very long time. Still have not found one! Can you tell us abit more about it? Does it open only when light are out or when you feed? and like Eric said does it close into i hard skeleton??

What ever it is its very nice so give it alittle food every 2 days and you will prob have him after your cycle :)

hth

Paul

[MR P]

I can't say I've tried to touch it. I have been loath to feed it because I wasn't sure what affect that would have (if any) on the cycling of a new tank. If I was to feed it, what would you recommend? Is something like Cyclopeeze going to be to much or not the right food?

ps...have to say this is the most helpful forum I've come across! You guys n gals rule :D

[MR P]

pps...I've only really seen it open with the lights on. This morning this one and the other next to it were closed up.

[MR P]

Ok, just got home and it was open along with 3 others. Also noticed these other things which must've been closed any other time I looked...
http://www.reefcorals.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=111&pictureid=859

Any ideas?

Mental note: must get a decent ID book :D

[Ocean Corals]

Hi mate, I really think it is a Balanophyllia as on your pic i can see dead one's around it!! Very nice free coral you got there :D
Balanophyllia Closed
http://www.humboldt.edu/~natmus/newsletter/Tidepools/02-Corals.jpg

Balanophyllia Open
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2153/2251510545_396655b29a.jpg?v=0

You want to feed it brine or mysis :)

HTH

Paul

[Ocean Corals]

Ps, you already own the biggest ID book! your PC :D

[piglet]

Still think it looks like a sun coral polyp :D:eek::D

Piglet

[MR P]

Thanks Paul. I'll try and source some frozen Mysis locally otherwise I'll trawl the sponsors to see what I can find. Is it safe to assume that I can feed tiny amounts into the water column as it's currently the only thing in there feeding? (well as far as I'm aware!)

[MR P]

Come on now fellas, lets not fight (yet!). I'll see if I can feed it up and update you both with pictures if it survives the cycle! Come on you sun balanophyllia thingy....:whoo:

[Ocean Corals]

Still think it looks like a sun coral polyp :D:eek::D

Piglet

Thats why i own a marine shop and you dont :D:D:D

they are very similar :cool:

Paul

[Ocean Corals]

Thanks Paul. I'll try and source some frozen Mysis locally otherwise I'll trawl the sponsors to see what I can find. Is it safe to assume that I can feed tiny amounts into the water column as it's currently the only thing in there feeding? (well as far as I'm aware!)

No probs mate,
Defrost it turn your power heads off and give each polyp 1 piece of mysis. Once they are on with eating it turn your P,H back on. If you had stock in the tank i would not say turn them off it's just because you dont, and it will make it easier :)

Paul

[Ven]

Thats why i own a marine shop and you dont :D:D:D


sorry but that means nothing, ive seen a fair few marine shops and the owner new naf all

but i do agree with u on ur id