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FAQs about Faviid Coral Selection

Related Articles: Faviid Corals

Related FAQs: Faviids 1, Faviids 2, Faviids 3, Faviid Identification, Faviid Behavior, Faviid Compatibility, Faviid Systems, Faviid Feeding, Faviid Disease, Faviid Reproduction/Propagation, Stony/True Coral, Coral System Set-Up, Coral System Lighting, Stony Coral Identification, Stony Coral Selection, Coral PlacementFoods/Feeding/Nutrition, Disease/Health, Propagation, Growing Reef CoralsStony Coral Behavior,

Caulastrea furcata question???? Sel.  -- 4/30/09
Hey Crew,
As always, thanks for your time and help.
<Welcome>
I ran into this coral yesterday at a LFS. It is a candy cane coral which after some Google research I believe to be a Caulastrea furcata family Faviidae.
<Agreed>
However, there seem to be many, many, many different versions of this coral ranging anywhere from $15-40 for a 2-3" frag.
<Heee, perhaps more diversity in the asking price>
The LFS wanted $50 for one head which I thought a bit steep but truth be told, I have never seen a candy cane coral with this much color and vibrance.
<Really... perhaps a bit better genetically, developmentally... better care, circumstances>
The center is a bright neon green, the rim a slight purple, and on each head it has bright white stripes. I have attached a picture so you can help me identify the coral in case I have ID'd incorrectly (very possible).
<No... I think you're spot on>
The other question is, knowing that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is $50 per head a fair price tag?
<Bingo... If it's worth it to you, spend on!>
Thanks,
Jorge
PS - the attachment is a bad iPhone shot of the actual coral, the link is a shot I found online that looks very similar. Though I think the one at the LFS was nicer.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/C...yCaneCoral.jpg <http://media.photobuck
et.com/image/Caulastrea%20furcata/Ecovatch/CandyCaneCoral.jpg>
<Ahh, thank you. Bob Fenner>

Goniastrea 11/20/08
Hello crew,
I understand from reading through some of the posts that there are certain species of Goniastrea that require little to no feeding at all, only high light and good flow.
<Sorta, yeah, but they do much better if you do feed them... or rather, feed the system well in general.>
My question is, how does one determine which species falls into this category? I have two different colonies of Goniastrea, one with almost mint green centers and septa that is just a shade closer towards the brown end of the spectrum, but very little differentiation between the two, and another smaller colony with neon green centers and stark white septa (extremely beautiful). While I can clearly see feeding tentacles coming out of the smaller colony at night, the larger mint green colony send out SOOO many sweepers that you can't tell if there are any feeding tentacles under there or not.
<cool>
As of now, I target feed both colonies, but would prefer not to add the extra food load to the tank if feeding one of them is not really necessary except perhaps on occasion.
<You don't really need to target feed these animals if you feed the tank (i.e. feed your fish and everything else) well. Target feeding is only absolutely necessary when the animal isn't readily putting out feeders. A healthy Faviidae should do just fine "catching" it's own food in a well fed system. I would still target feed them every once in awhile though (just to be sure they're getting enough).>
Jeremy Johnson
Seattle, WA
<Best,
Sara
San Diego, CA>

Maze brain selection  6/23/07 Hi Crew, <Hi Jason, Mich with you.> I am considering purchase of a brain "maze" coral, photo of it attached. It's quite colorful. <A beauty!> My concern is with the hole in it, near the top in the picture. <I see the hole, I'm not sure what specifically caused the hole but it does look like someone may have been living in the hole.> It's about the size of a dime. Is that a worry, <Depends on what caused the hole. It's hard to tell from a photo. If the tissue around the hole appears firm and intact, it is a good sign. If it is ragged and raw, it is not a good sign. It does not look like disease process or a recent injury to me from what I can see in the picture. But you should inspect it closely. To me, it looks like the former residence of a barnacle, which would not be concerning.><<Or... a myriad of other "lived-in" possibilities. RMF>> or should I go for it? <Only you can determine this.><<RMF would ignore the hole>> Thanks as always!
<Welcome as always! Mich>
Jason

Australogyra zelli - 01/14/2006 Hello. <Hi Kevin.> Long time reader, first time writer (or something like that). <Hi, I'm Josh. I'm an aquaholic.> Anyway, can you tell me anything about Australogyra zelli? <Nothing from personal experience.> All I've been able to find on the web is that there aren't many colonies in captivity. Some pages say this is because it's a very rare import, while others say it's difficult to keep. <Both are accurate.> I recently saw a colony for sale and was mesmerized by it's uniqueness and beauty. I'd definitely like to give it a try if it's not too ungodly hard to keep. <Understood. It's not often imported so there's not much info. available on keeping them. It would seem that these should only be attempted by someone with a fair amount of "practice" on coral care and a good eye for "reading" their cues. If that's you, I'd say go for it before it is sold to/killed by a less informed aquarist. Would be a good coral to add to the "readily available" so if you try it, document everything to help others and the hobby in general.> Thank you for you time, Kevin. <Sorry I couldn't offer more specifics. - Josh>

Adding Caulastrea - 11/17/04 Hi all, I have a 90 gal FOWLR that I would like to add some corals with lower light needs. I have a 50/50 pc with a total of 260 watts (4 bulbs). My tank parameters are: ph 8.15 - 8.35 nitrites 0 ammonia 0 nitrates 5 Alk 10dKH calcium  400 phosphates 2.0 I am interested in a Caulastrea furcata, but be willing to try some others. Please advise. <Go for the Caulastrea. Midway in the tank would be great. I also, like Sarcophytons (any of them would suffice) placed midway to upper portion of the tank, Xenia anywhere in the tank, polyps, also would be excellent. Palythoas are always cool. Try some of the various branching soft corals, yellow, white, or green Neptheas (NOT Dendros) colt corals, etc. Always, and I mean always, strive to acquire captive coral propagations. No excuses. These are the best suited for reefkeeping in all cases, in my opinion. Ask for them at your LFS! Also, do research your animals before purchasing. Use our site, other sites, too. Reference books, other reef hobbyists, forums, and or reef clubs. Do diligent research for the best results. Thanks for participating! ~Paul> Thanks Todd



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