Help Identifying Coral

[Sea Turtle]

I have come across this picture of coral a few time and absolutely love it. I also remember seeing this coral when I was in Hawaii snorkling. Does anyone know what kind it is? I really would like to add it to my tank but I don't know what it is. It is the yellow one in the center of the picture.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Yellow fiji leather maybe?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yup, Yellow Fiji Leather, aka Sarcophyton elegans that one in that pic is very large and mature.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Yup, Yellow Fiji Leather, aka Sarcophyton elegans that one in that pic is very large and mature.

Are they hard to care for? Would you advise me to not add one of these to a newly setup tank?

 

[SkiFletch]

They're not very difficult to care for. Yellow leathers are a very shallow water coral and as such are one of the few softies that really prefers higher light, so don't be afraid to put them high up in your rock stack. They don't always ship well, so I'd be leery of buying one your LFS just got in... Once acclimated though they're exceptionally hardy. The only drawback to any leather coral is that they release alleopathic chemicals which inhibit calcification and thus stunt the growth of hard corals, so beware that.

 

[Musho3210]

love my yellow, just dont try to frag one.

 

[Sea Turtle]

They're not very difficult to care for. Yellow leathers are a very shallow water coral and as such are one of the few softies that really prefers higher light, so don't be afraid to put them high up in your rock stack. They don't always ship well, so I'd be leery of buying one your LFS just got in... Once acclimated though they're exceptionally hardy. The only drawback to any leather coral is that they release alleopathic chemicals which inhibit calcification and thus stunt the growth of hard corals, so beware that.

Maybe I will just avoid this coral then if it is going to stunt the growt of the others. I think that some of the yellow Cauliflower Corals from Hawaii look very similar. Maybe I will look into them.

 

[Musho3210]

carbon will fix the toxin problem, they are very nice corals when fully open.

 

[SkiFletch]

Indeed it will. I forgot to mention that...

 

[Sea Turtle]

Ok then. I will look around for one. My lfs is pretty good. They are always gettin gin new stuff. I will keep my eyes open. Can I just put active carbon in a mesh sach and place it somewhere in the sump?

Also, should I have carbon in the tank regardless? Won't it absorb the calcium etc....

 

[Musho3210]

it can and will absorb some trace elements, but regular water changes will fix it up immediately. Buy in bulk, it'll save you lots of money.

I got a quite large one (about the size of a large adult hand fully open including fingers) in a 20 gallon reef, i skim, but no carbon, corals arent that stunted, they still grow, but not fast at all.