There are two varieties of Asterina starfish. IME, 95%+ of them are harmless and eat nuisance algae. I have a tank FULL of them. 5% or less of them are the type that eat corals. They only eat hard corals and coraline algae if they do...
Rabbut's Marine Jurnal
- Thread starter rabbut
- Start date
OP
OP
rabbut
I don't bite, all that often...
'Tis a shame, as I was thinking about doing some Hammerhead and/or bubble coral later on down the line, and I don't want to find out what type these guys are by placing a £30+ piece of coral in and seeing if they eat it 
There is some coraline growth starting to come through though, so I guess I'll just have to watch for it vanishing... 
Thanks Ski
Rabbut
There is some coraline growth starting to come through though, so I guess I'll just have to watch for it vanishing... Thanks Ski
Rabbut
Yeah, watch them and see if they cut trails through coraline. If they just move over it and dont eat it, you're all set. Seriously though, the bad ones are definitely the exception rather than the rule...
ben1987
Fish Aficionado
i have one in mine and it doesnt toch my corraline. It doesnt seem to do much tbh other than wander round.
How have the new fishies settled then?
How have the new fishies settled then?
OP
OP
rabbut
I don't bite, all that often...
Reasonably well. Little skitish and not fully settled yet, but they are out an about if you sit still for a while and watch. Eating like pigs and know instantly when dinner is about to be served Give 'em a couple of weeks to get used to the tank and they'll be as bold as my Discus, but hopefully not as bold as the Tomarto Clowns that used to be in work's reef display. They drew blood on my ex-supervisor 
All the best
Rabbut
Give 'em a couple of weeks to get used to the tank and they'll be as bold as my Discus, but hopefully not as bold as the Tomarto Clowns that used to be in work's reef display. They drew blood on my ex-supervisor All the best
Rabbut
OP
OP
rabbut
I don't bite, all that often...
OK, time for a photo update....
First off, a full tank shot;
The male Clown. They were both hiding behind the pump, as they had seen the waterchange gear.... Earlier that morning, they bit me while feeding them, and have left quite a mark, so they are farily bold, almost too bold and not shy in the slightest normally...
The hermit crabs were also making a break for cover having seen the waterchange comming...
Who said fish and inverts were stupid
Next up, the coral frags...
Green Xinea
That picture does not do it's luminescance justice... The blue mushroom on this rock died off, and this has now spread in to fill it's place. Do these carry out chemical warfare towards their neibours?
Blue sponge frag
Assorted Mushrooms
A couple of them have been moved since that phots, trying to spread them out a bit, but they keep running away to that position again
A few Assorted button polyps AKA Zooanthids
There is a green and blue colony there and a lonebrown. Again the camera hasn't done justice...
And an unidentifyed coral frag. An ID would be much appreciated I suspect it's a soft coral, as it looks kind of like a hairy mushroom, but it has a very strage shape, even when fully streached out... The tips have a nice luminous green and it is soft and fleshy to touch..
I did a 20% waterchange, as the corals were starting to close up a bit, despite the fact that all the stats checked out fine... I did however spot the clowns packing at a few of the frags though, so I am wondering if they had something to do with it
A quick run-down of current waterstats;
Ammonia 0
NitrIte 0
NitrAte 0
pH 8.2
SG was on 1.023 before the waterchange, so should not have moved. I will check it again on Wednesday when I go into work...
All the best
Rabbut
First off, a full tank shot;
The male Clown. They were both hiding behind the pump, as they had seen the waterchange gear.... Earlier that morning, they bit me while feeding them, and have left quite a mark, so they are farily bold, almost too bold and not shy in the slightest normally...
The hermit crabs were also making a break for cover having seen the waterchange comming...
Who said fish and inverts were stupid
Next up, the coral frags...
Green Xinea
That picture does not do it's luminescance justice... The blue mushroom on this rock died off, and this has now spread in to fill it's place. Do these carry out chemical warfare towards their neibours?
Blue sponge frag
Assorted Mushrooms
A couple of them have been moved since that phots, trying to spread them out a bit, but they keep running away to that position again
A few Assorted button polyps AKA Zooanthids
There is a green and blue colony there and a lonebrown. Again the camera hasn't done justice...
And an unidentifyed coral frag. An ID would be much appreciated
I suspect it's a soft coral, as it looks kind of like a hairy mushroom, but it has a very strage shape, even when fully streached out... The tips have a nice luminous green and it is soft and fleshy to touch..
I did a 20% waterchange, as the corals were starting to close up a bit, despite the fact that all the stats checked out fine... I did however spot the clowns packing at a few of the frags though, so I am wondering if they had something to do with it
A quick run-down of current waterstats;
Ammonia 0
NitrIte 0
NitrAte 0
pH 8.2
SG was on 1.023 before the waterchange, so should not have moved. I will check it again on Wednesday when I go into work...
All the best
Rabbut
The unknown frag sounds like a torch coral, long green tenticles that are spongy i bet it is.
Try feeding it some chopped cockles or mysis, if it sticks to the tenticle tips its a torch coral (LPS) if it closes in on itself its probs more like a hairy mushroom. But im going with torch.
Looking good though
EDIT: infat just looking at photo a bit more looks like a frogspawn too.
Try feeding it some chopped cockles or mysis, if it sticks to the tenticle tips its a torch coral (LPS) if it closes in on itself its probs more like a hairy mushroom. But im going with torch.
Looking good though
EDIT: infat just looking at photo a bit more looks like a frogspawn too.
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Looks good!
I would say that looks like a hammer, torch or frog spawn coral as well (is a torch and frog spawn coral the same thing?)
By the way that is Green Star Polyp not xenia (though funny enough when I got mine I was told by the shop that is was xenia as well). This stuff grows pretty quickly and under the right light it really glows nicely. I dont think it it stings or releases chemicals (I have some of mine touching my pulsing xenia and that is doing ok) but be aware that it will quickly overgrow anything nearby and will cover any surface it can touch.
I have a metallic green one as well which is only covering one bit of rock and cant touch anything else to grow on it but my two colonies of GPS (which is the same as yours) can spread by a couple of inches in the matter of a few months. it does tend to grow in the direction of the water flow so you can help control where it moves with that. It is also very easy to cut back and frag too (I have just fragged some of mine and the frags are doing pretty well).
My bit started off slightly smaller than yours about a year ago and now covers maybe 1footX3inches or so. Since putting it in my new tank with stronger lighting it is growing even faster!
I would say that looks like a hammer, torch or frog spawn coral as well (is a torch and frog spawn coral the same thing?)
By the way that is Green Star Polyp not xenia (though funny enough when I got mine I was told by the shop that is was xenia as well
). This stuff grows pretty quickly and under the right light it really glows nicely. I dont think it it stings or releases chemicals (I have some of mine touching my pulsing xenia and that is doing ok) but be aware that it will quickly overgrow anything nearby and will cover any surface it can touch. I have a metallic green one as well which is only covering one bit of rock and cant touch anything else to grow on it but my two colonies of GPS (which is the same as yours) can spread by a couple of inches in the matter of a few months. it does tend to grow in the direction of the water flow so you can help control where it moves with that. It is also very easy to cut back and frag too (I have just fragged some of mine and the frags are doing pretty well).
My bit started off slightly smaller than yours about a year ago and now covers maybe 1footX3inches or so. Since putting it in my new tank with stronger lighting it is growing even faster!
OP
OP
rabbut
I don't bite, all that often...
Blimey, no wonder the chap that supplies that "Green Xinea" to work calls is snot on a rock... Must be sick of pulling it out
I origionally thought it was a bubble coral (the mistery frag), at work, but one of my collegues said it was hairy mushroom. Considering the Green Star Polyps were ID'd as Green Xinea by him though, I'm going to take his ID's with a small pinch of salt in future At least he was close, unlike someone from the other brach that though a hammer coral was a bubbletip anenomy 
The mistery frag is under a strong bit of light ATM, so if it is a hard coral, it should do OK and be properly become properly ID'able soon. It has not moved from where I put it, so I further suspect is isn't a mushroom (so far they have all ran away despite many attempts to stick them somewhere on show).
All the best, and thanks for replying
Rabbut
I origionally thought it was a bubble coral (the mistery frag), at work, but one of my collegues said it was hairy mushroom. Considering the Green Star Polyps were ID'd as Green Xinea by him though, I'm going to take his ID's with a small pinch of salt in future
At least he was close, unlike someone from the other brach that though a hammer coral was a bubbletip anenomy The mistery frag is under a strong bit of light ATM, so if it is a hard coral, it should do OK and be properly become properly ID'able soon. It has not moved from where I put it, so I further suspect is isn't a mushroom (so far they have all ran away despite many attempts to stick them somewhere on show).All the best, and thanks for replying
Rabbut
OP
OP
rabbut
I don't bite, all that often...
OK, new fish and new pictures....
The green star's are spreading
The mistery frag is still a bit of a mistery to me, but deffinately not a mushroom I don't think...
Got a nice piece of Gorgonia or Sea Fan
And the Clowns are becoming friendlyer than ever, almost always to be found in open water...
The new Fish!!
A Royal Gramma,
and a Neon Goby
I've come to the conclusion that I cannot keep mushrooms in my tank. All five have gone missing in action, and the spot where one was, has now been claimed by the Star Polyps...
No FTS, as it's not changed much at initial glance...
All the best
Rabbut
The green star's are spreading
The mistery frag is still a bit of a mistery to me, but deffinately not a mushroom I don't think...
Got a nice piece of Gorgonia or Sea Fan
And the Clowns are becoming friendlyer than ever, almost always to be found in open water...
The new Fish!!
A Royal Gramma,
and a Neon Goby
I've come to the conclusion that I cannot keep mushrooms in my tank. All five have gone missing in action, and the spot where one was, has now been claimed by the Star Polyps...
No FTS, as it's not changed much at initial glance...
All the best
Rabbut
Truck
UKAPS
nice pics, that neon goby looks the business
ben1987
Fish Aficionado
Really lik both of the new fish mate, good choices.
OP
OP
rabbut
I don't bite, all that often...
Thanks you two
Love those clowns
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
Am enjoying the photos, keep them coming
No Barney a torch and frogspawn are not the same, same family but not the same coral
Seffie x
No Barney a torch and frogspawn are not the same, same family but not the same coral
Seffie x
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