COTW: Bubble coral

nm reef

Active Member
Plerogyra sinuosa ... is the type I keep in my reef. It was origionally purchased about 20 months ago as a fist sized speciman. It is now about the size of a football when fully inflated and continues to be one of my favorite additions.

The inflated "bubbles" are reported to actually be modified tentacles that act as photosynthetic modulators...they adjust to the available lighting in order to provide for the zooxanthellae contained within the "bubbles". Basically they inflated to increase tissue exposed to the available lighting in order to get more or less exposure depending on its environment. Intense lighting likely smaller bubble size...lower lighting levels the bubbles may expand larger to recieve more available light.
After lights out mine normally extends feeding tentacles and closes up the "bubbles"...these feeder tentacles are constantly in search of a meal from the water column. Mine likes a large meal of mysis/shrimp/krill etc. and can comsume a large portion. Warning though...its reported that they tend to grow rapidly when direct fed on a regular basis...I tend to limit mine to maybe one big meal a week. The rest of the time it gets its nurishment from the lighting and the water column.

Mine is a metallic green and colors can vary from ivory to cream to bright green. Reports indicate that they can do well in moderate to high levels of lighting but prefer a low to moderate current. Care should be taken with placement due to the potential for damage caused by the sweeper tentacles that can inflict some serious damage to near by corals.
So...thats about the extent of my knowledge...it is definitely one of my favorite LPS corals. Mine has gradually grown to a large size and sits top center of my reef....it is developing into the center piece coral of the collection I keep. Day to day and sometimes hour to hour it can change size and appearence....always an attention getter when folks visit.
 

michaeltx

Moderator
here is a pick of my white bubble it was in really bad shape at the LFS but has double its size in the last month.
great coral.
Mike
 

sunken ship

Member
I love these bubbles. Mine has only been in my tank for about a month now and is already growing at an alarming rate. Pretty soon I may have to get rid of him for something smaller seeing as My tank is only an 18g. These guys are very hardy corals. The only thing you need to be careful of is current. If the current is too high it could very easily tear the bubbles. Here is a pic of mine when it was first put into my tank.
 

michaeltx

Moderator
all corals need an established tank some are more forgiving than others though.I beleive this one is more hardy than others as long as the current is to strong.
Mike
 

wrassecal

Active Member
My bubble coral when I first got it. It went down hill and has been coming back really well last few months. Can't get a current pic cause it's in the 135 gal milk vat right now.:)
 

finland

Member
Mine is definately a center piece in my tank. It is at the size of a soccerball when fully expanded. Actually , I have 3, but the other 2 are smaller. They are hardier then my other lps, slower to react to bad water condition. I also feed them meaty foods about once a week, and the next day after feeding is when they look there best.
 

hkgar

Member
Here is my guy. He was the size of a dime when I got him two months ago. now bigger than a $.50 piece.
 

demosthenes

Active Member
Sunken Ship, is that the Pearl Bubble that you have? Yours looks really cool, they all do, but yours has a different look about it that I really like. I'd like to get one similar to that sometime soon, so if you could just let me know what type it is and what you feed it. Don't worry though, my tank has a lot of water flow, but not much current, set up is very complicated, but I managed to get a lot of turn-over w/o much current.
 

treble

Member
very cool! I have never myself seen a red bubble coral, verrryyy nicee! Heres a shot of one I just thought was really interesting..not mine though
 
P

puffygrrl

Guest
SunkenShip: I'll buy your bubble when it gets to big for your tank. I am currently cycling an 80 gallon reef and a bubble is going to be one of my first additions. I drive up to your area all the time to visit family. Let me know in the future :)
 
P

puffygrrl

Guest
Old Yeller Tang: How much RU selling yours for? I am in San Clemente - just South of Laguna. As I said I am still cycling my 80 gallon, so I wouldn't be able to get anything right this minute. Is there any lay-away plan? :D
 

stpabr

Member
FINLAND, Does your clown host with the bubble? Does it bother the Coral?
Would a bubble be a good replacement for an anenome as a host for any clown?
Thanks for the info,
Stephen
 

krishj39

Active Member
Great price, wish I lived in CA. And great looking corals one and all. I'm definitely adding a bubble to my wish list.
 
Top