wrassecal
Active Member
vase, lettuce, octopus etc. This is a very interesting group of corals and honestly I'm not sure which one I have.
Turbinaria corals are common in the aquarium trade. They are photosynthetic and contain symbiotic algae, do best in medium to bright light and require brisk water movement to keep algae and detritus from building up. They should be kept on the rockwork and not in the sand (like I first placed mine) to allow for brisk water movement through/around the coral. Excellent water conditions (with a special mention for ph), placement and lighting make for success with this coral.
Turbinaria frondens is a newly popular coral. They are mosty green to brown in color.
Turbinaria mesenterina commonly known as pagoda, cup, and scroll are most popular in the trade.
Turbinaria patula are generally irregularly folded, upright, one-faced fronds. They generally have elliptical leaning over openings.
Turbinaria peltata commonly known as octopus, platter, saucer, turban and vase are a hardy species that can produce mucus to clean itself of detritus.
Turbinaria reniformis is known as yellow scroll or yellow lettuce. It is a hardy species.
The turbinaria corals are "cousins' to the tubastrea genus aka sun corals.
Feeding: Can thrive on foods manufactured through symbiotic algae but it's recommended to supplement with zooplanktonic foods a few times a month and during a time when polyps are open. Some open only at night but most will open at various times.
Disease: Must be swept clean of detritus, algae and mucus to aviod recession of tissue.
Reproduction: Easy to propogate by breaking off pieces of healthy specimens. Also known to release planula larvae in captivity.
The shape of the coral will often be determined by the water flow. Mine is truly the shape of a scroll and is a creamy to yellowish color. When I first got it, I thought it looked rather like a bland piece of stone, but as it started to adjust to the tank conditions and expand it's polyps I've really come to like this coral. As mentioned earlier I originally had mine in the bottom of the tank, a definate mistake. It developed a small area of tissue recession where it touched the sand. I have had it for about six months now and the top is curling over due to the current. It has grown about an inch in height in that time. I have found it to be a fairly easy coral but, I do use a turkey baster to clean it off every few days.
So which one do you have? Which one do you think mine is? I think it's a turbinaria patula, but I've been known to be wrong. Let's see some pics and hear your experiences with these corals.
Turbinaria corals are common in the aquarium trade. They are photosynthetic and contain symbiotic algae, do best in medium to bright light and require brisk water movement to keep algae and detritus from building up. They should be kept on the rockwork and not in the sand (like I first placed mine) to allow for brisk water movement through/around the coral. Excellent water conditions (with a special mention for ph), placement and lighting make for success with this coral.
Turbinaria frondens is a newly popular coral. They are mosty green to brown in color.
Turbinaria mesenterina commonly known as pagoda, cup, and scroll are most popular in the trade.
Turbinaria patula are generally irregularly folded, upright, one-faced fronds. They generally have elliptical leaning over openings.
Turbinaria peltata commonly known as octopus, platter, saucer, turban and vase are a hardy species that can produce mucus to clean itself of detritus.
Turbinaria reniformis is known as yellow scroll or yellow lettuce. It is a hardy species.
The turbinaria corals are "cousins' to the tubastrea genus aka sun corals.
Feeding: Can thrive on foods manufactured through symbiotic algae but it's recommended to supplement with zooplanktonic foods a few times a month and during a time when polyps are open. Some open only at night but most will open at various times.
Disease: Must be swept clean of detritus, algae and mucus to aviod recession of tissue.
Reproduction: Easy to propogate by breaking off pieces of healthy specimens. Also known to release planula larvae in captivity.
The shape of the coral will often be determined by the water flow. Mine is truly the shape of a scroll and is a creamy to yellowish color. When I first got it, I thought it looked rather like a bland piece of stone, but as it started to adjust to the tank conditions and expand it's polyps I've really come to like this coral. As mentioned earlier I originally had mine in the bottom of the tank, a definate mistake. It developed a small area of tissue recession where it touched the sand. I have had it for about six months now and the top is curling over due to the current. It has grown about an inch in height in that time. I have found it to be a fairly easy coral but, I do use a turkey baster to clean it off every few days.
So which one do you have? Which one do you think mine is? I think it's a turbinaria patula, but I've been known to be wrong. Let's see some pics and hear your experiences with these corals.
but very nice article
