How does a Plate Coral move?

[jonthefishguy]

I think you are taking it too personally. I was reffering to your statement that said they don't live in the sand bed. Your personal experience was not in question and should not be the example for all. Come to think of it, your experience was not mentioned until your second post. Although you may have found 1 article that talks about plates being on rock. I have found a minimum of ten articles that have stated otherwise and give placement for these corals on the sand bed. If you feel that your way is correct then so be it. However, it is recommended by many that placing them on the sand bed is the best and rocks should be avoided.

 

[saltn00b]

i found multiple pet stores / sites recommending the OLD practice of putting them in the sand bed. that is the reason they used to be considered tough to keep long term IMO. most pictures of these corals in the wild like these random ones i found are going to have the coral on rocky substrate and not fine sand. btw Reefkeeping is a very well respected source of information.

 

[petjunkie]

I keep all mine on the sand and they are doing just fine, my orange one has been going strong for over a year now expanding into the sand, my purple one I have on a flat rock raising it up slightly from the sand, I don't have any nice flat rocks to place them on and with the orange one being a mover I woudln't place it up high. You can place them wherever they are happy, I would just watch so if one jumps from the rocks it doesn't land on a prized coral below. My research leans towards them being found on rubble bottoms most often.

 

[jonthefishguy]

Originally Posted by saltn00b
i found multiple pet stores / sites recommending the OLD practice of putting them in the sand bed. that is the reason they used to be considered tough to keep long term IMO.
I dont know a John Hiller, I do know a Greg Hiller (who incidentally wrote that piece and admits to being just a "casual aquarist" which doesnt make him an expert) and have seen his tanks and am absolutely not impressed. At the time those pictures that he has posted were taken, the tank was very much unkept and looked as if it had been neglected for quite some time..... In any case:
Show me where its says OLD practice..... and that the NEW way is on Rock.

 

[bessycerka]

EVERYTHING that I have read on the plate, says place it in SAND so as not to damage the fleshy parts of the coral, as sharp gravel or rock can cut through the flesh.

 

[jonthefishguy]

So RCreations, you can either follow what the majority of us agree and follow or you can go with the one person that says another person says to put it on the rock. Or you can google the info yourself and makeup your own decision.

 

[perfectdark]

I have tried both with my orange plate and when it was on my LR it started to get white areas around its skeletal base and in one area it migrated up toward its mouth. I moved it to my sand bed, actually I am using 4 concrete fraging disks the flat ones sunk into my SB and it has fully recovered. I am in favor of the sand bed just MO.

 

[rcreations]

Originally Posted by jonthefishguy
So RCreations, you can either follow what the majority of us agree and follow or you can go with the one person that says another person says to put it on the rock. Or you can google the info yourself and makeup your own decision.
It's already in the sand and doing fine, so no reason to move it. My original question had to do with it moving from the spot where I put it but otherwise it's doing fine, eating and so on.
To get an idea of where it's located,

What it does is it moves forward right up next to the glass.

 

[jonthefishguy]

nice fungia!!!

 

[petjunkie]

With heliofungias a big issue is keeping them from getting any sort of damage, including from hitting rocks, they die most often from infection.

 

[aquaknight]

Good luck with the LT.

I would say keep all long tenticles in the sand. There is just too much on the rocks for it to get damaged. Hermits and snails can and have killed them. Keep at least 2" or a tad more then your largest snail away from the glass as a tumbling snail I think put the final nail in my LT's coffin. I would keep short tenticles in the rocks though. Those that survive in the rocks in an aquarium look 10x better then any plate I've seen in the sand.

 

[Lisa Edwards]

My son has a plate coral easily 5 inches around that has been healthy and happy on a rock since it was purchased years ago. It has steadily grown over the years.

 

[bang guy]

They move by inflating and deflating. Inflating gives them a larger surface area then by deflating one side or the other the current can shift them around.