My New Colt Coral pic and a question

[saltfin]

Can a Colt or any other corals be placed directly in the sand bed or are they better off on the lr? I'm thinking of copods, bristles and so on.
I have 260watts PC about 20" above top of sand bed. What is the best height for the Colt to be placed for that much light?
Should a Colt always be tall and filled out is happy. I know they shrink at night.
I'd like to read more on them - I've read John H. Tullock's Natural reef and a few other things. Looking for something on a site I guess in more depth.
Thanks

 

[saltfin]

Another with out who else - Dori

 

[daisy]

Your colt looks very happy. I got one about a month ago, and it has practically tripled in size under lower light than you've got. Mine is pretty high in the tank.
I don't know about how they would like to be sitting on the sand, although yours looks happy enough. My LR is bristling with pods and they don't seem to bother the colt at all. My understanding is that worms won't either, as long as the coral is healthy. Truth is that rock and sand is the same as far as the worms and pods go -- they can climb onto the LR from the sand. The real question is whether the coral can attach firmly to the sand and be happy there. I'd say watch him and see if he gets "less happy" and then move him if you need to.

 

[saltfin]

Thanks Daisy. It came on a rock attached. Could it need more rock or is the one it came on enough? Also where do they split at the base with another stem or more arms from main trunk.:notsure: Will the new need a rock??

 

[daisy]

Mine came on a tiny piece of rock. I did not take it off the rock, but put the rock onto a piece of LR about half/three-quarters of the way up the tank. Three weeks later, I had in mind to move it a bit lower because it was getting so big, but when I put my hand in to move it, I realized that not only had it grown up and out on top, it has also grown out on the bottom, and has attached itself not only to the rock on which it came, but also to the rock onto which I placed its base rock! So I think it will probably attach in time to whatever you put it on as long as it is happy.
I'm not sure I understand your other question. I don't know if they split on their own. I think they just get bigger and bigger and bigger. You have to frag them on your own. When you frag them, you need to attach the frag to a small piece of LR. You have to

[hr]
the stem with a toothpic (I am told this does not hurt the coral) and then rubberband the toothpick to the LR. Place it in the sand and give it some time to attach to the rock before taking out the toothpick. Don't as me how long, as I have not done it yet. (I think it's like three weeks, but I'm not sure)
I'm fragging my Colt at a reef-club meeting on Thursday!
Wish me luck!!!

 

[saltfin]

Yes - Good luck! Maybe you could even get a pic or 2 of the process?? Don't Colts come in different colors? Gotta pic of yours?
I might go ahead and set mine up higher in the tank for grins. I do like it in the sand though. My clown throws sand all over everything. My lr looks like ice cream. He likes to wiggle real fast like peeling out or something. Sure stirs up stuff.:notsure:

 

[daisy]

We nicknamed our Maroon Clown "the engineer" because he was always moving the sand from one spot on the tank to everywhere else. I finally gave up on putting the sand back, and he managed to actually get all the way down to the glass. Sand all over the LR. He'd fill his mouth with the sand, swim away from "his spot," and then spit the sand out wherever.
Other times he'd just wag really fast over some area or other sending up clouds of sand and pods, etc into the water. I think he did this to eat, actually. Pretty neat, really.
I think my colt was more colorful when I got it, I'll have to check with pictures. I think there is a picture of it from a few weeks back on this board -- I'll check. It is definitely much larger now, and also less purple. It's more of a pink/brown now. I have to find out why.
I'm sure someone will tell me that when I invest another $500 in lights, all of my corals will look just beautiful.
I'll definitely take pix of the fragging party. I'm giving away pieces to anyone who comes! It's the second NY/NJ reef club meeting. :yes: