Coral

Hello reefers, So there's been a new type of coral that we've been collecting here at LC. Now this type of coral isn't as popular as say zoanthids, acroporas, or chalices. But oddly enough they still usually carry a high price tag. These corals have very thin layers of tissues that just encrust...

This Article is Sponsored by Legendary Corals. Hello reefers, Darwin here with another article. Mostly a story/ discussion as to what comes out of my reefing head. I haven't done a write up in a while and I was inspired to start this one up after seeing a couple of posts on Facebook coral...

When I first started keeping SPS (small polyped stony) corals, I had done my research. Well, I thought I had, but as it turns out there is always more to learn and SPS corals are not all that forgiving when it comes to learning. It is for this very reason that most reputable retailers will...

The Pearlberry is one of those corals that most people look at and think “It’s soooo beautiful – I’m going to try my hand at keeping SPS!” For sure, this is an inspiring coral – it is one of the most spectacular corals in our system, and we sure do love to stare at it. But as most SPS keepers...

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been curious about how some zoas get their names. There’s almost an art to picking one with a good ring to it. Trying to have the name, the pattern, the colors of the zoa collide and become something special. Utter Chaos, Flaming Mohican, Krakatoa. I...

How about a complete reversal of nearly all of the preconceived essential rules to keeping our sps healthy? Now this really isn’t so new a concept, as I’ve been having this conversation with many of you over the years. In fact, so many that I felt it was finally time to just lay this one on...

Acropora secale is buff. It works out. Not like a “10 minutes on the treadmill” kind of work out, either. This coral is one of the most dense that I have ever kept in my system. It is a high-energy, high-output kind of coral. It obviously loves to consume high amounts of calcium and other ions...

Figure 1. A close up look at the author’s “California Tort” (A. tortuosa) showing classic green and blue coloration. Tortuosa are an especially interesting species of Acropora. As SPS lovers have come to know, the variety of color and growth forms in this group of corals perpetually attracts...

The students and staff at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Oceanographic Center (OC), Dania Beach, FL, are engaged in several studies of marine life. For example, they are conducting studies on issues such as the invasive lion fish and how to eradicate them and Florida hard corals, why they’re...

This Article is Sponsored by Legendary Corals. Hello fellow reefers, Darwin here with another blog like story time post! I've been talking about this subject with a couple of friends and it's very noticeable that the demand for these squishies has skyrocketed in the past couple of years. Some...

This Article is Sponsored by Legendary Corals. Hello fellow reefers! I was trolling the zoanthids section of this forum (as usual) and ran across a very interesting topic, asking what does a zoa name really mean (it was interesting because the reefer is a researcher interested in genetics...

Figure 1. A. efflorescens captive colony Last month, I wrote about the thick, fusing branches of Acropora austera. This month, I present another thickly growing SPS, the beautiful A. efflorescens. The “efflo” as is frequently called in the aquarium trade, is a plating coral that is rare by SPS...

By Austin Lefevre The genus Euphyllia contains some of the most spectacular and recognizable corals we’ve come to love in the marine aquarium hobby. They fall under the hobby coined term, “LPS”, or Large Polyp Stony corals. While the term LPS can shed some light on their overall care, all...

This month’s zoa spotlight will feature the “Fruit loops” zoanthid. These tiny zoas are in almost everyone’s top 10 most wanted zoas list. They are also in most people’s top ten want, but can’t have (because they are notorious for melting away) list. I will shed some light on a common...

Okay, we spend absurdly large amounts of time talking about Acropora and their care around here, don’t we? I know it seems crazy, but there are actually some other corals in the ocean that are interesting and colorful. Really. I’m serious. Enter the “Brain Corals” (my spell checker wanted to...

We all love Acros! That’s not even like an opinion. It’s a fact…You just do, and if you don’t, you’re lying. End of discussion. Yup. That being said, we sell, and people seem to ask for, lots and lots of “deepwater” Acropora. What is it about them? Their smooth skin, unusual shape, cool...

Okay, all you tortilla chip lovers- this one’s for you! R2R's L'enfant terrible (moi) is back- uncaffeinated yet rearing to go... Obviously, this is not the first time I’ve written about the Chalice Corals, but I find many aspects of them fascinating…really- so they deserve more ink (or is...

This Article is Sponsored by @uniquecorals As a lifelong reefkeeper and, more recently, a coral vendor, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to see and keep many different animals over the years. Corals, in particular, have dominated my attention in recent years, and I’ve developed a really...

mixed reef image via reef2reef member @basile We have all had a coral or two try to kill its neighbor. The main cause for this is territorial, but some corals just kill nearby corals because they can. Some simply reach out and sting while others can pump out toxins that can do more than enough...

There are tons of variations of most types of coral. The Symphyllia coral is no exception. It has a great reputation for being an easy coral so almost anyone can be successful with one. Low to moderate flow is best for these beauties. They are found at varied depths, so the best way to determine...