Coral hitchhiker - identification???

[bigdrew]

I picked up some palm tree clove polyps, which you can clearly see in this picture. However, what is the coral circled in black at the base of the plug? It's hard to get a good picture because it's behind those cloves. It is growing like a floor mat over the plug. It has grown quite a bit over the past few months.

If anyone needs a better picture, I'll try later this afternoon to upload one.

 

[DSC reef]

Definitely need a better picture if you can get one

 

[bigdrew]

Will do. I'll take one later this afternoon and upload it. I'll use something to try to move the cloves out of the way.

 

[Malifry97]

It kind of looks like tiny frogs pawns but I don’t know to dye picture quality.

 

[DSC reef]

Will do. I'll take one later this afternoon and upload it. I'll use something to try to move the cloves out of the way.

Try to see if it is a soft mat or if it has stony structure.

 

[GoTakeANap]

Looks like a stony coral or maybe a mushroom. Better pic would help. Following

 

[Malifry97]

Try to see if it is a soft mat or if it has stony structure.

If it is soft it’s a probably a frogspawn but other than that idk

 

[bigdrew]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. It definitely looks more stony, like a stony mat. As soon as I can, I'll get a picture uploaded. I'll recruit my wife to help me move the cloves out of the way....;Wideyed

 

[DSC reef]

Looking forward to the pics. From what I can see and it being a stony mat, I'd guess a type of chalice coral.

 

[Malifry97]

It’s cool you got two corals for the price of one though!

 

[bigdrew]

It’s attached. I pulled away the cloves. However, to add on to my question about identification, what are those white twirly things? Some small and some bigger?

 

[bigdrew]

PS. The mystery coral is right next to my thumb. It withdrew a bit when I picked it up.

 

[bigdrew]

It’s cool you got two corals for the price of one though!

Indeed, except I am working on a softy build and I don’t think this is a softy! Oh well, it was free! It has grown a ton since I got it, maybe doubling in size now?

 

[Malifry97]

Indeed, except I am working on a softy build and I don’t think this is a softy! Oh well, it was free! It has grown a ton since I got it, maybe doubling in size now?

Oh wow.

 

[bigdrew]

I zoomed in on that photo. Here is a slightly better shot.

 

[DSC reef]

The curly white things are spionid worms, harmless filter feeders. Your coral has a goniopora/alevapora look to it. Do the polyps come out?

 

[bigdrew]

The curly white things are spionid worms, harmless filter feeders. Your coral has a goniopora/alevapora look to it. Do the polyps come out?

yes, polyps come out. They don’t come out far.

 

[DSC reef]

I can't be 100 percent sure yet but as time passes try to get more pics, no rush. In the mean time watch the reaction of the clove polyps, the 2 corals might battle.

 

[bigdrew]

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll take more as it grows...

 

[bigdrew]

Approximately 6 months later, and this is what that little tiny coral turned into...pardon all of the "dust." Just completed a sand bed stirring and tank cleaning effort.

Based on what it looks like now, this seems like an SPS...which means perhaps I posted this in the wrong forum. Ha!

Any ideas what kind of SPS? I had wanted to do just a softy reef, but I have become so enamored with this little guy that I can't bring myself to give it away or trade it in. It seems to do very well in my tank, despite my lack of care about following SPS coral guidelines in my tank.