Fluval sea evo - Lobophyllia help

[Ben Summers]

Ive got a stock light running on my fluval sea evo 13.5 which has been running for 9 months, can I keep a Lobophyllia coral in my tank and where would be best to place it. Looking online lobos can have par of 50-150 so it could work on sand-bed

Photo tax of lobo options

 

[Shirak]

A little searching on the internet says the stock light is 14k light spectrum so that's decent. About 75par on the sand at full power. Probably ok there. A little on the low end for par. Photo of your tank and what you have for corals? How are they doing?

 

[Ben Summers]

A little searching on the internet says the stock light is 14k light spectrum so that's decent. About 75par on the sand at full power. Probably ok there. A little on the low end for par. Photo of your tank and what you have for corals? How are they doing?

Minor Phosphate spike but its coming down from it, plan is to move the zoa and green maze from the right front corner for the lobo. All corals doing great most have doubled since I bought them

 

[Shirak]

Tank looks good. Maybe bump up the snail count to help keep the green film down? Is it just the pump return? If so, might consider a small wave maker pump to pulse on and off a bit to keep water moving. Becomes more important as the corals grow and water flow needs boosting.

Looks like a Trachy in the left front? Lobo will be similar care. Just a heads up.. some Lobo are actually Acan. pachysepta which can be quite aggressive. Usually it's the orange rimmed green center ones but not always.

 

[Ben Summers]

Front left is rainbow chalice, ive picked out my lobo from the option in the photo tax and its from TMC in england so i hope its what they advertise it as. I'd love a trachy in the tank at somepoint down the line but not at the moment. Any recommendations on snails, got a couple Turbo snails but if theres anything better let me know

 

[Shirak]

Front left is rainbow chalice, ive picked out my lobo from the option in the photo tax and its from TMC in england so i hope its what they advertise it as. I'd love a trachy in the tank at somepoint down the line but not at the moment. Any recommendations on snails, got a couple Turbo snails but if theres anything better let me know

I like Astrea I think they do a good job and are very hardy. Some don't like them because they can't flip themselves over if they get overturned on the sand. Turbo are fine but they get big and for me they don't last long.

Looks nice. Maybe a Symphyllia? @thamnasteroid could figure these out lol

 

[thamnasteroid]

Front left is rainbow chalice, ive picked out my lobo from the option in the photo tax and its from TMC in england so i hope its what they advertise it as. I'd love a trachy in the tank at somepoint down the line but not at the moment. Any recommendations on snails, got a couple Turbo snails but if theres anything better let me know

I like Astrea I think they do a good job and are very hardy. Some don't like them because they can't flip themselves over if they get overturned on the sand. Turbo are fine but they get big and for me they don't last long.

Looks nice. Maybe a Symphyllia? @thamnasteroid could figure these out lol

technically Lobo, as Symphyllia were reclassified to Lobophyllia circa 2014.

A few of these are also Acanthastrea pachysepta so watch out for those.

 

[dwest]

OP sorry to hijack your thread

@thamnasteroid what is this coral? I bought it as a lobo a few years ago but now wondering.

Thanks!

 

[Shirak]

technically Lobo, as Symphyllia were reclassified to Lobophyllia circa 2014.

A few of these are also Acanthastrea pachysepta so watch out for those.

Is there an easier way of telling which is which other than the typical orange ring/green center. Is it safe to say A. pachysepta have the roundish/ovalish individual looking polyps while the lobos have the convoluted connected polyps regardless of color?

 

[thamnasteroid]

OP sorry to hijack your thread

@thamnasteroid what is this coral? I bought it as a lobo a few years ago but now wondering.

Thanks!

That one's a Lobo

 

[thamnasteroid]

technically Lobo, as Symphyllia were reclassified to Lobophyllia circa 2014.

A few of these are also Acanthastrea pachysepta so watch out for those.

Is there an easier way of telling which is which other than the typical orange ring/green center. Is it safe to say A. pachysepta have the roundish/ovalish individual looking polyps while the lobos have the convoluted connected polyps regardless of color?

Orange ring doesn't always work, as there are also true Lobos with this characteristic as well as pachyseptas without it. One useful trait is septal beading, but this isn't always present either, especially in aquarium specimens which are more inflated. The most surefire way to tell is flesh texture; the texture of pachysepta has concentric wrinkles with small "warts"/beads