Stratocaster or Stratosphere?

[bp717]

Hey guys, this is my first post on reef2reef. I got these for a pretty decent price however I am not sure if they are stratocasters or stratospheres. I'm leaning toward stratospheres but not too sure.

Thanks!

 

[Amaroks_Aquatics]

They look like Stratocasters but with more black than normal. Stratospheres have a very prominent swirl/ring pattern. But your Stratocasters are very, very unique. Like I said, they normally have less black than yours. Excited to see what the colony looks like after it grows more.

 

[JoJosReef]

Caster

 

[cvu]

This is what I have and as told by seller it's a caster.

 

[JoJosReef]

This is what I have and as told by seller it's a caster.

That's a caster! I have those. Got them from anthonys_aqua on SCR. You?

 

[krissiRLT]

@bp717 My Strats look a bit like yours when they’re babies. They have rings but don’t get the full swirl pattern until they get bigger. I’d give them some time in your tank and see how they color up.

 

[krissiRLT]

These are the same exact ones, just older. Oh yeah you can see in this photo how the small one toward the front looks more like yours.

 

[cvu]

That's a caster! I have those. Got them from anthonys_aqua on SCR. You?

No, just from local reefer.

 

[bp717]

Update, not the clearest photo but this is how they look now. Top frag

 

[krissiRLT]

yeah those are stratospheres!

 

[cvu]

These are the same exact ones, just older. Oh yeah you can see in this photo how the small one toward the front looks more like yours.

Are they difficult to keep? I got a single before but it never doing well in my tank and eventually melted away. My other zoa doing well especially the illuminati. Any secrets to keep these stratosphere?

 

[krissiRLT]

I don’t have any secrets, I just treat it the same as any other coral. Watch it to see if it might not like the lighting or the flow. I’ve fragged mine numerous times and have had really good luck with them healing quickly (knocking on wood now lol). Most people I’ve sold frags to haven’t had issues. Two people have lost them. I do monthly ICP testing, I don’t target feed them hardly ever, I dose nitrates and phosphates, aminos, and trace elements daily, live phyto almost daily. Mine are at 100-120 par.

If I had to give some advice I’d say get a healthy aquacultured frag that’s fully healed up, ask the person you buy it from what par they keep it at, find a spot in your tank with similar par and moderate flow, and see how they do.

 

[cvu]

I don’t have any secrets, I just treat it the same as any other coral. Watch it to see if it might not like the lighting or the flow. I’ve fragged mine numerous times and have had really good luck with them healing quickly (knocking on wood now lol). Most people I’ve sold frags to haven’t had issues. Two people have lost them. I do monthly ICP testing, I don’t target feed them hardly ever, I dose nitrates and phosphates, aminos, and trace elements daily, live phyto almost daily.

If I had to give some advice I’d say get a healthy aquacultured frag that’s fully healed up, ask the person you buy it from what par they keep it at, find a spot in your tank with similar par and moderate flow, and see how they do.

Thanks so much.