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AWD

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Plate corals. I like them cause they resemble anenomes. I want to get one but I want to know their survival rates and if they are fragable (if that is a word). If you have fragged them how do you do it. Are they a long-lived coral. I have a torch, frogspawn and some xenia to make any comparisons.

Thanks,

Andy
 

O P Ing

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hi.
For a closed aquarium, it is usually not recommanded to frag a solitairy coral like the plate coral. They are most likely die if you frag it.
 

Desolas

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They are pretty easy to keep overall I think. I agree with O P Ing, they can reproduce asexually, but it is risky overall and most fungia you get in the LFS are usually 3-5" in size, it would be kind of a shame to break one just to have two little ones - or end up killing it. I think it would be more beneficial to just purchase a second one, you'll have diversity then and won't just have two clones. Though, you will want a lot of space if you keep two. They can get large.

They may actually try to spawn too. Mine has once this year. They can also bud-off daughter colonies.
 

Greg Hiller

Just a bum in Boston
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Wakefield, MA
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AWD,

Plate corals is an awfully general term. Heliofungia, if that's what you are asking about, are quite difficult to keep (these are the ones that look like anemonies. I consider myself quite experienced, but had one die on me. If I had one survive I don't think I'd take a chance and frag it! Fungia, and related plate corals are much easier. I have fragged a Fungia (or similar as it's hard to differentiate some of the plate corals) into 4 pie shaped pieces and all of the pieces have survived and are regrowing to a circular shape. It just takes time.

- Greg Hiller
 

AWD

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I really don't know which plate coral I like. They do look just like anenomes. LFS guy says hardy coral compared to xenia, but need strong light as they are usually on the bottom. I don't want to frag one right away. I just want corals that will frag easily that way preventing less ocean robbing and promotion of coral population in the tanks. That and some nice people gave me a bunch of frags and I want to give them something too.

How do I identify the different species?
 

Desolas

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A rough way is to look at the tenticles. Are they more pointed, and thin, or are they fatter and have bulbs at the end? Most heliofungia have thicker more anemone like tenticles, while fungia usually just have thin almost clear tenticles that end in sharper points.

this site has a picture of a fungia part way down the page, mouse over it and it enlarges: http://www.omne-vivum.com/c/11811.htm

and another fungia: http://www.visualdiving.com/uw153_19_gb06.html

this one has a heliofungia: http://www.exotictropicals.com/encyclo/reef/lg_stony/plate.htm

and this one also: http://www.mops.on.ca/gallery/johnr20a.htm

If you search on google for both you will find more pictures, also try Reef Central. Or a good book that has a lot of information about both which would have saved you a lot of time is Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman.
 

Len

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Fungias are a lot easier to husband then Heliofungias. The latter often times succomb to secondary infections once their delicate tissues are damaged during handling. Fungias have tougher tissues and are more disease resistant.

Fragging of Fungias is possible by cleaning divind the plate up, although there are obvious risks to this practice and is generally not recommended. You can also induce assexual budding by purposely damaging small sections of its disk where new buds may sprout, but again, this isn't recommended either. I personally would suggest you don't try to frag single large polyped stony corals.
 

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