Millepora And Lighting

[intricable]

So, I think i've figured out what my montipora/acropora thing is- its a rusty pink millepora! Exciting, I know.

My question lies in where this little guy should live. I'm new to this whole process, so I've been learning via the bf and his tank. He has a 100 gallon corner tank, his hood has halides, itinics (sp?) and moonlights, that are all programed to turn on a specific times of the day. The lights in the hood are located up towards the bow of the front of the tank, and my millepora had been living about 6 inches off the bottom of the tank, neear the front bow on a rock. Unfortunately, there was a catostophic RO water top off system accident, and the tank had to be ripped down a few weekends ago so we could rip up carpet, dry the place out and lay new floor. When we were putting things into coolers, it was evident that the little millepora had been growing as he had attached himself beyond the plug to the rock quite nicely. In my opinion, that means the general area that mr millepora was living in was working out a-ok for the little guy. However, now that we know what he is and that he likes high light (I don't really know what that means), BF thinks millepora dude should move much higher up in the tank, but toward the back corner. He won't be under direct light this way but I'm still worried about him bleaching out.

So, what do you think? Go with my opinion on "he was growing just fine where he was before, if he's happy leave him be" or with the BF "he likes high light, lets move him up in the tank."



Oh! and just for reference, this is where I discovered that my little guy is a millepora. He's IDENTICAL to this, only he's two fingers, not just one.
http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...id=2683&N=0

 

[SkiFletch]

Well you're both right

Encrusting and good color indicate good health. Not necessarily great health though . If your rocks aren't 100% the same orientation and your pumps aren't 100% same orientation, flow is going to be much different in the tank. My millepora likes it up high in the tank in pretty significant flow.

 

[intricable]

I think the flow will be good where bf wants him to live- when the mysis and other food gets dumped in the front of the tank is spirals around back to where the millepora will be living. It will also be easier to get the pipette in there to feed the guy directly. What signs should I be looking for that shows an unhappy milepora? Usually his polyps are all out and waving in the current, but he seems to be growing much slower than, say, the leather frags that I had bought at the same time. Also, how often should I be feeding him planktons? Several times a week? Will he get to be a big coral or will he spread more than grow vertically? Would he live happily in the refugium with the leathers under flourescent lights, or would that not be enough for him? The refugium has become "intricables nursery for leather frags that the fish seem to want to bother", but I'm sure I could diversify the nursery to include a millepora. I guess any advice on how to make my milleporas life great as opposed to just good is really what I'm looking for!

Thanks!

 

[SkiFletch]

Coloration is the first sign of health in milli's. They'll brown out if they're not happy with water conditions

 

[intricable]

So, we have a problem.

Ms. Clown is pissed about the milliepora's new placement (as she had originally been with most of the frags we brought back from the frag swap) and she's been relentless about kicking the millepora to the floor. In her defense, the millepora was placed within 18 inches of her bta, so she's probably trying to protect it. Unfortunately, moving the coral to this spot has reinstated her hate for the frags, and shes been knocking all the other frags to the floor as well, regardless of where they're living. Mr. Millepora is pissed, and in effort to saved his little hiney, he's moved to the refugium. He's been changing colors now (I don't know if it the low-ish magnesium level or the being kicked around all weekend) and has gone from a dark peach to a darker, browner peach. His polyps were out after the first few knocks, but after getting moved to a completely new tank, he's mad and the fuzzy's are not coming out nearly as much. So, here are my questions:


1) if my millepora is browning, does it mean he's done for, or do they turn around if you do everything possible to make him happy? We're working on correcting the magnesium level and up until yesterday he's always had his polyps out (in my limited experience, this is a good thing).


2) I did get a little purple porcelin crab for the refugium- will he live with the millepora nicely? The procelin guy had little feathery finger doo-dads that I assume are to eat stuff floating past, so I assume he live amongst corals just fine.


3) The refugium has less flow then where he was living, but the leather frags have been living in there and I feed them phytos, marine snow and rotifers often- up to 4 times a week- in effort to get them to grow. (and grow they have!) Will Mr. Millepora appreciate the room service? How often should I feed them? It sounds like a stupid question, but can you OVER feed a coral?

 

[SkiFletch]

1. When SPS brown out usually their growth slows as they pack zooxanthellae into their tissue (which are brown) usually to try and makeup for not the greatest health of the colony. This does NOT mean they're done. In fact if you can restore them to high light and flow that they like, they can and will color right back up to the way they were. Often times you can get great deals on acro colonies that an aquarist didn't know how to care for, brown out, and sell the whole big colony for dirt cheap. When put back in high light/flow and given a month or so, they color right back up.

2. Hard to say. Some crabs are commensal acro crabs, some are not. If it IS a commensal crab, it'll go in the mille. If not, it wont...

3. So long as your feedings do not negatively impact water chemistry (phosphate, nitrate, DOCs), then it's very difficult to overfeed a coral. I'd stick with the regimen you've been using, if it aint broke, don't fix it.


Also if it were my tank, I'd have a good stern talking to with the clownfish...

 

[intricable]

Hahaha! Someone recently did have a talk to the clown... And took a nice big nip out of her tail. Theres only a lion fish, long nosed hawk, sea hare and sailfin tang that live with her, so we're assuming the sailfin told her to go suck an egg.

anywho...



I'll continue to feed the refugium nursery then. One of the leathers is getting a little too tall to live in there anymore, so Im nervous about what will happen when he has to move to the main tank. Coral glue the shell he lives on to something? My purple leather (the shorter of the two) was tolerating the abuse a lot better than the green leather, who won't lets polyps out for days after being nudged, so it could be a rocky road for the guy.


Also, I've read that milleporas can be fast growing stoney corals. What does fast growing actually translate into? Wiill I get another finger over the course of a year, or it will take over the tank like those bloody button polyps? (the BF really likes the button polyps. I think they look like green weeds.) He hasn't had much luck with acroporas before, but damned if I'm going to let my millepora kick the bucket - I paid a whole $5 for those two little fingers.

 

[intricable]

One more question:

I tried to google commensal crabs to see if the purple porcelin is one, but I'm still a bit confused. Do commensal crabs live about the acropora or do the EAT the acropora?

 

[SkiFletch]

Gah, I do that all the time. Dont know why I mix the terms "commensal" and "symbiote" but I do. I meant to say symbiotic crabs They live amongst the acro, clean it, and protect them from small attackers. Good things to have.

Milles under the right conditions can double in size in 3-4 weeks and they grow exponentially. It's not unheard of for a small pinky finger sized frag to grow to the size of a fully open hand in the course of a year. That of course assumes the coral is in perfect health