[prow]

hey everyone i ordered a kenya tree coral. this is what i got. looks to be a pocillopora Cauliflower Coral. can anyone give a ID on the genera or perhaps exact species?? i know i am not good with the camera but these are all the same coral.

[charlesr1958]

Thats the beauty of common names, a tree coral could by all rights be anything with branches. Have never heard of a pocillopora cauliflower coral so would be unable to say if thats the common name used for what you have. But you do have a soft coral if thats any help, possibly a Cladiellia species.

Chuck

[prow]

yeah after looking all over the place i have found leather corals, softies and sps, all with the same common names. only wanted to know so i could place it in a good spot. it seems to like the top of the rocks and high flow. maybe, because the common names are the same, this softy got confused and thinks its a sps.

[prow]

i think i might have found it. took alot of weeding through though. i found sps, leathers and other softies all with the same common name like 8 in all and thats just looking for a couple days. anyway i now think its a Sinularia thin finger leather. hope its not too aggressive. the kenya (Capnella sp.) i wanted, i think is not as noxouis as the Sinularia, at least thats what i have read. anyone know how the Sinularia is as far as aggresstion, i know sps bother the kenya and the Sinularia is more aggressive, and bother sps, it but not as arggressive as a Alcyonium. i have no experiance with softies or leathers so any help about its care, mainly its placement in a effort to avoid it bothering future corals, would be greatly appreciated. this tank will be mixed, i research everything before i buy, at least what i think i am buying. the kenya was to go in a more shaded area, in rock work blocking it in from spreading or irritating others, according to Dr. Froster
"The Kenya Tree Coral relies less on the symbiotic algae within it, and depends more on obtaining outside food. Microplankton, marine snow, and dissolved materials should make up the bulk of its diet."
but if this is a Sinularia than it should, and seems too, like high flow and lots of light. not the kind of spot i had planned for it. i want to put mostly sps along the top of the rock work. all though i am just starting to stock the tank and can move it all over it seems this guy is going to want to be out in the high flow areas and is very light demanding, taking up spots i was thinking more for sps. cool thing is i only paid $50 and got this plus a small Wellsophyllia green brian and a lg. metalic candy cane (Caulastrea furcata), so price i right. should i take this guy to the LFS and trade him in?

[charlesr1958]

I myself would be tempted to trade it in for a stony coral, only because I am too lazy to deal with ineviatable aleopathy issues that will occur between the mixture of species (hard vs soft). That and a soft corals rate of growth usualy far exceeds that of hard corals and space competition could become an issue as well. I am not saying that it can not be done, its just a few to many extra things for me to want to deal with when I dont have to. I tend to like dedicated systems to keep softies and stonies, both of which can make for a very beautiful tank. If you do decide to keep it, as with any coral, water flow is very important, but not to the point of blasting it fire hose like, that species will also do well in moderate to strong lighting. I would also suggest you run carbon on a regular basis to mop up behind what ever this coral may release. Thats the part I got tired of doing and removed all softies except a single gorgonian. Let us know what you decide to do and how it turns out for you.

Chuck