Can you recommend a hearty, colorful encrusting SPS?

[esmithiii]

I have some exposed PVC in my tank that I wanted to cover using some frags of an encrusting SPS. Can anyone recommend any good species that are colorful, hearty with good growth rates? Pics would be even better!

Setup:

180G AGA Reef Ready
50G Sump
3x400W 6500K Iwasaki MH + 4x96W PC True Actinic
MyReef Skimmer
270 lbs Fiji LR
6" DSB
Lots of flow
set up about 10 months.

I have about 8 species of SPS currently and they are growing well.

Ernie

 

[slojmn1]

Ernie, What about a montipora tuberrculosis or a an encrusting hynophora, some of these grow pretty fast. Sorry no pictures, just a thought that came to me.

 

[plankton123]

I agree with slojmn1 in that encrusting montipora would and will quickly the pipe and the polyps can be quite colorful: green, purple, etc. For example, someone gave me a tiny 1/2" chuck of 'cream body, green bushy polyp' that I just cemented on the side of a rock and within weeks had already encrusted over the epoxy and now is about 4" across. Or, if you want to really experiment, one of my friends took think acrylic and mounted some staghorn frags horizontally to the verticle pipe and now has a large outward growing SPS colony. Wish I had pictures to show you, but it was quite a sight.

PS slojmn: cool website. Hope setting up the 120 wasn't as painful as the fish aquascape (in color) on your leg!!! Ouch!

 

[SPC]

Hey Ernie, how about GSP :lol: :wink:.
Steve

 

[slojmn1]

plankton123, way more blood, sweat, and tears went into the 120g than any tattoo I have Thanks for the compliment on the website.

I have a nice little piece of encrusting montipora that grows about a 1/4" every 2-3 weeks, thats why I thought it might work out for WErnie's dilema. It is turning a nice deep purple.

 

[esmithiii]

Hey Ernie, how about GSP

LMAOROTF!!!!!!

"There's just no pleasing some people." -Monty Python, The Life of Brian

 

[TurboRook]

Lone star coral creations (www.lonestarcorals.com) sells an encrusting montipora frag that might do the job perfectly. You might ask them for more info on it.

 

[Anonymous]

I would recommend a monti as well. I have a bright orange one from Coral Dynamics that has done every well. It has completely encrusted the rock the frag was stuck into and is now braching out from the side of the rock, almost similar to a cap species.

 

[esmithiii]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just to clarify, I am looking for corals that are encrusting in the technical sense of the word. When I say encrusting I mean that the primary form of the coral is to coat the surface where it is attached and not to branch outward.

Here are some commonly used terms for describing coral growth (primarily stony coral growth):

Massive- Boulder shaped. As the coral grows, the diameter of the spherical shape increases
Columnar- Forming columns that rise upward. As the coral grows, the corals expand upward and also in girth.
Encrusting- These creep along the surface of the substrate, coating it with a sheet, sometimes sending up short projections
Branching- Tree-shaped. As the coral grows, it forms new branches, and the branches grow.
Turbinate- Vase-like growth that somewhat resemble ice-cream cones.
Laminar- Flat plate-like growth that extends outward as the coral grows.
Foliaceous- These form thin plates that fold into leafy formations.
Tabulate- These form flattened radiating platforms of tightly spaced branches that then grow upwards

Keep up the suggestions and the photos!

Ernie

 

[TurboRook]

From Lone Star:

Bright Green Plating Montipora sp.
Bright green Montipora sp. forming thick soft plates. This coral can be used to "glue" aquascapes or even encrust over large areas of a reef display. Very hardy and very fast growing lush green color. These are higher generation tank raised daughters of a tank raised colony originally from Steve Tyree. Undemanding tolerant of wide ranges in lighting and current.

I'll see if this image attachment works (otherwise look through the frag menu at their website):

 

[esmithiii]

Thanks Mike! Sounds great.

Ernie