Alveopora growth info and placement

[drolmaeye]

I purchased an Alveopora frag a few weeks ago (just a few days after the colony was fragged). It is approximately one inch square and about a half inch tall (see pic). Can some experienced LPS reefers tell me how this thing might grow? Will it just grow a big calcium ball with polyps on the surface? Or does it branch?

Related to growth habit, do you have a preference between sand (on a frag plate) or rock placement? Any guidance or suggestions would be appreciated.

Note: I include this pic so one can see the initial skeleton size and shape. It is now beautifully extended every day, looks to even have new, little polyps on the edges of the frag, so hopefully it is doing well.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

they create a ball and keep growing, I glue the frag onto a rock, they are all placed low in my tank.

 

[His Coral Highness]

I got one about 2 weeks ago and at first it was fully extended and looked great, then it looked like the picture above for about a week. I think my alkalinity was low. I’m hoping that it retracting into the skeleton was just temporary and it will return to being fully extended now that I brought the all back up - but I’m anxious

 

[Idech]

I got one about 2 weeks ago and at first it was fully extended and looked great, then it looked like the picture above for about a week. I think my alkalinity was low. I’m hoping that it retracting into the skeleton was just temporary and it will return to being fully extended now that I brought the all back up - but I’m anxious

I have one and it almost died twice, losing almost all polyps. Right now it seems to be coming back to life again. They are fragile but they seem to bounce back.

 

[jkcoral]

Alveopora have always seemed hardier than goniopora, at least in my experience.

I still treat them the same, and almost always have them on a tile placed on the bottom of the tank. I’ve found this to make it easier to them around for a few weeks or months to find that “perfect” spot they like and decrease the chances of them randomly deciding to unsubscribe from life.

 

[His Coral Highness]

Thanks I’m hoping. It really did a 180. It was a beautiful colony that first week and now I just barely see little polyps