Confusa...Spongodes..Thoughts?

[29bonsaireef]

Not much of a monti collector. This was given to me as a Spongodes, and I was told it would grow up like a pillar coral. As you can see it's not growing up, at all. It's beginning to take up a lot of real estate. Tried looking at images and can't really tell the difference between Confusa or Spongodes. Don't really want to have to chizzle it out, but if it's going to be an encruster I might have to. Anyone have success getting the pillar like growth out of these? Some do, some don't? BTW, The knobby area is from the original frag, no new upward growth in the past year.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

I've only had one spongodes in my reef tank experience so I don't know much about the multiple ways it grows in different light, flow, etc., but I'll post mine for comparison. While the color and the polyps look similar, the arangement of the polyps and the edge where it is encrusting are very different. My spongodes has a smooth surface area.

Even if it is a spongodes, if you are worrying about encrusting you'll still need to get rid of it. This thing grows extremely fast and can get very large.

 

[DSC reef]

I'd say it's a confusa. It will plate a bit more than spongodes but spongodes will take up just as much real estate plating while sprouting stalks.

 

[29bonsaireef]

Hmmm..okay. Thanks for the input! Might try to get what I can and isolate it. Sorta enjoy the coloration, just don't want it taking over an entire island with base.

 

[trido]

I find that with any SPS they will spend less time encrusting and more time growing spires if you put them out on a ledge or point of some sort. And yes, a spongodes will encrust as much as it will grow spires. This one was a 3" baby two years ago. It has encrusted to the rocks as it has grown taller and is near ten inches tall. It gets frags by fish and the mag cleaner all the time too. They grow fast.