Coral ID please

[SM37]

Hello, I’ve had this coral for about a week my daughter picked it out for me and I was told it was a “dragon soul” favia. But when I read up on it, it may be a gonistrea? Sorry if the spelling is wrong. If so are they about the same for care requirements. I’ve read it’s about the same but I would rather hear some others experience with them. Also my last picture shows it on the bottom, is that fine for placement? It looks good, I had some feeding response last night but I’m still not sure it’s happy or what they look like happy.

 

[JGT]

Pic?

 

[twentyleagues]

Hello, I’ve had this coral for about a week my daughter picked it out for me and I was told it was a “dragon soul” favia. But when I read up on it, it may be a gonistrea? Sorry if the spelling is wrong. If so are they about the same for care requirements. I’ve read it’s about the same but I would rather hear some others experience with them. Also my last picture shows it on the bottom, is that fine for placement? It looks good, I had some feeding response last night but I’m still not sure it’s happy or what they look like happy.

Currently no pics. From the names yes care is about the same.

 

[SM37]

Whoops here they are haha

 

[twentyleagues]

That looks to me like a "tricolor" goniastrea. I am not 100% how youd tell the difference at that size without seeing the skeleton. As it grows out goniastrea will make "nodes" of polyps where favia tends to be one large colony.

 

[Tired]

It's colored like a dragon soul, but they usually seem to be a bit flatter, with quite wide polyps.

 

[SM37]

Oh cool! I got it for 10 bucks!! I have seen them on the sand and on rock. Im not sure if I dig it in the substrate as my pistol will probably try and steal it

 

[Tired]

10 bucks is a great price for it, whatever it is. Don't bury it in the sand, they don't like that, though you can place the frag plug on the sandbed -without the flesh touching the sand!- if you like.

 

[SM37]

Awesome! Good to hear I looked up the tricolor and the pictures off google look pretty similar. It’s actually got quite a bit of mouths on that little drag but I read they can decline like gonis around the 6 month mark if they come in with only like 3 mouths. I seem to have around 5 big mouths and 4 smaller ones. So hopefully they grow well! They glow like crazy under blues, also I’ve got more of a pebble like substrate will it grow on top or do they mound where it’s placed? Like I said, I’ve read a bunch on them but enjoy hearing what others have to say! Also, thanks for the quick replies!

 

[twentyleagues]

Awesome! Good to hear I looked up the tricolor and the pictures off google look pretty similar. It’s actually got quite a bit of mouths on that little drag but I read they can decline like gonis around the 6 month mark if they come in with only like 3 mouths. I seem to have around 5 big mouths and 4 smaller ones. So hopefully they grow well! They glow like crazy under blues, also I’ve got more of a pebble like substrate will it grow on top or do they mound where it’s placed? Like I said, I’ve read a bunch on them but enjoy hearing what others have to say! Also, thanks for the quick replies!

Both will expand. Goniastrea will mound and expand and start a new mound off the old. Favia will expand and usually start to dome.

 

[VintageReefer]

This is dragon soul favia, started as 1 polyp and grew into this after about a year

 

[twentyleagues]

This is dragon soul favia, started as 1 polyp and grew into this after about a year

Is that hollow inside My favias were always hollow, which when I got a favia that grew solid it turned out it was probably goniastrea at least thats what I was told by a very knowledgeable person. What little research that was available back then gave me no positive id for sure.

 

[VintageReefer]

It’s not hollow inside

It came on a frag plug as a single polyp, I put it on a 2” rock. It encrusted over the plug and rock, so I placed that rock, on top of a flat 4-5” rock, and it’s currently encrusting that

 

[SM37]

This is dragon soul favia, started as 1 polyp and grew into this after about a year

That’s super cool! Is yours on the sanded or a rock?

 

[twentyleagues]

It’s not hollow inside

It came on a frag plug as a single polyp, I put it on a 2” rock. It encrusted over the plug and rock, so I placed that rock, on top of a flat 4-5” rock, and it’s currently encrusting that

Hmm. Mine always made a "dome" which once a larger size had a doming in the inside also. Most of mine would also encrust rock so that would take care of the dome situation. If left on the sand bed they domed and inside was hollow. The couple goniastrea I had were solid and started to make new nodes off the old also solid.

 

[SM37]

Hmm. Mine always made a "dome" which once a larger size had a doming in the inside also. Most of mine would also encrust rock so that would take care of the dome situation. If left on the sand bed they domed and inside was hollow. The couple goniastrea I had were solid and started to make new nodes off the old also solid.

Do you think them being hollow was detrimental to them at all Or just how they grow? I’ll probably find a rock to let it grow out onto.

 

[SM37]

It’s not hollow inside

It came on a frag plug as a single polyp, I put it on a 2” rock. It encrusted over the plug and rock, so I placed that rock, on top of a flat 4-5” rock, and it’s currently encrusting that

That pink coral stunning!

 

[VintageReefer]

They will naturally encrust horizontally but if they run out of stuff to encrust on they will build their own structure and take on a dome shape. Encrusting over a surface will yield faster growth than needing to develop a skeletal structure. Many corals are like this including acans

The pink coral is a Cynarina, it’s crazy at night for feeding time

I also have an orange one in my nano

 

[VintageReefer]

That’s super cool! Is yours on the sanded or a rock?

It’s on a plug, embedded in a rock, on top of another rock. It’s encrusted over everything

 

[SM37]

They will naturally encrust horizontally but if they run out of stuff to encrust on they will build their own structure and take on a dome shape. Encrusting over a surface will yield faster growth than needing to develop a skeletal structure. Many corals are like this including acans

The pink coral is a Cynarina, it’s crazy at night for feeding time

I also have an orange one in my nano

Good to know!
And wow, those are so bright. I bet they just glow like crazy!