First sps!

austin55 · Mar 31, 2015

My first sps! I believe it is a encrusting montipora. I have no idea if it is doing good lol I don't know what looks bad or good. Here's a picture of it. Does it look good? What kind of monti might it be?

austin55 · Mar 31, 2015

Finnaddict · Mar 31, 2015

That's not a monti. Its a cyphastrea. Polyps aren't open very much but other than that it looks ok from where im sitting. How long have you had it?

afamousjohnson · Mar 31, 2015

Looks like meteor shower. Think it's an lps. Looks great

austin55 · Mar 31, 2015

Well I'm glad I asked lol I've only had it 4 days

Finnaddict · Mar 31, 2015

austin55 said:
Well I'm glad I asked lol I've only had it 4 days

Well give it some time to adjust to your tank an lighting. A healthy colony will have polyps about twice the size and fuzzy.

austin55 · Mar 31, 2015

I moved it down to the bottom. I thought it was a monti so it was close to the top

NanaReefer · Mar 31, 2015

Meteor Shower (Cyphastrea) is an SPS. Vivid Aquariums says: The Meteor Shower Cyphastrea requires moderate to high water flow and moderate lighting (PAR 200-300) to maintain its color. T5's, Metal Halides, or LED's can all grow Cyphastrea Coral when the proper PAR levels are provided. We recommend a 14-20K color spectrum for best coloration.

Rob Top1 · Mar 31, 2015

I remember the first time I saw meteor shower. The Pittsburgh MACNA 2007. Was selling for $75-100 for a frag the size of an erase.

austin55 · Mar 31, 2015

The frag I bought was $75. Its covering the entire plug and was growing onto the rack it was on

afamousjohnson · Apr 1, 2015

Meteor shower - from my personal experience (I have/had a ton of it) likes lower light. Gets a deeper blue base to go with the pink polyps instead of the greenish. I even had a colony growing great under a shelf in crazy low par under 100. But that is just from experience with my own colonies.

KoleTang · Apr 1, 2015

NanaReefer said:
Meteor Shower (Cyphastrea) is an SPS.

Cyphastrea is classified in the Faviidae family, which to my knowledge is LPS.

Cyphastrea ? Wikipedia

NanaReefer · Apr 1, 2015

Well heck then somebody needs to write and tell, Doc Aquariums, Live Aquaria, Tidal Gardens, Vivid Aquariums, That Pet Place that they're wrong!! Selling an LPS as an SPS is not cool at all. Why do you think they are ALL calling it an SPS?

hybridazn · Apr 1, 2015

I always believed it to be sps as well. Hmmmm

afamousjohnson · Apr 1, 2015

I am still sticking with LPS.lol who knows? acts nothing like an sps to me - but hey they also said to keep it in 200-300 par

Shep · Apr 1, 2015

NanaReefer said:
Well heck then somebody needs to write and tell, Doc Aquariums, Live Aquaria, Tidal Gardens, Vivid Aquariums, That Pet Place that they're wrong!! Selling an LPS as an SPS is not cool at all. Why do you think they are ALL calling it an SPS?

I think its still debated if its SPS or LPS, I have one and I treat it like an LPS and it seems to be doing wwell so far.

afamousjohnson · Apr 1, 2015

Here is a good light and color reference for the piece. This is my largest colony some 6"x8" with a softball sized ball grown out.
he was very well shaded but not as much as others getting filtered off side light. The section of the colony in the shade you can see a great deep blue. that is prolly in about 70-80par. The strip in the light is not as bold and takes on a sea foam green base. Prolly 150 par on it.

ou12004 · Apr 1, 2015

I have 1 branching and it is with the SPS and 1 encrusting and it is with the LPS, I disagree with myself on what they are. The encrusting bleaches easily if it gets direct light but the branching seems to enjoy direct light.

afamousjohnson · Apr 1, 2015

Cherry blossom branching caphestrea. Yes now that one likes light - not a ton but more.

KoleTang · Apr 1, 2015

NanaReefer said:
Well heck then somebody needs to write and tell, Doc Aquariums, Live Aquaria, Tidal Gardens, Vivid Aquariums, That Pet Place that they're wrong!! Selling an LPS as an SPS is not cool at all. Why do you think they are ALL calling it an SPS?

Online retailers are not experts on classification. We are comparing a livestock retailer's knowledge, to the Catalogue of Life. Cyphastrea is classified in the family coral commonly referred to as "brain coral", which is LPS. There is no SPS to my knowledge that has polyps as large a Cyphastrea.

If you want to reference retailers, Jason Fox has calls it LPS: Atlantis Original Meteor Shower Cyphastrea Ocellina

Blue Zoo does as well: https://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=3&cid=51&pid=1402

Cyphastrea seems to be platypus of coral. IMO, it would fit best as a "Medium Polyp Stony Coral".