I love plates!

[timmyrules]

This isn’t a great picture…but that was my plate coral when I first got it. It’s grown quite a bit. But I don’t have a recent picture.

Ok, here’s a picture I just took…it is still not nearly as beautiful as all of your guys corals.

 

[Tamberav]

All are beautiful pics and really nice specimens. I think i may have to get a few now, thanks!

So they don't sting each other?

Mine didn't even though one was a short tentacle and the other a long.

 

[JoJosReef]

Ok, here’s a picture I just took…it is still not nearly as beautiful as all of your guys corals.

It's a gorgeous plate!

 

[timmyrules]

It's a gorgeous plate!

Thank you!!!!

 

[codenfx]

I picked my orange plate out from AquaSD when I swung by after taking the kids to SeaWorld. They had sent me a BJD'd Torch, so I just asked them if I could get a plate as a replacement and they let me pick it out when I went there. I will say, it didn't look amazing when I was there in person, but it perked up in my tank and is one of my favorites now!

You went there in person to tell them about the BJD torch or was this discussed with them before you went? I was sent the wrong Cynaria, took about a week to settle the issue and I happened to be at SD two weeks ago, stopped by there and told them that I had credit from that issue, nothing I wanted from their display store, I went onto their site and show them the plate I wanted which they gave me no issues.

 

[JoJosReef]

You went there in person to tell them about the BJD torch or was this discussed with them before you went? I was sent the wrong Cynaria, took about a week to settle the issue and I happened to be at SD two weeks ago, stopped by there and told them that I had credit from that issue, nothing I wanted from their display store, I went onto their site and show them the plate I wanted which they gave me no issues.

Yes, I had sent them photos of the torch right after unpacking it. It had a head dead and I put it in the tank and gave them a photo day later when the other head went BJD and I pulled it and started cipro in my whole tank. Wasn't happy with it. I knew they were having problems with their torches at the time, so I asked for something else as replacement and said I'd like a plate, to which they said that'd be fine, and I told them when I'd be in town. Overall, they handled the replacement well, although they probably should never have sent the torch.

 

[mdpitts]

I grew both mine out from pinkie nail size

WOW!!! Maybe the prettiest coral I've seen. Is there a name for this beauty?

 

[VintageReefer]

WOW!!! Maybe the prettiest coral I've seen. Is there a name for this beauty?

Thank you!

It’s a coral collectors insanity plate

Brace yourself…

insanity plate | Coral Collectors

coralcollectors.com

 

[Macbalacano]

I love plates too, I've had several, including long tentacle plates. But I can never seem to keep them for longer than a year. My suspicion is that I've also always had a conch in my tank and that they tend to injure plates.

Has that been other folks' experience too?

 

[JoJosReef]

I love plates too, I've had several, including long tentacle plates. But I can never seem to keep them for longer than a year. My suspicion is that I've also always had a conch in my tank and that they tend to injure plates.

Has that been other folks' experience too?

I have two conches. 1) I didn't like the conches and pitho crab moving the plate around or potentially injuring it; 2) I didn't like the plate moving itself around. Solution: zoa prison!

 

[Scooters Reef]

A standard green plate and a purple lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng tentacle plate

Heliofungia holy moly! That’s likely the prettiest heliofungia I have ever seen! How long have you had it?

 

[VintageReefer]

I love plates too, I've had several, including long tentacle plates. But I can never seem to keep them for longer than a year. My suspicion is that I've also always had a conch in my tank and that they tend to injure plates.

Has that been other folks' experience too?

Long tentacle plates have poor survival rates in home aquaria. There are some more durable strains but it’s hit or miss if you get one or not.

I had an awesome long tentacle one and always fed it krill and mysis and various foods and it did great. Around month 10 or 11 it declined out of nowhere and I suddenly lost it. No idea why but in research I found this happens to many people. Not everyone. But many

 

[JoJosReef]

Long tentacle plates have poor survival rates in home aquaria. There are some more durable strains but it’s hit or miss if you get one or not.

I had an awesome long tentacle one and always fed it krill and mysis and various foods and it did great. Around month 10 or 11 it declined out of nowhere and I suddenly lost it. No idea why but in research I found this happens to many people. Not everyone. But many

Did you keep the skeleton? The guy I bought my little plate from had his die like that and then it exploded with babies. I wonder if this isn't a type of programmed mechanism of reproduction that these corals have, because it seems like the "sudden decline" happens too frequently for it to just be a "poor survival in aquaria". I mean, it could be that they simply can't sustain without some missing factor present in their natural environment, but wonder if it's also just a method of reproduction.

 

[Scooters Reef]

Some of my favorites!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

these are my 2. nothing fancy, but i love them!

 

[VintageReefer]

Did you keep the skeleton? The guy I bought my little plate from had his die like that and then it exploded with babies. I wonder if this isn't a type of programmed mechanism of reproduction that these corals have, because it seems like the "sudden decline" happens too frequently for it to just be a "poor survival in aquaria". I mean, it could be that they simply can't sustain without some missing factor present in their natural environment, but wonder if it's also just a method of reproduction.

I highly suspect it’s something very simple. Sand irritation. Causing tissue recession

The poofy tentacles hide it and you don’t see it until it’s started and it’s hard to get to reverse. if I tried again I would elevate 1 off the sand with a coral riser

Plates don’t need sand. I’m growing mine out on frag plugs on frag racks. They need proper par, flow, and food. But there’s nothing saying you absolutely need them on the sand. I think it leads to long term issues for many people. Plate settle, currents move sand. What once was fine now is 1/4-1/2” lower in the sand after 6-12 months, and then issues start from sand irritation along the outer parts of the skeleton
Just a theory

 

[VintageReefer]

Did you keep the skeleton? The guy I bought my little plate from had his die like that and then it exploded with babies. I wonder if this isn't a type of programmed mechanism of reproduction that these corals have, because it seems like the "sudden decline" happens too frequently for it to just be a "poor survival in aquaria". I mean, it could be that they simply can't sustain without some missing factor present in their natural environment, but wonder if it's also just a method of reproduction.

No. I tend not to because I fear (maybe unnecessarily) die off adding who knows what to my tank. Usually is something is behind saving I just toss it and don’t take the risk of it releasing ammonia and death toxins into my tank 24/7 until it’s all rotted away.

 

[VintageReefer]

mean, it could be that they simply can't sustain without some missing factor present in their natural environment

Maybe the long tentacle ones come from a more rocky/gravel substrate as opposed to fine sand we use

 

[BryanM]

Thank you!

It’s a coral collectors insanity plate

Brace yourself…

insanity plate | Coral Collectors

coralcollectors.com

Brace yourself indeed. Holy smokes.

 

[VintageReefer]

Brace yourself indeed. Holy smokes.

I didn’t pay that though. I got mine as a baby/fragThe parent owner paid that