Keeping plate corals?

[SDguy]

I saw some ridiculous looking plate corals the other day. I really want to get one, but I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've never kept one and don't really know anything about them. Anything special I should know? Do they need to be fed? Any other tips or tricks?

I have a 30" tall BB tank with 250W 14K phoenix MH bulbs on Icecaps, plus blue PowerBrite LED supplements. Is that good?

 

[JamieSheffield]

I spot feed mine once a week, and I'm sure that it scoops up some food from my daily feeding of the tank in general...I don't do anything special for it, and mine seems happy.

Jamie


Posted from my iPad using emphatic gestures!

 

[Cubbies]

Feeding them is always good and they actually do appreciate it alot! I love seeing them eat. I would say they like to lay in sand but should be fine in a BB. I would say it's one of those corals that although alot of people will say they are easy to keep I would disagree. They seem to just go out of nowhere. Any little thing and ime they are gonners. You should try it out with a cheaper one and see how that goes. You might just do ok with them. I've tried a handful of them but can't seem to keep one.

 

[SDguy]

Feeding is not an option. I have swallowtail angels that know to pick food out of LPS corals like a buffet.

 

[Spaceman Spliff]

cut the top off of a 2-liter bottle and put it over the plate while it eats. I need to do that with my symphyllia as it takes a long time for it to ingest food in its little mouths.

BTW, plates, or at least my plate has sticky tentacles and ingests food pretty quickly so you shouldn't have to fend off the angel for long. Just drop the food right on its mouth and it will be gone in a couple of minutes.

 

[luke33]

With my experience which is around a year or so i've found they don't need alot of light and look brilliant in dirtier water. Pristine water and they don't care for it as much, so i think they do best in zoa conditions. I don't think eating would be a problem as mentioned above they eat pretty quick.

 

[SDguy]

You don't know my angel. He will pick at the closed mouth until it expels the food. I've watched it happen over and over

 

[luke33]

Then you may want to pass as that doesn't sound good for them. I like alot of corals that eat but i'm to lazy to spot feed. These guys eat well just from feeding the fish, but if a fish stole food i don't thing i could keep them.

 

[Spaceman Spliff]

keep in mind they don't need to be spot fed. Like I said, they are sticky so will catch food when you feed your fish also.

 

[SDguy]

Thanks, that was my question...

 

[k2parkstar]

I spot feed my fungia and the mouth closes around the food in about a minutes time so if you can distract the angel with food when you spot feed I'm sure that would be fine.

 

[evolved]

I've kept one over 2 years and have only spot fed it maybe 3-4 times. I keep it on the sandbed near a shaded area. It will move itself in or out of the shade depending on nutrient levels in the tank. It moves overnight by inflating itself quite a bit (but I'm only talking about moving about 3" or so).

So my experience has been they are extremely easy to keep (stoney tank, barely detectable nutrient levels).

 

[SDguy]

I think the suggestion to try an inexpensive one first is the way I will proceed.

 

[CJO]

Feeding is not an option. I have swallowtail angels that know to pick food out of LPS corals like a buffet.

I feed mine (and my other LPS) in the early morning, before the lights come on so that they are not bothered by the fish.

CJ

 

[SDguy]

I feed mine (and my other LPS) in the early morning, before the lights come on so that they are not bothered by the fish.

CJ

I did that for a while when I had sun corals. At 5:30 in the morning it's no fun making coffee, much less feeding LPS corals :bigsmile: Just not something I'd stick with, long term. Basically, if it NEEDS direct feeding, I don't keep it in my tank.