Pest Coral?

[Shredded]

So, I purchased this coral about a year ago. I believe it is a green Pocillopora sp. See the attached image. Its done fairly well, pretty easy to care for and just sits there day to day never acting up, pretty full and happy. About 6 months ago i noticed small growths all over the tank, very tiny but with metallic highlights which is what attracted my eye to them. Several times over the months I have tried to take a picture of them to get someone to identify what they were. The rock I used was fresh, live, air freighted Fiji rock so there was no telling what came in with it. At first I was afraid it was Aiptasia, as i do have one, just the one... weird why i have just one but I can't reach it so I just watch it daily. So, I digress... these little growths have gotten larger and larger. Today while working on the tank, one close to the glass has started a branch upward... so I thought coral? I started looking all over the tank at all of them... then I saw it, right next to my Pocillopora, a larger one about the size of a dime. There is no longer any doubt what they are.... they are miniatures of my Pocillopora. Is this normal? Are these known as pests? I can see at least 20 so that means there are probably at least that many more I can't see (300 gallon tank). Except for fragging I have no idea of reproduction of corals, plus I only have the one so sexual reproduction seems out of the question however, when I bought it, it came out of my dealers tank that had dozens of them. Thoughts from anyone? I do not own a decent camera and as you see my Iphone camera sucks. I will try borrow one and get a good picture of a "juvenile"? What is the correct term?

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

Pretty common with pocillopora and a reason we never put one in the reef tank.

 

[x2uranium]

Been there done that lol. They spawn like wild fire.

 

[Shredded]

What did you do? Let them grow and give them away? I am just now reading about them (I know, a little late) and I guess they can be aggressive to other corals. The parent colony has lots of room but the others could crowd when they are grown.

 

[DSC reef]

They have the potential of taking over the tank and it might be hard to give that stuff away. Personally I'd remove all of it otherwise you'll be dealing with this issue constantly. If you like the growth shape of that coral then I'd suggest looking into seriatopora guttatus or stylophora.

 

[Shredded]

crap, i finally get a coral to grow and it wants to invade.

 

[DSC reef]

crap, i finally get a coral to grow and it wants to invade.

Lol. I'm laughing with you my friend! If you can grow pocillipora you'll be fine with the others

 

[rkpetersen]

I have 3 sizable poci colonies, in green, purple and pink. I thought they were cute at first, and they still are beautiful, but now there are perhaps a dozen more growing in various locations around the tank. In nature they are often the first corals to colonize a new area, and they have the greatest number of different reproductive mechanisms of almost all corals, including several asexual methods such as polyp bail-out.

 

[Neo Jeo]

Should I take out my pocillipora? I been seeing green things put up in like 5 spots. I thought it was hydros. It’s that coral!

Should I sell it? Lol I don’t want them popping up.

Advice?!

 

[DSC reef]

I don't want to start a public service announcement, lol but yes, I'd remove it.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Lol, ime some pocillipora aree worse than others. The one with the dark green and brownish inside was literally an utter pain popping up everywhere. Haven't had the same issue with the pink and the neon green one with the yellowish base.

 

[x2uranium]

Yes basically gave them away tried to kalk them impossible to get rid of lol

 

[rkpetersen]

When the new colonies are small, it's not that hard to clip them off the rock at the base. Sometimes they may still grow back, but it gives anything else nearby time to outgrow it and shadow it.

 

[rkpetersen]

Polyp bailout is particularly amusing or treacherous, depending on your perspective. It often happens when there's some stressor in the tank. So a month after that alk swing that kills a bunch of your acros, you may find tiny little poci colonies on their skeletons. ;Vamp

 

[Kevin Beadle]

Send them my way! Haha

 

[Shredded]

I don't want to start a public service announcement, lol but yes, I'd remove it.

OMG, where were you all when i said, wow, that's a pretty green... I bet that would look nice in my tank!

 

[DSC reef]

OMG, where were you all when i said, wow, that's a pretty green... I bet that would look nice in my tank!

;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious

 

[Stephen Glover]

Crap, I bought this one from a fellow reefer. It had bright pink coloration but has not yet displayed it since I added it about 1 month ago.

 

[rkpetersen]

I removed my two large colonies today. This thread (and another current one) convinced me that it is time. And it's not like it's gone now anyway; it will never be gone! ;Shifty

Now to find some nice acros for that suddenly available real estate!

 

[rkpetersen]

Crap, I bought this one from a fellow reefer. It had bright pink coloration but has not yet displayed it since I added it about 1 month ago.

FWIW, my pink one has never 'metastasized' to other locations, only the green and purple ones have. But that's surely no guarantee that yours will behave!