Purple Birdsnest, or....?

[Magellan]

That moment when...

you realize your purple birdsnest looks nothing like a purple birds nest.

here’s a pic from google (sourced from R2R LOL)

Here’s what is in my tank that I have been happily referring to as a purple birds nest for about 2 months now! (Maybe stop trusting the kids at the LFS?)

first pic with polyps retracted (thanks shrimp!) second is a normal day with lots of extension

 

[SCReef'n]

BirdsBest is too general a term both of those are birds nest corals. Yours appears to be Stylophora the one picture from google is likely seriatopora. Both birds nest but pretty different appearances

 

[Magellan]

At this point I’m going to start calling them colorful sticks. I have pocillapora too, (also sold as a birdsnest!) and a nice teal one that may or may not be a stylo..

 

[Backreefing]

Looks like a montipora btw birdsnest corals have polyps aranged in straight rows .
The picture from google looks like a pink birdsnest in blue light.( I have one )

 

[Magellan]

Looks like a montipora btw birdsnest corals have polyps aranged in straight rows .
The picture from google looks like a pink birdsnest in blue light.( I have one )

Would it matter that I moved it twice after putting it in the tank? (Different light angle/flow both times)

 

[Backreefing]

Put it somewhere and leave it alone . Moving corals stresses them . Being a montipora they would be placed low in the aquarium. Move it up in a week or two. If it’s a pink birdsnest then blast it with light after it settles in, and lots of random flow . Both montipora and birdsnest love high flow but birdsnest of all types love high flow .

 

[Magellan]

It’s been there for 2+ months now, happy and growing. Just had to find a good spot for it before I left it alone, it had gotten knocked over by a snail, (poor plaster job on my part) and then after I put it back I decided it wasn’t getting enough flow. It gets high light (150w metal halide) and decent random flow.

 

[Backreefing]

Metal halides are the best , good choice for main guns lol

 

[Magellan]

It’s an old JBJ 28g all in one. With the double ended bulb and old magnetic ballast. It has 4x 3w blue LEDs in the corners of the hood that I replaced with modern diodes, and I got a 14k Phoenix bulb with blue tint as well. Other than that the only thing I’ve done is add an ATO, the tank may not be a looker but it sure does grow coral! I wanted to get my feet wet before I spent the big $$, tried to get a variety of coral so I would know what I could keep / what I couldn’t keep. 100% success rate on fish and coral after 10+ months now, I’m hooked and now I know exactly where my money will be going for the rest of my life

Night shot..notice the high tech vibration dampening system!

 

[C. Eymann]

Looks like a montipora btw birdsnest corals have polyps aranged in straight rows .
The picture from google looks like a pink birdsnest in blue light.( I have one )

Sertiopora is the only genus in the "birdsnest" group that has corallites in rows, which is the pic OP is comparing his coral to. Probably S. hystrix

I believe OPs purple is actually a poccilopora but could be a stylophora too, but its growth structure (irregular and lumpy) as well as polyp arrangement has me leaning towards a poccilopora.

The green one is definitely a poccilopora, probably p. damicornis

All three are commonly referred to as birds nest, cats paw etc etc its confuses many hobbyists.

 

[Magellan]

Sertiopora is the only genus in the "birdsnest" group that has corallites in rows, which is the pic OP is comparing his coral to. Probably S. hystrix

I believe OPs purple is actually a poccilopora but could be a stylophora too, but its growth structure (irregular and lumpy) as well as polyp arrangement has me leaning towards a poccilopora.

The green one is definitely a poccilopora, probably p. damicornis

All three are commonly referred to as birds nest, cats paw etc etc its confuses many hobbyists.

The green one being a pocillapora is the only one I’m sure about. The teal one I think is a stylophora. When I got the purple one it was more long and thin.

The pic was taken shortly after I put it in the tank.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Only thing I know is I don’t see any Montipora in these pics. I would say the purple thing is probably a stylo. I haven’t seen a purple poci before but doesn’t mean they don’t exist that’s for sure.

 

[Magellan]

Thanks for the great feedback guys!