Thoughts on Cespitularia

[DanConnor]

I have a blue Cespitularia from Live Aquaria, cultured in the Wisconsin facility, and it is pretty awesome. More of a bright lavender purple than blue, but the color is really great. Its just growing out from frag size to small colony.

I'd be curious to look at the various purple/blue varieties side-by-side to see how they differ.

Some that seem to be available are Purple and Tony Vargas from ORA, and Pablo at Marine Farmers has Metallic blue, Blue, and Shaggy. I have the shaggy, and while not brightly colored it is still really cool and I look forward to seeing what a colony looks like; it seems to be branching.

Anyone else like these guys?

 

[ScottieB]

I always look at them, haven’t pulled the trigger on one yet. Curious to see other responses. Let’s see a picture!

 

[jazzfisher]

One of my favorites.

 

[User1]

One of my favorites.

Very nice. I had a small frag that I purchased from Pacific East Aquaculture. Started off slow then one week just took off like a week. Really was enjoying the coral then one day it started to fade. Melt may be a better word. Every coral in the tank be it soft, lps, or sps was fine but this one guy just started to wither away. It was after a water change although I used the same salt.

Only thing I can think of is that something was off after the change be it specific gravity or alk. Usually the Xenia will show signs but it was just this coral oddly enough. Too bad because in flow it is really mesmerizing. I've been thinking of getting another frag but now scared. Go figure.

 

[jazzfisher]

Very nice. I had a small frag that I purchased from Pacific East Aquaculture. Started off slow then one week just took off like a week. Really was enjoying the coral then one day it started to fade. Melt may be a better word. Every coral in the tank be it soft, lps, or sps was fine but this one guy just started to wither away. It was after a water change although I used the same salt.

Only thing I can think of is that something was off after the change be it specific gravity or alk. Usually the Xenia will show signs but it was just this coral oddly enough. Too bad because in flow it is really mesmerizing. I've been thinking of getting another frag but now scared. Go figure.

I have had mine for a while. It’s sending offshoots off the base stalk so I’m trying to get up my courage to cut them off. Then I will glue to frag plugs. Hopefully my LFS will take them.

 

[andrewkw]

One of my all time favorite corals. Top 5 for sure. I got a small frag when it "came out" in Canada and was constantly selling frags for what was considered reasonable prices but paid for all kinds of other corals. I did have the blue one briefly more then 10 years ago but it didn't do well at all and I never did track down another piece.

Last year I was able to track down a frag and I have a couple of nice small colonies in separate tanks now. I'm actually going to start propagating it again even if it's not longer a very in demand coral.

My current 10 gallon nano

A pic of my main display circa 2011

 

[Trouble1375]

One of my all time favorite corals. Top 5 for sure. I got a small frag when it "came out" in Canada and was constantly selling frags for what was considered reasonable prices but paid for all kinds of other corals. I did have the blue one briefly more then 10 years ago but it didn't do well at all and I never did track down another piece.

Last year I was able to track down a frag and I have a couple of nice small colonies in separate tanks now. I'm actually going to start propagating it again even if it's not longer a very in demand coral.

My current 10 gallon nano

A pic of my main display circa 2011

If you ever consider selling part of this I’d be very interested

 

[Tacticalbatton]

One of my all time favorite corals. Top 5 for sure. I got a small frag when it "came out" in Canada and was constantly selling frags for what was considered reasonable prices but paid for all kinds of other corals. I did have the blue one briefly more then 10 years ago but it didn't do well at all and I never did track down another piece.

Last year I was able to track down a frag and I have a couple of nice small colonies in separate tanks now. I'm actually going to start propagating it again even if it's not longer a very in demand coral.

My current 10 gallon nano

A pic of my main display circa 2011

If you ever decide to frag and sell, please let me know as I would love to start my own colony. Thank you.

 

[Grsfish]

I had this one which was growing like a weed and then melted away within a few days I have another one now smaller than this but doing good You can find them pretty cheap locally here in NY

 

[Tacticalbatton]

The one variety I am looking for is the sprinkle version from WWC. This is the only one that sparkles with the light.

WWC Rainbow Sprinkles Cespitularia

WYSIWYG and fully aquacultured by WWC!

worldwidecorals.com

 

[mta_morrow]

I have a violet cespitularia. It’s a personal favorite. Shoots runners on a regular basis which I Frag and give away. If I remember I will add a newer pic.

 

[Midrats]

It looks most awesome in the Winter, when the sun is low enough to reach the other side of the room where the tank is. Artificial lighting doesn't do it justice.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I had one that grew great and was putting out sections for me to frag. Then I added a biopellet reactor and it melted. I know this was the cause as all my maxi minis bleached too. I was horrified. I took off line and now after 3 months the maximinis are coloring back up. I could not save the cespitularia though. Very sad.

 

[Aspect]

I had the same issue. Mine was doing good for 2 months doubled or more in size then just randomly melted. Didn't change a thing.

 

[NE reefer]

What seems to be the main driver of the sudden “melt-away” with this coral? I’m interested in trying one. Do they require any specific conditions?

 

[Devaji]

I have been looking at this coral for years now. never got one tho.

for you guys that have one how fast to they grow? have been worked that they will take over the tank.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I have been looking at this coral for years now. never got one tho.

for you guys that have one how fast to they grow? have been worked that they will take over the tank.

its a beautiful coral for sure, but I took it out of my tank after about 8 months.

It grows pretty fast, and it grows these grabber arms that reach out and stick to another rock and then starts growing, so you've got to cut those grabber arms when you see them. I sold some frags, but got tired of it, tired of cutting off the grabbers, so it came out of the tank.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Mine was doing great for a long time, grows fast, likes moderate flow and lower light. However, I put a bioplellet reactor on my system and it melted away in weeks. Very weird. I had many anemones turn colorless too. All those came back though when I took it off.

 

[BreezyMM]

I have a frag tank full of the stuff!

 

[steveschuerger]

It was one of the first corals I put in my then new tank. Did wonderfully but then died from possible palytoxin when a zoa got injured from a loose piece of live rock that tumbled. I really want to get another one or two, and as an added bonus they’re a fav of my non reefing wife cause they wave around. This is them in my old Biocube. They had been moved to my 30 gallon when I upgraded. Love to see what they may do in the SR60 I have now