price per one polyp
Blastomussa are a genus of large polyp stony corals, also known as "pineapple corals," "swollen brain corals," or "mushroom corals". They are characterized by their fleshy, often brightly colored polyps and rounded, swollen structures. Blastomussa are relatively easy to care for and can be a stunning addition to a reef aquarium.
Here's a more detailed description:
Appearance and Structure:
Polyp Type:
Large polyp stony corals (LPS).
Colonies:
Form colonies with a small number of corallites, each with its own fleshy polyp.
Color:
Brightly colored, with common colors including red, green, blue, brown, and combinations of these.
Skeletal Structure:
The skeleton is generally compact and rounded, resembling a swollen or mushroom-like shape.
Growth:
They tend to grow in a phaceloid (branched) or subplocoid (slightly branched) manner.
Habitat and Distribution:
Location: Found in reef environments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
Depth: Can be found on lower reef slopes and in turbid environments.
Care Requirements:
Lighting: Generally prefer low to moderate light levels.
Water Flow: Moderate water movement is recommended, but they can tolerate low flow.
Feeding: Blastomussa are primarily symbiotic with zooxanthellae, obtaining a significant portion of their nutrition through photosynthesis. They will also feed on microplankton, brine shrimp, and krill.
Water Parameters: Maintaining stable water quality is essential, including regular water changes.
Species within the Genus:
Blastomussa wellsi:
A species with smaller corallites and fewer septa, often found in the Indo-Pacific.
Blastomussa merleti:
A species sometimes referred to as "pineapple coral," found in the west and central Indo-Pacific.
Other species:
Blastomussa vivida, Blastomussa omanensis, and Blastomussa loyae are also recognized within the genus.
Caring for Blastomussa in a Reef Aquarium:
Water Quality: Monitor water parameters regularly and perform regular water changes.
Lighting: Provide appropriate lighting levels based on the species and specific needs.
Feeding: Offer occasional feedings of appropriate foods, such as krill or mysis shrimp.
Pruning and Fragging: Prune or frag as needed to control growth and prevent overcrowding.
Pest Control: Monitor for potential pests and predators, such as coral-eating snails and nudibranchs.
Tank Mates: Blastomussa are generally considered peaceful corals and can be housed with other non-aggressive corals.
Green Star Polyps (GSPs), also known as Pachyclavularia violacea or Briareum, are a popular soft coral known for their vibrant green or yellowish-green tentacles and a purple or blue base. They form a mat-like colony and are generally considered easy to care for. GSPs are popular with reef aquarium enthusiasts.
Here's a more detailed description:
Appearance:
GSPs have multiple polyps attached to a rubbery, purplish-red mat. Each polyp has eight thin, smooth tentacles that can range in color from pale to fluorescent green. They often have a contrasting color (like white or yellow) at the center of the polyp.
Size:
While they can reach a colony size of up to one foot in diameter, the individual polyps are typically less than 0.5 inches across.
Behavior:
GSPs are generally open during the day and may retract their tentacles at night or when disturbed.
Habitat:
They are found in shallow to moderate depths along reef edges in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
Diet:
GSPs are filter feeders, absorbing organic matter from the water column and also hosting zooxanthellae, which provide them with nutrients through photosynthesis.
Reproduction:
They can reproduce by forming new polyps at the edge of the mat or by brood larvae
Briareum is a genus of soft corals in the family Briareidae.The coral is cultivated by aquarium owners (under the common name "green star polyp" or GSP) for its fluorescing polyps, which reveal themselves under actinic light. The genus is in need of extensive examination, as many specimens sold by marketers display unique and similar characteristics, but are often labeled as one species, Pachyclavularia violacea.
Price per polyp
Candy Cane coral or Caulastrea, is a popular, beginner-friendly large polyp stony (LPS) coral, characterized by its bright green, trumpet-shaped polyps. These polyps grow in clusters from a branching skeleton, creating a visually appealing structure. They are known for their hardiness and ability to add a vibrant pop of color to reef aquariums.
Key characteristics:
Appearance: The coral has a branching skeleton with trumpet-shaped polyps that are typically a vibrant neon green.
Polyp Structure: Each polyp has a central mouth surrounded by tentacles, and they can expand significantly, sometimes resembling a closed brain coral.
Hardiness: Green trumpet corals are considered hardy and relatively easy to care for, making them a good choice for beginners.
Lighting and Flow: They generally thrive under moderate lighting and moderate water flow.
Aggression: They have short sweeper tentacles, but are generally considered peaceful and can be placed near other corals, provided there's enough space to prevent them from touching.
Growth: They tend to grow at a moderate pace, forming dense colonies over time.
Water Conditions: Stable water conditions with appropriate levels of calcium, strontium, and other trace elements are important for their health.
In summary, the green trumpet coral is a visually appealing and relatively easy-to-care-for coral, making it a popular choice for reef aquarists of all experience levels.
Price per polyp
Candy Cane coral or Caulastrea, is a popular, beginner-friendly large polyp stony (LPS) coral, characterized by its bright green, trumpet-shaped polyps. These polyps grow in clusters from a branching skeleton, creating a visually appealing structure. They are known for their hardiness and ability to add a vibrant pop of color to reef aquariums.
Key characteristics:
Appearance: The coral has a branching skeleton with trumpet-shaped polyps that are typically a vibrant neon green.
Polyp Structure: Each polyp has a central mouth surrounded by tentacles, and they can expand significantly, sometimes resembling a closed brain coral.
Hardiness: Green trumpet corals are considered hardy and relatively easy to care for, making them a good choice for beginners.
Lighting and Flow: They generally thrive under moderate lighting and moderate water flow.
Aggression: They have short sweeper tentacles, but are generally considered peaceful and can be placed near other corals, provided there's enough space to prevent them from touching.
Growth: They tend to grow at a moderate pace, forming dense colonies over time.
Water Conditions: Stable water conditions with appropriate levels of calcium, strontium, and other trace elements are important for their health.
In summary, the green trumpet coral is a visually appealing and relatively easy-to-care-for coral, making it a popular choice for reef aquarists of all experience levels.
The Heffernan's Starfish, scientifically known as Celerina heffernani, is a species of marine echinoderm in the family Ophidiasteridae. It is characterized by its slender, tapering arms, and a body covered in small, granular plates. Specifically, it can be distinguished from similar species like Fromia monilis by the presence of short, distinct spikes along the arm groove. The abactinal surface (upper side) of the starfish is covered in small plates, ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm in diameter, and these plates are densely covered in granules.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Appearance: Celerina heffernani has five long, slender arms that taper gradually.
Size: The rays (arms) can be approximately 40 mm long, with a central disc radius of about 7 mm.
Plates and Granules: The upper surface is covered in small plates, which are densely granular. Some of the larger plates are convex and more prominent than the smaller surrounding plates.
Superomarginal Plates: These plates run along the sides of the arms and are arranged in an irregular series, with alternating larger and smaller plates. The larger ones are strongly convex, while the smaller ones are almost flat.
Habitat: This starfish is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region.
Distinguishing Features: The presence of distinct spikes along the arm groove is a key characteristic that helps differentiate it from Fromia monilis.
Other Names: It's also known as the Pebbled Sea Star.
Centropyge bispinosa, commonly known as the Coral Beauty Angelfish or Dusky Angelfish, is a small, colorful angelfish with a distinctive appearance. They have a bright orange body with vertical blue or purple "tiger" stripes, and a blue-purple head, dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. Their pectoral and pelvic fins are typically yellow or orange.
Key Characteristics:
Color: Orange body with blue/purple stripes, blue/purple head and fins.
Size: Reaches up to 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) in length.
Behavior: Peaceful, but can be territorial with their own kind and other dwarf angelfishes.
Habitat: Found on outer reef slopes and in rocky areas with hiding spots.
Diet: Primarily eats algae and detritus.
Reproduction: Protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they can change sex.
Reef Compatibility: Considered reef-safe, but individuals may nip at certain corals, especially soft corals.
Distribution:
Found in the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and other tropical waters
The flame angelfish (Centropyge loricula) is a marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae found in tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean.[3] Other common names include flame angel, flaming angelfish and Japanese pygmy angelfish.
Description
The flame angelfish's coloration is bright orange-red with a vertical elongated black spot and four or five bars on the sides, the posterior part of the dorsal, and anal fins, with alternating short purple-blue and black bands. Specimens from the Marquesas lack the vertical black bars.Males are generally larger and slightly more colored than females.
The life span of the flame angelfish is 5–7 years or more.
Range
It if found in various reefs of Oceania, most common in Marshall, Line and Cook Islands. The fish is also, although less commonly, found in the Hawaiian Islands. Particularly, the flame angelfish can be found on the foreslope of coral reefs and clear lagoons.
Diet
In the wild, the flame angelfish has a varied diet consisting of algae and crustaceans. There are occasional specimens that live very long lives in reef aquaria, but the majority of these fish will often die for no apparent reason when they are older. This may be easily explained as many of the Centropyge family are predominantly plankton eaters as juveniles and will switch to consuming its natural adult diet once fully grown. Sometimes, all it takes is for an underfed individual to "test" a food source. This being the case, angelfish are usually added to a well established tank and fed frozen mysis shrimp or meaty crustaceans such as shrimp and clam.
In aquarium
In captivity, this species feeds on a variety of food including brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other meat as well as spirulina, seaweed sheets, and pellets, also from personal experience[opinion] they favor tuna and table shrimp.
The flame angelfish is known to be shy upon introduction to an established aquarium, especially smaller specimens; but, within a week, it will gain confidence and is then constantly seen grazing around live rock during the day.
The flame angelfish is often considered reef safe. They will adapt to a captive diet quickly which will usually prevent them from consuming soft or stony corals. Individual specimens that do pick at coral or clam mantles are more often than not under fed or under nourished.
Breeding
The flame angelfish has been known to spawn in captivity, with successfully captive bred specimens offered by Atoll Farm Aquaculture in Thailand. The flame angelfish is haremic in the wild and can be kept in pairs or trios in an extra-large aquarium. The aquarium should contain only one male—the males have more blue on the outer edge of the dorsal and anal fins, and tend to be larger. The fish will spawn toward the end of the day and release pelagic gametes into the water column. Collecting the eggs and raising the larvae is the biggest challenge. The flame angelfish are broadcast spawners, releasing eggs and sperm simultaneously at dusk. They rise into the water column and release their eggs and sperm at the top.
The copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), also known as the beaked coral fish, is found in reefs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This butterflyfish is one of the three species that make up the genus Chelmon and all have long beaks.
Description
These fish are easily identified by the yellow banding and long snout. The young fish are similar in appearance to adult fish. Butterflyfish grow up to 20 cm in length.The fish appears taller than its length because of its compressed, deep-bodied form with a long dorsal and posterior fins as well as its vertical yellow stripes on a white background. The snout is long and slender, and the dark eye of the fish is less conspicuous than the dark eye-spot on the dorsal fin. The base of the tail features a dark band that runs perpendicular to the tail. Butterflyfish may be distinguished from the similar C. marginalis by their color pattern and number of dorsal fin rays.
Habitat
Copperband butterflyfish are found at depths of 1−25 metres either alone or in pairs. These fish form monogamous pairs during breeding. They are usually found on coral reefs or rocky shorelines, and also in estuaries and silty inner reefs. This species is territorial and oviparous.
In the aquarium
Copperband butterflyfish can grow to 8 inches (20 cm) but in a home aquarium are usually half that size.[citation needed] They do well at a normal reef temperature range of 75 to 84 °F (24 to 29 °C), with a tank size of at least 75 gallons and plenty of live rock to graze on. This species can be considered reef safe. It will eat many invertebrates, including parasitic forms such as tubeworms, Calliactis parasitica and common glass anemone (Aiptasia, parasitic anemone). Many aquarists introduce the Copperband Butterfly just to get rid of these pests without giving consideration to their long term needs for survival. Given a choice, Aiptasia is the least favored food. The butterflyfish preys on all tube and substrate worms, clams, and mollusks. This is not a recommended fish for inexperienced aquarists, as it requires excellent tank conditions to thrive or even survive.
The Black Bar Chromis (Chromis retrofasciata) is a small, peaceful damselfish known for its distinctive coloration and active behavior in aquariums. It has a yellow to tan body with a prominent vertical black bar where the body meets the tail. A neon blue ring often surrounds the eyes and edges of the fins. These fish are native to the Western Pacific and are typically found in coral reefs and lagoons.
Key characteristics:
Appearance: Yellowish-tan body with a vertical black bar, neon blue ring around the eyes and fins.
Size: Reaches about 2 inches in length.
Temperament: Peaceful and reef-safe, but can be aggressive towards smaller or shy fish, especially if housed alone.
Habitat: Found in reef areas and lagoons with plenty of live rock for shelter.
Diet: Omnivorous, should be fed a variety of foods including frozen mysis and brine shrimp, and quality flake food.
Social Behavior: Best kept in groups of six or more, but can be kept singly.
Aquarium Needs: Requires a 30-gallon or larger aquarium with plenty of live rock for hiding and exploration.
The Chromis viridis, commonly known as the blue-green chromis or green chromis, is a small, iridescent damselfish with a bright blue-green or apple-green coloration. They are known for their shimmering, almost iridescent appearance that changes based on light. Males may turn yellow to orange during spawning. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region, inhabiting coral reefs and lagoons.
Key characteristics:
Size: Typically reach a maximum length of 4 inches, but most stay around 3 inches.
Color: Shimmery, iridescent blue-green or apple-green.
Spawning coloration: Males may turn yellow to orange during mating season, sometimes with black coloration.
Habitat: Coral reefs and lagoons, typically in the shallows.
Social behavior: Form large schools, often above branching Acropora corals.
Aquarium suitability: Popular and easy to care for in saltwater aquariums.
Diet: Plankton feeders; readily accept a variety of foods, including flake food, frozen, and live foods.
Territoriality: Can be territorial, especially during mating, and may nip at other fish if crowded.
Natural habitat: Found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from the African coast to the Pitcairn Islands.
Chrysiptera parasema, commonly known as the Yellowtail Blue Damsel or Goldtail Demoiselle, is a small, vibrant saltwater fish with a distinct blue body and bright yellow tail. It is a popular aquarium fish due to its hardiness and striking appearance.
Key Features:
Appearance: The body is a rich, velvety dark blue, with a bright yellow tail (caudal fin) and sometimes yellow on the back of the anal and dorsal fins.
Size: Reaches up to 2.8-3 inches (7.1-7.6 cm) in length.
Origin: Found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Behavior: Known for being semi-aggressive and territorial, especially in confined spaces.
Diet: Omnivorous, eating algae, invertebrates, and small crustaceans.
Reef Compatibility: Generally reef-safe.
Care: Requires a well-established reef aquarium with ample hiding places, stable water parameters, and a diet of high-quality foods.
Distinguishing Features:
The yellow tail is a key characteristic that distinguishes it from similar damselfish species, such as the Azure Demoiselle (Chrysiptera hemicyanea), which has more yellow coloration on its body.
It can also be distinguished from other similar species by the intensity of the blue coloration and the presence of yellow on the caudal peduncle.
In Summary:
The Yellowtail Blue Damsel is a beautiful, relatively hardy, and popular aquarium fish known for its striking colors and unique tail. It's important to note that it can be territorial and requires a suitable aquarium environment to thrive.
