Button Coral (Cynarina)

Discussion in 'Coral of the Month' started by mikejrice, Jan 20, 2015.

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  1. mikejrice

    mikejrice 3reef Affiliate

    Joined:
    May 24, 2009
    Messages:
    5,926
    Location:
    Colorado
    Distribution: Australia, Indonesia
    Coloration: May be solid or banded in many different colors and combinations of colors
    Care level: Medium
    Lighting requirements: Moderate
    Flow: Low to moderate

    SG: 1.023-1.026.
    Calcium: 400-500.
    Alk: 8-12.
    Magnesium: 1350-1500.
    Temperature: 76-82
    Growth: Very slow



    Cynarina is a solitary, sand dwelling, large polyp stony coral. It forms a radial skeleton with sharp septal ridges protruding from the top surface like spokes. Surrounding a large central mouth and oral disc, fleshy colorful bubbles will extend past the skeleton during daylight hours in order to maximize photosynthetic area.

    I've kept many cynarinas over the years, and have found that their care requirements are typical of most fleshy sand dwelling LPS in that their main requirement is stability. You can easily keep them at all ends of common reef chemistry spectra as long as it is kept stable. Alkalinity is especially important to keep stable when keeping cynarina.

    They are relatively adaptive when it comes to both flow and light although it is always much safer to start them on the lower end of both.

    2012-01-04-02-18-571.jpg 2013-04-20-23-14-57-11.jpg 2013-04-21-00-23-49-21.jpg 2013-04-21-00-27-351.jpg 2013-05-03-05-03-47-21.jpg 2013-06-07-04-14-101.jpg 2013-11-21-06-27-211.jpg 2013-12-12-16-32-431.jpg 2014-07-10-07-13-20-11.jpg 2014-07-11-07-06-141.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2015
    Corailline likes this.
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  3. mikejrice

    mikejrice 3reef Affiliate

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  4. civiccars2003

    civiccars2003 Great Blue Whale

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    Location:
    Akron Ohio
    Awesome. This coral can get pretty expensive, its that correct Mike?
     
  5. mikejrice

    mikejrice 3reef Affiliate

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    There are some that get pretty expensive, but you can still find a really good looking cynarina for under $100 most times in my experience.
     
  6. kstafford003

    kstafford003 Feather Star

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    Oct 20, 2010
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    769
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Neat coral. Thanks for the write up. I may have to see if I can find one for a decent price.
     
  7. DSC reef

    DSC reef Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Messages:
    3,817
    Location:
    Cocoa, Florida
    Thanks for the write up mike. I had a nice pink one for a year and while moving things around the thank a rock fell on it and the soft flesh was torn and never recovered. It would inflate to double it's size during the day.
     
    Lovemyreef2015 likes this.