My DFS Purple Asterospicularia Coral.

reefnJeff · Nov 23, 2012

tinctorus said: ↑

I think these are a pretty neat coral that from what I have gathered in my searches seems to be "fairly new" to the hobby like my current 2nd favorite coral "blue sympodium"

I really like the way this coral looks as it reminds me alot of the giant pom pom xenia but it has that nice deep purple color to it, My concern about it however is that aside from looking like xenia everything I have gathered about it says it also GROWS like xenia which is a NO NO for me as I already have had to totally break down my reef tank once and get new live rock because of a massive xenia plague "I've beaten hair algae and Bryopsis easier than xenia"

I want to add this coral to my tank but not if it's going to infest my tank like xenia did, so I have a few questions

1) Do you/have you keep/kept xenia before?

2) If you have kept or currently keep xenia do you find that this grows as fast and plague like as xenia does?

3) Is this sensitive to swings in salinity like xenia?

4) Have you noticed anything about this coral that is unique to this coral in how it grows or does it also grow like xenia in that it spreads,tears and then splits or will this drop babies that then turn into new stalks?

Thank you for any help you can give me I do appreciate it
Click to expand...

Hi tinctorus

Yes! I have Silver Pulsing Xenia in my tank and I would say they are as bad as the Xenias for growth and for taking things over. They do move quickly and I would have had them started on a larger rock on the back, but I noticed it just as it was starting to get a strong hold, so I was able to seperate it.

I have had swings of 1.024 to 1.021 specific gravity and haden't noticed anything out of the normal, so they don't seem to be to sensitive to that.

As far as your last question, just take a look at this picture I took only minutes ago. The larger stalk towards the back is working itsself off the plug and that rock is right there, I can't let it attach.

When my 72 is set up they will be isolated away from other rocks and when one gets in the sand it will be in the garbage.

I would consider caution with this Coral for sure.

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My DFS Purple Asterospicularia Coral.

reefnJeff Pajama Cardinal

Attached Files:

purple 004.jpg

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My DFS Purple Asterospicularia Coral.

reefnJeff Pajama Cardinal

Attached Files:

purple 004.jpg

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