Sps id

Also picked these up for $5 a piece. I am assuming pink birdsnest and some sort of plating montipora. I have the pink birdsnest with the base kind of tucked behind the rock ridge so you can only see the top of the branching but I am hoping with time it will grow fast and look nice behind the purple stylophora. There wont be any issues if they touch will there? Also the monti frag looks similar to another frag I own that might be a vase monti (awaiting growth for proper ID), but this one doesnt seem to have any curled edges and is a lot thicker.

 

From what I can see, it looks like a birdsnest.

The Stylo will kill whatever parts of the birdnest it touches. The only SPS with a stronger sting is a Pocci.

Hard to tell on the monti. Looks to have the radiating lines from a central point like a plating monti, but until it starts growing more in your tank , it is a crapshoot.

 

Hmm I didnt think SPS used stringing tentacle to kill each other. At least they are a good distance it should take awhile to grow together

 

I'd guess the monti is an Idaho Grape Monti, though only time will tell.

 

Their polyps extend a little at night, but not the super long LPS type of stinger. The two corals will literally grow until they touch each other before you see any warfare.

 

So if I allow them to grow large enough where one starts to kill the other, would open the door for infections and overall colony death?

Since they have such short polyps I should be fine until they touch, as long as I frag the tips of before that point I should be ok right?

 

Hmm the growth of the stone structures does look very similar. I'll keep that in the back of my mind while it grows out, could be awhile lol

 

It is always a possibility, but not likely that the entire colony would die. Most of the time, you will just have a white line where they touch.

As the Stylo gets bigger though... it will most likely push back the birdsnest. Trimming will be your best friend with those two next to each other.

 

Well the purple stylo is growing a pretty impressive rate for an SPS and has encrusted well beyond its frag plug so moving is not an option. As they get large I will either trim the burdsnest back or move it all together, if I remember correctly they dont encrust as well as other SPS and are easier to move

 

They do not encrust very well, that is true, but they are strong as all get out. Mine is almost 2" across on the main base. I tried removing it, and the 50lb pile of rock moved instead.

MOTS... plan on something other than moving a full grown colony.

FWIW, my birdsnest grew at almost the same rate as the Stylo, but much, much more fragile. Even directly in the flow of a MP40, it was still extremely easy to break off and move.