Is it possible?

[dough]

I have noticed in my tank 3 seperate small (size of a push pin head) corals growing on my LR and my over flow box. All three have green polyps like my 3 year old Pocillopora. Is it possible that my Pocillopora spawned? If so how? Asexual?

I feel pretty damm excited about this. Somehow these corals got there and I did not put them there.

Doug

[FISH]

DOUGH,
I can't answer your question but had to reply to this post because I myself just spotted a pocillapora growing on one of my intakes on my closed loop a couple weeks ago .
I was wondering if somehow a small fragment got broken loose and floated up towads the overflow and attached there.
I did notice another type of sps on another rock this week that I did not place there (?).
Maybe someone else can explain ?

[cyberchef]

I was talking with Mojo the other day and he mentioned to me that Pocillapora can "spawn" and suddenly you will find them everywhere...

[leester]

Do you think it might be polyp bail out? or possibly critter destruction or actually reproduction???

[dough]

Hey, if it did spawn then I have more for tradin at the club meetings.

[FISH]

The funny thing is that I tried to frag the pocillapora a couple times and they never took.
I gave a frag of this one to somene else and I believe they got it to go, have not talked to them lately , they are from the other BB that I can't login to.

[dough]

i got mine when it was about 1" or so about three years ago. It was the size of a softball unitl it broke just recently.

[Doug1]

I would think if it was polyp bailout that it would effect the whole mother colony.
I don'r remember if that is a repro method they might employ, TD would know betterr

[yardboy]

My local "maintenence" lfs has a large cube community tank and a mega-pocillapora (beautiful bright green) that has "spawned" all over his tank. There are even some interesting forms on the glass and return lines. So I bought a piece 3-4" from him and two days later, started seeing small colonies in 4 different places in my tank! The mother colony seemed unchanged, but there the little guys are! Don't really think it's spawning, but not sure what kind of repro it is!
I just bought a pink pocillo- from him, hope it does the same thing!

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by dough
All three have green polyps like my 3 year old Pocillopora. Is it possible that my Pocillopora spawned? If so how? Asexual?

Hey Doug, be excited, as this is prolly one of your Pocilloporidae that has reproduced via expulsion of planulae. It is an asexual event and is seen occasionally in closed systems. Once these planulae settle out, they are quite capable of growing into complete coral heads. All the genera of this family of corals are quite adaptable and very hardy in captive situations. They will morph to the conditions prevailing in your system and will grow rather rapidly. Although they will adapt and morph to a wide range of conditions (lighting and current), they do best under 6500 degree Kelvin MH lighting or better with moderate to strong current in shallow water, resulting in the best coloration and growth forms for P. Damicornis and related P. verrucosa (Bush or Cauliflower) colonies. Keep in mind that these are mostly reeftop species, and the use of strong blue lighting (above 10kK) seems to bring out more brown coloration (stay at 6500 degree Kelvin for the pinks especially). With low phosphate/nitrate water and good alk and Ca, expect rapid growth.

Thi planulae expulsion is asexual and does not involve the spawning events where sexual gametes are produced. Basically as Doug said, a form of polyp bailout, very successful reroductive strategy, although it usually involves some stressor to the colony to stimulate this event.

This coral, btw, is a great beginner coral for most folks just starting sps systems. Much more forgiving than many "sps" stony colonies.

HTH

[dough]

Since my orginial post back in April, the polyps are growing rather well. The largest that I have found is pushing an inch now. There are several others that are growing including one in the over flow box that has taken more of an encrusting shape. The mother colony continues to do well. This colony is a thin branched tends to break easy. I have given away several large pieces.

The color remains the same, green polyps, with the tips being a slight pink.

Current light setup is 2-55 watt 03 PC and one 175 10K. Dues to some algea issues, I have decided that it is time to replace all the lamps. The PC will remain the same but I am going to 175 XM. Can't wait to get that on. Due to arrive tomorrow.

Water movement is from a Mag 5 on a SQUID. I am not real happy with the lack of water movement. It seems that the SQUID really redues the flow. I think I will be adding a Mag 9 next week. I am getting a pretty good deal on that. I will be using some gatevalves that are built into my closed loop to slow it down some. I also think the slow water movement is adding to some aglae problems.