Wrasse Sleeping Under Long Tentacle Plate Coral

Jnhernandez1 · 09/16/2015, 08:20 PM

I got a long tentacle plate coral this weekend and my Melanurus Wrasse was particularly interested in it. Yesterday I saw it dive under the coral and stay there for the night. Tonight I went at the exact time I saw it happen and got it on video (so sweet). Hopefully it shows up well and not upside down. Besides it being the coolest video, does anyone see a problem for the coral.

Ok the video did not attach. I will try a series of photos to capture the event.

Jnhernandez1 · 09/16/2015, 08:22 PM

Next one going in the sand

Jnhernandez1 · 09/16/2015, 08:22 PM

Almost there.

Jnhernandez1 · 09/16/2015, 08:23 PM

All the way under

inthedeep2 · 09/16/2015, 10:01 PM

awesome pictures. thanks for sharing

b7fig · 09/16/2015, 10:49 PM

very cool

Bent · 09/16/2015, 11:08 PM

Don't LTPCs die easy and generally not very good captive specimens?

Correct me if I'm wron.

kmbyrnes · 09/17/2015, 06:15 AM

Cool pics!
Long term, that wrasse may flip the coral over frequently and stress it out.

Nina51 · 09/17/2015, 06:23 AM

great pics! both my yellow wrasse and vroliks wrasse bury themselves in almost the exact same spots every night and it's very near my plate coral although not directly under it. they do kick up a lot of sand that lands on the plate but it doesn't seem to be a problem for it.

if you use a flashlight and open the cabinet doors, you can probably see your wrasse (or part of it) asleep.

gone fishin · 09/17/2015, 07:39 AM

Pretty cool, I don't think it will do anything to the coral unless it gets flipped over like mentioned above. I have seen snails crawl under mine. FWIW I have had my plate coral for around 4 years.

cloak · 09/17/2015, 10:30 AM

Very cool pictures above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent

Don't LTPCs die easy and generally not very good captive specimens?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

I've heard this as well, but I think the trick is you need to find a healthy specimen right off the bat. This can be a difficult task sometimes. Once the coral is damaged it can be a long road to recovery. (if you even get there) The two that I've had over the years seem to do ok though. The pink one in the picture below was with me for about 2 or 3 years until my tank cracked and I had to give it away. The turquoise one I had was with me for about the same amount of time, but it didn't start to decline until I added the pink one. The same thing happened with an Elegance coral one time as well. As soon as I added a second one to the tank the first one started to go downhill. Anyways, they were both placed on the sand bed and were fed small pieces of shrimp, scallops etc once every two weeks or so. As long as your parameters are within reason and the lighting is sufficient, I've found them to be very undemanding corals.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/4/inverts

Jnhernandez1 · 09/17/2015, 07:15 PM

That's good to hear. My LFS said the plate should be easier than my other LPS's. And it was relatively cheap for the size compared to the other corals. But, then I have been reading mixed things about the success rate.

It does not seam to mind the wrasse's sleeping position. I did not think it would be problem - but I wanted to share those pics I captured (I still can't believe I caught it on film)

Nina51 · 09/18/2015, 06:35 AM

i've never been able to capture a shot of mine going in the sand because it's always well after dark but i did get this one of the vroliks when he was in qt.

goooood morning, world!

Jnhernandez1 · 09/18/2015, 07:37 PM

They are so cool.

Jnhernandez1 · 09/24/2015, 06:53 PM

Does anyone's plate coral move towards the glass? When mine expands it is smushed up against the glass. I move him back, but then over the next few days he is back up against the glass. I'm not sure if he likes it there or if something keeps bumping him in that direction. When I bought him from the LFS he was up against their glass too. It looks uncomfortable, but he does not seem to mind it.

09/16/2015, 10:49 PM	#6
b7fig Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Newburgh, IN Posts: 250	very cool __________________ What, not again! Current Tank Info: 40g Innovative Marine. Mixed reef. Radion XR30 Pro. Vortech 10 Quitedrives. Reef link. Apex controller. 180 gal acrylic. FOWLR. 30g sump. K1 Kalk Stirrer. LifeReef SVS@2-24 protein skimmer. Carbon dosing

09/16/2015, 11:08 PM	#7
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	Don't LTPCs die easy and generally not very good captive specimens? Correct me if I'm wron. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

09/17/2015, 06:15 AM	#8
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	Cool pics! Long term, that wrasse may flip the coral over frequently and stress it out. __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small

09/17/2015, 06:23 AM	#9
Nina51 biggliest cofveve champ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 5th floor, Illinois, gewgaw expert Posts: 3,506	great pics! both my yellow wrasse and vroliks wrasse bury themselves in almost the exact same spots every night and it's very near my plate coral although not directly under it. they do kick up a lot of sand that lands on the plate but it doesn't seem to be a problem for it. if you use a flashlight and open the cabinet doors, you can probably see your wrasse (or part of it) asleep. __________________ of all the things i've lost, i miss my gary the most. Never hold your farts in. They travel up your spine into your brain, and that is where crappy ideas come from. Current Tank Info: i gave my reef away and i feel like a bird out of a cage!!

09/17/2015, 07:39 AM	#10
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Pretty cool, I don't think it will do anything to the coral unless it gets flipped over like mentioned above. I have seen snails crawl under mine. FWIW I have had my plate coral for around 4 years. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

09/16/2015, 10:01 PM	#5
inthedeep2 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: SAN DIEGO Posts: 378	awesome pictures. thanks for sharing

09/17/2015, 07:15 PM	#12
Jnhernandez1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 34	That's good to hear. My LFS said the plate should be easier than my other LPS's. And it was relatively cheap for the size compared to the other corals. But, then I have been reading mixed things about the success rate. It does not seam to mind the wrasse's sleeping position. I did not think it would be problem - but I wanted to share those pics I captured (I still can't believe I caught it on film)

09/18/2015, 06:35 AM	#13
Nina51 biggliest cofveve champ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 5th floor, Illinois, gewgaw expert Posts: 3,506	i've never been able to capture a shot of mine going in the sand because it's always well after dark but i did get this one of the vroliks when he was in qt. goooood morning, world! __________________ of all the things i've lost, i miss my gary the most. Never hold your farts in. They travel up your spine into your brain, and that is where crappy ideas come from. Current Tank Info: i gave my reef away and i feel like a bird out of a cage!!

09/18/2015, 07:37 PM	#14
Jnhernandez1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 34	They are so cool.

09/24/2015, 06:53 PM	#15
Jnhernandez1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 34	Does anyone's plate coral move towards the glass? When mine expands it is smushed up against the glass. I move him back, but then over the next few days he is back up against the glass. I'm not sure if he likes it there or if something keeps bumping him in that direction. When I bought him from the LFS he was up against their glass too. It looks uncomfortable, but he does not seem to mind it.