Well we can firmly say that the festive season is well on its way now and we'll all soon be gorging ourselves on festive food and drink. What about our reefs though? Do fish and critters know it's Christmas too? Let's do a blog on things festive.

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Do you want to start keeping SPS corals but not sure you're ready to jump into the deep end with them? There are more forgiving SPS corals out there which make a great start point. This blog post lists off some options for you if you find yourself getting the 'SPS bug'.

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We've been working hard on the Zoanthid side of the house lately both with frags and colonies up for sale. Let's have a look at what's on offer at the moment and why Zoas might be just what you've been looking for in your reef tank!

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What on earth are frags and why do people keep talking about them? How do they work? What should you do with them? Are they the same corals as the coral you see in the shop and online? What are the benefits of frags? This quick blog is all about answering those questions and pointing you in the direction of where to get some.

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On the Coral Spotlight blog posts I'm going to pick a few corals that are in store and online. Some will be new arrivals and some are just nice pieces that I like or think deserve a bit of the limelight for a minute. Either way, here's a few corals for this month that I think are worth a look at, just click the coral name and it will take you to the RockNCritters online listing, enjoy!

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On the Coral Spotlight blog posts I'm going to pick a few corals that are in store and online. Some will be new arrivals and some are just nice pieces that I like or think deserve a bit of the limelight for a minute. Either way, here's a few corals for this month that I think are worth a look at, just click the coral name and it will take you to the RockNCritters online listing, enjoy!

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On the Coral Spotlight blog posts I'm going to pick a few corals that are in store and online. Some will be new arrivals and some are just nice pieces that I like or think deserve a bit of the limelight for a minute. Either way, here's a few corals for this month that I think are worth a look at, just click the coral name and it will take you to the RockNCritters online listing, enjoy!

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The Chalice Coral is often overlooked or mistaken for Montipora in the hobby however their popularity is growing here in the UK with more and more colour variations making their way into circulation. Let's take a quick look at the Chalice Coral, its requirements and some variations currently in store. 

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On the Coral Spotlight blog posts I'm going to pick a few corals that are in store and online. Some will be new arrivals and some are just nice pieces that I like or think deserve a bit of the limelight for a minute. Either way, here's a few corals for this month that I think are worth a look at, just click the coral name and it will take you to the RockNCritters online listing, enjoy!

1. Ultra BlastomussaI've mentioned before that I quite like Acans so it's probably no surprise if I told you I'm a fan of Blastos. It must be the colony shape and polyp type of these sort of coral. Unlike Acans, there are a more limited colour variation of Blastos regularly on offer which is why I wanted to highlight these Ultra Blastos. There is both a colony size (as seen in the main picture) and frags in store but it is the colony that first grabbed my attention. The bright red contrasting against the luminous inner green on the large polyps is a real eye grabber. 

Blastos aren't particularly demanding care-wise. They tend to better in lower or indirect lighting and low to moderate flow. Their large, fleshy polyps don't do well in high direct flow. The large polyps are capable of catching and digesting food such as Mysis shrimp and other finer coral foods will be readily accepted. I've used both Reef Roids, Mysis, SPS food and have new polyps growing on my pastel colony after just a month so I would say this is coral will grow at a moderate pace. Fast enough to keep you happy and slow enough so as to not take over the space in which they're placed. 

2. Rainbow Pocillopora FragsThis is a really frustrating coral to try and get a decent photo of. I've tried over and over with my phone camera and different lenses but it's just one of those corals that refuses to photograph well. That is exactly why I've included it in this months spotlight because I think the coral is really quite nice and isn't fairly represented. The frags on offer in store are a good size too, don't be put off by me saying it doesn't photograph well because they certainly look good to the eye. 

As for keeping this coral, I would group it in with the hardy SPS lot. Being an SPS coral, you'll need to be on top of your alkalinity, calcium and magnesium whilst also offering strong lighting and flow. Pocillopora is actually one of the main reef building corals so as long as you keep things stable it should grow well in your home reef tank. It's not going to be extending any sweeping stinging tentacles either to attack neighbouring corals but, when it gets going it could start to overshadow neighbouring corals so if you're adding it be sure to give it some space to grow into. 

3.  Ultra Zoa Frags. Who doesn't like Zoas? There are so many colour variations out there whilst the prices of some rival even the most absurd named Acropora. I'm not sure what came first actually, named Zoas or named Acropora. Either way, both Zoas and Acros have cult followings. There are more and more Zoa frags and colonies appearing in store with some well-known named Zoas making an appearance as well. Why are Zoas on the list this month? There's some great frags with multiple polyps in store and I'll be honest, Zoas don't look out of place in any reef tank and are often a great place filler offering some colour and movement which the likes of montipora can't. 

Zoas are a great beginner coral, hardy, colourful and good growers. They are photosynthetic so require good light to sustain them but this light doesn't need to be strong or direct. You can use a small particle food to supplement them and I've heard of people having good results with the likes of Reef Roids. The tricky part with Zoas can be their sulky attitude sometimes. The smallest thing can make them close up and stay closed up for some time. It's then hard to pinpoint the problem, whether it be a pest or flow etc. Patience and researching Zoa care is all that is needed though and you'll be well on your way to having Zoa colonies of your own.

4. Golden Pavona Frag. This to me looks like a piece of Jewellery, the Golden colour and intricately detailed lines between polyp mouths is really detailed and exactly why it's on the spotlight list this month. Pavona corals for me have that rare/less common label because you don't often see them showcased as much in peoples reef tanks or photo shoots but they really should be, they look great. 

Pavona Corals are SPS and as such require stable parameters and medium to strong lighting. Good flow is important too in order to get nutrients to the coral and waste away. Pavonas are relatively easy and hardy corals to keep however so beginners shouldn't be put off. 

That rounds up June's spotlight. There are far more corals in store though and some really nice pieces I just haven't got round to. If you're nearby to RockNCritters then pop in, find the corals in this spotlight and see what you think in person. Alternatively, have a look round the website, new corals are being added!

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

On the Coral Spotlight blog posts I'm going to pick a few corals that are in store and online. Some will be new arrivals and some are just nice pieces that I like or think deserve a bit of the limelight for a minute. Either way, here's a few corals for this month that I think are worth a look at, just click the coral name and it will take you to the RockNCritters online listing, enjoy!

1. Rockin Redneck Favia. I don't  think the photos really do this Favia any justice to be honest (the main picture is my attempt but in reality it's a lot brighter. I don't like photoshopped corals so neither RockNCritters.co.uk or myself will upload photoshopped pictures! Fact!). When you look over the coral tray which houses this Favia you could be forgiven for passing it off as just another Favia. But when you give it a little bit more than that initial 2 second gaze you can really begin to appreciate the vivid red and contrasting yellow green. This WYSIWG coral is a really great size as well, not too big that its cumbersome or would look out of place in your reef tank but just big enough that it is established enough to have an immediate impact on your reef that a frag just doesn't do straight away. 

Favia are a relatively easy coral to care for too. They are an LPS coral so calcium and magnesium management will be important along with maintaining stable alkalinity. As for lighting and flow, these aren't especially demanding which makes them a great addition. The only thing to consider with Favia however is that they can be aggressive towards other corals so they are best placed a couple of inches away from other corals, out of reach from the Favias stinging tentacles that emerge when feeding or fighting.   

2. Rainbow Acan ColonyI really like Acan lords or, if you want their proper name Micromussa Lordhowensis. I'm not sure what it is about them but to be honest I just really like them. Its probably no surprise then that this Rainbow Acan colony is on this months spotlight post. The rainbow colour set on each polyp is really eye grabbing and when you multiply this by the colony size of this WYSIWYG coral, it's really special I think. If you're not looking for a colony size coral then there is also a few frags in store too

These Acans are also relatively easy to care for. Like the Rockin Redneck Favia they aren't particularly demanding when it comes to light but due to their polyps being quite fleshy, strong flow can cause them to not extend fully which will stop them from being happy. There should be just enough flow to push water over the polyps causing them to move slightly, this ensures that food is getting to the polyps and waste taken away. If the polyps look like they're getting battered with flow then either reduce the flow or reposition the coral. Some people report that the Acan is slow growing. I think it depends on the individual coral. I've had a red Acan that would grow new polyps like no-ones business whilst a green one would be a bit on the slow side. That could be down to a number of different factors though. You can easily feed Acans coral food, pellets and even Mysis or Brine shrimp to improve its health. 

3. Neon Green Maze Coral. I've included this coral because colonies of Maze Coral are eye grabbers due to their maze like pattern of ridges. In the wild they are grouped into a type of coral called 'massive growth coral' on account of the boulder size colonies often found on the reef. The maze type pattern of ridges are quite different from many other corals on the reef and is instantly recognisable. These frags in store have a neon green base colour which really glows under blue light, so in the evenings this will really stand out in your reef tank. Whilst they are described as massive corals in the wild, I wouldn't worry too much about them getting out of hand in the reef tank, giving them a bit of space to grow into though is always a good idea. 

As for care requirements, again this is a relatively easy and hardy coral. Good flow and lighting is important but they don't need intense levels of either. Like the Favia they can extend long sweeper tentacles for feeding and fighting. It's best to therefore put some space between this coral and others in your tank. You can also use the flow in the tank to make sure that sweeper tentacles sway away from other corals near by. They have been known to grown fast which is great news if you want the frag to spread out quickly but is also another reason to give it plenty of space. 

 

 

 

 

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