Clove Polyp Experiences

[Derek]

When I get bored I look at Diver's Den on LiveAquaria.com. I keep seeing clove polyp colonies. They seem really cool and seem a bit more fun than star polyps. I have not seen any in an LFS, at least not in any large quantity, usually only a dozen or so polyps. Do these look cool when they are in a large colony? Are they super invasive?

[Chrispar]

I heard they were invasive but I havent had much super spreading with mine. I believe there are some neat looking red variations that I would go for if I was looking for some more.

[DaJMasta]

Certainly no more invasive than GSP or palys I would say. I've seen a lot of pictures of tanks with them in it, and a lot of places where they're for sale. They look like fairly easy to deal with corals which look neat, and they come in a bunch of different pastel shades.

[Derek]

Sweet. I will have to keep an eye out for a frag at the frag swap.

[Rjohn]

I have some lavendar cloves. I will post a pic tomorrow with pics of my sump and Utube.

[Derek]

Sweet!

[Rjohn]

These are under actinic lighting. Colors are pretty accurate, I think.

[Derek]

Oh cool. Those are nice!

[+KeeperOfTheZoo]

Are clove polyps and anthelia about the same or closely related? I have anthelia that looks just like rjohns pic. It's gorgeous flowing in the current and I like the soft pinkish color. But! It grows like a weed!!!!

I got a tiny frag that has grown into a huge colony in no time. I'm not sure if it always grows like this or not.

Derek if you want some I'll give you some. I'm trimming it back and tossing the cuttings because I don't want any more colonies in my tank.

I can bring cuttings to this months meeting if you'll be there.

[Derek]

Sweet. That'd be awesome. I'd love some.

[+KeeperOfTheZoo]

Ok,

I'll bring ya some. Do note that you have been warned that this stuff has the potential to spread like crazy! I would strongly suggest you isolate it onto a rock, or as I've seen prof do (and am considering myself) attach it to the back of your tank or something like that. In other words, don't put it where you can't trim it.

I attached a picture of mine. It looks more pinkish but I have a lot of yellow in my lighting right now (playing with bulbs, trying to get it just the way I like it but not quite there yet). When I hit it with more blue light it looks more purple. You know how it goes with lighting...

I've seen anthelia/clove polyps get REALLY long (I'm having a duh moment on whose tank it was in, I've seen it in a couple tanks now), it's interesting how it grows in different tanks. In mine it has gotten very feathery with big skirts but not the huge long stalks and the colony is very dense. I really like it and hope it stays that way.

[JamesL]

I had some clove polyps in my old 24g. They went crazy and spread over about a big section of rock. And then at some point, they just up and melted off. I really liked them, not sure why they suddenly disappeared.

[+KeeperOfTheZoo]

I've heard the same thing said of xenia (which in my opinion looks like close kin to anthelia, clove polyps, etc). Huge healthy colony one day, dead and melted the next. I've also heard lots of stories where people simply can't get any of the xenia family corals to grow in their tanks even when other corals thrive. Weird, wild stuff!

I have pulsing pom-pom xenia and the anthelia growing like mad. I'll be sad if either colony crashes, though I do have moments when I fear that between the two they'll take over the entire tank and then have a final show down. My money is on the anthelia.

[JamesL]

I've also heard lots of stories where people simply can't get any of the xenia family corals to grow in their tanks even when other corals thrive. Weird, wild stuff!

I could not get xenia to grow in my 24g tank.

It has done OK in mine 75g tank, but is recently unhappy since I added a wave maker to my tank.

[mFrame]

Those look like anthelia, not cloves to me. Though my cloves did start spreading quickly when I had them.

clove polyps

[cmanning]

Liz,

I think what you got there is called Anthelia sp. also known by its common name Waving-hand.

---I'm quoting from a book by Eric Borneman:

"Anthelia is a common genus of the Xeniidae family, comprised of species with individual monomorphic polyps that are joined to a common membranous and encrusting base. The polyps of Anthelia always arise directly from the basal encrusting mat, this being the key to genus indentity. (Compare to the typical Xenia form, which has a stalk and branches.)"

-Cindy-

[+KeeperOfTheZoo]

Yea,

I know I have anthelia. My original question lost up there was about the relation between clove polyps and anthelia (and xenia in general I guess). Cool description though Cindy, thank you. And does that mean it is indeed a member of the xenia family? What about clove polyps?

I really like it, but it's some seriously fast growing stuff. I have pulsing pom-pom xenia and while it is fast growing, the anthelia leaves it in the dust.

James, I have pulsing xenia in two areas, one towards the top of the tank that gets pretty good flow and one towards the bottom that's in a weird almost dead zone. The one with almost no flow is by far the happier xenia.

[cmanning]

Yea,

I know I have anthelia. My original question lost up there was about the relation between clove polyps and anthelia (and xenia in general I guess). Cool description though Cindy, thank you. And does that mean it is indeed a member of the xenia family? What about clove polyps?

They're all Octocorals. Anthelia and Xenia are from the family Xeniidae. The clove polyps: Family Clavulariidae; Genus Clavularia; Common Names: clove or glove polys, palm tree polyps, fern polyps.