Related Articles: Merulinids, SPS Corals, 

Related FAQs: Merulinids 1, Merulinids 2, & FAQs on: Merulinid Behavior, Merulinid Compatibility, Merulinid Selection, Merulinid Systems, Merulinid Feeding, Merulinid Disease, Merulinid Reproduction/Propagation, & Stony/True Coral, Coral System Set-Up, Coral System Lighting, Stony Coral Identification, Stony Coral Selection, Coral Placement, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition, Disease/Health, Propagation, Growing Reef Corals, Stony Coral Behavior, SPS Identification, SPS Behavior, SPS Compatibility, SPS Selection, SPS Systems, SPS Feeding, SPS Disease, SPS Reproduction,

Coral Question
The LFS told me the name of this coral was Merulina. Is this correct? If not what is the correct name?
<I don't mean to be rude, but how in the world would I know. You have not sent a picture or even given a description.>
I have some mushrooms, pulsing Xenia, and this piece in my 55 gallon tank along with a couple of fish. I do a 20% water change every 2 weeks and add iodine at about 4 drops per day. Do I need to add anything else to the tank?
<I strongly urge you to buy Eric Bornemann's book "Aquarium Corals." It will permit you to properly identify your coral and will give you care information.>
pH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium 500ppm
Phosphate 0.05
alkalinity 11.2 dKH or 4.0 mEq/l
<The values given are all good. -Steven Pro>

Id...Possibly Merulina ampliata  7/4/07
<Hi Brian, Mich here.>
Hmm...I looked at some pictures of the Merulina, looks different.
<Could be. Multiple growth forms are possible, often within the same colony. Some pic's I thought resembled yours:
http://www.aquarium-design.fr/Img/ImgTelecharge/Pt/1192.jpg
http://www.meerwasser-lexikon.de/images/1375.jpg
http://www.mailordercorals.com/displayPict.asp?cartID=1154
http://www.reefaholics.org/Sale/reefaholicsimages/images/PIC00088.JPG
http://www.atlantisaquarium.net/images/merilina.jpg.JPG
The corallites in this species tend to form ridges and valleys which radiate from the center, which is why I though this genus was a possibility.>
I did stumble across Agaricia agaricites. Could that be it?
<Unlikely, Agaricia is an Atlantic species and generally not available in the trade. Initially, I was think this might be part of the Family Agaricidae, along the lines of a Pachyseris, but the ridges and valleys tend to be more concentric. It is difficult to identify a coral by one photo alone, and for some corals it is outright impossible without skeletal examination. So perhaps it is a Merulina, but it may be something else too.
Wish I could be more helpful,
Mich>