Hi so I recently obtained a dendro, I would post pictures but I'm posting from phone....so my question is about the difference between dendronephthya and dendrophyllia...one is harder then the other? Well, mine looks like a suncoral andis open all times of the day =) also eats like a beast! Can someone tell me which it could be?

The latter.

I'm sure what you have is a dendro based on your description. Dendronephthya looks totally different and doesn't look anything like a sun coral. Here's link where I just posted some pics of my dendros.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=215461

Good to hear it's doing well for you!

Okay they are to totally different things. Dendronephthya is a Carnation tree coral and would require targeted feeding with filter feeder food like rotifers etc. Very hard to keep for a new reefer and looks nothing like the dendrophyllia. In fact few people have successfully kept these corals and they are not photosynthetic.


You have the dendrophyllia which is like the sun coral yet stays open longer. Very easy to keep. Keep feeding it mysis once to every other day and it will do great. Please note that these corals are not photosynthetic and to watch your nutrient levels with the increased feeding.

Oh Sun corals scientific name is Tubastrea if you actually meant to compare the sun coral to the dendro.

dendrophyllia is the care pretty much like a sun coral where you they don't mind alot light it's just that they need alot of feeding?

Thanks guys! I got it for 20bucks a head =) anyways to keep my nutients down can I target feed it outside the tank? Would that make a difference?

Taking it outside the tank would probably piss it off and make it close up. Just leave it as it is.

I made a one gallon tank just for feeding him =) I took him out and he eats like a loin =) he seems fine to me =)

That sounds like a PITA to have to take it out every day and feed it. Just use a 2 liter bottle and cut the bottom out and place it over it.

Hey if it works then by all means keep doing it.

True its a "PITA". But algae is as well.....I knew buying this dendro feeding would be a problem. I lost my last tank algae and its not happening again. Taking it out I can feed it till it gets full and no competition =)