UNOFFICIAL SUN CORAL/DENDRO/RHYZO THREAD

[altolamprologus]

My Sun Coral is acting funny. After going months of perfect eatting on demand it started not having tentacle extension. This has been happening for the last three weeks. I normally add Cyclopeeze to the tank wait five or ten minutes for full tentacle extension then target feed mysis or plankton. Now it opens but no tentacle extension resulting in no food consumption. This all started when new buds/heads appeared is there a connection?

This happens to me when I get new colonies. They inflate but no tentacles stick out. I have to turn off all flow and just set food on them and they eat. Idk why a colony would just start doing that out of the blue though. Maybe something is picking at its tentacles?

[anseK]

This happens to me when I get new colonies. They inflate but no tentacles stick out. I have to turn off all flow and just set food on them and they eat. Idk why a colony would just start doing that out of the blue though. Maybe something is picking at its tentacles?

 

 

Interesting. I'll keep a look out for fish picking at it. I'll have to just sit the food on top.

[Singlefin]

Took about a week of coaxing just to get it to come out at night. Now it comes out during the day when I feed. Three heads in front. One tiny one popping out the back.

 

[lljdma06]

My suns. I keep them in a 5.5g pico

 

Black suns

 

 

Orange suns

 

 

 

And I'll sneak in a shot of my balano. Hey, similar to a dendro!

 

 

Still getting the hang of feeding these gluttonous monsters, but I'm getting new polyps especially from the black suns, balano, and the first orange sun. The first sun is sooo finicky still, but I was making mistakes with that one. It's so much better than it used to be.

 

L

[GoingPostal]

Finally got my buddys old rhizo nursed back to health, it looked like hell for almost a year, it's smaller, but fine now

got way too many balanos, this is one colony, hard to get rid of them up here

My newer dendro is producing babies, it was supposed to be a colony but was starved into only polyp left by the time I got it, seems like every nps stony I get they are half dead, got a black sun coral but hasn't opened for me yet, I hope it makes it, still need some orange or yellow suns.

[Dendro Dude]

My what seems like rare from the photos on this post full colony of dendrophylia. I feed one cube of PE mysis each day it also snatches any pods it can catch. I have built a ledge in my aquarium and placed it underneath. since it doesn't get any direct light the polyps extend fully . 29 biocube fish 2 mystery wrasse 1 blue dot jawfish temperature 73 degrees .

[enenue]

Just bought this "Sun Coral" (what my LFS had it labeled as). When I made the purchase the coral wasn't open, but after talking to the owner (I shop with him a lot), he had me convinced it was healthy and feeding. $24 dollars later, and about an hour acclimatization it was in my tank.

 

 

I just have a few questions:

 

1) Is this normal how the mouths are gaping open? I am nervous about its overall health.

 

2) LFS had me buy oysterfeast to feed. Currently, I spot feed frozen mysis and Hikari-S to my bubble coral, inverts, and fish. Occasionally, before a water change I will feed Phytofeast, although after some reading I may discontinue the Phyto (nitrates ahhh lol). Should I just add the oysterfeast to my regimine or is there a better way to feed these bad-boys

 

 

PS - This thread (and forum) is great! I really appreciate all the info on here! I dont even use google anymore! LOL

[1.0reef]

For what it's worth, Tubastrea and Dendrophyllia are completely unharmed by exposure to air. I pull frags out all the time.

 

Newest photo of my tank.

Looks like the NPS tank at the Academy of Sciences.

[wombat]

Looks like the NPS tank at the Academy of Sciences.

 

That is exactly what it is.

 

They have been really pumping out the babies recently--I find and harvest about 20 new polyps off the sand every week. They've been sent out to a few public aquariums across the country, but I produce more than the current demand. If a system were designed for the purpose, the entire US aquarium hobby could be supplied with captive bred Tubastrea.

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/tubas...inhart-aquarium

Edited August 8, 2012 by wombat

[wombat]

Just bought this "Sun Coral" (what my LFS had it labeled as). When I made the purchase the coral wasn't open, but after talking to the owner (I shop with him a lot), he had me convinced it was healthy and feeding. $24 dollars later, and about an hour acclimatization it was in my tank.

 

 

I just have a few questions:

 

1) Is this normal how the mouths are gaping open? I am nervous about its overall health.

 

2) LFS had me buy oysterfeast to feed. Currently, I spot feed frozen mysis and Hikari-S to my bubble coral, inverts, and fish. Occasionally, before a water change I will feed Phytofeast, although after some reading I may discontinue the Phyto (nitrates ahhh lol). Should I just add the oysterfeast to my regimine or is there a better way to feed these bad-boys

 

 

PS - This thread (and forum) is great! I really appreciate all the info on here! I dont even use google anymore! LOL

 

The gaping mouths are not normal, but could just be because you just got it. It shouldn't continue for more than a day or two.

 

Tubastrea will do fine on mysis and other big meaty stuff. Oysterfeast is much too small for them to eat, but adding a few drops to the water may entice them to open up.

 

If they do open up, you need to feed them. Opening their polyps requires energy, and if you get them to open but don't feed them, they're worse off than if you did nothing at all. Two things I have found that are absolutely surefire ways to get Tubastrea to open are Cyclopeeze and squid juice. Then you can just squirt anything in their tentacles--shredded clam, mysis, prawn, squid, etc.

[enenue]

The gaping mouths are not normal, but could just be because you just got it. It shouldn't continue for more than a day or two.

 

Tubastrea will do fine on mysis and other big meaty stuff. Oysterfeast is much too small for them to eat, but adding a few drops to the water may entice them to open up.

 

If they do open up, you need to feed them. Opening their polyps requires energy, and if you get them to open but don't feed them, they're worse off than if you did nothing at all. Two things I have found that are absolutely surefire ways to get Tubastrea to open are Cyclopeeze and squid juice. Then you can just squirt anything in their tentacles--shredded clam, mysis, prawn, squid, etc.

 

 

Thanks!!!! Mouths have closed up, I suppose I will see if i can get the polyps to open tonight after lights out.

[Singlefin]

I feed mine mysis. You can try feed them at different times of the day to get them to open during the day. You can also spray juice at them to coax them open then feed larger goods.

[enenue]

Just bought this "Sun Coral" (what my LFS had it labeled as). When I made the purchase the coral wasn't open, but after talking to the owner (I shop with him a lot), he had me convinced it was healthy and feeding. $24 dollars later, and about an hour acclimatization it was in my tank.

 

 

I just have a few questions:

 

1) Is this normal how the mouths are gaping open? I am nervous about its overall health.

 

2) LFS had me buy oysterfeast to feed. Currently, I spot feed frozen mysis and Hikari-S to my bubble coral, inverts, and fish. Occasionally, before a water change I will feed Phytofeast, although after some reading I may discontinue the Phyto (nitrates ahhh lol). Should I just add the oysterfeast to my regimine or is there a better way to feed these bad-boys

 

 

PS - This thread (and forum) is great! I really appreciate all the info on here! I dont even use google anymore! LOL

 

Been feeding daily, and slowly the heads are starting to eat. However I have yet to see them open up. I observe the mouths sucking in pieces of food that I place on them and seem to be keeping them down.

 

After feeding tonight, about an hour later the suns looked like this. First time Ive seen this behavior. What could be causing it?

 

Tank Parameters:

N03 - 5ppm

Temp - 82

Phos - 0

Salinity - 1.025

Calc - 450

Alk - 8

 

[d0lph1n]

Here is mine. It looks like a Fathead Dendro, I purchased one head, very hardy - it survived a huge disaster, now it's happy again, with 9 heads, 1 year later:

 

 

Since then, I moved it in a corner:

 

 

Care:

 

- feeding evry other day small amounts of shrimp pellets, raw fish, occasionally cyclopeeze

- almost never turn off the circulation pumps during feeding

- PAR level 50-100: it doesn't seem to be bother by it.

- temp 78-79F

- ph 8.2

- pretty high flow

- it stays open most of the time.

 

My sexy shrimps like to hang around this coral.

It's one of my favorite corals.

Edited August 13, 2012 by d0lph1n

[enenue]

Just some updates.

 

I really wanted to thank all the great girls and guys on here that proved new and old information!! After a few weeks, Im slowly getting my sun coral (not sure which exactly) to open up during the day. Still not 100% healthy (silly LFS that told me to only feed them oyster feast) but almost there! This picture is taken in the middle of the day!!

 

Really...thank you all

 

[albertthiel]

Just some updates.

 

I really wanted to thank all the great girls and guys on here that proved new and old information!! After a few weeks, Im slowly getting my sun coral (not sure which exactly) to open up during the day. Still not 100% healthy (silly LFS that told me to only feed them oyster feast) but almost there! This picture is taken in the middle of the day!!

 

Really...thank you all

 

 

Looks like Tubastrea coral to me, maybe faulkeniri or aurea.

 

Tubastrea is one of the few corals that does not contain a symbiotic algae, so it must be fed vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, or better micro-plankton from an eye dropper directly to each one of its polyps. Doing so is important so all polyps get food,

 

It will usually only expand its polyps in the evening or when it is hungry.

 

Great looking corals but some say that they are a little more difficult to keep than other corals, although if well fed, polyp by polyp they should do well.

 

It can be quite fragile and must be handled with great care especially when first placing in the aquarium, it must be picked up by its underside.

 

It should have moderate to high water current, combined with low lighting levels. Placing it under an overhang of a rock is probably a good spot for them.

 

Here is a liink to a Video on them:

 

http://www.tidalgardens.com/pages/coral/tubastrea.html

 

and a picture:

 

 

If you have more questions about Tubastrea corals you can post questions to my thread (see sig)

 

FWIW

Edited August 30, 2012 by albertthiel

[patback]

My what seems like rare from the photos on this post full colony of dendrophylia. I feed one cube of PE mysis each day it also snatches any pods it can catch. I have built a ledge in my aquarium and placed it underneath. since it doesn't get any direct light the polyps extend fully . 29 biocube fish 2 mystery wrasse 1 blue dot jawfish temperature 73 degrees .

73* is a little low. It's actually more temperate than reef.

[chrssprngs]

My Dendros

 

[chrssprngs]

My what seems like rare from the photos on this post full colony of dendrophylia. I feed one cube of PE mysis each day it also snatches any pods it can catch. I have built a ledge in my aquarium and placed it underneath. since it doesn't get any direct light the polyps extend fully . 29 biocube fish 2 mystery wrasse 1 blue dot jawfish temperature 73 degrees .

Lovin the Possum Wrasse.

[enenue]

Need some help with inverts and my Tubastrea --

 

I purchased it a few weeks ago from the LFS, and was doing daily feedings out of the aquarium to bring it back to health. Now its healthy again, and placed it in its permanent home within my aquarium. Now I am having a bit of trouble feeding the coral within the tank. Every time I attempt to feed it, my fire red shrimp runs over and tries to pick everything out causing the coral to close.

 

Am I doomed to play this game for ever? Are inverts not really recommended in situations like this? Or is there one better suited?

[wombat]

73* is a little low. It's actually more temperate than reef.

 

I'm guessing that is for the BSJ. They come from cooler water.

 

Need some help with inverts and my Tubastrea --

 

I purchased it a few weeks ago from the LFS, and was doing daily feedings out of the aquarium to bring it back to health. Now its healthy again, and placed it in its permanent home within my aquarium. Now I am having a bit of trouble feeding the coral within the tank. Every time I attempt to feed it, my fire red shrimp runs over and tries to pick everything out causing the coral to close.

 

Am I doomed to play this game for ever? Are inverts not really recommended in situations like this? Or is there one better suited?

 

In such a small tank I would get rid of the shrimp. They will continue to do this and make feeding your corals a real PITA.

[JoeDigiorgio]

I usually just give the shrimp something large to munch on and that keeps my cleaner occupied long enough to make some progress feeding my corals.

 

 

 

Joe

[nystang]

I bought my first Dendro on Sunday. It looks great in the tank stays open most of the time. It has a tiny baby at the bottom but I'm a little worried with a presence of some kind of hair that surround the coral. Does anyone know what it might be? Is it normal in Dendrophyllia? Here is a close up of this part.

[nystang]

Here is the whole Dendro. Very cool coral. It's gonna be one of my favorite.

 

[megability]

Just looks like a couple strands of some type of hair algae growing on the base, it's probably still unprotected/uncovered by coraline after a fresh frag cut... Just pull it off with tweezers, that's what I do with mine and its very happy, gone from one head to like 6 in a year now... They're good eaters