Kenya Tree

[HogWinslow]

I bought a coral the other night and I can't remember the name of it. The LFS guy told me the anme and asked me about the tank and said it will go good with my set up. I just can't remember the name. Raise ID'ed it as a Kenya Tree. I know that's not what the LFS guy called it and I cant find any info with that name. Does anyone know of any other names for it?

 

This thing is huge. I would like to frag it into 2 or 3 smaller pieces. How do I do this or is that a bad idea?

 

If I don't frag it I have another problem. Right now it's stuck to small rubble. How do I get it to move to a single smaller rock?

 

The largest piece of rubble has 2 Xenia stalks and a small polyp of some kind. Should I try to move these to other rocks to start colonys of them? How do I do This?

 

Thanks,

Hog

[tinyreef]

definitely need a pic.

 

and even with one, sometimes they can't be id'ed without a microscope and patience to dessicate down to spicules (i.e. microskeletons). the difference of care usually doesn't necessitate that tho. also raise's assessment might dead on and the lfs wrong.

 

is it leathery or slimy, if slimy stiff-like or soft? does it blanche or just curl up? does the trunk have any obvious discernible pattern or is it a solid muted color? as you can see a lot of possibilities and those would just get you a 'probably-answer' too.

[Raise]

Tom, cant you post a pic? Or perhaps someone would host it for you. Its a very pretty coral.

[HogWinslow]

I'm tring to get a pic. I can't get the dammed thing resized to fit the limits. Who came up with those limith anyways?

 

Hog

[HogWinslow]

Got It!!!!!!!!!

 

Any know what it is?

[tinyreef]

that IS gorgeous! a real beaut!

 

i dunno if it's the lighting or it's really that color but if it really is that shade of purple and the stalk looks like that i'd be guessing a type of dendro/scleron actually.

 

otherwise i'd guess a capnella. maybe some exotic capnella? ???

 

see any lines or x's on the trunk and branches? or is it solid? the pic is very grainy.

[HogWinslow]

Along the base of it there are verticle curves. That's the true color. It will be erect for a couple of hours and then it will go limp. Then it will be erect for a couple of hours and go limp again.

 

My wife says it fits me perfectly.

 

Any answers to any of the other questions?

 

HogWinslow

[tinyreef]

i wouldn't frag it just yet. let it acclimate to the system a while and see how fast it grows to determine how much to frag off for a successful bond.

 

you might want to epoxy or brace the rubble against some larger rocks to let it grow onto them (lean to/against its base). i would put the larger rock (target) behind the coral in relation to the current.

 

the xenia should grow fast enough to spread. the polyp's spread will depend on its diet and type. some grow fast, some grow real fast. it or the xenia may end up bonding the rubble together and with the rest of the LR. coralline should eventually bond bits and piece together too.

 

i'd only think about fragging them if their base was disintegrating. if it was then i'd glop some glue and bond it to a flat rock to give myself the most options to go with later.

 

btw the expansion/contraction of the purple tree sounds like dendro to me. hth

[Satchmo]

I'd go with dendronepthea too. That's way to purdy to be a capnella. Nice find Hog. You feeding that baby?

[HogWinslow]

Flake food whenever the fish look hungry. About every three days.

 

Marine Snow by Two Little Fishes. 1/2 cap full in a 10 gallon tank daily.

 

Whatever comes off my arm when it's in the tank atleast 10 time a day.

 

Anything else I should feed?

 

HogWinslow

[Satchmo]

lmao

[Raise]

you could use an eye dropper and feed frozen brine. corals love that isht !

[Satchmo]

Assuming it's a Dendro (and we're still assuming), brine won't help it. It needs phytoplankton.

 

But if this thing turns out to be photosynthetic - I'll hook you up for a frag of it, Hog.

[HiRes60]

which lfs did u get it at?

[LiQuiD]

110% Dendronepthea.

 

Don't cut it from the rock, instead, chisel the rock at the base to seperate a piece with the dendro on it from the rest of the rock with the xenia then glue the piece with the dendro where you want it. Do not attempt to frag it, they are very delicate.

 

Typically, it should not open during the day at all and only after the lights go out. Constant opening and closing would mean it is hungry and may not have enough food in the column to sustain it. They open to feed (usually when the lights go out) and eat phyto so you may want to add another variety to the snow like DT's or believe it or not, Kent's dead phytoplex is kind of good. I am adding 5 drops a day of Kent's to my 2.5 and it has worked the best to date as far as feeding without any kind of algae breakout or foul ups. Try to add the phyto at night just before the lights go out or just after if possible. It is a non-photosynthetic coral so you may want to place it in a shaded area of the tank that others don't do well in (it will also open more often if out of the light).

 

They are gorgeous coral and sadly to say that you only see them fully open for a limited time a day. My favorite non-photo coral (Chilli) is only open for about 15 minutes when the lights first go on, the rest of the day it is a shriveled up red blob. The main thing about these coral that make them somewhat difficult to keep would be the fact that your lights do nothing to keep them alive and they will rely on the proper amount of phyto to survive.

 

Good luck and BTW, nice coral.

[HogWinslow]

HiRes60

 

I got it at the store on Pine Ridge, west of CR 951.

[MiniMasterFlash]

I think the common name for the coral is a Carnation. Good luck, and from what I've read, Liquid is right on with the care requirements.

[Twobuck40]

Liquid

Dendronephthya, and it is non photosynthetic, predatory. check this link for more info

 

http://garf.org/36/2/dendro2.html

[LiQuiD]

I thought that was what I said. ???