Kenya Tree bending/folding over - Why?

[Waterproof]

The base of my kenya has started to bend or fold over on itself. It can straighten its base, but it usually takes a couple hours after the lights have been on. In the photos, it looks closed up. This is because I just turned the lights on this morning. It opens up nicely during the day. Any idea why this is happening? From the photos, you can also see that the base of the tree is looking darker than the rest of the stock and a bit aged. The kenya tree was the first coral I got for my tank so I want to be sure it's happy. Thanks,

 

J.

 

 

[on_ice]

Subscribing to this thread, mine does the opposite. During the day its folded in half (both of the ones I have), and then after an hour or so when the lights go off, it goes back upright. Almost like there is too much light or something.

[Waterproof]

Subscribing to this thread, mine does the opposite. During the day its folded in half (both of the ones I have), and then after an hour or so when the lights go off, it goes back upright. Almost like there is too much light or something.

That's odd that we're having the opposite problem. Other than the bend, are your's healthy? Mine seems fine. I just have the stock lighting in a biocube 14, so I'm not giving it too much light. My water quality is good. I'm just concerned the bend is a sign of a dying coral, or at least an unhappy one.

[ReeferDan]

Mine has done that off and on again for years, and it continues to grow and do its thing. I don't believe it to be a sign of failing health. But I would be interested to know why they do it from time to time.

[on_ice]

That's odd that we're having the opposite problem. Other than the bend, are your's healthy? Mine seems fine. I just have the stock lighting in a biocube 14, so I'm not giving it too much light. My water quality is good. I'm just concerned the bend is a sign of a dying coral, or at least an unhappy one.

 

 

Yup, seem healthy. I had them both as 1/2 frags and now they are like 2-3 inches tall. Both of them fold during the day and get "erect" at night.

[Captainj42]

Mine do the same thing, I have 1 at the top of the tank and the other at the bottom so I dont think its a light issue I think they just bend and move around to look for food or something but I dont know for sure.

[ThiefofAlways]

My dude at the LFS said they are taking a dump when they look like that... dunno.

 

I have a huge 2 headed tree and one head looks like that right now and the other is fine, so I know

It cant be something in my water.

[Waterproof]

Well, my kenya looks a bit worse today, and it dropped 2 frags. This is the first time it has self-propagated. I wonder if it has been closed up and bent lately because it was about to drop some limbs or if it is dropping limbs because it isn't doing well. I'd prefer to be optomistic! Either way, I now have a couple kenya frags to grow!

[hoganrj]

Mine did the same thing and then dropped 4 frags. I put them on some discs and now have some great frags to trade in at my lfs

[kgehrke]

Good luck getting much for them. They have become almost a nuisance in my tank. I have one that gets a lot of flow and doesn't drop limbs very often and another that doesn't get much flow and bends over and drops limbs more often.

[lakshwadeep]

have you checked your calcium levels or been dosing calcium? Soft corals have sclerites, which are like spiky calcified "things" that help give them support. They don't need nearly as much calcium as stonies.

 

You can see the sclerites as long, white flecks in this softy's skeleton:

[Waterproof]

have you checked your calcium levels or been dosing calcium? Soft corals have sclerites, which are like spiky calcified "things" that help give them support. They don't need nearly as much calcium as stonies.

 

You can see the sclerites as long, white flecks in this softy's skeleton:

 

I don't see any of the white flecks on my kenya, but the calc in my tank is around 420. The base of it looks dirty, and kinda roughed up (as shown in the pics). The bend is occuring directly above that point.

[Waterproof]

So, here's an update. About a week ago, I was doing some reading and about half of the info pages for kenya's said that adding some phytoplankton was beneficial, if not necessary. I had been under the impression that a kenya tree derived all its food/energy from the lights. I decided to put a little phyto in the tank, targeting the kenya. Well, that sucker perked right up. Within 24 hrs, it was back to normal. The rough, discolored areas on the lower base peeled off, and now it looks good as new. I wonder if my tank was just devoid of dissolved nutrients. I plan to feed the tank some phyto once a week from now of. I guess you learn something new every day.

[Shelagh]

Mine keep closing up like a fall mid afternoon now. Yesterday I was so worried I did a water change as the Ammonia had risen slightly just enough to show. Then it picked up, but today it’s done it again. Tried moving the wave thing so it was nit getting so much movement and now it closed completely. 

Reading other people’s commence it seems to be a thing they do! I hope so as it’s my first coral in my little tank.

[mcarroll]

On 7/6/2008 at 1:28 PM, Waterproof said:

So, here's an update. About a week ago, I was doing some reading and about half of the info pages for kenya's said that adding some phytoplankton was beneficial, if not necessary. I had been under the impression that a kenya tree derived all its food/energy from the lights. I decided to put a little phyto in the tank, targeting the kenya. Well, that sucker perked right up. Within 24 hrs, it was back to normal. The rough, discolored areas on the lower base peeled off, and now it looks good as new. I wonder if my tank was just devoid of dissolved nutrients. I plan to feed the tank some phyto once a week from now of. I guess you learn something new every day.

I would start testing and keeping track of your nitrate and phosphate levels as well as alkalinity and calcium.

 

If you have been testing them, can you post your most recent results for these?I would start testing and keeping track of your nitrate and phosphate levels as well as alkalinity and calcium.

 

If you have been testing them, can you post your most recent results for these?