Caulstrea (candycane) issue
- Thread starter JIM260
- Start date
Reefaholic1980
New member
Do you feed them anything? I just started to feed mine cyclopeez and they are opening up to it regularly. They say that you dont need to feed them because they can survive off of light, but i think they should have both in captivity to really thrive. At least some type of plankton.
No, I have not been feeding them direct. But the tank gets fed heavy with the heavy fish load. Usually 4 times a day with both Ocean Nutrition formula 2 flake and cyclopeze. I do frozen 2 to 3 times a week to the tank in general.
Why do you think the other LPS have thrived but not the fleshy LPS? Heres a breakdown.
I can and currently am keeping these LPS:
Tubinaria
Euphyllia
Plerogyra
Galaxea
Favites
Fungia
Lobophyllia
Platygyra
I have lost (but would like to keep):
Sclomyia
Cynarina
Caulastrea
Trachyphillia
I appreciate the advice you have given greatly thus far. I will definitly start direct feeding 2-3x a week and see how my current animals re-act.
I would like to here your opinions on why I have the segregation in LPS between what I have had success with and not.
Possibly current and light? My currents pretty heavy but because of my tank size and L-shape design I do have lower current areas and I experimented with placement. I have 2 10k 400 wt MH and do not usually do too much light acclimitization.
All levels are of course where they need to be save for nitrates which hang around 15 - 20 ppm.
Why do you think the other LPS have thrived but not the fleshy LPS? Heres a breakdown.
I can and currently am keeping these LPS:
Tubinaria
Euphyllia
Plerogyra
Galaxea
Favites
Fungia
Lobophyllia
Platygyra
I have lost (but would like to keep):
Sclomyia
Cynarina
Caulastrea
Trachyphillia
I appreciate the advice you have given greatly thus far. I will definitly start direct feeding 2-3x a week and see how my current animals re-act.
I would like to here your opinions on why I have the segregation in LPS between what I have had success with and not.
Possibly current and light? My currents pretty heavy but because of my tank size and L-shape design I do have lower current areas and I experimented with placement. I have 2 10k 400 wt MH and do not usually do too much light acclimitization.
All levels are of course where they need to be save for nitrates which hang around 15 - 20 ppm.
I follow you Bill. I have watched closely and have seen no fish harrasment. Placement for these has been on the bottom at least 12-15" away from the sweeper prone LPS which are all up on the rock. Thank you for the input.
Has anyone ever resigned themselves to the fact that they just cant keep certain types of coral regardless of near perfect conditions?
They are not LPS- but I have heard Xenia are that way. Some have luck and some dont- regardless of scienticfic evaluation.
Has anyone ever resigned themselves to the fact that they just cant keep certain types of coral regardless of near perfect conditions?
They are not LPS- but I have heard Xenia are that way. Some have luck and some dont- regardless of scienticfic evaluation.
Jimnparadise
Premium Member
Im no expert but I have read that Caulastrea do best with moderate light and flow and may do poorly under direct metal halides.
Just a thought since you are running 400s.
J
Just a thought since you are running 400s.
J
yardboy
Advanced Bewilderment
Caulastrea were one of those corals I just couldn't seem to keep. I did get a head, brown with green centers that stayed alive, but wouldn't grow. Tank setup for three years. One day I noticed a small bud on the green centered one so I realized it was finally growing, maybe. I bought a 2-polyp frag of a light blue one from Tampa, and within 6 months it was 8 polyps! I guess that something changed that finally made conditions right for the candy canes in my tank. Don't know what it is. Just don't give up. Eventually you might be able to get them to grow.
Placement might be the key, though. I've always had good luck with ope brains (Lobo's, Trach's, Wells) but recently was surprised when I moved my red Trach only about 6" over on the sand bottom of the tank and the next day it expanded larger than I'd seen it in a long time! So much so that it got it's mantle up onto a nearby Acan. The next morning, it had moved itself far enough away (3") that it was no longer touching the Acan when it expanded!
Placement might be the key, though. I've always had good luck with ope brains (Lobo's, Trach's, Wells) but recently was surprised when I moved my red Trach only about 6" over on the sand bottom of the tank and the next day it expanded larger than I'd seen it in a long time! So much so that it got it's mantle up onto a nearby Acan. The next morning, it had moved itself far enough away (3") that it was no longer touching the Acan when it expanded!
Regarding poistion in the tank relative to light and flow- i have moved them all over. Medium light, medium flow- low light, low flow- medium light, high flow- high light, med flow.
Do have a coral beauty and flame. Some speculation they may be to blame but have never, ever seen them even close to them. My red lobo has been great for 3 years.
Do have a coral beauty and flame. Some speculation they may be to blame but have never, ever seen them even close to them. My red lobo has been great for 3 years.
chtan
Premium Member
candy cane are very easy to keep ... low flow, or fairly high flow ... low light or fairly strong light they are all ok ... I have kept and grown my candy canes for some 5 years ...
But angel fishes have a habit of nibbling on them ... no prob though ... once the angel fish is gone the candy cane recovers fast.
But angel fishes have a habit of nibbling on them ... no prob though ... once the angel fish is gone the candy cane recovers fast.
chtan
Premium Member
ideally .... tentacles shd be extended (lights off tentacles extend) ... best time to feed is a couple of hours after lights are off ..... if you are diligent, you will be amazed by how fast they can propagate.
if you do not have the time ... just leave them alone ... give them moderate lighting and they will still grow well.
What do you spot feed your candy canes? I just picked one up this past weekend, but I haven't fed him directly yet.
blange3
Brewer and Reefer
I spot feed mine cyclopeeze and mysis. I tease them by feeding the fish first, pumps off, about 30-45 minutes before lights out. They usually send out the feeders in 5-10 minutes. Then I spot feed them and get to watch!
There is still food at lights out and they continue to feed.
There is still food at lights out and they continue to feed.
Critter
Premium Member
I had some time last night, and under my moon lights I could see the tenticals out, so I fed them some cyclopeze and they closed up around it. it was pretty cool. I only have the flake cyclopeze so I just kinda of ground it up a bit so there were some small pieces and droped it down a clear tube. (same way I feed my anemone). I have frozen mysis, but I think they might be too big for them... any suggestions on what size to feed... maybe like nothing bigger then the mouth or something?
I was finally able to get mine to snag a piece of mysis. I think he even got some of it down before Jacque, the cleaner shrimp, decided to play bully and help himself to the candy cane's lunch. It was also the first time I'd seen the tentacles out with the lights on. I guess he smelled what I was feeding the fish and wanted some too.
