aqua_reef_01
New member
Does anybody know what this coral is. To me it kinda looks a vibrant colt coral of some sort. or if you have any for sale let me know.
Thank you,
Thank you,
Coral Identification
- Thread starter aqua_reef_01
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Hormigaquatica
Active member
Dendronephthea. Virtually impossible to keep; few if any have been kept long term in captivity (meaning more than a year or so).
If you really want to try your hand at them, might want to read through some of the Carnation Coral threads in the Nonphotosynthetic forum.
If you really want to try your hand at them, might want to read through some of the Carnation Coral threads in the Nonphotosynthetic forum.
aerius007
New member
The problem with them is that they are constant eaters, you almost have to have a drip system feeding them a constant supply of food. While doing that might not be too hard, it would be expensive and with that amount of nutrients going into the water you would have a nearly impossible time keeping the water quality where it needs to be. The also require a great amount of flow. I personally wouldnt get one, ever. IMO they should be left in the ocean.
Hormigaquatica
Active member
This is not correct. Many times, Dendro. is prominent on top of ridges and reefs, in full sunlight. In fact, they would likely do poorly in caves.
The issue is more complex than simply feeding them. First, noone knows what size food particles they are able to accept and digest. There have been arguments for everything from bacterioplankton to copepods; they often respond to a wide range of food particles, but dont seem to actually collect or digest the majority of them. There are also numerous species of nonphotosynthetic soft coral, each of which seems to require a different set of foods. Its not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal.
Second, is water flow. I've seen studies that suggest the optimal flow rate for at least some of these corals is around 7"/sec. Thats a lot faster in an aquarium than you might think, especially when you consider it needs to be that rate across the whole surface area of the coral, not just a point like many powerheads would provide.
So far, noone has created a reproducible plan for long term success. Unless you intend to study these animals thoroughly in a proper laboratory setup, you should probably skip them. Beautiful though they may be, theyre better alive and healthy in the wild than starving to death in captivity. Maybe someday someone will figure it out.
