Distichopora sp

[ReefMonger]

Anyone have any experience with this coral?

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

I have one. I don't think I got it in good condition, however. I have yet to see it extend feeder tentacles... They are actually fire corals (hydroids). Hopefully it will recover.

 

[salt-lik]

Just got one today. Will see how it does on the ultralith dendro and clam feeding system.

 

[ReefMonger]

I just snagged two orange ones.

 

[Western_reefer]

Are they easy to keep? Compared to Carnation corals?

 

[uhuru]

they look kind of like the stuff that is growing on the exterior of my rhizos...

 

[ReefMonger]

Ok mine seem to be coated in a white filmy threads. Is this its filter feeding apparatus or is this bacterial growth? I have them in very high flow. They do no seem to be bothered. Ill try and snap a photo tonight.

 

[rowjimmy]

Ok mine seem to be coated in a white filmy threads. Is this its filter feeding apparatus or is this bacterial growth? I have them in very high flow. They do no seem to be bothered. Ill try and snap a photo tonight.

From your old picture I'd say your specimen is covered in bacterial growth. The gasterozooids ("feeding apparatus") are clear hair like (think a week or two of beard stubble), and stick straight out from the branches. Makes the surface of the coral look like a pin cushion or a cactus for lack of a better analogy.

 

[rowjimmy]

The gasterozooids will look something like this when they expand from the coral skeleton:

(Note: this picture is a Millepora sp. "Fire Coral". They are similar to Distichopora sp. but not the same. This is a good picture though on what to look for.)

 

[ReefMonger]

Do you think the bacteria is hurting it? Any ideas how to diminish the bacteria?

 

[rowjimmy]

Yes IMO I think the bacteria is hurting/smothering the coral and preventing the gasterozooids from expanding. I've had the same thing happen to a sponge before (being smothered by bacterial growth).

I took the sponge and blasted it with a powerhead (under water), and continued to baste it with a turkey baster (daily) until the bacterial bloom disapeared from the surface of the sponge. The bacterial bloom eventually disapeared and the sponge recovered.

Are you dosing anything to your tank to encourage the noticable bacterial growth?

 

[ReefMonger]

Just a ton of food. No microbactor or similar product. I havent even been doing the vodka.

 

[uhuru]

Are you mixing all your foods together in one container before dosing, and if so, how long are you keeping them mixed in the container?

 

[ReefMonger]

I am mixing all of the Fauna together and feeding some right away and then the rest into the syringe pump. Once in a while I will put some overnight in the fridge. I feed the cyclopeeze right away from the freezer.

 

[Luca_]

As you are talking about this animal, I have in my tank a little frag of purple Distichopora, hydrocoral usually supposed not to survive the entrance in the tank. Mine seems to be growing.
In the right picture its aspect in the middle of December when I brought it home. After ten days it seemed to have undertook a little regression, becoming totally dark "“ nevertheless I didn't take it off the tank. After some time there was a sort of recovery with the growing of tissue. And nowadays you can see how it looks like"¦ As far as I know and from what they told me it is quite singular, and an exceptional event to see it happen inside a tank.

Here is a bigger picture:

 

[uhuru]

I am mixing all of the Fauna together and feeding some right away and then the rest into the syringe pump. Once in a while I will put some overnight in the fridge. I feed the cyclopeeze right away from the freezer.

How are you keeping the FM stuff in suspension in the syringe pump?

 

[ReefMonger]

That is the issue. I think I am going to have to do a reactor like you built as I notice all the food settling out on the bottom

 

[salt-lik]

Just got one today. Will see how it does on the ultralith dendro and clam feeding system.

So, it's been several weeks now and all is going very well. I've since purchased two more dendroneptheas and all three seem to be in good shape. I can't say they're thriving since they don't seem to grow very fast but they are open a good portion of the day and they seem to respond when I add a few drops of Ultralith seafan/clam/minF into the water.
I mix a few scoops of each (using a tiny scoop that comes with some of the Salifert test kits) and add about 3 ml of MinD and 3 ml of MinS, soak it overnight in the fridge and then add more MinD and bring it to about 10-15 ml with DT's phytoplankton. This will settle but I mix it up and then take out 1-2 ml. This gets mixed with some tank water and then few drops are added to circulation pumps to stimulate the dendros. Then they're target fed with the pumps off.
Dendros love flow so I'll turn on the pumps again shortly after feeding.

This seems to be working quite well for me. I also purchased a purple fire coral which apparently requires target feeding. This has been in my system for about 5 weeks and is getting the benefit of the dendro foods. So far so good.

 

[rowjimmy]

I also purchased a purple fire coral which apparently requires target feeding. This has been in my system for about 5 weeks and is getting the benefit of the dendro foods. So far so good.

Have you noticed the clear "hair-like" gasterozooids extending to feed? Any pics?

 

[salt-lik]

I've noticed the tiny hair like extensions occasionally but they're not always out when I look. The fire coral is in a dark part of my system (wedged upside down under live rock) so its hard to get good pics...will try though.