Red Silk vs Orange Tree coral?

[Bmorereefer]

I've seen on liveaquaria the red silk coral and the orange tree coral. Both are the same species but the red silk is labeled difficult in care whereas the orange flower tree is expert only. Is the red silk easier to care for is or is this just a mistake on the site? Anyone with experience with both of these corals?

 

[noy]

I've seen on liveaquaria the red silk coral and the orange tree coral. Both are the same species but the red silk is labeled difficult in care whereas the orange flower tree is expert only. Is the red silk easier to care for is or is this just a mistake on the site? Anyone with experience with both of these corals?

They are not (necessarily) the same species but both are listed as the genus Scleronephthya. I have to say though the orange tree coral photo look a whole lot like a dendronepthya sp. The liveaquaria photos really don't do justice to these corals - all the photos have the corals with no polyp extension at all. A healthy full colony of these corals is visually spectacular.

I think there is an article out there from Charles Delbeek (Waikiki aquarium) that mentions Scleronephthya as easier than Dendronepthya without a lot of detail as to why. I really fail to see how that is as both are filter feeders and require continuous feed system or some close approximation of it. I really see them as having identical care requirements.

I don't know if I agree with the care requirements suggested by liveaquaria and I have not found them to be particularly sensitive to nitrates. I think brine nauplii may be too large as food.

 

[ZephNYC]

Im pretty good with keeping most difficult NPS..but both of those always died in a hurry for me. I stay away from them.