Tree coral looking like fiberglass?

[davidadelp]

I have a question about tree corals looking like fiberglass. A few months back I purchased a tree coral from a LFS in Richmond and it was huge and doing great there once I got home it never opened up as full and happy like but then it started falling apart in pieces and looked and felt like fiber glass, well the biggest part I threw away but a smaller part came off but not falling apart and is still doing good.

Today I got a order in from LA and got a tree coral in as part of the soft coral beginner pack and it has looked mad and shrunk up and feels and looks like fiber glass. It's not a soft a normal slimy texture like other similar corals like colts or something.

Any ideas why these corals would be looking like this or falling apart in such a manner? The one from LA came to me this way I have little faith it will live.

 

[NeilFox]

Do you have a picture of the "Tree Coral". It may be a Dendronepthia. A non-photosynthetic coral. Very beautiful and near impossible to keep alive by even the most advanced. The fiberglass threadlike structures are it's skeletal material.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

if it is a dendronepthea, (carantion coral) most pack a nasty sting

 

[wireefman]

I checked out the LA softie packs and it sounds like it can include a dendronepthea.. a spieces that is very hard to care for as it requires a constant food source

 

[davidadelp]

sorry not the best pictures I didn't have time to mess with the light or anything when taking the pictures. I actually sent a email last night to LA about this coral and a toadstool that didn't make it so hopefully they make it right. Specially if this is a coral that is a expert only type coral and was essentially set up to fail since it was in a beginner pack. it still hasn't opened up and stayed like in the pictures all weekend. it'll definitely poke you like a needle if you touch it in the wrong spot.

 

[wireefman]

low light/high flow and lots of phyto feedings

 

[davidadelp]

yea its done gone down hill my tank isn't setup for coral like that I thought it was a tree coral not something crazy hard to take care of