Any Rhizotrochus spp keepers? Tips?

ScottR

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My friend gave me a rhizotrochus and said he couldn’t feed it properly and care for it anymore. It’s not in the best condition. Skeleton receding and tentacles pop out but not like in pics I’ve seen. Does this thing need to eat constantly? He gave me because I have some dendrophyllia colonies that are doing well and suggested the care is the same. Not much info online but supposedly it’s a black market coral illegal for import under CITES. Pics and care from keepers welcomed.
 
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Here’s a lights out pic. Going to give it a night feeding now. Hasn’t responded to daytime feedings. Hopefully it can be trained to eat during the day like my other NPS.
92C87E4F-3106-49C7-A906-FC89E2DB25D3.jpeg
 
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ScottR

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I just fed it ocean nutrition marine mix and reef roids as a test. It didn’t have a feeding reaction. Mouth was gaping open and didn’t seem to take food. Tentacles didn’t seem sticky when feeding. And unfortunately I had to fend off a hundred shrimps who kept trying to steal food. Fed my dendros and they were so happy. Hope I can get this guy to eat. I’m wondering if larger sized food will be more up its alley.
 

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I have one that I have had for several years. They prefer chunky foods. I feed krill and silversides. Very forgiving as far as water quality but must be fed regularly, I feed 2x a week.
 
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I have one that I have had for several years. They prefer chunky foods. I feed krill and silversides. Very forgiving as far as water quality but must be fed regularly, I feed 2x a week.
Thanks for the tip! I have small scallops in the freezer. About the size of a US nickel. Think it’ll eat a whole one?
 

andrewkw

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Looks like it should still be salvageable. First thing I'd do is blow all that detritus off it. Looks like it could use a good cleaning. Use a turkey baster, then get it into higher flow.

It should have no reaction at all to light. Given that it's been neglected long term I would start with smaller food. Yes a healthy one can take out a small or even medium sized fish, but you want to nurse this one back to health. Start with LRS or mysis or something similar. Even pellets is okay. I would recommend small feedings every other day. When you start to see improvement you can feed larger foods and eventually less frequently. They will deflate sometimes even when healthy but should be big and puffy most of the day.

rh.jpg
 
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ScottR

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Looks like it should still be salvageable. First thing I'd do is blow all that detritus off it. Looks like it could use a good cleaning. Use a turkey baster, then get it into higher flow.

It should have no reaction at all to light. Given that it's been neglected long term I would start with smaller food. Yes a healthy one can take out a small or even medium sized fish, but you want to nurse this one back to health. Start with LRS or mysis or something similar. Even pellets is okay. I would recommend small feedings every other day. When you start to see improvement you can feed larger foods and eventually less frequently. They will deflate sometimes even when healthy but should be big and puffy most of the day.

rh.jpg
Thanks! So far I’ve tried LRS and a couple other frozen foods. It’s mouth is really open but tentacles just don’t seem to latch on to the food. I dipped the coral and cleaned off so much detritus and algae. It was covered and obviously neglected.
 

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You're welcome. Turn off the flow if you have to. If you've got it in with fish you can always put some sort of cover over it so it can eat in peace. When healthy they are extremely sticky. I've brushed up against mine a few times and had no choice but to break off a few tentacles.
 

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It looks way better, not just slightly. Keep it clean, keep it fed and hopefully it will turn around. I think as long as nothing bothers it while eating it will make a full recovery.
 
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Non photosynthetic corals. They don’t contain zooxanthellae so they need to be fed meaty foods quite frequently. I have a few colonies of dendrophyllia which are also NPS so I feed a lot in my tank....
BAA71B4E-8E9A-4EED-81BD-7AAE3A0FB8D5.jpeg
 

fishguy242

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awesome colors ,hopin for a quick recovery
 

Cristy17

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Non photosynthetic corals. They don’t contain zooxanthellae so they need to be fed meaty foods quite frequently. I have a few colonies of dendrophyllia which are also NPS so I feed a lot in my tank....
BAA71B4E-8E9A-4EED-81BD-7AAE3A0FB8D5.jpeg
Hi Scott, found your thread. Great information from everyone! I also have NPS sun corals and dendros that get feed mysis every other night. Both are doing great. I definitely see improvement in your Rhizo from the first picture. Good job!
 

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Hope things keep going the right direction!
 

LisaAP

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How's this coral doing now? I really hope it's made a full recovery.
 

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