Christmas tree worms

[bryan oestreich]

Just wondering on peoples experience with these things. I've had it about a month and seems to be doing good. Poylps are out during the day and quite a few trees on this rock.

Question I have is do they grow? Do they spread on the surrounding rocks?

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[Tahoe61]

Extremely slow growers if they succeed long term at tall. The need for frequent feeding of small particulate matter is often not met long term by the average hobbyist.

 

[bryan oestreich]

Extremely slow growers if they succeed long term at tall. The need for frequent feeding of small particulate matter is often not met long term by the average hobbyist.

I feed phytoplankton and reef frenzy three times a week. Will this be suffice?

 

[Tahoe61]

I feed phytoplankton and reef frenzy three times a week. Will this be suffice?

Not sure if that is enough.

The coral type Porities need intense lighting and higher flow to thrive, if the coral the Christmas Tree Worms reside in the dies so do the worms in my experience. It's been 20 years since I have kept this specimen, it did fairly well in a higher nutrient system where I stirred up the detritus a couple times a week.

 

[Leslie Tabor]

I have had mine about 6 months...it was an impulse buy but they have done well. I feed a lot though due to having multiple NPS corals. I make a mix of foods and the porites and worms have been happy. I do have my piece very high on my rock work under Radions.

 

[bryan oestreich]

I have had mine about 6 months...it was an impulse buy but they have done well. I feed a lot though due to having multiple NPS corals. I make a mix of foods and the porites and worms have been happy. I do have my piece very high on my rock work under Radions.

The porites are the "poylps " rights and the worms are the "trees" if I'm correct? The porites are what keeps them alive correct?

 

[Leslie Tabor]

The porites is the coral the worms live in. It is my understanding that the worms can survive if the coral dies and vice versa but I don't have experience with that...yet, knock on wood! The worms catch their own food and the coral does its own thing.

 

[bryan oestreich]

The porites is the coral the worms live in. It is my understanding that the worms can survive if the coral dies and vice versa but I don't have experience with that...yet, knock on wood! The worms catch their own food and the coral does its own thing.

So the little poylps looking things that come out are the worms. Jus teying to get this figured out cause they weren't coming out after bout a few weeks. So I was getting worried I learned that I habe to spot feed so I started doing that and they started to come back out and now out all day

 

[Leslie Tabor]

Yep the pretty colored spirals are the worms (actually their butts) and there are little flat polyps on the porites. So you will see 2 very different things going on. I am under the impression that spot feeding is not always beneficial as you are squirting food at thier tiny butts. There is a video on Tidal Gardens and some interesting articles on line if you google Christmas Tree Worms and/or Bisma Worms.

 

[Leslie Tabor]

This is mine, it is a fun little piece. :) I keep forgetting to add, be careful with shrimp in your tank, they will apparently pull the worms out and eat them!

 

[bryan oestreich]

This is mine, it is a fun little piece. :) I keep forgetting to add, be careful with shrimp in your tank, they will apparently pull the worms out and eat them!

What do you feed your NPS? Are there certain shrimp that do this or all

 

[Leslie Tabor]

I am sure there are some shrimp more likely to do it but I didn't have any when I got the coral so I just haven't added any. I think it is more of the larger shrimps. I feed a mix of Coral Frenzy, Reef Frenzy, Mysis, and blood worms. Then some days I mix in Reef Chili. I also mix in the Selcon Vitamins too. Everybody gets fat and happy. I also do a 20-30 gal water change EVERY Sunday and change filter socks every 2-3 days to accomodate all the feeding. :)