Dendro's

[m and m]

I know they dont like alot of light, and need to be fed everyday just about, but what about flow? mine is in a higher flow spot in well shaded place and are always hyper extended is that a good sign?

 

[ZoaFan08]

I have been interested in getting some so I am going to lurk for more info...

 

[reefdan]

if you're getting good extension i would say they're doing well. i would say they like medium flow but that's all relative.

oh, and they're really not that adverse to light. they just don't know anything about it. you can train them to eat in daylight hours and they'll open up during the day. no joke.

mine are on the bottom of my reef under pretty much direct light from a 8x39w powermodule, about 20 inches away from the light. i haven't measured it but suspect it's around 200 PAR.

 

[cultivatedcoral]

Hi m and m,

Dendrophyllia are non-photosynthetic. They do not need light to survive but need meaty food almost daily to thrive. If you have good polyp extension that is a good sign but make sure you feed them either mysis shrimp, squid, clams or anything meaty.

They like medium flow best I would say. Any questions, let me know.

 

[reefdan]

mine eat pellets (spectrum). i think they'll eat pretty much anything they can catch that's meaty

 

[Acro76]

Moderate to high flow...they should always be moving around, but not blasted to the point they refuse to open.

At least once a week target feed with a high quality mysis shrimp, such as PE mysis. Piscine Energetics Inc - PE MYSIS - fresh water shrimp

They can go with quite a few missed feedings, but then its like playing catchup getting them to grow and produce new polyps.

Too much light results in a lighter color.

Too little food results in tissue recession or loss of entire polyps.

If your fish and inverts are stealing their food, make a cup with a few holes in the top, put the cup over the colony, and shoot a cube of mysis shrimp in. The dendros will be able to devour the shrimp without losing any to hungry fish.

 

[m and m]

Ok, since we have a few people who sound like they know what there talking about i have a few more questions. Yes i get great extension and they are feeding and accepting rods food when my lights are on, but do i need to feed each polyp individualy? Also i do have mine in a higher flow spot under a rock but i still feel there getting alot of light because of the window and the light bouncing off the bottom of the tank (tin foil under it) do you think i should leave it all unless i see tissue recession or move it now even tho i have great extension right now?

 

[daaznmofo]

mine are open most of the time, and i hardly feed them.
i used to feed them every few days. but now i don't feed them. i have more babies now so i don't know how they're growing.

 

[nayrgaijin]

Can you feed Dendros 'too much' ?

 

[Sikryd]

Hi m and m,

Dendrophyllia are non-photosynthetic. They do not need light to survive but need meaty food almost daily to thrive. If you have good polyp extension that is a good sign but make sure you feed them either mysis shrimp, squid, clams or anything meaty.

They like medium flow best I would say. Any questions, let me know.

+1


You don't even have to target feed them and they will still grow. It will help just like with anything else, but nobody feeds them individually in the wild :)

I feed my fish 3x a day so that might be relative. But I never fed my dendro's and they grew from 1-3 in ~ a month before I sold them.

 

[Sikryd]

BTW _ you guys are thinking of sun polyps - the ones that you have to feed daily to survive/thrive.

 

[stunreefer]

Yes i get great extension and they are feeding and accepting rods food when my lights are on, but do i need to feed each polyp individualy?

They'll grow faster if you do. Feeding one polyp does not provide the entire colony with nutrition.

Also i do have mine in a higher flow spot under a rock but i still feel there getting alot of light because of the window and the light bouncing off the bottom of the tank (tin foil under it) do you think i should leave it all unless i see tissue recession or move it now even tho i have great extension right now?

I would leave them where they lie. As Brett (Acro76) mentioned it can cause the tissue to lighten (in between coralites), but assuming they're opening and feeding they should be fine.

Can you feed Dendros 'too much' ?

Yes. I've seen Dendrophyllia Sp. consume too much food and witnessed two things happen, 1.) they spit it out (more common), and 2.) they cannot digest the food fast enough and it rots inside them which can cause negative effects. I feed one P.E. Mysis shrimp (a very large Mysis shrimp), several brine shrimp, small piece of silverside, or small piece of krill (large krill) per feeding, which is generally three to four times a week.

It will help just like with anything else, but nobody feeds them individually in the wild :)

In the wild there are copious amounts of zoaplankton and detrius that swoops pass these types of corals for them to feed upon wherein our aquaria this doesn't happen.

I feed my fish 3x a day so that might be relative.

Certainly. They catch plenty of excess food out of the water column in your system. My system is the total opposite in that I feed my large polyp non-photosynthetic coral three to four times a week and let the fish catch excess food; He's never fed directly ;)

BTW _ you guys are thinking of sun polyps - the ones that you have to feed daily to survive/thrive.

Who is?

Eveything I see posted here is reffering to Dendrophyllia Sp. and not Tubastrea sp. For the most part their care is very, very similar. Once a colony of Tubastrea is healthy and settled in they need no more often feedings than a Dendrophyllia colony does to thrive.