Dendronephthya & Scleronephthya aquaculture

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Here's a picture of it closed up. It looks more burgundy without the blue lights. Also I got 2 of the brightwell foods. They actually don't need to be refrigerated. Not sure if that's a bad sign or not, but at least I can hook it up to a dosing pump.

I don't remember Tonga carnations their polyps being like a burgundy, I think you have one from Australia.

I had one from Australia that had burgundy polyps like yours and until you mentioned that just now , I remembered , so I'm leaning towards Australia
Photo below carnation from Tonga, no burgundy

 

[NY_Caveman]

For everyone's enjoyment. Google Dr. Bruce Carlson, quote.
IT'S the Hobbiest and not the scientists who have contribute the most to success in marine husbandry(reef keeping) .

I could not agree more.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Can't believe we're on months 6. If you read the OP page. 4 weeks ago by accident I tweaked the water flow, I'm using three timers with micro second cycling. What resulted within a day or two was like day and night. The opening page describes what changes have occurred and are consistent so far. So what are my credentials at this time, if you look at my children of the sea in the videos and photos I've posted here, those are my credentials. Thank you everyone

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Here's frag dendronephthya Malayasia, 1 of four this kind
3/4 inch tall, small, cut and frag in house, 2 month Old

Forgot to mention, this species of dendronephthya may be only one in USA. Bummer

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Forgot to mention, this species of dendronephthya may be only one in USA. Bummer

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Here's moma coral, glamour shot.....Hahaha

 

[Slingshot357]

Can't believe we're on months 6. If you read the OP page. 4 weeks ago by accident I tweaked the water flow, I'm using three timers with micro second cycling. What resulted within a day or two was like day and night. The opening page describes what changes have occurred and are consistent so far. So what are my credentials at this time, if you look at my children of the sea in the videos and photos I've posted here, those are my credentials. Thank you everyone

That’s great!! I hope I have as much success with Dendra. I wonder at what point could be considered as a success. 1 Year? 5 Years? More? I’ve had things die and no idea why. Is there any sort of documented lifespan based on just good luck as opposed to actual proper care? Not sure if I’m wording the question correctly.

 

[AcroNem]

That’s great!! I hope I have as much success with Dendra. I wonder at what point could be considered as a success. 1 Year? 5 Years? More? I’ve had things die and no idea why. Is there any sort of documented lifespan based on just good luck as opposed to actual proper care? Not sure if I’m wording the question correctly.

There is not a documented life expectancy, although as a colony could be a very very long time. Polyps themselves usually live several months to years. 1.5+years is about the point you can claim success, it can take 6 months or more just to starve sadly.

 

[Slingshot357]

There is not a documented life expectancy, although as a colony could be a very very long time. Polyps themselves usually live several months to years. 1.5+years is about the point you can claim success, it can take 6 months or more just to starve sadly.

What are the signs of starvation? Will they just start to pale or shrink? I guess they could be weighed but that’s not very practical in a home setting. Not for me anyway, I already cemented Dendra to a rather large rock.

 

[AcroNem]

What are the signs of starvation? Will they just start to pale or shrink? I guess they could be weighed but that’s not very practical in a home setting. Not for me anyway, I already cemented Dendra to a rather large rock.

They will slowly shrink to nothing or eventually disintegrate. Weighing them works to an extent and is used in as a method by researchers, not so much in a home setting. They will inflate and deflate throughout the day and night making it difficult to tell and leads some to believe they're seeing growth when it's simply regular cycles of inflation. Since they harbor no Zooxanthellae they won't "bleach" as photosynthetic corals will, they almost always just shrink and whither as they starve.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

When I was really green behind the ears, still green but not as bad as I used to be. I would over feed the corals to where the water look hazy and they would only last from 5 to 14 days by day 11 it was pretty obvious they weren't going to make it. Some of the old pictures I pull up and display here from time to time, you can see the haziness in the water and brown algae everywhere. But it's very true that flow food and filtration all have a part in the success of these corals. But I think filtration and flow are the most important ones.

Photo courtesy Exclusive Corals

 

[Slingshot357]

Soon I’m going to hook up a dosing pump and have it attached to a powerhead. I’ll try dosing a ml an hour all day and see how that goes. It should provide a decent amount throughout the day without overdoing it. I purchased a tiny nano powerhead to place in the food container to keep the food stirred.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Soon I’m going to hook up a dosing pump and have it attached to a powerhead. I’ll try dosing a ml an hour all day and see how that goes. It should provide a decent amount throughout the day without overdoing it. I purchased a tiny nano powerhead to place in the food container to keep the food stirred.

always remember, whatever happens you have to remember that Rome wasn't built in one day.

 

[Slingshot357]

always remember, whatever happens you have to remember that Rome wasn't built in one day.

just trying to make things easier. Last night Dendra decided to sleep late for her second feeding. She stayed closed later than usual and I thought it would be pointless to dose food while she was still closed up. She didn’t fully open until about 1am. With the dosing pump setup she can just eat whenever she wants.

I bought the dosing pump for alk, calcium and mag and ended up using it for kalk, nopox and phytoplankton.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

just trying to make things easier. Last night Dendra decided to sleep late for her second feeding. She stayed closed later than usual and I thought it would be pointless to dose food while she was still closed up. She didn’t fully open until about 1am. With the dosing pump setup she can just eat whenever she wants.

I bought the dosing pump for alk, calcium and mag and ended up using it for kalk, nopox and phytoplankton.

Mine if food feeder for whatever reason is empty most of mine will close up I refill the food feeder, they start opening up again. That's another thing to remember is they need to be open to feed if they close for too long they will start to starve. I think

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

just trying to make things easier. Last night Dendra decided to sleep late for her second feeding. She stayed closed later than usual and I thought it would be pointless to dose food while she was still closed up. She didn’t fully open until about 1am. With the dosing pump setup she can just eat whenever she wants.

I bought the dosing pump for alk, calcium and mag and ended up using it for kalk, nopox and phytoplankton.

I can't remember when , but I bought a 4 pump programmable dosing pump unit later probably 6 months ago I bought a 5 head programmable dosing pump all made by jeboa. I looked on YouTube to program it very easy and I haven't had any issues with both.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Tonight's glamour shot, hope everyone enjoys #scleronephthya #Vietnam

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

If you have followed my past threads and this present one. There's times when I buy a box full of Carnation corals and one thing I've noticed in the past and I see it with all these soft corals that are carnation or scleronephthya, one thing they have in common is they will try to conform to the type of flow you're trying to provide for them as long as they're getting food which they will show you by the size and right away they will try to conform so that they can hopefully survive. Everything right now is preliminary. In a year-and-a-half
from today, and things looking better in tank, than today, then we're making progress.

 

[Slingshot357]

I got the dosing pump hooked up and dosing 2ml an hour.

I talked to Jack at Brightwell Aquatics and he said I should be fine to mix several types of suspension foods and it will last weeks without refrigeration.

i’m using a 1 liter dosing container and a small, 40 gph powerhead for constant circulation of the food.

I tested my phosphate and it’s still holding on at 0.12ppm. not as low as It used to be but I’m not worried yet. I’ll be happy if it stays around 0.1. I didn’t have time to measure nitrates this morning.

if anyone is curious, Vibrant didn’t bother her in the least

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I got the dosing pump hooked up and dosing 2ml an hour.

I talked to Jack at Brightwell Aquatics and he said I should be fine to mix several types of suspension foods and it will last weeks without refrigeration.

i’m using a 1 liter dosing container and a small, 40 gph powerhead for constant circulation of the food.

I tested my phosphate and it’s still holding on at 0.12ppm. not as low as It used to be but I’m not worried yet. I’ll be happy if it stays around 0.1. I didn’t have time to measure nitrates this morning.

if anyone is curious, Vibrant didn’t bother her in the least

Thanks for sharing, I do the nose test on the foods I provide for them. After sitting while 4-7 days, I smell, if nasty, ,out it goes. Thanks again