Jblunkall
Active Member
I'm curious, when you have a colony of say a torch or a Duncan with multiple heads, and 1 head catches a piece of mysis shrimp and eats it, does that help feed the colony or just the single head?
Feeding colonies
- Thread starter Jblunkall
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novajohn01
Well-Known Member
Good question,chime in people,wondering the same thing while feeding
bknapp
Has been left unattended
I would think it would help the entire colony, but could be wrong. I know Duncan's, for example, grow faster when being fed that would lead me to believe that it affects the entire colony.
TankedNTn
Active Member
I would assume that even if only one head got fed, it would benefit the entire colony. They are, after all, connected at the same base/skeleton. I don't have anything concrete to base this on of course but it seems to make sense in my head.
kubiak56
Community Member
I just started feeding Duncan colony it went from 1 head to 11 hardly feeding it. It's at the bottom on tank. I'll squirt some brine shrimp at it but not every head. Seems to be doing fine
indecloudzua
New Member
I'm not all the way through with my marine bio degree but the entire duncan is a colony with each head being an individual polyp with its own digestive system that's not connected to the others. Can they share nutrients across the colony via a shared stalk I have no clue. I'll ask around the dept
Mr. Microscope
Active Member
I believe if they're connected by flesh like acans or two torch mouths on the same head that haven't yet split, then the answer is yes to a degree. Though, I've noticed that acan babies tend to grow faster when target fed as opposed to just feeding the big polyp beside it.
That being said, if the LPS "heads" grow and delineate far enough apart to get their own skeletal base (like torches or branching hammers), then the answer is no and target feeding one head may not necessisarily benefit the colony as a whole from a nutritional standpoint.
That being said, if the LPS "heads" grow and delineate far enough apart to get their own skeletal base (like torches or branching hammers), then the answer is no and target feeding one head may not necessisarily benefit the colony as a whole from a nutritional standpoint.
Here's my theory, take it with a grain of salt though.
Each head is a unique polyp and an independent animal(to a degree). They are only connected by the skeleton. Since acans are so tighty packed, they seem like they are interconnected. Some LPS like favias or chalices are interconnected all the way, while others like candy canes, duncans, and branching euphyllia have no connection and therefore you should try to feed each head. Acans are somewhere between these in my mind. You can see this by fragging acans, favias and branching euphyllia and observing how long they need to heal. Personally, I always feed the ones on the edge. These are the ones that are growing and need the food the most in my mind. (Note acan Lords and acan echinada are different. Lords are not as connected as echinadas)
With coral there doesn't seem to be an issue of over feeding. I personally see my acans with feeders out all the time. I see it as a sign of good health.
Each head is a unique polyp and an independent animal(to a degree). They are only connected by the skeleton. Since acans are so tighty packed, they seem like they are interconnected. Some LPS like favias or chalices are interconnected all the way, while others like candy canes, duncans, and branching euphyllia have no connection and therefore you should try to feed each head. Acans are somewhere between these in my mind. You can see this by fragging acans, favias and branching euphyllia and observing how long they need to heal. Personally, I always feed the ones on the edge. These are the ones that are growing and need the food the most in my mind. (Note acan Lords and acan echinada are different. Lords are not as connected as echinadas)
With coral there doesn't seem to be an issue of over feeding. I personally see my acans with feeders out all the time. I see it as a sign of good health.
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borillion
Active Member
Acan's (Acanthastrea echinata) polyps have connected coral tissue, the skeleton corallites "cups" do not separate them completely from one another, there is connective tissue from one polyp to another, its not a whole lot but should pass nutrients to each other in their coenosarc. It should be ok if you do not feed each and every polyp at every feeding.
Here is an image of an acan skeleton, you can see the cups or corallites, the septum and the channels for the interconnecting tissue called coenosarc.
Disclaimer: I am a marine bio student not an expert.
Here is an image of an acan skeleton, you can see the cups or corallites, the septum and the channels for the interconnecting tissue called coenosarc.
Disclaimer: I am a marine bio student not an expert.
borillion
Active Member
For the Torch Coral (Euphyllia glabrescens) you would possibly want to feed each head, the are pretty separate, unless they have two mouths per polyp. The interconnecting tissue called coenosarc doesn't look like it goes between each branch or head of each polyp.
Disclaimer: I am a marine bio student not an expert
Disclaimer: I am a marine bio student not an expert
