Meat corals: not so photosynthetic?

[alliecat]

So I got a cynarina and an acanthophyllia within a day of each other about 2 months ago and was feeding them (along with all my other corals) krill weekly. The last few weeks I've had a lot going on (college student) and haven't had time to feed my corals- which normally isn't a big deal but these guys looked like they were dying- flesh very shriveled and skeletons protruding through flesh. Thought they were goners they stopped puffing up. Today I had some time and fed the corals and miraculously they appear back to normal! I would consider my lights moderate and have these placed on the sandbed (they were originally in a spot that had some flow and the other day I moved them to a total dead zone which did seem to help). I know these are supposed to be low light corals but I'm wondering if they are less photosynthetic then we think and require frequent feedings? Just a thought wondering if anyone else has encountered this

 

[evolved]

As a general rule, virtually all of the very meaty LPS require some sort of food in addition to light to survive.

 

[RedReefer]

As a general rule, virtually all of the very meaty LPS require some sort of food in addition to light to survive.

I agree if I hold back on feeding them meaty foods for a couple weeks they start to not look so hot.

 

[alliecat]

I thought they were nearly dead and now today they're HUGE. Lesson learned gonna make sure they get fed more often

 

[Davesgt]

Make sure not to over feed the acanthophyllia, they are more on the lines of a once a week coral. They will actually hold the food the release it hours later if they have been feed too much, and everyone hates having uneaten food in their aquarium. Another big thing is that they seem to dislike direct waterflow near their mouth, ive multiples of mine close up due to flow problems.

 

[alliecat]

Yea I was only planning on feeding everything weekly and it looks much better since I moved it to the "dead zone" then it did when it was getting low flow

 

[Davesgt]

Yea I was only planning on feeding everything weekly and it looks much better since I moved it to the "dead zone" then it did when it was getting low flow

When you get the chance id love to see a pic of your acanthophyllia, they are in my opinion over looked too much in our hobby.

 

[FishLipz]

I've had one for years and it only gets what little food falls on it when I feed my fish or little critters it catches overnight. Mine sits in partial shade and moderate indirect flow.

 

[paulduong]

i dont feed mine at all and he gets bigger every times i look

 

[alliecat]

Maybe mine is touchy? I don't know because I had issue with it and the cynarina. And here's a pic the skeleton is about 6" it was a gift from my boyfriend =) that was when it was getting some flow from around the corner you can see the corner is slightly uplifted

 

[alliecat]

You guys have much prettier ones than I do. I may get another one someday they're just so expensive. He paid $100 for this one and given it's size I thought that was a pretty good deal.

 

[alliecat]

I've been noticing that my acanthophyllia is particularly moody. Some days the flesh will be tight to the skeleton, mouth gaping, looking like death, them the next it will be all fat and puffy. Does anyone else's do this? My cynarina is more or less consistently puffed

 

[miyags]

They are one of the first corals that let you know when somethings wrong with your water, like low ALK or PH. They shrink up and in worst case start to recede. Same with wellso"s and aussi scolly"s. I feed mine little chunks of raw scallops.

 

[alliecat]

Interesting... My blastos (wellso and merletti) are always happy I never see them retract. Maybe the doughnut is more sensitive.