Walking dendros... im finally doing it

[Reefkeepers Archive]

If any of you remember my old thread about walking dendros then you know where I'm going. I placed an order for three and they're hopefully arriving today! And now that I'm getting them, I have a question for you. They get their ability to walk due to a peanut worm living in the skeleton, however there is no record on how long the dendo worms actually live. So if you have kept them, how long has the worm lived relative to the coral? And how did it fare after the worm died? Would love to hear your experiences, I'll post photos once I pick them up!

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Just picked them up! I'll post updates once they're fully acclimated

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Besides a few coral boring spinoid worms they're all in great condition and the peanut worms are all alive

 

[Labridaedicted]

Awesome! I've always thought they were incredibly cool. Will look forward to seeing how yours do! I know me, and I'll never spot feed coral, lol. I'll just have to vicariously enjoy yours

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Awesome! I've always thought they were incredibly cool. Will look forward to seeing how yours do! I know me, and I'll never spot feed coral, lol. I'll just have to vicariously enjoy yours

Haha, knowing me these things are getting fed 4 times a week, I always spotfeed my LPS every other day

 

[Kasrift]

I've had a peanut worm in the base of a leather coral. It's been two years. I don't know how long it will live, but it's been awhile and it was full sized when I bought the coral.

 

[DanyL]

Congrats! That sure is one of the weirdest, though interesting corals you can get.

I wish dendros weren’t banned in my country, would’ve been interesting to get one.

You asked what happens if the worm dies, I presume you’ve seen this article already?

Hermit crab pictured living in Walking Dendro | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Walking Dendros are still fairly new to the reefing hobby, only being introduced as recently as 2009. The coral is Heteropsammia cochlea, a substrate-dwelling yet photosynthetic stony coral that gains…

reefbuilders.com

Knowing the regular hermits we keep in the hobby, I’m sure one will take its place.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Congrats! That sure is one of the weirdest, though interesting corals you can get.

I wish dendros weren’t banned in my country, would’ve been interesting to get one.

You asked what happens if the worm dies, I presume you’ve seen this article already?

Hermit crab pictured living in Walking Dendro | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Walking Dendros are still fairly new to the reefing hobby, only being introduced as recently as 2009. The coral is Heteropsammia cochlea, a substrate-dwelling yet photosynthetic stony coral that gains…

reefbuilders.com

Knowing the regular hermits we keep in the hobby, I’m sure one will take its place.

I did see that, I wonder if I have any hermits hiding out in my rockwork...

 

[DanyL]

I did see that, I wonder if I have any hermits hiding out in my rockwork...

If you have doubts and don’t want to take any chances, you can place some empty shells of different sizes. They’ll usually prefer to take an empty shell rather than to actively kill a snail.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Well looks like one of them dosent have a living peanut worm, but I did buy three. And the way these things stir the sandbed is incredible! This tank is coral only for now (not even CUC) and these things leave a path of upturned sand when they move. I may need to expand their pen

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Walking dendro and peanut worm

 

[DanyL]

Sorry to hear about the missing worm.
Hopefully you can talk to the vendor and they’ll send another one/refund you.

Do they move fast, or is it the kind of movement you only notice after a while?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Sorry to hear about the missing worm.
Hopefully you can talk to the vendor and they’ll send another one/refund you.

Do they move fast, or is it the kind of movement you only notice after a while?

I'd say comparable to a tiger conch. Sometimes they'll stay still but you can definitely watch them drag themselves along, I did pick up the dendros immediately after the wholesaler order so there were no guarantees...

 

[DanyL]

Oh so they’re pretty active, I thought they’ll move more like an anemone tbh. I showed them to my father and he was really intrigued haha

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Oh so they’re pretty active, I thought they’ll move more like an anemone tbh. I showed them to my father and he was really intrigued haha

I had to build them a little corral out of dry rock to prevent them from walking into my acantho or others, after seeing how they clean the sandbed I may expand this to the entire back of the tank also where I decided to put them turned out to be a dead spot... perfect for sand sifting worms

 

[DanyL]

Ha, wouldn’t they be able to crawl outside of it? Or are you thinking the worm isn’t strong enough to take a hold on a steep surface?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Ha, wouldn’t they be able to crawl outside of it? Or are you thinking the worm isn’t strong enough to take a hold on a steep surface?

They burrow through the sand, if anything it will try to burrow beneath it.. which isn't going to work

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Just got home and I'm already in love with these

(Sorry about all the pods and algae on the glass, haven't cleaned it yet)


I don't want to say anything but the one that I thought was empty has moved, now I'm unsure If it was nudged or if there is indeed a peanut worm that is really good at hiding.. I'll keep you updated

 

[encrustingacro]

Nice coral! I wonder though; is it possible to get one's hands on a Heterocyathus? They're pretty similar to walking dendros (Heteropsammia) in appearance.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Nice coral! I wonder though; is it possible to get one's hands on a Heterocyathus? They're pretty similar to walking dendros (Heteropsammia) in appearance.

Those are pretty nice corals as well, the place I got mine off of only had walking dendros, and personally I've never seen a Heterocyathus avaliable, but I assume it's possible that they could accidentally have collected a few along with the dendros if they are native to Australia.