I need help with dendro's

[mng777777]

I picked up a dendrophyllia frag several weeks ago and I need some help with it. I got it home and placed it under lights equivelant to what it was under in the LFS. It wasn't fully opening even after lights out, so after about two weeks, I moved it under a rock ledge. It is now well shaded, and I attempt to target feed it, but it doesn't open. It still has color and doesn't seem to be pulling away from it's skeleton at all, so I feel like there is hope. I just have no idea what I am doing wrong. I have had it for +/- 6 weeks now and I am concerned because I know it needs daily food but without opening I don't know how to help it. The ledge it's under has a bit less flow than the first spot it was in. Could it be a flow problem? Please help!

 

[mng777777]

I could really use some insight!

 

[Bifferwine]

Sorry for being MIA. I missed your question when you posted it. It happens!

It's good that you moved it into the shade. For nonphotosynthetic corals, light can be harmful if it's too powerful. I doubt that it's a flow problem.

Did you get it from SWSW or another store? Was it open and healthy looking when you bought it?

 

[Alexander]

I know melonbob has some beautiful ones maybe shoot him a PM. Sorry to hear about this. I hope you are able to open them up. Unfortunately I know little about them though I hope to one day have them. They are my favorite corals.

 

[mng777777]

it came from SWSW and it came from the colony in the display that opens daily, even under light. The most it has ever opened since I bought it, ironically, was in the bag on the ride home. It was partially opening still in my tank under light, but since I moved it into the shade I have never seen it open. I assumed at first that I was just missing it's cycle but I am becoming pretty concerned that it's not opening at all.

 

[Melonbob]

I found mine opened best in lower flow and low light, but not no light. Mine does close several times daily, but only for 10-15min at a time. I would suggest targeting the area around it with a turkey baster of cyclopeeze to tempt it to open up. Do this a few times a day. when it does start to open on you, give it dabs of mysis and hopefully it will grab on. If it isn't dying, leave it alone, cause everytime you move it, you are probably stressing it out.

 

[mng777777]

I am finally getting my dendros to open every day and they look great. I moved them into a low-flow cave and I target feed the area 3 times a day. it took a while but they finally started opening again. I can see them, but they are a small frag and I cant really get a good angle to shoot both heads, not to mention that my camera is pretty lame, so I am going to postpone any pics until it grows a bit, but thanks for all of the help. This was one of the corals highest on my list and I would have been pretty let down if it didn't make it. The rock I placed it in has two holes through it, right next to each other and I really want a black sun polyp to put in the other hole.

 

[Alexander]

Im glad to hear that they are working out now. thats really good news.

 

[dustin_P74]

good news, and if your feeding them three times a day then you should have no problem getting them to grow

 

[mng777777]

Im glad to hear that they are working out now. thats really good news.

thanks! theres obviously no way of knowing how much longer they would have survived on the path I was on, but your advice to ask Melonbob was the right on time and I appreciate it. So thanks again

good news, and if your feeding them three times a day then you should have no problem getting them to grow

The whole truth is that I have cut back now to once daily and they stay open and feed throughout the day. I cant be home enough to stick to the 3 daily routine and my crabs turn into a real nuisance too.

 

[JAG107]

Glad your dendros are doing better. Good luck keeping the black sun polyps if you get em. I still have never seen them in person, and I hear they're much harder to keep than the typical tubastrea.

 

[mng777777]

I've heard that too. I'll let you know of my failures or successes when I locate some and get them in my tank. I have never seen any in my LFS and I've held off on ordering any because I prefer to see them in person before I buy corals but I'll get some one way or another some day.

 

[mng777777]

I finally got a shot of my dendros. again they are small and because of where they are located and the way they are growing I could only get a shot of 1 head.