Are chili corals easy to keep?

[bigtank]

I went to the LFS today and they have what they said is a chili coral. It looks like a cluster of raspberries and has a very deep red color. It is a soft coral from what I understand and about 3-4". It looks like a small SPS colony but without the little polyps. Beautiful piece!

Does anyone here have one? Are these easy to keep? I will be getting some MO SPS frags tomorrow morning. Are chili corals "SPS-safe"?

Thanks.

 

[MattM]

The "without the polyps" part is a clue. These guys (Nephthyigorgia, BTW) have polyps, but they almost never extend them in captivity, instead they slowly waste away.

They are one of those corals that wholesale distrubutors are always hawking, but almost no one has had long term success with. Others in the same situation are Goniopora, Dendronephthea, Tubastrea, etc.

No doubt some people have success with one or more of these, but there are far too many imported for the few that survive.

[ October 05, 2001: Message edited by: MattM ]

 

[bigtank]

Thanks. I won't get one.

 

[Osama]

I lost two of them. tried to place them in different parts of the tank to no avail. I did not learn and I now have one hanging in a cave it seems to be doing better but cannot get enough flow around . I will see how it does in a few months. Had it now for two months...
Will not try again if failure occurs again

 

[reefer madness1]

Ive had one for about six months and it seems to be doing well. Ive only seen the polyps out at night. Ive got mine on the sand under some rocks and it gets no direct light,FWIW.

 

[esmithiii]

I have not had good luck w/ them. Hard to feed.

Ernie