I know they aren't easy to keep but thought I'd try. It has expanded some and I am wondering if that is a sign it isn't getting enough indirect current. Wasn't like that at the lfs where it had quite a bit of current and no elongated base. Feeding the tank cyclopeeze, oyster eggs, phytoplankton.
Carnation question
- Thread starter Chubosco
- Start date
More like they are pretty impossible to keep. It will wither away over the next few weeks/months pretty much no matter what you do. They shouldn't be collected.
You've probably got a species of Dendronepthya (possibly Scleronepthya). I suspect that most people here have no personal experience with them (as I do not) if they read up on their purchases before spending money and found out their survival record.
jayo
You've probably got a species of Dendronepthya (possibly Scleronepthya). I suspect that most people here have no personal experience with them (as I do not) if they read up on their purchases before spending money and found out their survival record.
jayo
I have never bought one, I just dont but non-photosynthetic corals.
If I did though I would hang it upside down in a cave where there is a nice soft constant flow. I would mix the oyster eggs and phyto with a small cup of tank water and use a turkey baster to spot feed it that way daily.
If I did though I would hang it upside down in a cave where there is a nice soft constant flow. I would mix the oyster eggs and phyto with a small cup of tank water and use a turkey baster to spot feed it that way daily.
I have had pretty good luck keeping corals of all types alive. Yeah, I knew about and read about it. I was looking for personal experience jayo. It was in trouble from the the getgo from the trip. The guy at the lfs had it for a month and it looked quite good. I have seen them survive for about 2 months in shops before the trunk starts to expand and live maybe another month before perishing. I lost it and yeah I shouldn't have bought it because they'll just order another. I was bad. Being bad is happening less often though. I'm growing perhaps too slowly for some.
<wracking brain>
I'm trying to remember some email conversations I had with Rob Toonen back around six or seven years ago. It was around the time DTs phyto had just hit the market and I was toying with the idea of setting up an Eclipse 6 as a dedicated schleronepthea tank. Talked to Rob about it at some length, and these are some of the points I remember:
- the velocity of the water flow over the coral has a significant effect on it's feeding response and general expansion. I have the vague remembrance of a figure of 10cm/sec for the flow rate to shoot for, but I can't swear to that.
- so does phyto concentrations in the water column. I don't for the life of me remember what the cell concentration Rob suggested was, just that it was HIGH. High enough that trying to meet it regularly in a large tank would have been damned impractical. It was one element of why I had a small tank in mind, both Rob and I thought it would be much more practical from a feedings point of view.
</wracking brain>
Sorry, that's all I got. I never actually did get around to trying it.
I'm trying to remember some email conversations I had with Rob Toonen back around six or seven years ago. It was around the time DTs phyto had just hit the market and I was toying with the idea of setting up an Eclipse 6 as a dedicated schleronepthea tank. Talked to Rob about it at some length, and these are some of the points I remember:
- the velocity of the water flow over the coral has a significant effect on it's feeding response and general expansion. I have the vague remembrance of a figure of 10cm/sec for the flow rate to shoot for, but I can't swear to that.
- so does phyto concentrations in the water column. I don't for the life of me remember what the cell concentration Rob suggested was, just that it was HIGH. High enough that trying to meet it regularly in a large tank would have been damned impractical. It was one element of why I had a small tank in mind, both Rob and I thought it would be much more practical from a feedings point of view.
</wracking brain>
Sorry, that's all I got. I never actually did get around to trying it.
Just this morning I bought a red gorgonian (with the white polyps) and when the guy from the LFS was putting it in the bag he asked me if I wanted the carnation that was also attached to the rock. Not knowing much about them, I asked if they were photosynthetic (it was flaccid except for some "new branches" that were growing off of the main base) and if would expand. He said it didn't need light but it should expand. Seeing that it was a good chunk of rock, the gorgonian I wanted, and a the carnation for 10 bucks I took. Now after reading up on it, I'm not sure if it'll ever expand or even survive much longer. :? But hopefully...
I'm still wondering whether it would have been better to leave it there or if it makes no difference at this point...
I'm still wondering whether it would have been better to leave it there or if it makes no difference at this point...
Sorry you lost it.
BT, theres a good chance that both the gorg and the carnation are non-photosynthetic.
What color are the polyps it has? You will probably end up with just the live rock. If I am right neither will live long with out good feedings.
Good luck!
BT, theres a good chance that both the gorg and the carnation are non-photosynthetic.
What color are the polyps it has? You will probably end up with just the live rock. If I am right neither will live long with out good feedings.
Good luck!
What I should have done is buy a little submersiable pump with a flow rate of about 50-60 cm/sec and bounce it off the cave wall sitting the pump in back of the tank and at a little distance from the cave. The carnation had started to fall apart (melt) by the time I got it home. Won't try it again though. What was I thinking 
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