Carnation coral zooplankton vs phytoplankton

AndrewRosenbaum · 06/02/2012, 12:48 AM

I'm thinking of giving some dendros a go as they are in stock at my lfs. They say to only feed them marine snow. Which do they eat mostly? zooplankton or phytoplankton? I've heard some people say that it depends on what it "favours" to eat, like how some hammers like shrimp while others will spit it out.
I was mainly wondering if the dendro's would also benefit from algae that is scraped off from the sides of the tank.
I have 2 tanks: one that is really clean (mainly due to my heavy use of actinic) and the other that needs algae cleaning everyday (due to the daylight bulbs). Both tanks' parameters are in check. Just deciding which tank would be better for the dendros.

willietang021 · 06/02/2012, 11:56 AM

I would put them in the cleaner tank, because they don't really eat marine snow....
Target feed them meaty food at least once a week. I feed mine, all 180+ polyps with finely chopped up raw shrimp meat, and they grow like crazy. Grew from ~30 polyps.
Another reason why I say put them in the cleaner tank is because once you start target feeding these corals. They will spit out whatever they can not digest back out. if your tank already have algea problem, chances of algea growing around their base, skeleton and tissue are pretty high. That usually irritate them pretty bad, and to the point where they just close up completely. Once close up completely for a week or more, one polyp start dying, the others might follow soon after. Also do not over feed and make sure the pieces that you feed are tiny size, finely chopped. Left over big chunck of food might rot inside them and kill them from within. They like med-high INDIRECT flow. low or shaded light to start with but can adapt to other light condition. Also they can be train to feed in the morning or any day time

fishguy194 · 06/03/2012, 03:27 PM

Willie, I think you're confusing his dendronephthya for you dendrophyllia.

06/02/2012, 12:48 AM	#1
AndrewRosenbaum Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 42	Carnation coral zooplankton vs phytoplankton I'm thinking of giving some dendros a go as they are in stock at my lfs. They say to only feed them marine snow. Which do they eat mostly? zooplankton or phytoplankton? I've heard some people say that it depends on what it "favours" to eat, like how some hammers like shrimp while others will spit it out. I was mainly wondering if the dendro's would also benefit from algae that is scraped off from the sides of the tank. I have 2 tanks: one that is really clean (mainly due to my heavy use of actinic) and the other that needs algae cleaning everyday (due to the daylight bulbs). Both tanks' parameters are in check. Just deciding which tank would be better for the dendros.

06/02/2012, 11:56 AM	#2
willietang021 Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Newhall, CA Posts: 303	I would put them in the cleaner tank, because they don't really eat marine snow.... Target feed them meaty food at least once a week. I feed mine, all 180+ polyps with finely chopped up raw shrimp meat, and they grow like crazy. Grew from ~30 polyps. Another reason why I say put them in the cleaner tank is because once you start target feeding these corals. They will spit out whatever they can not digest back out. if your tank already have algea problem, chances of algea growing around their base, skeleton and tissue are pretty high. That usually irritate them pretty bad, and to the point where they just close up completely. Once close up completely for a week or more, one polyp start dying, the others might follow soon after. Also do not over feed and make sure the pieces that you feed are tiny size, finely chopped. Left over big chunck of food might rot inside them and kill them from within. They like med-high INDIRECT flow. low or shaded light to start with but can adapt to other light condition. Also they can be train to feed in the morning or any day time

06/03/2012, 03:27 PM	#3
fishguy194 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 114	Willie, I think you're confusing his dendronephthya for you dendrophyllia.