Candy Cane Coral

jemzam · 06/03/2008, 02:02 AM

I bought a Candy Cane Coral the other day and do not know much about it other then I was told it was a beginner coral. How do I care for it? It appears hard and stony. Is that normal? Most pics do not look like what I have. The polyps do not appear to open or anything. What should I be doing to keep this coral?

Joey

Avi · 06/03/2008, 05:37 AM

I find them to be a bit baffling. Some years ago, I bought some of different color varieties. They were all open and had good polyp extention when I bought them, but when I put them in my reef, they didn't open...any of them. I moved them into good lighting, medium lighting...softer current...stronger current....All to no avail. They seemed to recede in fact, and I thought they were all dying. Eventually, they looked awful and for more than a year, I just left them alone because there was a small amount of tissue in the center of each of the heads. Then, all of a sudden, and I can't pinpoint why, they all came back to life and started to grow and split heads, etc. Now they're constantly increasing in number and show great extention. They take target feeding very well, too. Right now, they're in what I'd call medium lighting and moderate current and are doing well there so I've just let them establish themselves there.

I say all this because, while they're doing well as described, they had been in the same place as they are now for so long without doing well. So, I'd just put them in moderate light and flow and give them time. If your water conditions are good, they should eventually come around, but I hope you don't need as much patience as I did.

crsswift70 · 06/03/2008, 07:54 AM

I have had it in my aquarium for 2 years. I've had it in low flow, high flow, low in the tank, high in the tank... they just take time to adjust once they are moved. As far as polyp extension, mine only show at night. Once the lights are off they fully extend. The base and shaft is stoney, but the ends kind of bubble up. if you have current, you can see the ends sway a little.

Longchamp · 06/03/2008, 08:15 AM

The polyps should be very fleshy when fully extended. Fleshy enough that you can see them moving around in the flow a bit (not a lot). Can you post a pic? A little after lights out it should extend tentacles to feed. You can try feeding it some food then (pellets are easiest), or you can feed it during the day if you can get the pellets to stick to the center of the mouth. Did it look different in the store as opposed to when you got it home?

jemzam · 06/03/2008, 08:41 AM

I haven't noticed any tentacles at night. I'll have to take a pic when the lights go on. It looks the same how I bought it in the store. When I placed it in my tank was when I noticed that it was all stony. I hadn't noticed any fleshy polyps when it was in the store. Could it be that it just hasn't adjusted?

Aquarist007 · 06/03/2008, 09:00 AM

sounds like they are just acclimitizing to your tank right now if you just got them
It is good practise to start all coral at the lowest light possible in the tank and gradually move them up on the reef
I agree with Avi--medium light medium flow

jemzam · 06/03/2008, 09:01 AM

I have it mid way in the tank underneath a cliff hang in my tank. It gets medium light there with moderate flow.

crsswift70 · 06/03/2008, 11:06 AM

sounds optimal. maybe they just need time.

06/03/2008, 02:02 AM	#1
jemzam Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 176	Candy Cane Coral I bought a Candy Cane Coral the other day and do not know much about it other then I was told it was a beginner coral. How do I care for it? It appears hard and stony. Is that normal? Most pics do not look like what I have. The polyps do not appear to open or anything. What should I be doing to keep this coral? Joey

06/03/2008, 05:37 AM	#2
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	I find them to be a bit baffling. Some years ago, I bought some of different color varieties. They were all open and had good polyp extention when I bought them, but when I put them in my reef, they didn't open...any of them. I moved them into good lighting, medium lighting...softer current...stronger current....All to no avail. They seemed to recede in fact, and I thought they were all dying. Eventually, they looked awful and for more than a year, I just left them alone because there was a small amount of tissue in the center of each of the heads. Then, all of a sudden, and I can't pinpoint why, they all came back to life and started to grow and split heads, etc. Now they're constantly increasing in number and show great extention. They take target feeding very well, too. Right now, they're in what I'd call medium lighting and moderate current and are doing well there so I've just let them establish themselves there. I say all this because, while they're doing well as described, they had been in the same place as they are now for so long without doing well. So, I'd just put them in moderate light and flow and give them time. If your water conditions are good, they should eventually come around, but I hope you don't need as much patience as I did. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

06/03/2008, 09:00 AM	#6
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	sounds like they are just acclimitizing to your tank right now if you just got them It is good practise to start all coral at the lowest light possible in the tank and gradually move them up on the reef I agree with Avi--medium light medium flow __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

06/03/2008, 07:54 AM	#3
crsswift70 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Spanish Fort, AL Posts: 1,032	I have had it in my aquarium for 2 years. I've had it in low flow, high flow, low in the tank, high in the tank... they just take time to adjust once they are moved. As far as polyp extension, mine only show at night. Once the lights are off they fully extend. The base and shaft is stoney, but the ends kind of bubble up. if you have current, you can see the ends sway a little.

06/03/2008, 08:15 AM	#4
Longchamp Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: baltimore Posts: 341	The polyps should be very fleshy when fully extended. Fleshy enough that you can see them moving around in the flow a bit (not a lot). Can you post a pic? A little after lights out it should extend tentacles to feed. You can try feeding it some food then (pellets are easiest), or you can feed it during the day if you can get the pellets to stick to the center of the mouth. Did it look different in the store as opposed to when you got it home?

06/03/2008, 08:41 AM	#5
jemzam Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 176	I haven't noticed any tentacles at night. I'll have to take a pic when the lights go on. It looks the same how I bought it in the store. When I placed it in my tank was when I noticed that it was all stony. I hadn't noticed any fleshy polyps when it was in the store. Could it be that it just hasn't adjusted?

06/03/2008, 09:01 AM	#7
jemzam Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 176	I have it mid way in the tank underneath a cliff hang in my tank. It gets medium light there with moderate flow.

06/03/2008, 11:06 AM	#8
crsswift70 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Spanish Fort, AL Posts: 1,032	sounds optimal. maybe they just need time.