Dendro/Sclero Success?

[Piero]

Dendronepthea/Scleronepthea
I was under the impression that keeping these softies was not possible yet because of their special needs, but Sam said that in fact they are...and can be fed cyclopeeze? I'd love to know who's doin it...

Just looked them up in Bornemen's book and he seems to think that they should be avoided and don't justify importation. Pg.136-137 but that's just as of 2001

Anyone heard of anyone keeping these successfully? I'd love to know how!
It'll be big news if it's true, since I can't seem to find ANY info on how to keep them successfully.

[WAVESHAUN]

Piero, for what it may be worth - here is a horrible pic of one of our Dendroneptheas' eating cyclopeeze. I will take a better picture and post it tomorrow. My camera does not do macro without pixelating. Would love some tight close-ups, time lapsed. Can someone help??

You can actually watch to polyps consume the cyclops over the course of 20-30min. We are also seeing NEW growth in the form of Budding stalks from the bases of these corals, but do not notice new height as these corals expand and contract over the course of the day.

We're experimenting on Steronepthea(commonly called Laminalia), Tubestrea, Dendrophyllia and Scleronepthea. I also have a sm wire coral (UNKNOWN sp.)that is also growing well.



This pic sucks.

[reefcam]

Oh geez... look at those red bugs... ... okay j/k. I was actually in the store when Shaun fed the dendro and it was grabbing the cyclop...

[WAVESHAUN]

Shhh Jim! You know I just want to sell this to Piero for his 12 gal Nano - it'll go good with the emperor angel! JK, and a bad one at that...

They actually do eat the cyclopeeze.

[Piero]

shocking!!
omg...now VISIONS of dendro/Anthias tanks, and DENDRO FRAGS!!!

/drooool


Next thing you know, you'll discover we can keep an Idol happy in a dixie cup for three years!

[Madmike]

"Next thing you know, you'll discover we can keep an Idol happy in a dixie cup for three years! "


Now THAT is funny!

Good looking out Piero
Mike

[steveweast]

I don't buy that that we can keep dendros. I know quite a few tanks across this country...and can't think of a single success story with keeping dendros long term. I do know that some lemnalias are being kept successfully....but, they can be partially or fully photosynthetic. The dendros' "eating" the cycloseeze isn't the solution to the problem....the problem is getting them enough food. It's similar with the spectacular non-photosynthetic sea fans that occasionally come in.....they will consume cycloseeze too....but, still decline over time. The solution revolves around getting them enough food while not poluting our tanks trying to get them enough food.

To me...keeping non-photosynthetic species can be done. Look at sun corals. I used to keep one for quite some time with good success and growth...but, only because I had to feed it every day (which got tiresome). With its large polyps, I could do this without polluting the tank....but, the dendros have tiny polyps.....and getting them enough food with constantly throwing cyclopseeze in...is quite the challenge.

[sanblas]

I find it disappointing that a few of the LFS in the area are claiming that these corals are possible to keep, I was in upscales and they had a beautiful red 'nepthid' I asked about it and was told, "you can keep them, weve had one in the main tank for 3 months now"...that is not a measure of success and people should not think that they can keep these corals alive. Even though I know better, I considererd buying it because theyre just so **** cool...instead I bought a blasto that up and died after 4 days oh well.

I feel the same way about all the shark eggs I see in stores across towns...shouldnt be there.

[format32]

Its kind of like the linkia star fish... People call it a success if it lives 6 months in captivity.

[Reefin']

i agree . some stores in my area often sell/carry stuff that has poor success rate. its a good money maker for some. knowing youll be back to buy something else to fill its spot in your tank. I got of the hobby for a couple years, and forgot a few things that i read and learned. One day i went to the local lfs and ask about an arrow crab. wasn't there a reason i never bought one in the last 5 years? OH NO ITS FINE. should be compatible. that was my bad.Everymorning for the next 3 or 4 days i would wake up to see it having breakfast on a $15-30 Breakfast fish. i wanted to take it out an STOMP ON IT. Know i remember why i never bought one. they also like to sell you medication u dont need or sell you inferior equipment or products so you come back and buy what you reaLLY NEEDED. i was telling ryan that one day i stopped in to buy a true percula in a eugene store. u know the big store. no names. Well specified i wanted a wild one to make sure it would host my bta. The clerk respondedby saying oh ya its wild. I bought and brought home .It Never went into my anenome. WHAT EVER IT TAKES TO PUT MONEY IN THE REGISTER. Im not saying all are like this but greed starts to tAKE OVER. IVE HAD GOOD LUCK WITH THE STORES UP NORTH OF ME.!!!! mY .02 CENTS


P.S. IBOUGHT APAIR OF TRUE PERCS FROM RYAN AND BROUGHT HOME .SWAM RIGHT OVER TO THE ANEMONE.

[Piero]

yeah....Good points Steve, i didn';t think of that...

I was afraid this was a false alarm. Especially since this is the first I've ever heard of it...

oh well....at least seeing them actively ingest cyclop-eeze is a step in the right direction I suppose.

Still wish LFS's would steer clear of them, or just obtain them for in-house experimentation...it's generally a failure waiting to happen, and an easy money tree since a guaranteed failure...

When I see one alive for over a year in an LFS, then I'll revisit em i guess...

[Ryan Mackey]

Here is a suggestion: If we see animals for sale at LFS's or on the net that don't survive in captivity, let us, as a group, decide not to buy them. Tell you friends and fellow reefers not to buy them. Tell the store owner and employees(sp) not to stock them because they don't survive. Make a decision not to support stores if you think they are making wreckless livestock choices. This is the way that consumers can influence an industry. For years, green goniopora, which has not survived well in captivity, has been the most heavily imported coral BY THE TON! Clearly this coral sells itself with its beautiful long green polyps and motion in the current, but very few of these corals survive a year in a tank. We can't stop newbies from buying them but we can discourage shops from selling them. We all have a part to play in this hobby and industry that I have enjoyed so much over the years. In the early years of "fishkeeping", you had to prove your worth as an aquarist to a shop owner before you could get the really rare and difficult animals. Today, you don't even need a brain! What have you done recently to deserve those beautiful animals? R2

ps: I am not pointing fingers at any LFS with this post, rather at all of us as hobbiests, myself included. "With great power comes great responsibility" as always, R2

[Piero]

definitely good advice bud....wish you were closer!

[reefcam]

Originally Posted by Ryan Mackey

We can't stop newbies from buying them but we can discourage shops from selling them. We all have a part to play in this hobby and industry that I have enjoyed so much over the years. In the early years of "fishkeeping", you had to prove your worth as an aquarist to a shop owner before you could get the really rare and difficult animals. Today, you don't even need a brain! What have you done recently to deserve those beautiful animals? R2

ps: I am not pointing fingers at any LFS with this post, rather at all of us as hobbiests, myself included. "With great power comes great responsibility" as always, R2

Ryan,

Can you clarify who you mean by "We". Sure you can. As the store owner, if you choose not to sell me the coral, you basically stop me from buying the coral. If I came in an bought $1000 in SPS and fish, would you say no to me? Not knowing my background. Personally, I think you would ask about my set and make the right decision. But you ultimately have the power to determine what you want to sell and not sell. Newbies look towards LFS owner/employee for expertise on what they can and cannot keep.

I like to see you post a sign on your wall/door that you can only buy certain corals if you meet certain requirements. Otherwise, just watch and enjoy it.

Great so SteveW gets to buy all the corals again.

So suppliers only supply based on orders from LFS and LFS keep supplies based on buyers request (keeping Petco out of this picture, they just screw things up). So in all, as the middle man, you, a LFS owner - not just you, can decide what corals and fish are shipped. Will you continue to stock items that no one is buying? Or do you stock items that are moving out of your store faster than you can receive them?

[reefcam]

not pointing finger at you R2. But LFS owners do have the power to stop this. Regardless if they can sell 100 flower pots and make more money than a montipora digitata, just stop selling them and find other ways of making money. If money is the bottom line, then the hobby will not change. Only a few responsible LFS will make a small difference, but as a whole, there are a lot of LFS owners who also do not know anything about saltwater tanks aside from the $$$.