Things that lurk in the dark

[jrue]

I have decided that I weould like to go with christmas tree worms as my "must have" species.
I read in John Tulloks book that they prefer lower levels of light. this is good as I am running only a single 15 watt flourescent tube in my 15 gal.
My question is does anyone have any experience
with them; and would mainly like a list of other species that will go with them.
p.s.
I have in the tank now 1 mandarinfish,2 Yellowtail damsels,and a few snails.

[galleon]

Hi J Rue,
This is another example why I cringe when anyone recommends Tullock as a reference, even for new aquarists. Full of misinformation. Spirobranchus (Christmas Tree Worms) live in all ranges of light on coral reefs, from reef flats getting shotgun blasted by tropical sunlight far more intense than aquarists can practically provide, down to the lower light ranges of the bioherm or reef structure. Also, they need to be target fed foods like phytoplankton and sometimes (sparingly) zooplankton such as Artemia nauplii...

Also, what are you feeding the mandarin dragonet? is it eating what you're feeding? Regardless of the banter between hobbyists, 15 gallons is much too small for mandarinfish, the only exception being if you have hime adequetely weaned onto foods fed by the aquarist, which doesn't usually happen.

[ 09-08-2001: Message edited by: galleon ]

[Spanky]

All that and the fact that they usually come attached(?) to something that's harder to grow than they are.






Jerel

[Demogarr]

Most of the christmas tree worms I have seen, and the ones that I have, come on a porites sp. coral. I target feed mine phytoplankton and such, but the porites coral requires intense light and current. Mine does at least. When I got the worms the portites coral had died off on all the rock except a medium size portion on one side. I have had it six months or so and while none of the worms have died ( they have slightly increased in size) the porites coral has reencrusted maybe a two or three millimeters of rock! The porites grow extremely slow in my experience, but the worms are very cool. I have read that whe the porites die, the worms usually follow, of course I have also read that that statement is so much BS. There are plenty of contradictory comments floating around this hobby.

[ 09-08-2001: Message edited by: Demogarr ]

[Spanky]

[quote]Originally posted by Demogarr:
I have read that whe the porites die, the worms usually follow, of course I have also read that that statement is so much BS. There are plenty of contradictory comments floating around this hobby.

---

The porites not thriving is usually a sign that something is not right with the husbandry, which will carry over to all critters in the system.

In the first picture, they are attached to a sponge. So they don't need a porites.

Jerel

[ 09-08-2001: Message edited by: landescaper ]

[Demogarr]

Of course you are right. That makes perfect sense. I did not realize that first picture was a sponge. The porites my christmas trees are on are exactly the same color as that sponge.