Does anyone keep hydnophora?

ReefJunkieOK · #1 08/03/2007, 10:13 PM

I never see anyone keeping hydnophora in any of these SPS dominated reefs. This concerns me because I just aquired a small frag. Are their reasons why no one is keeping these?

fedukeford · #2 08/03/2007, 10:17 PM

Mostly just because they have a NASTY sting, and bleach/kill anything they can reach

matt the fiddler · #3 08/03/2007, 10:36 PM

yea.

they can reach easily and fry everything 8-10 inches would be the closest i would keep anything to it

acropora nut · #4 08/03/2007, 10:50 PM

I have it and it is about volleyball size...I love the way it look's..

Mike

TwistedTiger · #5 08/03/2007, 10:55 PM

I have a couple good size pieces and it never reaches out and stings anything. However if it falls onto anything or anything falls on to it the hydno quickly wins the war. Mount it and anything near it very securely.

MCsaxmaster · #6 08/04/2007, 01:12 AM

Their aggression is their only real problem (though that can be a big problem in close quarters). They can be absolutely outstanding corals though. Generally they're hardy, reasonably fast growers, and gorgeous! A favorite coral of mine.

cj

jdieck · #7 08/04/2007, 01:43 AM

I have a rather large one but it is away from everything else.

DarkXerox · #8 08/04/2007, 02:24 AM

Mine has actually been losing to my candy cane coral of all things.

gasman059 · #9 08/04/2007, 09:22 AM

Had one bad placement- gave it away.

jay2525 · #10 08/04/2007, 09:59 AM

co sign with every one else. I have a good sized one. It doesn't bother anything, but if it falls or touches anything......forget it.

chromafi · #11 08/04/2007, 10:25 AM

Risky!

TwistedTiger · #12 08/04/2007, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chromafi
Risky!

Not unless you have a lot of things that topple over easy. If all of your corals are solidly mounted there should be no problems. I've had mine for 2 years and the only problems with it have been my fault because I put lose frags near it where snails and crabs could easily knock them over.

chessmanmark · #13 08/04/2007, 12:28 PM

I have one with SPS all around it. It's a beautiful coral, but deadly. It doesn't bother the corals around it, however my problem is that my tuxedo urchin and tubo snails will bulldoze corals and pull them off their epoxy mount and if anything touches this coral they've had it. Here's an old picture. Not the best but you can see the hydno on the left side.

waverz · #14 08/04/2007, 04:00 PM

I have to say it is one of my favorite corals because of it's hardiness and speed of growth, but it does pack a pretty good punch to anything it touches. Just give it plenty of room and will be well.

TIMMYE · #15 08/04/2007, 06:23 PM

I have one that has broke into acouple smaller pieces now. So I think I have 4 total throughout the tank. No problems here. But I have 6' 210Gallon and everone seems happy. But like stated before, make sure it is mounted good and everything around it too. Because they will win the stinging war!!

fish02 · #16 08/04/2007, 06:24 PM

I have one in my nano tank and think it is one of my cooler additions with the growth speed and structure and bright green color. I definitely have to agree with everyone else on the placement though. I almost lost a frag of pretty monti because a hermit knocked it over befor I had the chance to glue it down. The monti wasn't there for more than about 5 seconds and about 80% was dead, but the monti has since recovered. The question I have is, is it considered an LPS or SPS? Different sites have it listed differently.

bureau13 · #17 08/04/2007, 10:22 PM

I've never seen any serious sweepers on it, but have to agree with the part about them falling into corals and stinging the crap out of them.

Actually, mine is kind of near a wall hammer coral now, and I noticed the other day that on the hammer side, the hydno looks like it may be losing that battle.

jds

flyyyguy · #18 08/04/2007, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TwistedTiger
Not unless you have a lot of things that topple over easy. If all of your corals are solidly mounted there should be no problems. I've had mine for 2 years and the only problems with it have been my fault because I put lose frags near it where snails and crabs could easily knock them over.

I agree with this, from my experience anyway. I had a volleyball sized on I grew froma several inch frag. I lost quite a few corals to it, but never becasue it reached out and went out of its way to get anything. The worst was a rockslide that it landed on a bunch of frags and other stuff on the floor of the tank, and the other losses were other corals falling into it. I have heard people say they reach out aggressibely to tag stuff....mine never did.

the only time i saw the sweepers was when it was ****ed for some obvious reason or another....like i moved it out of the tank for a minute, or it just got done toasting something. lol

I simply got rid of it becasue it took up too much valuable acreage

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkXerox
Mine has actually been losing to my candy cane coral of all things.

Sure we are talking about the same coral??

DarkXerox · #19 08/05/2007, 01:43 AM

Yeah I'm serious. I'll get a photo next time I work on the 90g. I was shocked to see it too.

jjmcat · #20 08/05/2007, 03:00 AM

There are several differnet types of this coral.Ill try and get a current pic but this is all I have for now.

DarkXerox · #21 08/23/2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkXerox
Yeah I'm serious. I'll get a photo next time I work on the 90g. I was shocked to see it too.

Ok sorry it took so long, I just started grad school and had to move down to Socal.

Anyways:

No-flash

flash

Hydno is losing to mushrooms too (look at the front most branch and below):

GatorWPB · #22 08/23/2007, 04:51 PM

WOW! I cant believe the candy cane did that. That makes me wonder, as I was getting concerned about some palys getting close to my candy canes.

But I keep my hydno a good 4 inches from any acros. I originally bought the hydno as a form of Xenia control lol

wentreefgirl · #23 08/23/2007, 08:48 PM

When I first got it.

ANd recently.

Today.

Has been an upstanding citizen. More so then my angel.

RichConley · #24 08/23/2007, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TwistedTiger
Not unless you have a lot of things that topple over easy. If all of your corals are solidly mounted there should be no problems. I've had mine for 2 years and the only problems with it have been my fault because I put lose frags near it where snails and crabs could easily knock them over.

Things dont need to fall over into it. Thats the problem.

Every once and a while someone on here posts a pick of a hydnophora that decided it didnt like some other coral 12" away.

znut Reefer · #25 08/23/2007, 11:25 PM

I have a very large (huge) colony of it also. I got to decide soon what I'm going to do with it. It does take up alot of room.

Funny thing is I never ordered it. It was sent to me in place of a monti.