Non Photosynthetic Soft Corals?

[dendro982]

John Zillmer:
The cleaning helped only once, some of them (relatively new) become closed for a months, my guess will be - unsuitable conditions, but nothing more specific.
The last, that I'm having problem with, refuses to be upside down - elongated over the time, until touched bottom of the tank (11"), then bristle worms got it. Now closed, but still looks healthy.

rogergolf66:
Can you help us, still struggling with keeping chili: your tips and observations, is it open every night, without long dormancy, and especially - detailed tank setup.
I'm not so interested in brand names, gph and watts, as how do you solve the problems:
1 - with filtration (my tank has a lot of unremoved particulates, and skimmer removes dissolved organics really bad. Sorry, can't get into next expensive skimmer purchase, any other options for improvement?);
2 - keeping food suspended for a long period of time. Wavemaker? (I'm going by the route adding more food, as a result - worse water);
3 - keeping bristle worms under control. They particularly like chilis, not gorgonians, not tubastrea.
4 - mounting and positioning in particular cases:
4a - the miniature palm-fingers shaped one: disconnects from everything, then attaches, when and how it's likes - like encrusting coral.
4b - the big palm-fingers shaped, that don't want be hanged upside down. It opened better in this position, but after reaching the bottom - stopped to open. And it's big - I would like to be able direct its place in the tank.
Is your anything like these two? What do you do?

Badly wanted:
1. Tips and observations, worth implementing.
2. How to improve filtration without going broke, including making skimmer work (I already tried all possible from Calfo's thread about skimmer productivity).
3. Making the prolonged feeding less time-consuming.

My input about chilis: for me it was better to keep them in dark tank, then they open almost all the time for a feeding, keep biomedia/LR after fine mechanical filtration, and watch for bristle worms - chilis are much more sensitive, then non-photosynthetic gorgonians.
Have 4 different kinds: dark vertical, other 3 are as top of palm with fingers: common, miniature, and the big one - it's not an age. The oldest - will be 2 years (without 2 months yet).

Photos of my tanks , not all in the same time, rater trying to find the least troublesome setup, that works for them.

Thank you, and continue posting, OK?

[John Zillmer]

FWIW, my attempt at keeping the chili upside down failed as well -- it started to pull away from the rock it is attached to, and never polyped out any better than when is was normally oriented.

I wonder (though this is more than I want to try at this point) -- would keeping these guys in a rotifer culture tank of some sort be a good way to feed them? I've never cultured rotifers, but a LFS here does (well, in between culture crashes, it seems), and I don't see why keeping a chili in there wouldn't work (aside from the obvious decline in rotifer population).

[bohannbj]

any more

[dendro982]

One of the chilis has sun coral babies, settled on it. I moved most of them on their own pieces of the LR, but part at the base remains. What is interesting - this chili started to open regularly after that, and continue to do so since Aug 2006. Some stimulating hormones? No burning each other, even when touching.

Another thing - the biggest one, that didn't wanted to be upside down, is still dormant, I moved it temporarily in the tank with better parameters, in the cave, right before spray bar at the bottom. While still not opening, it started to look better and the white dots of polyps became visible under the skin.

Also would like hot hear more from other keepers.

[Morgandy]

Hey all,

there has been another thread going for several years on (will post link later). But, here is a tank I've been photographing for a year now of someone local (R/C Stottlemire), who has been successful to date with dendro's, sclero's, gorgonians, micranthus, spongeodes, etc.. Here is the link to the pictures http://www.twilightreef.com/dendrotank.htm Later myself or Chuck (Stottlemire) can chime in more when time. There is a lot of info on his methods, etc..

[rogergolf66]

link is dead

[Morgandy]

Fixed the link...had a period in it accidently. thx for letting me know!

http://www.twilightreef.com/dendrotank.htm

[dendro982]

Morgandy:
Sorry for being so persistent : I'm keepind NPS too, and would like to know more about setup and maintenance, particular requirements (other, then mentioned in general descriptions), tips, observation, ID, classification (differential ID guides and recent changes in taxonomy, northern vs. tropical species, chili for example.
Not only corals images - but love them too

Everybody:
Consistently proposing to make a thread for non-photosynthetic corals keepers, of any levels and experience, to be able to ask and receive answers, and share finds, tips, observations, in constructive environment, free from harassment, that usually ends most of non-photosynthetic threads.

The thread New Dendronephthya study group is very informative, but not much answering there (IMHE). Something for a more wide audience.

[Stottlemire]

Free from harassment? Is there such a place. The one thing I have noticed about nps is it could bring an arguement in a hurry. your pictures still look nice dendro982.My reef just passed its one year mark for dendros, seafans,and others.

Chuck

[dendro982]

Ultimate reef.net (uk) and marineaquarium.nl have dedicated non-photosynthetic forums, fair chance of peace.