dendraphyilla

[tephanis]

I don't knwo how to spell it... SUE ME!

for those that have this awesome coral... huh how are you getting it to eat... mine isn't eating.. hasn't opened for 4 days... and even when I stuff things in it's mouth it doesn't eat. I hope it doesn't die!

[JenDub]

Mine took a couple days to open. I would run some test and make sure everything is good. What are you feeding it? And where is it at inyour tank? Here is a pic after about a week...
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/68276P3090714__Custom_.JPG

[Hawkdl2]

FYI, it's spelled "Dendrophyllia", but that's the family name. If you have what JenDub has, it would be more informative to refer to it as Tubastrea. Sometimes they can stay closed for several days. It may be helpful to elicit a feeding response by placing the coral on your sand bed and cover it with a bowl containing some food. A number of people have reported that this works, but I have been successful just waiting a few days.

Also many people claim you have to feed each polyp, but I do not believe this is true.

[NicoleC]

Don't stuff -- gently place tiny pieces of food on the tentacles. After a while, it will understand it is being fed and won't retract when you (still gently) turkey baster cyclopeeze, golden pearls, blender mush, etc. at it.

It will appreciate a shady ledge. You may want to check and see it it's open at night -- that's when it normally feeds.

[Hawkdl2]

Good point Nicole. Some poepl can get theirs to open during the day but many will not. Mine only opens at 9:30pm to 10pm.

[TypeSH]

Mine used to open whenever it "smelled" food in the water.
Whenever I dissolved some frozen mysis, brine, etc, and put the water back in the tank, the tentacles would all come out for feeding.

Sam

[tephanis]

I did I put it just about every part of my tank...

also there are not tenticles for me to throw the food on... he isn't opening.

today will be 5 days that it's not opening. I just don't want himt o starve.

[lgnd95]

I have mine for a couple of months now and I never see it open up and there is no sign of it dying either.

[Hawkdl2]

Originally posted by lgnd95
I have mine for a couple of months now and I never see it open up and there is no sign of it dying either.

I would be a bit concered since thse croals get all of their energy from food. They do not photosynthesize like virtually all of our other corals (gross generalization). I don't know of anyone that has successuly kept one for more than "a few months" without feeding. They usually begin to waste away unless fed. Maybe someone with contrary experience will post. You might look late at night and see if the polyps are open.

As other posters have indicated, sometimes releaseing appropirate food on and around them entices them to open. sometimes only a lttile, but they'll get used to your feeding.

They're very interesting corals in that when you first try to feed them they will recoil at the slightest touch, but after awhile once they figure out (whatever that means) that it's food coming and not some coral eating predator, you can pretty much beat on their polyps with your baster and they won't recoil.

[tephanis]

hopefully I will be able to experience that one day but as of now... i just afraid of it dying! hehe it's my favorate piece! =) heheh

[lgnd95]

I would think they they might come out late in the night but I have not seen it open up myself.

[jimmy007]

Jon,

You should ask John to hold it in his tank for you. The one in his tank is doing really good. It alway has it tentacles out.

Jimmy

[bugsy714]

FYI these are not tubestrea (sun coral) they are an exotic giant cousin with polyps as big around as a cigar!

If you dangle a chunk of squid around the tentacles at night it should grab it up. They stay open during the day when they have full bellies

[tephanis]

tellin ya it doesn't work! It hates me it hates me!

[bugsy714]

do they show thier tentacles at night?

[tephanis]

no :(

but holy cow! I left it for about 10 min... and it fell onto an SPS... AND IT CAME OUT! HAHAHA

so I picked it up off of the sps... and now it is no longer coming out... maybe it needs a sps buddy I don't know.. I GIVE UP!

maybe he needs to be upside down? do you put yours in the shade?? oor out int eh open?

[bugsy714]

ah, grasshoppa, good thinking

They don't like high light, try moving it into the shady in a spot with good indirect flow. You could try to lure him out with the promise of an sps fight and then swap the sps for a piece of squid.

[Badmort]

My little guy has been doing fairly well,
Seems to like live brine shrimp... something about them struggling just makes it voracious. I dropped in a large piece of shrimp and he gobbled it up but closed for two days...
I have it off to the side , indirect light in my frag tank

[SOREVIV476]

tephanis if you give up i would like to take him of your hands lmk = )

i saw johns today and it had its tentacles out its pretty crazy looking/

[tephanis]

mine was out when it dropped ont eh sps... hehe I put him in his new spot and he's not coming out... so we are gonna have to see how he likes it... to bad I can't just get tweezers him out! haha just kidding.

[bugsy714]

how long have you had him? they do snooze sometimes for a day or two if they are digesting. Has he ever been fed by you?

Have you checked your parameters? maybe something is off

[Brian Koyama]

Where did you guys pick up this coral? I saw Anthony had one on ebay (since been removed) for like $450.

[AtlanticReef]

Hi Brian,

Tong's Fountain Valley has couple frags for sale...you will see a lot later. They got them from Hong Kong or Japan....

[bugsy714]

They run $100 per polyp, they are huge so you'll definitely know where your money went. I have only seen them through www.aquadesignz.com on an ebay auction. They are extremely uncommon so I'd doubt tong's would be any cheaper if they had them

[ejocam]

Originally posted by AtlanticReef
Hi Brian,

Tong's Fountain Valley has couple frags for sale...you will see a lot later.....


You sure will;)

[tephanis]

It's OUT!! it's OUTT!! WAHOOOO!!!!!!!

[timb000]

pics

[timb000]

I saw them at my lfs. And let me tell you they are beatiful!

[Brian Koyama]

Originally posted by AtlanticReef
Hi Brian,

Tong's Fountain Valley has couple frags for sale...you will see a lot later. They got them from Hong Kong or Japan....

hmmmm...Japan you say...I'll be there starting next Saturday and will be hitting 4 LFS the first two days there...

[bugsy714]

Be careful brian, stoney coral is a serious offense to smuggle, you'd seriously have to keester it hehe

[AtlanticReef]

Do not worry Brian! People carried them back from Taiwan. I might carry some if I have trip to Taiwan later.

[ejocam]

Originally posted by AtlanticReef
Do not worry Brian! People carried them back from Taiwan. I might carry some if I have trip to Taiwan later.

Very Brave there Tony!:eek2:

[AtlanticReef]

Hi Erric,

I went there couple time for bussines trips.:)