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FAQs about Soft Corals of the Family Nephtheidae
Reproduction/Propagation Related Articles: Soft Corals of the Family
Nephtheidae, The Soft Corals of the
genus Dendronephthya, Soft Corals, Order Alcyonacea
Related FAQs: Nephtheids 1,
Nephtheids 2,
Neptheid Identification,
Nephtheid Behavior, Nephtheid Compatibility,
Nephtheid Selection,
Nephtheid Systems, Nephtheid Feeding,
Nephtheid Disease, Soft Coral Propagation,
Alcyoniids, Dendronephthya,
Paralcyoniids, Nidaliids,
Xeniids,
Soft
Corals/Order Alcyonacea |
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Kenya Tree Reproduction – 10/02/08
Good evening WWM crew.
<Howdy. Jessy here.>
I recently set-up a new reef aquarium and am
experiencing a new phenomena. The Kenya Tree that I have had for over a year now
seems to shedding. Small segment near the top of this coral are breaking off to
what seems to be anew colony. Is this a natural asexual reproduction or am I
experiencing something different? The small pieces I have put into a small 10 G
quarantine tank and they seem to be doing fine. All my parameters are in check.
What is the scoop?
<This is how Kenya Trees reproduce. Sending off little
babies. If you aren't careful you'll soon find yourself with a forest of Kenya
Trees all over your reef. Read more on the subject. Regards, Jessy>
Capnella? Is spawning 2/15/07
<Sure seems to be!>
Hi Bob. the odyssey continues.
<Always>
Previously I sent a picture asking if the hitchhiking coral was
Capnella. At the time I didn't know they can shrink up into little
balls.
<Yes, can>
and after a couple days I thought they were just growing really
fast. So just to be sure I've attached more recent photos of the tree
corals and one showing a polyp expelling an egg.
<Neat>
Tuesday and Wednesday both of them have been releasing small orange
'eggs' all day long. The green star polyps I have (Briareum) appeared
to be doing well and has affixed itself to the rock. But Wednesday
morning for the first time they did not come out and have been closed up
all day. They have been closing at night and opening in the
morning. Because of the spawning I decided to do some maintenance, blow
debris off the rocks, clean the glass and use bonded filters to catch
debris and changed them twice. I did water tests and found my nitrite
is at .25.
<Mmm, could be artifactual... might be just subse/conse-quent from the
cleaning>
Now I had purchased the Purigen bag as the LFS suggested but they also
said that using charcoal would be redundant. Unfortunately, I did not
take water tests at the time of the exchange. Could that have caused
the nitrites to go up or did the spawning do that?
<Mmm, both, either>
Could the nitrites be why my green star polyps closed up?
<Likely the soft coral effecting it... but, yes>
The remainder of the tests are as follows:
1.024 - Salinity
0 - Ammonia
0 - Nitrate
0 - Phosphate
8.2 - pH
10 - dKH
480 - Calcium
.03 - Iodine
After seeing the results of the test I did a one gallon water change and
inserted a filter bag with charcoal into the modified AquaClear 70. A
retest two hours later showed 0 Nitrite.
<Ah, yes... readily cycled out>
When I brought home the green star polyps inside the mat was a
hitchhiking feather duster or tubeworm that did not like his new
location and picked up and moved to the underside of the same rock I
placed the mat. That was interesting to watch. Anyway, for the feather
duster, star polyps and tree coral I apply Live Farms BioPlankton once a
week and DTs Reef Blend once a week (one midweek and one over the
weekend calculating the amount for a 10 gallon tank). Is that
sufficient food for them?
<Mmm, along with whatever is produced endogenously... likely and
apparently so>
Is this too much for the tank? Could this possibly have caused the
nitrite level to rise?
<Mmm, possibly, but not likely>
I would like to add one or two more corals but really am not sure what
to add. Drs. Foster and Smith have charts next to their products
showing 'temperament' of the different animals, as well as other helpful
information. Are these fairly correct?
<Yes... fairly>
Should I look for corals that are marked as "peaceful" only since I have
a small tank?
<Yes... a good guide... and small/ish colonies to start...>
I rearranged the tank a bit so I have one rock that's set off about an
inch or two away from the others, and was thinking about putting some
zoanthid there. Would they still spread to other areas of the tank?
<Mmm, yes... and these can be quite noxious...>
I have seen zoanthid growing right up to green star polyps in the LFS
display tank and they 'appear' okay.
<Their "conditions" are likely more facile... larger (diluting)
volume... temporary housing...>
Would the zoos over time take over as they are listed as
semi-aggressive?
<Likely so, with time>
The sun coral is doing well and Tuesday I noticed a baby a little
larger than a pinhead, but it is in a gap in the shell that the colony
is on.
<Also neat>
I've attached a photo with a circle to show where it is. As it grows
will its shell get cracked?
<Mmm, yes>
Or, as it grows will it conform to the space.
<A bit of dominance likely...>
Its tentacles are fully extended at night and are just outside that
small gap. The others have not yet extended their tentacles. The photo
was taken 2/1/07 as a record and as you can see there is no baby in the
picture, so this is something that occurred in the last 2 weeks.
<You're on top of it!>
Going back regularly to the LFS for water refills, I'm sorry to say
the other two sun corals that were there are dying. They replaced mine
by purchasing another so they had 3 on display for sale. Over a 3 week
period one ended up having hair algae covering it, which when I went
back again was gone. The other two are starving. Their color is
fading, some areas are turning black. It really bothers me every time I
go there to see them in that state.
<Mmm... you know this Dendrophylliid must have each polyp individually
fed... usually in/towards "lights out"... about Iodine/ide treatments?>
Back to the subject of fish in a 10-gallon tank. Please don't
cringe. The reason I keep asking is because when I search through
forums I read things like "I have 2 Cinnamon clowns in my 10 gallon for
a year"
<... not suggested>
or when asking the LFS I get answers that just don't seem right. I was
looking at a pygmy angel in a tank at the LFS (just looking
honest). The salesperson said a Flameback Angel would be a better
choice for my 10-gallon tank.
<Please don't>
I questioned that I had read the minimum recommended tank size should
be 20-30 gallons.
<I agree>
The reply was that they need that space to hide from other fish but
would be fine in a 10-gallon tank alone.
<Mmm, no>
How tempting. but personally I think they need more swimming room.
<Yes... and also for psycho-emotional reasons>
Anyway, I was thinking more in the line of one or two tank raised neon
gobies or one tank raised Percula or Ocellaris clown.
<Better>
It wouldn't be anything I would add now, but a few months down the road
if I decide to add fish that is. I am considering adding a second
cleaner shrimp (L. amboinensis).
<I would not>
Would my current resident shrimp despise or approve his new tank mate?
<Too likely to be trouble... esp. during molts>
If I did decide to add a fish in the future would having two shrimp in
the tank with it be too much (for my tank size)? It's funny (well not
really) but the LFS had me buy this book on nano-reefs when I first
started setting up. The template they have for a 10 gallon tank is 1
blackcap Gramma, 1 Rainford's Goby and 1 Brazilian Flameback Angelfish,
2 peppermint shrimp, 1 assorted scallop (Lima sp), 1 Condylactis sp
anemone.
<Ridiculous>
I won't list the rest. Isn't that a bit much? Or am I the one who
really isn't understanding this?
<Your understanding is approaching perfection. Keep that curious,
dubious to the point of cynicism view/filter, and you'll do fine. BobF>
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Are these Capnella? Close
up of polyp expelling egg (center)
<Yes, appear so to me. RMF> |
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Scleronephthya
Hi Bob,
<Omar>
Very good site, has helped me on numerous occasions in this contradictory hobby!
My question, I have a Scleronephthya in my aquarium that I have had for 4 months, it is upside down in a cave/overhang, near a powerhead providing rotating flow. I feed it live phyto daily (mix of 3 species of phyto) and
Cyclop-eeze once a week, which it seems to 'enjoy', I have seen it consume the whole copepod on
occasion. I bought it as 1 coral, I now have 3 new baby ones so the cave is being filled with the coral, the original has put out new branches and is getting bigger, can
I take frags of this coral??
<Yes... but I would wait a few more months>
Also after having such a positive experience with this coral I should like to try my hand at a
dendro, how much more difficult are they, what must I do differently for dendro?
<About the same>
Thank you for your continuing help and advice
Regards
Omar
<Please do monitor what you're doing, share with others... in an article or two... with photographs. Bob Fenner>
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