Really interesting article on Dendronephthya corals.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/7/aafeature
Unfortunately these are still commonly offered for sale in the hobby and have an absolutely dismal record in captivity. Hopefully more research will be done to figure out what these beautiful corals need to survive and grow in captivity. Post up if you have been successful with any carnation corals (even just kept alive for over a year).
[h=2]Conclusions[/h]The preliminary experiments presented here reaffirm the prevailing opinion that Dendronephthya corals are highly difficult to maintain in aquaria. Even though water flow rates and patterns closely matched those found in the natural habitat of these corals, significant amounts of plankton were provided and water quality was maintained adequate, most corals quickly deteriorated. It remains to be determined what factor(s) determine the health and growth of Dendronephthya spp. Food quantity and quality remain key variables to be studied in the future. Future experiments may reveal differences in survival rates and growth between species within theDendronephthya genus, as different polyp morphologies allow them to feed on different food items.
For now, I recommend that aquarists enjoy these corals in their natural habitat, rather than in a home aquarium. Still, if we are to learn more about the biology and husbandry requirements of these corals, especially their feeding preferences, we will have to continue conducting small scale aquarium experiments. One day, we may be able to truly replicate the biodiversity found on coral reefs, with thriving sponges, tunicates, bryozoans, bivalves, crinoids, (a)zooxanthellate corals and many other invertebrates. Such a reef display would be truly inspiring and have great educational value.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/7/aafeature
Unfortunately these are still commonly offered for sale in the hobby and have an absolutely dismal record in captivity. Hopefully more research will be done to figure out what these beautiful corals need to survive and grow in captivity. Post up if you have been successful with any carnation corals (even just kept alive for over a year).
[h=2]Conclusions[/h]The preliminary experiments presented here reaffirm the prevailing opinion that Dendronephthya corals are highly difficult to maintain in aquaria. Even though water flow rates and patterns closely matched those found in the natural habitat of these corals, significant amounts of plankton were provided and water quality was maintained adequate, most corals quickly deteriorated. It remains to be determined what factor(s) determine the health and growth of Dendronephthya spp. Food quantity and quality remain key variables to be studied in the future. Future experiments may reveal differences in survival rates and growth between species within theDendronephthya genus, as different polyp morphologies allow them to feed on different food items.
For now, I recommend that aquarists enjoy these corals in their natural habitat, rather than in a home aquarium. Still, if we are to learn more about the biology and husbandry requirements of these corals, especially their feeding preferences, we will have to continue conducting small scale aquarium experiments. One day, we may be able to truly replicate the biodiversity found on coral reefs, with thriving sponges, tunicates, bryozoans, bivalves, crinoids, (a)zooxanthellate corals and many other invertebrates. Such a reef display would be truly inspiring and have great educational value.
