Carnation Tree Coral, Red / Orange (Tonga)

hkgar

Member
I am considering adding this coral to my tank. What are the major considerations for keeping this coral. The site said its care level is "Expert"
My tank is 14 months old. Lighting is by PC's 4 36 watt and 2 55 watt.
Are there special feeding concerns or lighting or current?
Thanks
 

the claw

Active Member
I'm trying to recal, but seems like thats one that looks really cool, but all of the experts say leave it in the ocean, because you'll just kill it category.
 

jim672

Member
hkgar,
They're non-photosynthetic. They actually like to be hung upside down in a "cave-like" area with moderate flow. They must be feed by hand multiple times a day. Most often they don't survive in home aquaria because they starve to death.
Most people who have tried, me included, have failed keeping one of these alive.
Jim
 

jim672

Member
perchpsk,
"Tree coral" can refer to a number of varieties of soft coral. There's the Tree Coral (Paralemnalia.sp) which is considered moderately difficult to keep and can give off toxins, the tree Coral, yellow (Nephthea.sp) which requires moderate care levels and the Carnation Tree Coral, Red/Orange (Dendronephthya.sp) which is very diffucult to maintain. There are others. In some LFS you'll even see the more common "Colt " coral (Cladiella.sp) referred to as a Tree Coral.
Jim
 

dattong

Member

Originally posted by hkgar
I am considering adding this coral to my tank. What are the major considerations for keeping this coral. The site said its care level is "Expert"
My tank is 14 months old. Lighting is by PC's 4 36 watt and 2 55 watt.
Are there special feeding concerns or lighting or current?
Thanks

I have owned a pink carnation for 6 months now. I didn't know it's for expert only when I bought it at Tropical Paradise. Anyway, it's doing fine (staying alive but not growing) in my tank.
It lives in caves so you don't really need special lighting for it, but it can be exposed to light without getting hurt (as I observed mine). I don't know anything about hand feeding it. All I've been doing is feeding my tank with micro vert and photoplex or TDs + my homemade food. Hope this helps
Here's a pic showing where it's placed. Oh I forgot one more thing. It droops sometimes then expands during the day but it'll mostly expand fully at nite and I placed it where has moderate current
 

brooklyn johnny

Active Member
A week and a half ago Dr. Bruce Carlson spoke at our club meeting. He ran the show at the Waikiki Aquarium as director and has just left to start up an aquarium in Atlanta with a $200 million grant that will be opening in 2005. He's very well known in the industry and has accomplished many things in Waikiki alongside Charles Delbeek.
In his lecture he included "Projects that had failed". One of these projects was an attempt at keeping Dendronepthea long term in captivity. He showed the whole project, which included an elaborate current simulation system, along with frequent feedings of many different types and sizes of planktons. Here is a link to an article describing it and other projects. Search on Dendronepthea and you'll see the results. Since the article all specimens of the genus were lost.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...02/feature.htm
I'm not saying nobody has had success, just relaying the findings of people who dedicate their lives to the hobby with the best resources at hand.
Anyway not to discourage you, but this is truly a coral where calling it "for experts only" is an understatement. They should be left in the ocean and to dedicated institutions until their secrets are cracked.
 

hkgar

Member
Thanks everyone for the helpful information. I will NOT persue this coral and will to my part to "leave it in the ocean". I'm sure there is another coral out I would like just as well.
Gary
 

brooklyn johnny

Active Member
Good choice Gary... there are so many awesome corals and fish that can be considered relatively easy to keep. There is another group of corals and fish you can consider "try when I'm experienced", and then there is the category where the carnation corals fall... you can still have any color in the rainbow you choose without having to touch these corals...
 
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