dying candy cane

[mylittlebutton]

my candy cane isn't doing well. a couple of the polips are dead but most are sorta alive ive moved it around the tank to try to see if i can find a spot that it likes so far the best is about the middle of the tank in a low current. whats the best way to revive it?

 

[spsfreak100]

If your water parimeters are correct, it will slowely but steadily revive the lost tissue. For the most part Canycane corals are quite a hardly LPS coral, usually needing medium current, with medium lighting.
It would help to know why it's bleaching before we do anything else. For all we know it could be as simple as too much current to the right, or as complicated as your water parimeters aren't correct.
They should also be fed on a regular basis. Most LPS corals will have tentacles that will come out at night for feedings. These tentacles have a specific use; to catch foods. Your best bet would be to stick a small peice of krill inside it's mouth about 3x per week for each head.
How big is your tank? What inhabitants? Lighting? Substratte? Water parimeters? And so on...
SPSfreak

 

[wamp]

You don't have to feed them. They are filter feeders and need a moderate to strong light, and medium to low current.

 

[spsfreak100]

Hey wamp,
I think LPS corals don't do as well without some regular feedings. Most hobbiest will feed their corals, but there is an expeption. Most overstocked tanks will have plenty of left over food to go around. Heres a couple quotes:
Robert Fenner & Anthony Calfo: "Large polyped stony corals (so-called LPS species) are some of the hungriest and most carnivorous cnidarians. They include many coral that can digest minced meaty foods (although this is still too large for most) and even eat the popular, prepared invertebrate food suspensions (caution here: bottled food supplements are easily abused). Categorically, most LPS feed on zooplankton, larvae/eggs, feces and are surely nourished by absorption.
Eric Borneman also suggest many times in his coral husbandry book that LPS should be fed
I'm not saying that they won't live without being fed, but they will do best if fed

 

[beth]

spsfreak, I believe the point here is that a healthy reef tank with good lighting supplies the food items for these corals. All the items you list in your expert quote are supplied naturally in a stable reef tank....thus, no need for the hobbyist to do supplement feedings.
See?

 

[bang guy]

Just an opposing view. I actively feel most anything with a mouth. The only exceptions I've noticed are Xenia which have no digestive system and Ricordea for a reason I've yet to figure out.
I actively feed my Candy Cane and it has grown very well for me. That doesn't mean it needs to be fed... but it doesn't seem to hurt.

 

[mylittlebutton]

the water levels are perfect i check them weekly, i dont feed it indavidualy but i do notice that if i do a partial feeding that my open brain will swell and the cany cane will swell, after they swell i will finish the feeding this usually happens around 10 to 15 minuts after the first 1/2 of the feeding. this and the fact i moved the coral seems to be helping. but im more than willing to try to feed it indavidualy since i feed my flame scallop indavidually. i've been feeding frozen brine shrimp and zooplankton should i be feeding krill instead ?

 

[nm reef]

mylittlebutton...its been my experience that candycane corals are as a rule fairly hardy and can thrive in moderate to high lighting with moderate current. Plus as mentioned above the water quality should be optimum as with all other LPS corals. You say the water is fine....what are current test results for ammonia/nitrate/calcium/alkalinity? Direct feeding is not requiried for LPS corals in a stable/mature reef but I've found that it does help with numerous LPS corals to direct feed now and then....I use a combination of assorted meaty type foods and suppliment with DT's phytoplankton/zoe/zoecon....I use a turkey baster to spray a mixture of foods directly on numerous LPS coral normally once a week. Let your canycane stablise and try some direct feedings...hopefully it will recover.

 

[wamp]

Hey SPS,
No, they do not need to be feed. They are photosynthetic corals that house Zooanthele and filter feed. That does not mean they can't be feed, it means they do not have to be.
Minced means pulverized, blended, in other words, suspinsion. They are filter feeders. They will take pieces of meat, but, do not need it. There is a diffrence between need and have to have.
Most people use suspinsion. As NM said, DT or some other sort of liquidy food for their corals. I would strongly advise against placing any large food on or around the coral. Espically of fish are in the system. They may go in for the food and end up picking at the coral.
You can direct feed, if so desired, by , again as NM said, using a baster and spraying them.
I raised Candy corals for many years. I found they grew better and were healthier if left alone. Let nature do the work for you.
P.S. I did use DT and a couple other suspinson type foods. Just never directly on them and always did it in the middle of the night.