Dendronephthya & Scleronephthya aquaculture

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I agree that a natural system is best. For every NPS system I've built or worked in I've always kept biofiltration natural, with large amounts of live rock and ceramic media. Personally I feel this system being built is fairly overengineered. A good NPS system needs only the display/ culture vessel, with the required flow for what's inside, a large sump with a massive skimmer and huge amounts of biomedia that's been cycled to handle 3-4ppm of ammonia in 24hrs, and a very slow turnover rate from display to sump so food stays in suspension longer and water has the most contact time in filtration The most complex thing is always the feeding system, but that's about it for complexity.

You've mentioned in past postings. Feeding and trying to keep water perimeters in check, was challenging in keeping these corals. With this system, when up &running in 3 days. I was adding 32mL ammonium chloride, in 6-12 hours back to zero. This is a DT of 35 gallons apprx(I'm including filtration ). ORP using distill water , not tap, 350-355. I don't use ORP, but my controller has it, so why not.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Yet they are supposed to. It isn't a sign of pure health that they aren't going through periods of deflation, but the opposite. What new ingredient did you add to your food mixture? In my opinion, and how it appears, they simply aren't getting enough of what they need and are working hard trying to get food.

True, we'll just have to wait & see. Just read all the info of people who had them, all these corals, deflate next day, and don't return back to life, others doing for awhile, then start deteriorating slowly. How many say, "my carnation stays inflated 90%, very odd" I've yet to see any post, thread, info on net, those that comment like that. Or maybe what I see and say is a lie? We'll have to wait and see.

 

[AcroNem]

True, we'll just have to wait & see. Just read all the info of people who had them, all these corals, deflate next day, and don't return back to life, others doing for awhile, then start deteriorating slowly. How many say, "my carnation stays inflated 90%, very odd" I've yet to see any post, thread, info on net, those that comment like that. Or maybe what I see and say is a lie? We'll have to wait and see.

Of course they should be inflated most of the time. But my comment above was about them never deflating as you said. That's not just me saying it, you'll find that's the case from research papers and in wild colonies, I saw it in mine as well. Which I had for over a year and a half before moving. I've worked with many species of suspension feeding invertebrates both personally and professionally.

Or maybe what I see and say is a lie?

Not a lie, but in all honesty you haven't shown success so far with this or your past project as to say that they're actually doing well and in a good state, or to contradict current scientific literature on dietary needs that we already know. I mean no offense or ill will, I've wanted you to succeed, but you've had all colonies you've tried for a very short period of time. I hope your new methods succeed with this batch, I truly do. But we already have (aside from the debate about bacteria) their dietary needs and other parameters they require, it's simply up to the aquartist to provide them to the animals to the letter. You're risking too much with these animals trying to test all the things that you are.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Of course they should be inflated most of the time. But my comment above was about them never deflating as you said. That's not just me saying it, you'll find that's the case from research papers and in wild colonies, I saw it in mine as well. Which I had for over a year and a half before moving. I've worked with many species of suspension feeding invertebrates both personally and professionally.



Not a lie, but in all honesty you haven't shown success so far with this or your past project as to say that they're actually doing well and in a good state, or to contradict current scientific literature on dietary needs that we already know. I mean no offense or ill will, I've wanted you to succeed, but you've had all colonies you've tried for a very short period of time. I hope your new methods succeed with this batch, I truly do. But we already have (aside from the debate about bacteria) their dietary needs and other parameters they require, it's simply up to the aquartist to provide them to the animals to the letter. You're risking too much with these animals trying to test all the things that you are.

I'm only commenting on what I see, if your paying attention, even my thread title says, "TRYING to raise 22 Dendronephthya year2", why my title is worded that way, because of all the testing I've done, and MISTAKES , if you followed closely, from your comments , it's obvious you havent.
Last threads, "my ph controller dumped 5 gallons of calcium hydroxide ,", or " accidentally drop bottle of coral food , killed my corals." You didn't even mention that, telling me, we have "selective memory " , I don't blame you for that, cause of it,I don't know?

Like they say I'm just the messenger, just relaying what I see.

 

[wesman42]

Of course they should be inflated most of the time. But my comment above was about them never deflating as you said. That's not just me saying it, you'll find that's the case from research papers and in wild colonies, I saw it in mine as well. Which I had for over a year and a half before moving. I've worked with many species of suspension feeding invertebrates both personally and professionally.



Not a lie, but in all honesty you haven't shown success so far with this or your past project as to say that they're actually doing well and in a good state, or to contradict current scientific literature on dietary needs that we already know. I mean no offense or ill will, I've wanted you to succeed, but you've had all colonies you've tried for a very short period of time. I hope your new methods succeed with this batch, I truly do. But we already have (aside from the debate about bacteria) their dietary needs and other parameters they require, it's simply up to the aquartist to provide them to the animals to the letter. You're risking too much with these animals trying to test all the things that you are.

I respectfully disagree. Where is your own thread on raising and taking care of Dendros? Don't have one? Exactly. This is an exploratory thread to which you decided was done "wrong".

If you don't have something to actually contribute then skip over posting. Rather than criticizing without cause, maybe offer constructive feedback AND a solution. Explain WHY things are wrong.

Just because you say you don't mean offense or ill will doesn't erase your calumniatory response. Period.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Of course they should be inflated most of the time. But my comment above was about them never deflating as you said. That's not just me saying it, you'll find that's the case from research papers and in wild colonies, I saw it in mine as well. Which I had for over a year and a half before moving. I've worked with many species of suspension feeding invertebrates both personally and professionally.



Not a lie, but in all honesty you haven't shown success so far with this or your past project as to say that they're actually doing well and in a good state, or to contradict current scientific literature on dietary needs that we already know. I mean no offense or ill will, I've wanted you to succeed, but you've had all colonies you've tried for a very short period of time. I hope your new methods succeed with this batch, I truly do. But we already have (aside from the debate about bacteria) their dietary needs and other parameters they require, it's simply up to the aquartist to provide them to the animals to the letter. You're risking too much with these animals trying to test all the things that you are.

I just started apprx. 1 year ago back into reef keeping. The cultured pearls, 20 years to master, trying to raise LPS & SPS corals, which you love. Decades to figure out their husbandry.
Your comments are exactly like those who opposed, those pioneering the success of LPS & SPS Corals.
Not productive.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

@AcroNem , you run a business, I run a business, 25+ years, there needs to be diplomacy, in the way things are relayed.

 

[AcroNem]

I respectfully disagree. Where is your own thread on raising and taking care of Dendros? Don't have one? Exactly. This is an exploratory thread to which you decided was done "wrong".

If you don't have something to actually contribute then skip over posting. Rather than criticizing without cause, maybe offer constructive feedback AND a solution. Explain WHY things are wrong.

Just because you say you don't mean offense or ill will doesn't erase your calumniatory response. Period.

I've attempted to relay that in past posts and the other thread as well, as have others and none seems to be taken into account. But you're right, my last post was simply my frustration venting. In the past with @Jomama experiments I've attempted to explain more, but I left all of that out in that last post. My comments were not to oppose your keeping of them or to dissuade you from doing so, just to give information that we already have to help you need to experiment less and hopefully have success. But, I apologize, it wasn't professional of me to just go on a rant. @Jomama I'll leave you to your experiment, I do sincerely hope you have success. I want hobbyists to be successful with these animals as much as you do. So I wish you all the best.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Thank you. There so much info relayed to me. I can only take in so much. Have blessed day, my brother.

 

[AcroNem]

Thank you. There so much info relayed to me. I can only take in so much. Have blessed day, my brother.

There is a lot, and I know the feeling. It can be very overwhelming sometimes. Again, my apologies. Good luck in your endeavors.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

This evenings photos

There's more corals, need better camera

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Notice there's no hair algae , no cynobacteria outbreak , no brown algae. And yet I feed continously. I did reduce amount of feeding to 25mL every 25min. This tank up 6 weeks? Maybe
or longer? Loss track

One carbon filter up and running 2 months before I received these corals

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Also I need to add two additional 1050gph each, eflux wavewavemaker. Working on that

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

One more thing, after I make fresh batch of food, 3 gallons of food. I scramble a raw egg, then add to food batch. Mix in thoroughly

 

[wesman42]

I never would have thought to use an egg...but it's great nutrients! Has great protein, omegas etc.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I never would have thought to use an egg...but it's great nutrients! Has great protein, omegas etc.

Already very fine material and other particles of food cling to egg. Last year over fed raw egg, killed some corals, my chili cactus corals loved it.

Here's sample of chili corals

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Already very fine material and other particles of food cling to egg. Last year over fed raw egg, killed some corals, my chili cactus corals loved it.

Here's sample of chili corals

Cactus Chili corals seem to love dirty dirty water. What I see

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

One of the divers sent this. Gives me an idea who the purple spiky stereonephthya lives with.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Anyone know what coral is next to purple stereo?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Notice there's no hair algae , no cynobacteria outbreak , no brown algae. And yet I feed continously. I did reduce amount of feeding to 25mL every 25min. This tank up 6 weeks? Maybe
or longer? Loss track

One carbon filter up and running 2 months before I received these corals

What are you using for light jomama?