Non Photosynthetic Coral Species and Care

[Jaco Schoeman]

@ Viper; An absolute pleasure!!!

@ magman; didn't know that - thanks!!! Can you maybe take a photo if possible next time you see them - would be interesting to see what species they are. I think it might be Rhizo and the small polyped one might be Orange Cup coral, but if you could maybe post here it would be awsome. When I (one day) learn to dive, I'd like to go check them out in their natural habitat. What is the temperature like where you find them in the wild for interest sake?

@ greenie; No, Candy Cane is not an NPS coral that I know of. They do require light, and quite a bit of it if I am not mistaken.

 

[Tobes]

Very nice thread Jaco, thanks! And yes, candy cane is not a NPS coral, it falls under the LPS family. They do take food out the water column, but also require light and medium flow.

 

[Jaco Schoeman]

Scientific Name: Cirrhipathes Spiralis
Common Name: Whip Gorgonian
Feeding: Cycop-eeze, live brine and other micro planktonic foods.

CORRECTION...

Guys, I have done some research as I have found varying opinions about the name of this coral...

I have now found that this is not in fact a gorgonian as it is so often referred to as, but rather a Black Coral...

If you look at the family tree it falls wihtin this group:
Subclass: Hexacorallia
Order: Black coral (Antipatharia)
Family: Antipathidae
Genre: Cirrhipathes (de Blainville,1830)

That makes it a black coral, and not a gorgonian.
Another major difference between this and a gorgonian is that it only has 6 tentacles on a polyp (hence Hexacorallia) where as gorgonians have 8 tentacles.

So let us try again:

Scientific Name: Cirrhipathes Spiralis
Common Name: Wire / Spiral Black Coral (not a Gorgonian)
Feeding: Cycop-eeze, live brine and other micro planktonic foods.

 

[dv8]

just to add quieckly if i may. the diodogorghia (yellow/ red finger gorgonian) from personal experiance and thanks to the advice from this thread. mine is in full "bloom" for most of the day as i feed in the morning, and the most interesting part is what i feed, its just my home made fish food. the polyps seem to be feading on the bits of food, but i guess i can't be sure that it's not being spat out. i think the flow is most important, i have the water flowing into the corner of the tank so that it is not directly against the gorgonian whitch is place + - 15cm away from the sides. allowing water to move past it rather than through it.

i hope that was of some help. here is a pic of how it looks now

 

[Jaco Schoeman]

Yeah dv8, they will actually eat anything even flakes and pellets that drift by. If the polyps closes around the food then it consumes it. I see this with the likes of cheato strings for example. If the algae hits it, the polyp would react but then reopen immediately and let's it go.

SO if you see yours closing up, it is eating the food...

That is a very healthy gorgonian there - well done!!!