Non-Photosynthetic Corals

[Terryz_]

Lets start this forum by introducing the commonly found NPS in our LFS and Information on the coral..

We will start with beginner NPS Coral

Courtesy of WWM

Scientific Name: Dendrophyllia sp.

Common Names: SuperSun Coral

Care Level: Beginner

Reproduction: Reproduces by budding or planula release. It can be easily fragged.

Coral Placement: Not very particular in placement, Best is under-shade with moderate flow.

Feeding: Mysis, Brine Shrimp, Cyclopeeze, Chopped Silversides or Prawns. Food should be fed directly to individual polyp daily. Frequent broadcast feeding is also recommended if target feeding is not possible.

More information: Dendrophyllia sp. is a great beginner coral for reefers going into NPS. It is easily available to the public and one of the hardiest non-photosynthetic corals available. This coral can survive even without daily feeding but it is better for them to be fed daily.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Terryz_

[Terryz_]

Courtesy of WWM

Courtesy of WWM

Name: Tubastraea sp

Common Name: Sun Coral

Colors available: Black, Green, Yellow, Red and Orange

Care Level: Beginner

Reproduction: Reproduces by budding or planula release. It can be easily fragged.

Coral Placement: Not very particular in placement and love flow. Best is undershade with moderate flow.

Feeding:Mysis, Brine Shrimp, Cyclopeeze, Chopped Silversides or Prawns. Food should be fed directly to individual polyp daily. Frequent broadcast feeding is also recommended if target feeding is not possible.

More Information: This is a very beautiful coral, easy to care for. Daily feedings will make this coral thrive.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Terryz_

[Terryz_]

Courtesy of Reeflex.net

Scientific Name: Rhizotrochus typus

Common Name: Rhizo, Rhyzo, Japanese Sun Coral

Colors: White, pink, red, orange

Care Level: Beginner

Reproduction: They reproduce by Budding

Coral Placement: Not particular about placement. Like gentle to moderate flow.

Feeding: Silverside, Mysis, Krill and Chopped Prawn.

More Information:An Expensive coral from the waters of Japan and it have no zooxanthellae so they require feeding at least weekly.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Terryz_

[cjh]

what is WWM??

[Terryz_]

what is WWM??

WetWebMedia

[Terryz_]

Courtesy of RaceRocks.com

Scientific Name: Balanophyllia sp

Common Name : Balanophyllia

Colors: Yellow, Orange

Care Level: Easy

Reproduction: They reproduce sexually by releasing eggs and sperm at the same time, resulting in a fertilized egg which then forms into a free-swimming planula larva. They brood their young internally. They then release swimming, pelagic larvae.

Coral Placement: Likes moderate to fast flow.

Feeding: Mysis, Brine Shrimp, Meaty foods.

More Information: Not commonly found, normally found as hitch-hikers. This coral catches prey primarily by its tentacles, but may open its mouth widely and capture some prey with the mesenteries inside its gastrovascular cavity . This species is known to be able to absorb dissolved organic carbon from the water. The polyps of this coral are solitary.

[jc85]

Bro, gorgonian will be a good choice also. Check out the old Andvanced Aquarist article on this topic also. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/1/aafeature

Cheers

JC

[Terryz_]

Bro, gorgonian will be a good choice also. Check out the old Andvanced Aquarist article on this topic also. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/1/aafeature

Cheers

JC

Yes, I am still going to add more species to this post.. Just that, I need to get the correct info as not to mislead the reefers who are trying out NPS...

[CFOh]

Courtesy of godscreationsunderthesea.com, reefcentral.com & liveaquaria.com

Scientific Name: Nephtheis fascicularis

Common Name : Lollipop Tunicates

Colors: blue, white or violet

Care Level: Difficult (Expert Only)

Coral Placement: Medium to Strong flow.

Feeding: planktonic / filter feedings.

More Information: Blue Palm Coral Also known as: strwaberry blue coral, Blue Lollypop Tunicate. The Blue Palm Coral originates from the shallow reefs of Indonesia and has a thick base with multiple branches. At the tip of each branch, these tunicates develop a cauliflower-like head. These heads are comprised of clusters of zooids that continually filter the water for food. It is common for these tunicates to drop their heads both during transit, and within the aquarium. During this time, the tunicate will cover itself with a clear mucous. This is not an indication of poor health. Within a few weeks, the tunicate will blossom and form new zooids. The Blue Lollypop Tunicate requires a mature reef aquarium with plenty of live rock and excellent water conditions. They are non-photosynthetic and have no lighting requirements, but should be placed in an area of strong intermittent water current. Some species of Angelfish, Moorish Idols and Nudibranch may eat this species of tunicate. The Blue Lollypop Tunicate will require supplemental feeding with liquid plankton and other dissolved organic foods, as well as benefiting from the addition of iodine and trace elements.

[CFOh]

Courtesy of peteducation.com, marineaquariumsa.com

Scientific Name: Distichopora sp.

Family : Stylasteridae

Common Name : Lace Stick Coral

Colors: Purple, Salmon, Yellow

Care Level: Difficult (Expert Only)

Coral Placement: Medium to Strong flow.

Feeding: micro-plankton feeder.

More Information: The Distichopora Purple Stick Coral is often mistaken for a small polyp stony coral (SPS) because of its hard purple exoskeleton, when in fact, it is classified as a Hydrocoral. Unlike Fire Corals, which are also Hydrocorals, most species will not sting other corals in the reef aquarium. It is commonly referred to as Lace, Ember, or simply Stylaster Coral. Its body is made up of calcium carbonate, and its beautiful, lacy, fan-shaped branches with blunt tips are very fragile. Its tiny, clear polyps will extend from the grooves along its fan-like branches.

The Distichopora Purple Stick Coral is peaceful towards other corals in the reef aquarium. It should only be added to well-established tanks. Provide low lighting and a medium to strong water current in the aquarium, along with the addition of calcium, iodine, strontium, and other trace elements to the water. Placement under overhangs will provide a good environment.

It does not contain the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae, and is dependent on regular feedings of supplemental foods such as micro-plankton.

[CFOh]

ARCHOHELIA REDIVIVA

Courtesy of reefbuilders, reefhobbyistmagazine, liveaquaria.

Article & Images By Jason Wong reefhobbyistmagazine

Archohelia rediviva is a non-photosynthetic coral which has been collected off the coast of Australia. Much about this coral remains a mystery as it very rarely appears in the hobby. In fact, in the ten plus years that I’ve been keeping reef tanks, I’d never seen or heard of Archohelia rediviva nor any other corals in the Archohelia genus prior to this year. It seems hobbyists are not the only ones in the dark as scientists also can’t seem to agree on the proper name. The original scientific name, “Archohelia rediviva” (discovered by Wells and Alderslade in 1979) was later reclassified as “Petrophyllia rediviva”. Today, both names appear to be synonyms for each other. For simplicity,

in this article I’ll simply be calling this coral “Archohelia”.

The most similar corals in the hobby to Archohelia rediviva appear to be the branching Galaxea corals. Although also uncommon, retailers sometimes import colonies of Galaxea acrhelia and Galaxea horrescens. These corals belonging to the same family, Oculinidae, have somewhat similar looking corallites, and share the same branching skeletal structure.

Archohelia rediviva first appeared in the hobby after being imported from Eastern Australia in early April 2009. Only a handful of small colonies were collected and sold. The retailer maintained the coral for about three weeks prior to offering it for sale. During this time, it was kept in low light and fed lobster eggs and baby brine shrimp three to four times per week. I managed to acquire one of these colonies in May 2009. To my knowledge, only two other smaller colonies were sold after this initial offering. When the coral arrived, I was greeted with a very healthy, 3”x 3”x 3” branching colony. I didn’t dip the coral for fear of hurting it and instead did a very close visual inspection for any pests and then placed the coral in my tank.

Archohelia rediviva is a very distinctive coral. Few corals (other than dead or bleached ones) exhibit a pure white or pure black coloration and the Archohelia has both. A stark white branching body contrasts with deep black bands around each corallite. The ###### disks are a blue-gray color. The tentacles are clear with white specks, very reminiscent of some Rhizotrochus corals. The coral branches are medium bodied and not as prone to breaking as the related, thinner branched Galaxea corals.

This coral has proven to be a hardy and robust specimen. The tentacles open both during the day, and in the evening, but tend to be most extended in the early morning after a long period of darkness. It’s been kept on the bottom of a 170 gallon display tank in low-medium light under three 250 watt 20,000k metal halide bulbs. Water flow is also low to medium. Over the course of four months, I’ve suffered a few deviations in water chemistry in my tank, notably a temporary spike in salinity and a drop in alkalinity due to equipment failures. While other corals in my tank became irritated, the Archohelia didn’t seem to notice. Although I would certainly never advise on anything less than ideal parameters for this coral, it has proven to be less finicky than others that I have kept.

When it comes to care, Archohelia, like all non-photosynthetic corals, needs to be fed regularly. This coral in particular is a very voracious feeder. During the months that I have cared for it, I have been providing a combination of small frozen mysis shrimp, crushed flake food, decapsulated brine shrimp cysts, baby brine shrimp, enriched adult brine, small sinking pellets and Cyclopeeze. I’ve even given it the occasional treat of Japanese sushi tobiko (fish roe). I generally feed the coral a mixture of the above ingredients three times per week although the coral will accept up to two or three feedings a day. Despite an apparent tolerance for poor water quality, failing to feed is a sure fire way to kill this coral. During a ten day business trip, I was unable to provide regular feedings. Upon my return home, polyp extension was noticeably reduced and the coral heads appeared sunken in. Luckily, with resumed feedings, polyp extension was soon back to normal.

Although feeding must be done regularly, it is quite easy. Archohelia extends its polyps often and the feeding tentacles are very sticky. I generally use a long stiff plastic tube attached to a turkey baster. This allows me to target feed without actually putting my hands into the water. Since the Archohelia is located at the bottom of my tank, this is a very useful tool to ensure I don’t have to go swimming three times a week! The biggest challenge is harassment from tank mates. Because the coral captures so much food, it’s a prime target for poaching by my fish, shrimps, hermit crabs and serpent stars. To combat this, I’ve developed two techniques for feeding.

The first method is distraction. I first feed the fish mysis shrimp by dumping a portion into the tank with the pumps on. This fills the fish up and also serves the secondary purpose of extending the tentacles on all of my corals. Next I shut off the pumps and begin target feeding all of the corals on the opposite side of the tank from the Archohelia. This gets all of the slower moving critters like the serpent stars and hermits as far away from the coral as possible. Finally, I take a crushed up mixture of food and squirt it in a dense cloud all over the Archohelia, making sure to cover all of the branches. Any offending hermits or stars are batted away. After five minutes I turn the pumps back on. The tentacles are sticky enough that it has no problem finishing its meal with full flow on.

A second technique which I have recently started to use is a ‘feeding bell’ which covers the coral while it is being fed. I learned about this idea on a message board after reading about other hobbyists who employ the same method for “dendros” and sun corals. The idea is to construct a feeding bell out of a two liter soda bottle to form a barrier between the coral and any would-be poachers. This is easily made by cutting off the bottom third of the bottle and adding weight to the “bell” to keep it sunk. One then places the bell over the coral to be fed and squirts food into the mouth of the bottle. This allows the coral to feed undisturbed from scavengers. After the coral has finished feeding (usually 15 minutes or so) I remove the feeding bell with a string attached to the top.

Due to its unique nature and rarity, Archohelia rediviva has been in extremely high demand both from hobbyists and stores. Unfortunately, it seems to be a very slow grower, making propagation difficult. Although the coral remains very healthy and has perhaps encrusted a bit more on the base, in four months I have not noticed any new branches or corallites formed. It’s too bad, because the coral is very easy to frag. Using bone shears, I cleanly snipped off two branches with 10+ heads each. The coral took well to the cutting and within an hour, both frags opened up and were ready to accept food. One frag was donated to a fellow reefer as part of the Bay Area Reefers “Don’t Break The Chain” captive propagation program. The other frag remains in my frag tank.

Archohelia rediviva has been a very rewarding coral to keep. For the right reef keeper with the time and patience to regularly target feed, Archohelia, along with other non-photosynthetic corals, offer a very unique addition to the display aquarium.

[Terryz_]

We will never see that in SIngapore.. It is from Aussie, quite rare and very highly soughted over in US...

Edited March 23, 2011 by Terryz_

[CFOh]

Courtesy of reefbuilders.com, reefcentral.com & liveaquaria.com

Scientific Name: Colangia sp.

Common Name : West African Colangia and Culicia Coral Combo Rock

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Reef Compatible: Yes

Lighting: Low

Waterflow: Medium to Strong

Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025

Diet: Plankton Eater

overview

West African red Colangia coral and Culicia coral combo on rock with CITES. For optimum health this non-photosynthetic coral should be target fed several times per week meaty foods such as mysis or brine shrimp.

[Terryz_]

Courtesy of reefbuilders.com, reefcentral.com & liveaquaria.com

Scientific Name: Colangia sp.

Common Name : West African Colangia and Culicia Coral Combo Rock

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Reef Compatible: Yes

Lighting: Low

Waterflow: Medium to Strong

Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025

Diet: Plankton Eater

overview

West African red Colangia coral and Culicia coral combo on rock with CITES. For optimum health this non-photosynthetic coral should be target fed several times per week meaty foods such as mysis or brine shrimp.

This is another one that we will never see, this shipment was the first to ever make it out of west africa, most were ordered by LADD...

[ambystoma82]

Is #11 the orange branching one in iwarna display table?

[CFOh]

This is another one that we will never see, this shipment was the first to ever make it out of west africa, most were ordered by LADD...

Another inspiration AZoox tank!!!

[ambystoma82]

whats tht at 3:31 ?

[Terryz_]

Another inspiration AZoox tank!!!

Steve's cold water tank.. Not feasible in our climate as the tank will sweat like mad becos it is kept at below 20 deg...

Edited March 23, 2011 by Terryz_

[Terryz_]

whats tht at 3:31 ?

You mean the fish? Eastern Hulafish...

[CFOh]

Steve's cold water tank.. Not feasible in our climate as the tank will sweat like mad becos it is kept at below 20 deg...

keep in office environment, 24 x 7 air cond + Chiller $$$ lol.. condensation is unavoidable...

[ambystoma82]

You mean the fish? Eastern Hulafish...

i mean the coral 3:28 - 3:30....

there was a farnie looking type of frogfish earlier..

[ambystoma82]

what is this anemone on a branch?

looks like strawberry anemones... was afraid it might spread n become a pest..

tiger anemone? http://www.starfish.ch/c-invertebrates/anemones.html

[skinbone]

wow so many balos. Anyone knows what is that fish at 1.32? Really nice looking.

Thanks for the link. Does he have a tank thread somewhere?

Cheers!

[Terryz_]

Those are cold water anemone.. can't remember the names now off hand..

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[Terryz_]

If you are talking about those pink looking balanophyllia.. those are not.. they are strawberry anemone.. pseudocorynactis californis or sp..

He does have a tank thread on azoox.org but there is not much updates either.. only a few pictures..

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Edited March 24, 2011 by Terryz_