Dendro ?

[Rabidgoose]

I bought 2 heads about 6 months ago and it still hasn't popped any new ones. How often does everyone feed theres? I spot feed it twice a week but still nothing. Are they that slow of a grower or is it me?

[jimsflies]

They are pretty slow. I would say I have had a little more than 1 head per year growth out of the original single polyp frag that I started with. I've had it for nearly 3 years now.

[thefishgirl]

I bought some from the last MASM conf. They did not do well in my tanks.

[graphixx]

I would agree with Jim maybe 2-3 heads a year is what I remember mine as growing. I fed mine about the same as well 2-3 times a week

[The Rugger]

They may be slow growers, but sure are very cool

[jimsflies]

they are fun to feed. The first polyp I got, I had so much fun feeding that I gave it over 30 mysis shrimp. I think it over ate. It closed up, then went south, receeded to the point where I could see the rock through the center of the polyp and stayed that way for almost a year...I didn't think it was alive any more. Then over the course of a month or so, it sort of split and formed a baby then the original polyp came back. Literally a year later!

[thefishgirl]

That was one bad case of indigestion, I'd say!

[stunreefer]

IHow often does everyone feed theres?

The more (frequently) you feed them, the faster they grow. Don't get caught up on amount of food (more on that below), just frequency.

Are they that slow of a grower or is it me?

This can depend on many things, but IME, main thing is the specific Species they are. I feed my dendros every other day, sometimes daily, and I have two colonies that grow three times as fast as several other colonies... BUT, they're different species

Nice polyp BTW!

I think it over ate. It closed up, then went south, receeded to the point where I could see the rock through the center of the polyp and stayed that way for almost a year...I didn't think it was alive any more. Then over the course of a month or so, it sort of split and formed a baby then the original polyp came back.

I've had this happen to me before (but with a Rhizotrochus typus)... these predatous meat eating coral can only digest so much food at one time - but they sure as heck will accept plenty more than that! They'll grab much more food than they can digest, toss it in their moth, and it will literally rot and poison the coral. I'm very glad to hear that yours made a full recovery, and reproduced no less!

I make sure that my Dendrophyllia polyps receive one or two P.E. Mysis shrimp per feeding (only give the big, big guys two). This keeps them VERY happy, and will ensure they can digest the food sufficiently