Dendro won't come out and play

I've had it for a week now and it just doesn't want to extend it's polyps. I moved it under a rock and it still won't come out. it doesn't respond to any food either. I've noticed it put out a few polyps part way once or twice, but that's it; not even when the lights are out.

 

Sometimes is a slow process, you just have to keep trying.

How are you attempting to feed it and when?

 

I haven't yet. It won't respond to what I put into the water (fish food, mysis and Coral Frenzy), so I haven't attempted to target feed it yet. The LFS said it was open 90% of the time that he had it in his tank. After the first few days I just assumed he wasn't hungry, but it seems to be quite a bit of time since he last ate (at LFS).

 

You have to introduce a slurry and allow the coral to display a feeding response and then target feed about 20 minutes later.

To get it started I would

1. Take a liter bottle cut it in half, take the top half place over the coral.
2. Start feeding initially at night.
3. Introduce a small amount of food and when the polyps are out offer more food.

Once you start see a routine response you can train it to eat during the day, and then feed with the pumps off for a short time.

To maintain the coral you should feed a couple times a week.

 

Great advice

 

Guess who came out to play last night? Must have known we were talking about him. Great suggetions on how to get them on a feeding routine.

 

my acans are so senstive to feeding response, anytime I place my hand in the tank for a few seconds the tentacles come out a bit. Dendros are a PITA, sometimes mine looks great and than it goes through periods where it doesnt want to open and theyve been in my tank for 2 years, and no new polys, definitely a slow grower

 

My sun coral (I think it is anyways, vs. Dendro) just went a week without showing its tentacles that I saw (during the day, feeding, or at night). I moved it to a very shaded area, squirted some Oyster Feast on the closed polyp and it opened up and I was able to feed it some mysis. Otherwise, it usually opens up during feedings and at night.

 

yes, oddly enough our "taste" is one that corals often associate with food. A lot of my corals (SPS, LPS, and NPS) will have a response just from a brief second of a hand being in the water.

 

So how's the Dendro been?