Common Names

Open Brain Coral, Pacific Rose Coral

Origin

Australia, Philippines

Description

Trachyphylliidae are solitary corals that are both attractive and unique.  Interestingly enough they begin life attached to something solid and as they grow detach and become free living.  Trachyphylliidae are relatively easy to care for.

Care Level: Easy

Placement: Bottom

Lighting: Low to Moderate

Flow: Low to Moderate

Conditions: 74°-83°, s.g. 1.023-1.025, Phosphates 0, Cal 400-430, dKH 8-11, Mag 1200-1350, Sr 8-10

Conditions & Placement

Trachyphylliidae should be placed lower in the aquarium in moderate light and gentle flow.  Care should be taken to place them where sand or debris will not collect on their surface.

Feeding

While photosynthesis is a primary source of nutrition Trachyphylliidae require daily feeding and will start to recede if not offered enough food.  Their feeder tentacles come out to night but will extend during the day when food is present.    Foods such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp, rotifers and cyclopeeze are all good food options for Trachyphylliidae.

Maintenance

Monthly water changes of 20% or bi-weekly water changes of at least 10% are suggested.

Warnings

Trachyphylliidae are peaceful and don’t have sweeper tentacles but care should be taken that their neighbors don’t harm them as they can’t defend themselves.

Common Names

Black Sun Coral, Cup Coral, Orange Sun Coral, Scroll Coral, Turban Coral, Yellow Cup Coral

Description

Dendrophylliidae extend their polyps mostly during the evening.  While they are usually closed up during the day they may extend their polyps when food is present.  Dendrophylliidae are slow growers and will often grow on one another forming community colonies.

Care Level: Easy to Moderate

Placement: All

Lighting: Any

Flow: Strong

Conditions: 74°-83°, s.g. 1.023-1.025, Phosphates 0, Cal 380-430, dKH 8-12, Mag 1200-1350, Sr 8-10

Conditions & Placement

Dendrophylliidae do best in shaded parts of the aquarium.  They are often placed under ledges or in caves to help promote polyp extension during viewing hours.    However it is important that these areas have good flow.

Feeding

Lighting has no affect on the growth of Dendrophylliidae as they are non-photosynthetic.  They exclusively eat small foods such as plankton from the water column.  They can also be fed small sized foods such as brine shrimp or mysis.Dendrophylliidae do best with daily feedings and will appear bloated when well fed.

Maintenance

Monthly water changes of 20% or bi-weekly water changes of at least 10% are suggested. As a result of their feeding requirements good filtration is necessary to keep Dendrophylliidae.  A strong skimmer is highly recommended

Warnings

While light does not bother Dendrophylliidae it does promote algae growth.  If algae is allowed to grow on Dendrophylliidae it could die.

Signs of Problems

• - Lack of polyp extensions indicate that Dendrophylliidae is starving. You can try to entice it to eat by squirting frozen food juice across the polyps or placing the coral in a container of tank water with high concentration of food

Common Names

Ball Coral, Daisy Coral, Flowerpot Coral, Goni, Goniopora, Sunflower Coral, Yoo Stone Coral

Description

Poritidae look much like a cluster of flower with long stalks topper with a fringe of polyps.  Poritidae extend their polyps during the day and have an intricate nervous system that will send impulses to the rest of the coral telling it to close up if disturbed. Flowerpot species are rather hardy while Goniopora species are a bit more challenging.

Care Level: Moderate to Difficult

Placement: Bottom

Lighting: Moderate to Strong

Flow: Low to Medium

Conditions: 72°-80°, s.g. 1.023-1.025, Phosphates 0, Cal 400-450, dKH 8-11, Mag 1200-1350, Sr 8-10

Conditions & Placement

Poritidae prefer moderate to high light and require moderate flow.  It Is suggested that the not be placed in bare bottom aquariums as having a sandy substrate has shown to be beneficial to their survival.

Feeding

Poritidae are primarily photosynthetic but will greatly benefit from liquid supplements such as Marine Snow, Phytoplankton and Zooplankton.  You can also stir up detritus from the substrate to feed.  Iron and Manganese help keep the tentacles healthy.

Maintenance

Monthly water changes of 20% or bi-weekly water changes of at least 10% are suggested. Poritidae also seem to to do better in tanks with refugiums containing large amounts of macro algae or turf scrubbers.  It is not suggested to over skim in aquariums housing Poritidae as it can strip the water of beneficial food sources.

Warnings

It is not wise to have more than one species of Goniopora in the same tank as it may release chemicals that can be toxic to other species of Goniopora.

The Flower Rock Anemone are some of the most beautiful anemones and one of the easiest to care for.  These anemones remain small, reaching up to 4 inches, are relatively inexpensive and do not require strong lighting.  Coming from parts of the Western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean they can be found at depths of 10-100 feet and are often found on shaded vertical walls.

Flower Rock Anemones have been known to prey on small fish that swim too close and thus should be well feed a few times a week.  Being carnivorous suitable food for your flower rock anemone includes chopped silversides, shrimp, krill, mussels or frozen fish food.  Live rock is needed for them to attach their foot to.  They are known to move about in the aquarium and should not be housed adjacent to other species of anemones.