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View Full Version : Why Won't My Dendros Open During the Day?

Tennyson
10/18/2009, 11:42 AM
Just like it says above, I've had a small colony of dendros for a while, and they only open at night. I'm sure I have dendros, not sun corals.
What could be the reason for this?
I have a nova extreme pro lighting fixture so could they be starving of light or have too much lighting?
They are placed in the middle of the tank

Thanks!
quadrantkhan
10/18/2009, 01:49 PM
From experience, Dendro's like lower light. I always kept mine a bit shaded and they opened fully. You could try feeling them though early in the day if you want it to open in full light.

Hope that helps!
clowns101
10/19/2009, 06:43 PM
IMO have to much light put them in a small cave and put a bit of marine snow on them and shut off flow for about 25 minutes see if you get response!
goofyreefer
10/19/2009, 08:05 PM
got any pics? I have 2 types of dendro's and one type is open all the time while the other is rarely open.
thecichlidpleco
10/19/2009, 08:51 PM
Dendros are non-photosynthetic, and are likely to be open whenever food is most abundant, ie night. So in a home reef tank, as long as you give them a reason to be open during the day, like feeding them, they will open.
PCfishman
10/20/2009, 06:42 PM
As a result of being non-photosynthetic they seem to prefer shade and low flow.. As someone said earlier in the thread, if you put some food in the tank they will open. You can train then to open in the day by feeding consistently during the day.
LouPhoenix
10/20/2009, 10:44 PM
It's funny how things work out differently for people. mine are near the top of the tank and I only feed them once a week. Here's what they look like...

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s237/louphoenix/Reef%20JUne%2009/Dendro-1.jpg
180+55reef
10/21/2009, 09:49 AM
mine open during the day under 175 W MHs.... I think the key is heavy feeding

thanks Frank
NCSUsalt
10/21/2009, 10:16 PM
coccinea will usually be open all day long, some of the other species usually need training
Tennyson
10/23/2009, 08:34 AM
Thanks for the responses!

Here's a pic of it in the back behind the sun coral if it makes any difference during feeding time near the evening
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs232.snc1/7934_159186944268_605119268_2580901_6852772_n.jpg

I thought they were photosynthetic? Thats strange. I feed them almost everyday with either mysid shrimp, or chunks of gulf shrimp. They are both (I have a frag and a small colony) at the bottom of the tank.