Dendro - help me save my best coral !

[Meaty24]

I have a dendro with about 12 heads. This baby is the nicest piece in the tank.

All of a sudden, the thing won't open at all. About 1 week ago, I moved its location in the tank. Because it stopped opening a few days after I moved it, I put it back where it was. Still no luck. Yesterday I took it out of the tank, put it in a bowl, and tried to feed it mysis without other fish bothering it. And, nothing. I don't want to lose this awesome piece. Any thoughts?

[pugbreath13]

I have moved mine(only about 7 heads) several times and each move it has closed up for about 4-5 days and I thought it was going to die. I think they are easily stressed so just give it time.

[ceemonkey]

Same thing happened to mine until I moved it to my sump so I could have easy access to feed it mysis everyday. It's recovered well, and looks almost back to normal.

After you squirt some mysis around it, wait about 5 mins or so to give it time to extend. Once it extends, you can drop mysis over it and it should start grabbing it again.

Good luck!

[Meaty24]

Have you tried putting a tupperware or plastic bottle over the dendro and squirting mysis in it to keep the other predators, I mean fish, away. If so, did that work?

[Alcedok9]

how about a feeding bell? I saw one made out of two liter soda bottle. They cut the bottom out of the bottle, attached some pieces of pvc on the side with zip ties to make it weigh enough to keep it sitting on the bottom of the tank. You place the bottle over the coral you are target feeding and using a turkey baster, squirt the food into the bottle. It looks like it would really work well.

[Meaty24]

thanks for the advice. i have been trying everything, but nothing is working. i can barely see a tentacle or two but they are not extended at all. not even enough to grab any food. i tried the soda bottle, etc. nothing. and more advice? i have it on the bottom in the sand with a little current hitting it. i really would hate to lose the piece

[tahoe61]

Check your SG, my Dendro will close at the slightest elevation in SG. Infact I can tell how my SG is just by looking at my Dendro. Hope that helps, since the solution is easy.

[Shane Hoffman]

I have had luck with squirting "shrimp juice" near it a few minutes before feeding. What you do is get some shrimp from store and let it thaw in the bag it comes in....after it thaws there will be about an inch of juice in the bottom of the bag. I used a turkey baster to suck it out and squirted it all around the body of the Dendro. I then use the shrimp to make dinner or if I am in need of making a new batch of my homemade fish food I use it for that.

[Meaty24]

What is SG?

Anyway, I have done the soda bottle bell thing many times, and turned the power heads off so it didn't get freaked out with the current. Nothing. It hasn't opened for days. What do I do? I moved it last night to a different spot to see if that helps. So far, nothing. So upset.

[Metal Man 1221]

how about a feeding bell? I saw one made out of two liter soda bottle. They cut the bottom out of the bottle, attached some pieces of pvc on the side with zip ties to make it weigh enough to keep it sitting on the bottom of the tank. You place the bottle over the coral you are target feeding and using a turkey baster, squirt the food into the bottle. It looks like it would really work well.

+1 i made one to get some of my corals to open up after moving them, it worked really well

[07mz3]

I would say stop moving it around.. I have corals that I move and they dont open for weeks.. Just a thought?

[Blueyota]

SG= specific gravity of water ...salinity ...saltyness ..hehe
When my dendros close on me it is either when i redirect the flow off them or handle them ....the longest they have been closed is two weeks (time it took to get coral beauty out ) and they were fine and are still going strong
and also try not moving it anymore