Red Chili Cactus( nephthyigoria)

[robrich342]

Hi, I purchased a Red Chili Cactus and was wondering if anyone out there could help me place it in my tank. I was told they like to be hung upside down and in low light , anyone ??

[Shoreliner11]

Puting it in low light will help you in keeping algae from growing on it. You can suspend it, but it is by no means a necessity. Make sure you try and feed it at night when the polyps are out. Although I don't have much experience with this coral, you may try some brine artemia or rotifers. Other than that I'm sure it'll benefit from some Soral Plankton* as well.
Aaron

[robrich342]

I didnt know if it would rather be suspended, because I could if that would make it happier.

[robrich342]

I can't find any good info online about this coral

[Shoreliner11]

A lot of people think the coral is happier hanging upside down because often you see them on the reef hanging upside down under caves or on cliff walls. Personally, I feel the reason for this is just because there are less corals to compete being as dendros, scleros, dendrophyliidae, etc. are non-photosynthetic, there are considerably less corals to compete with them due to being shaded. In tanks where many of these corals don't do all that well traditionally, hanging them upside down can sometimes help them to expand (or appear to expand) by letting gravity help out elongating them. Because the chilli coral doesn't expand like dendros or scleros, I doubt hanging will make any real difference in appearance or health.
Aaron

[Hormigaquatica]

They dont Have to hang upside down, but they do seem to do a little better that way.

Nonphotosynthetic, so feed a lot of food regularly- marine snow, rotifers, daphnia, maybe bewly hatched brine. They seem to expand best in very high water flow, which will also help to keep algae from smothering it. Can be tricky to keep, but one of the easiest aposymbiotic corals in the hobby as long as you keep it fed.

[Herpervet]

Mine really likes to eat Otohime larval diet 200 to 360micron size. After target feeding a cloud of it I can see that the polyps are stuffed with it.

I really like this diet for target feeding of many species. It is a japanese mariculture diet sold by reed mariculture.

www.reedmariculture.com

They don't seem to take the cyclopeez however.

Mine are often open during the day but most definately the best expansion is at night.