Sea Pen (Cavernularia obesa)

[scuba_steve]

my lfs has one of these and liked it but wasnt sure if my lighting would be enough for these !! these look like xenias which i have an are doing great under 4x65 pc and 2x40 no's !! but reading that these have to be placed in the sand is why i wonder if my lighting would be enough for them on the bottom of the tank !! any comments would be gggggrrreeeeeatttttt !!

 

[steve-s]

Cavernularia obesa is not a photosynthetic coral so the lights are not a concern. This sea pen is a filter feeder and a great candidate for blender mush. Keep up the feedings a few times a week to keep them healthy...

EDIT: Forgot to include a link for you... Sea Pens

Cheers
Steve

 

[scuba_steve]

cool thanks steve one last ? i thought of !! i know they have a foot so when i get it do i burry it in the sand or let it do itself ?!?! just thinkin my current will move him for sure if i didnt burry its foot !!

 

[reefrunner69]

Yes I would bury the foot, or at least provide a hole of it

 

[steve-s]

Agreed with Kevin. They will also have a tendancey to wander even if you try to secure the foot. Don't be suprised if you wake up one morning and it's moved to the other side of the tank.

Cheers
Steve

 

[reefobsessed]

I have read these are very hard to keep. Is that true??

 

[scuba_steve]

im guessing that they would be for food due to steve-s saying that they really dont need light !! but i feed all my inverts dt's so id think it would do the trick

 

[reefobsessed]

Steve, let me ask you this... I stopped feeding DT & Marine snow ( which I learned is mostly water ) because I use Reeflady's blend. I see so much float off in the way of cloudy liquid, I assumed they are all getting plenty? Am I off on this??

 

[scuba_steve]

well i have alot of mixed feeling on that blender mush my self !! and prob never use it !! due to i think its alot of wasted food and alot of liquid that the skimmer is gonna have to pull out !! also have read that dt's is the best filter feeder food out there !! as long as it smells like the ocean and not ya skimmer cup hehehe !! is it true who knows but i value bob fenners opinion on alot of these issues which leads to the blender mush and all the liquid waste !! if ya used a fine brine net to strain the frozen food out then imo ya all good but to thaw out the food and drop it in the tank i dont know !! now yea a year or so ago any frozen food id thaw and dump right in but now even mysis i thaw then strain then soak in vitamins!! all other animals i target feed the best i can !! i think its more what works for you and what ya comfortable doing !!

 

[reefrunner69]

I see so much float off in the way of cloudy liquid, I assumed they are all getting plenty? Am I off on this??

The liquid is there to feed your corals, of course some is wasted, just like anything else you feed to your tank. DT's is also often wasted and results in algae blooms. There is alot of debate about how much DT's actually benefits your filter feeding corals, most of them are carnivores, not herbivores and phytoplankton is algae, not meat However, the pods and critters in the tank will eat the phyto and it keeps them healthy and reproducing and the by product is zooplankton, which your corals will eat.

but i value bob fenners opinion on alot of these issues

So do I, but keep in mind opinions change and no one is perfect, I have on more than one occasion found references where he contradicts himself

 

[Hara]

My sea pen is healthy and happy with the tank leftovers. You should dig a hole for its foot and then after it settles in, do not be surprised when it totally disappears from view for the night. This is common behaviour...

 

[scuba_steve]

nice

when ya say disappears does it shrink up like the xenias do ??

 

[Hara]

no, I mean it COMPLETELY buries itself in the sand, you will think something ate it
Then the next morning....it is back!
too cool.

 

[scuba_steve]

wow ya kidding !! thats to cool

 

[reefobsessed]

Well I think Im set because 3 to 4 times a week I feed a small amount of cyclopeeze zooplankton... My god did I finally do something right??? LOL

 

[scuba_steve]

Act on your impulses.. You'll feel good now & it will give you something to regret later!!

says it all huh heheheh

 

[steve-s]

Steve, let me ask you this... I stopped feeding DT & Marine snow ( which I learned is mostly water ) because I use Reeflady's blend. I see so much float off in the way of cloudy liquid, I assumed they are all getting plenty? Am I off on this??

Personally I don't think your corals (depending on type) will get much out of DT's or Marine snow. I agree with what reefrunner has suggested and rely moreso on bolstering the natural zooplankton population via phytoplankton. I do not use any type of prefab "liquid foods" like Marine Snow, Microvert or the like. They add nothing tangible for the corals and easily pollute the water. Blender mush will pollute just as easily if overused but will have far more benefit with carnivorous corals less the preservatives. I would not rely on the hopes of natural zooplankton being the sole source of your corals protein but every bit helps.

I do not use DT's as I have typically had bad luck with product "freshness" but instead have been using LiquidLife BioPlankton with very good results. It is a liquid concentrate and you add the water.

Cheers
Steve

 

[steve-s]

Well I think Im set because 3 to 4 times a week I feed a small amount of cyclopeeze zooplankton... My god did I finally do something right??? LOL

My tubastrea loves that stuff. Opens up beautifully when that stuff hits the water... LOL

Cheers
Steve