Karen Honeycutt, USA
Info
Tubastraea micranthus, Ehrenberg, 1834
Tubastraea, also known as sun coral or sun polyps, is a genus of coral in the phylum Cnidaria. It is a cup coral in the family Dendrophylliidae.
An exact classification of the individual animals is only possible on the basis of the location of the mesenteries (fold of the coelom wall (mesoderm), in which the intestine is suspended in most animals (Coelomata)), but for this the coral skeleton must be examined. Alternatively, a DNA examination would have to be carried out.
Visually, the color of the coral polyp is different and in Tubastrea micrantha there is branching. The Tubastrea coral is a non-reef-forming coral.
Aquarium conditions
The coral should not be placed in direct light, and a laminar (no visible turbulence (eddies / cross currents) strong current is an advantage. Important: No direct current, otherwise this will lead to tissue damage.
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species tank.
Feeding
Tubastrea corals do not have zooxanthellae and do not live on light They do not harbor symbiotic algae that produce nutrients and energy via photosynthesis.
The pumps should be switched off before feeding. In order for the coral to survive in the aquarium, each individual polyp must be fed sufficiently, i.e. daily or 3 - 4 times a week. Without feeding, the coral will not survive in the aquarium. The polyps need a certain amount of time to absorb the food (granules or frozen food); if shrimps and fish are present, they will try to remove the food, so be sure to feed these inhabitants first.
Freshly inserted coral sticks can be stimulated with a liquid food, e.g. PolypLab Polyp, so that the individual polyps open. Only then can feeding be carried out.
The better the individual polyps absorb the food provided, the better the growth and reproduction rates.
The polyps take a while to become accustomed to feeding in daylight. With a long food pipette, each polyp can be fed specifically or liquid food with the pipette initially stimulates the polyps to open.
A good aid for "quiet" feeding is a feeding bell that can be placed over the coral so that fish & co. are not disturbed.
Reproduction
With good care, the number of polyps can double within 6 months.
Fragmentation is not so easy and tissue damage can lead to losses. During sexual reproduction, each individual polyp releases planula larvae, which then settle in the aquarium, where they can also cover larger areas. From there, they can then be glued to a frag.
Tubastraea micranthus forms tree-like, branched coral stalks up to over one meter high. These are always perpendicular to the current. The color is brown to black-brown, whereby the crepuscular and nocturnal polyps are lighter in color. They are often fluorescent brown-green.
The Tubastrea coral is not regularly available in the trade.is little reported about T. diaphana, and generally keeping this animal is only possible at optimal food availability and not too low current, is it too much current the coral dies.
All family members of Dendrophyllidae need a good flow and adequate feeding, (Due to the lack of zooxanthellae), which should carried out daily. These beautiful corals live NOT of zooxanthellae (light). The polyps are used to fish for larger plankton. (Artemia, etc)
These kind of coral must be fed daily, who buys this coral must be considered this fact. Only who believes in it, is successful in keeping.
Synonymised names
Coenopsammia aequiserialis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (synonymy)
Coenopsammia micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Coenopsammia nigrescens (Dana, 1846) (synonymy)
Coenopsammia viridis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia aequiserialis (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848) (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia micrantha (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Dendrophyllia micrantha var. grandis Crossland, 1952
Dendrophyllia micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Dendrophyllia micranthus var. grandis Crossland, 1952 (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia nigrescens Dana, 1846 (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia viridis Vallencienes ms in Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (synonymy)
Enallopsammia micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Oculina micranthus Ehrenberg, 1834 (basionym, changed combination)
Tubastraea micrantha (Ehrenberg, 1834) (wrong spelling)
Tubastrea micrantha (Ehrenberg, 1834) (wrong spelling genus name)
Tubastraea, also known as sun coral or sun polyps, is a genus of coral in the phylum Cnidaria. It is a cup coral in the family Dendrophylliidae.
An exact classification of the individual animals is only possible on the basis of the location of the mesenteries (fold of the coelom wall (mesoderm), in which the intestine is suspended in most animals (Coelomata)), but for this the coral skeleton must be examined. Alternatively, a DNA examination would have to be carried out.
Visually, the color of the coral polyp is different and in Tubastrea micrantha there is branching. The Tubastrea coral is a non-reef-forming coral.
Aquarium conditions
The coral should not be placed in direct light, and a laminar (no visible turbulence (eddies / cross currents) strong current is an advantage. Important: No direct current, otherwise this will lead to tissue damage.
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species tank.
Feeding
Tubastrea corals do not have zooxanthellae and do not live on light They do not harbor symbiotic algae that produce nutrients and energy via photosynthesis.
The pumps should be switched off before feeding. In order for the coral to survive in the aquarium, each individual polyp must be fed sufficiently, i.e. daily or 3 - 4 times a week. Without feeding, the coral will not survive in the aquarium. The polyps need a certain amount of time to absorb the food (granules or frozen food); if shrimps and fish are present, they will try to remove the food, so be sure to feed these inhabitants first.
Freshly inserted coral sticks can be stimulated with a liquid food, e.g. PolypLab Polyp, so that the individual polyps open. Only then can feeding be carried out.
The better the individual polyps absorb the food provided, the better the growth and reproduction rates.
The polyps take a while to become accustomed to feeding in daylight. With a long food pipette, each polyp can be fed specifically or liquid food with the pipette initially stimulates the polyps to open.
A good aid for "quiet" feeding is a feeding bell that can be placed over the coral so that fish & co. are not disturbed.
Reproduction
With good care, the number of polyps can double within 6 months.
Fragmentation is not so easy and tissue damage can lead to losses. During sexual reproduction, each individual polyp releases planula larvae, which then settle in the aquarium, where they can also cover larger areas. From there, they can then be glued to a frag.
Tubastraea micranthus forms tree-like, branched coral stalks up to over one meter high. These are always perpendicular to the current. The color is brown to black-brown, whereby the crepuscular and nocturnal polyps are lighter in color. They are often fluorescent brown-green.
The Tubastrea coral is not regularly available in the trade.is little reported about T. diaphana, and generally keeping this animal is only possible at optimal food availability and not too low current, is it too much current the coral dies.
All family members of Dendrophyllidae need a good flow and adequate feeding, (Due to the lack of zooxanthellae), which should carried out daily. These beautiful corals live NOT of zooxanthellae (light). The polyps are used to fish for larger plankton. (Artemia, etc)
These kind of coral must be fed daily, who buys this coral must be considered this fact. Only who believes in it, is successful in keeping.
Synonymised names
Coenopsammia aequiserialis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (synonymy)
Coenopsammia micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Coenopsammia nigrescens (Dana, 1846) (synonymy)
Coenopsammia viridis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia aequiserialis (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848) (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia micrantha (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Dendrophyllia micrantha var. grandis Crossland, 1952
Dendrophyllia micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Dendrophyllia micranthus var. grandis Crossland, 1952 (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia nigrescens Dana, 1846 (synonymy)
Dendrophyllia viridis Vallencienes ms in Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (synonymy)
Enallopsammia micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) (changed combination)
Oculina micranthus Ehrenberg, 1834 (basionym, changed combination)
Tubastraea micrantha (Ehrenberg, 1834) (wrong spelling)
Tubastrea micrantha (Ehrenberg, 1834) (wrong spelling genus name)
