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Christmas tree rock care
- Thread starter r33fertank
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r33fertank
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Full tank shot. Christmas rock right in the middle.
BlennyKravitz
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Coco is out this morning. Got a cool shot of the blue Xmas tree worm, the coco and a feather duster in the background.
Wait ...wHat???? I want those!!!!
Christmas tree worms use to be widely available in the hobby but after a while they dried up in the hobby and were rarely seen. Kind of like goniopora but worse. Only people who bought them were people who did not know any better.
There were two kinds of christmas tree worms one that came in on Caribbean rock and the others symbiotic with porites. There are others that you seen in brain corals and such but a almost never seen in the hobby except by accident because they are also on huge colonies.
The ones that came in on Caribbean rock were much hardier and somewhat larger with a calcium carbonate shell more like coco worms.
The reason you can not get these kind is no rock other that aquaculture comes in from the Caribbean now.
The worms that come in on Porites was stopped because it is a small hunk chopped off from a larger colony.
The larger colony would sometimes get a infection that killed it on the ocean.
Also the worms were very hard to keep usually dieing in about a year. They were starving to death in a reef aquarium.
Plus they eventually die if the porities dies. So if the porities are dead do not buy them.
Today they are not as hard to keep but should not be kept by most reefers anyway unless they want to dedicate enough time to them.
The porities now will survive in most reef aquariums that support sps, so that hurdle is over come.
Problem is feeding the worms.. They require allot of food that would cause issues in allot of reef aquariums. That said they can be done with lots of phyto feedings through automatic feeders or drip feeders. They would live well in a nps system but lack of light would kill porities. A Caribbean biotope with lots of gorgonia works nice that gets feed lots of food. Other types of plankton should be feed too..
Also the porities will grow but I have never seen the worms multiply.
Food is the hardest hurdle even with partial nutrition a coral or animal can live a year or more so success in these things need to be measured in years.
There were two kinds of christmas tree worms one that came in on Caribbean rock and the others symbiotic with porites. There are others that you seen in brain corals and such but a almost never seen in the hobby except by accident because they are also on huge colonies.
The ones that came in on Caribbean rock were much hardier and somewhat larger with a calcium carbonate shell more like coco worms.
The reason you can not get these kind is no rock other that aquaculture comes in from the Caribbean now.
The worms that come in on Porites was stopped because it is a small hunk chopped off from a larger colony.
The larger colony would sometimes get a infection that killed it on the ocean.
Also the worms were very hard to keep usually dieing in about a year. They were starving to death in a reef aquarium.
Plus they eventually die if the porities dies. So if the porities are dead do not buy them.
Today they are not as hard to keep but should not be kept by most reefers anyway unless they want to dedicate enough time to them.
The porities now will survive in most reef aquariums that support sps, so that hurdle is over come.
Problem is feeding the worms.. They require allot of food that would cause issues in allot of reef aquariums. That said they can be done with lots of phyto feedings through automatic feeders or drip feeders. They would live well in a nps system but lack of light would kill porities. A Caribbean biotope with lots of gorgonia works nice that gets feed lots of food. Other types of plankton should be feed too..
Also the porities will grow but I have never seen the worms multiply.
Food is the hardest hurdle even with partial nutrition a coral or animal can live a year or more so success in these things need to be measured in years.
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r33fertank
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Coco is out this morning. Got a cool shot of the blue Xmas tree worm, the coco and a feather duster in the background.
That cocoa worm is absolutley beautiful. Im gunna get one. Nice photos mate.
Are these crabs reef safe?
cdmckinzie
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They are called Christmas tree worms and they look and act a lot like those plants on Avatar if you've seen the movie. I would love some, I think they are part of the feather duster worm family. I have seen lots of pics of them coming up through holes in the coral. Hope they work out for you.
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r33fertank
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Its a rock dwelling hermit crab the Paguritta harmsi. Unlike most hermit crabs Paguritta species have straight abdomens & live in permanent burrows in the rock, usually old christmas tree worm holes. They filter feed with their antennae and are completely reef safe.
I had 6 come in my christmas tree rock when i bought it. Not sure you could just buy the hermits by themselves as they have a symbiotic relationship with the christmas tree worms and the porites that live on the rock. Though maybe someone more experienced might prove me wrong.lol.
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r33fertank
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Update, so its been about 2 months since i bought my christmas tree rock and it seems healthier than ever. Im sure there are new worms in it now that were not in it when i bought it. All 7 shrimp are still happy and healthy. They even take brine shrimp when i target feed. 
Heres a pic of what it looks like now.
Heres a pic of what it looks like now.
mitchell01
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Update, so its been about 2 months since i bought my christmas tree rock and it seems healthier than ever. Im sure there are new worms in it now that were not in it when i bought it. All 7 shrimp are still happy and healthy. They even take brine shrimp when i target feed.
Heres a pic of what it looks like now.
Where did u come across such a gem
taintstick
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That thing colored up nicely!!!
Update, so its been about 2 months since i bought my christmas tree rock and it seems healthier than ever. Im sure there are new worms in it now that were not in it when i bought it. All 7 shrimp are still happy and healthy. They even take brine shrimp when i target feed.
Heres a pic of what it looks like now.
Amazing!
cdmckinzie
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That is beautiful
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r33fertank
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Hey mate, i live in Nsw Australia, i got it from my Lfs in the Hunter Valley. Iv seen a few other christmas tree rocks come through but nothing like this one. Couldnt leave there without it.
christy.alm
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That rock is so beautiful I am so envious, any new pics since its been 6 mos?
Opus
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He hasn't been on since May 2017 so doubt we will get an update.
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