How to feed a Candy Cane Corral?

[Timanator]

Hey guys

I have a Candy Cane corral that has 2 heads(Given to me) And every night as the actinics shutdown and LED's are on, each head extend a few very small tentacles upward. I did some research and tried to drop a bit of Mysis shrimp on them, they don't seem to take it in.

Is the light enough for them to feed from?

[lReef lKeeper]

mine feed in the dark. just after lights out take a turkey baster and spread some mysis onto the heads of the polyps. they should retract enough for you to notice the feeding response. if the mysis is to big then try some cyclopeeze in the baster, or throw the mysis in a blender or food prossesor, then try feeding them again.

[George]

I have a ton of Candy Canes in my tank and they will eat Cyclopeze and Kent Zooplex. I've never tried anything bigger, however. The answer to "Is the light enough to feed them?" depends on your lighting. I have had them thrive over the 5 years I've had them under PC lighting (4x96 over 75g tank) and metal halide (250 over 25g). They will grow by fission of the polyps. The process with gather steam as you get more polyps.

I feed my whole tank Cyclopeze. I re-constitute the freeze dried in RO water (1 Cyclopeze: 2 water ratio) and then use a baby dosing syringe to mix 1/2 tank water 1/2 Cyclopeze mix.

[CarmieJo]

Mine will take whole mysis if I drop them on with a turkey baster.

[BrianPlankis]

Mine take whole mysis as well, but it takes them a long time to injest them. I now do the "Borneman" fish food recipe and blend everything in a blender which turns into a red mush due to the cyclopleeze. My candycanes eagerly take in the mush and are growing much faster thanks to the feeding.

Brian

[Timanator]

Thanks guys.

I will try more shrimp tonight. after the actinics shutsdown and the tentacles come out.

BTW, my tank is a 10G aga with a 5 gal refugium. About 20lbs of liverock total and the Orbit 2 by 65watt fixture.

[CarmieJo]

Funny, mine never seem to hold on to the fish mush.

[Rob]

mine always takes pieces of shrimp, out .25" cube chunks.
as brian noted, it takes a bit for them to ingest, but i feed all the heads that have there feeding tentacles out. i do this every 2 weeks or so on my specimen

i have found these to be one of those species that have the "more you feed the more they grow" thing going...

[lReef lKeeper]

Originally Posted by Rob

i have found these to be one of those species that have the "more you feed the more they grow" thing going...

i agree Rob, i started out with 4 heads (8 months ago) and now i am up to around 20 heads !! i had to cut back on feedings because i was running out of room and didnt have time to frag them.

[Timanator]

Thanks for all the suggestions. The CC is now taking small pieces of shrimp well, I had to use a piece of rock to shield it from the view of the Gobie. If the Gobie sees it, it's gone in a second!