# Pigtail coral, corkscrew coral or wire coral



## Bayinaung (Feb 24, 2012)

those are all three names of this unusual coral from indonesia. I'm just wondering if people here have had experience keeping this?


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

They are filter feeders and prefer larger/chunky particle size. Feed regularly.

HTH


----------



## Bayinaung (Feb 24, 2012)

I'm just wondering how long people were able to keep it, and how fast they grew, success they had feeding them, water flow rate, lighting, etc. Haven't seen too many posts on these corals anywhere. NAFB has been bringing them in the past so I know there are some folks in GTA who has kept these.


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Ah, sry to not fully answering the Q. I've kept them in my clients system and those that don't do well are those do not feed the system in between my visits. The longest is 3years since I first saw them available in the GTA and has at least quadrupled in length. They all don't keep a consistent curl. Some grow straight, straight and then curl in a diff/same direction.

Fragging is easy. IME, an extremely sharp blade is necessary to make the cut through the woody like centre. I find that if it the cut wasn't clean and some "crush" trauma is done, they rot from the bottom up.


----------



## Bayinaung (Feb 24, 2012)

Oh cool. you get paid to do this. woody eh. I do wonder if it can be "trained" like bonsai trees, putting the growing tip through a clear shaped tube or a chicken wire mesh type tube. Since they are filter feeders, do they care about light at all? what were you feeding them?


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

I'm sure it can be trained but you have to make sure that the metal core of the training wire doesn't get exposed to SW. 

Just a thought...unlike bonsai trees, you can add wire as the branch grows. I think it will be much more difficult with this coral as IME, the tissue is delicate and crushing will cause the tissue to recede and end up losing the coral.

Feeding Cyclopeze and chopped mysis with ReefRoid/NLS coral food has worked well.


----------



## Bayinaung (Feb 24, 2012)

Ok that's good to know. They are pretty interesting. their relatives are deep-sea bed kinds. the ones that occur in Indonesia and Philippines are found in shallow waters close to shores though more plentiful deeper in the waters.


----------

