Chalice sweepers..

[sfsuphysics]

How big are the sweepers on chalices normally? Out of all my corals one of my chalices has some of the largest ones flipping around (granted maybe only 1.5 to 2 inches) but considering coral isn't much bigger than that it makes me worry about things around it. Seems as soon as it figured out I'd feed it at night if sweepers were out it's stuck them out on a nightly basis

 

[Gomer]

Interestingly enough, I have never seen any of my chalices send out any sweepers. Mine also rarely send out feeding tentacles unlike my acans which are always extended waiting for food.

 

[LeviT]

The 2 chalices I've kept their sweepers haven't passed a 3/8 - 1/2 inch. I even saw sweepers on my brick chalice frag after I moved it up from the shade and they weren't much more than 1/4 inch but fwiw Segio hadn't seen sweepers on the mother colony.

 

[saltwatersig]

correction .....the other night (or early morning ) as i looked into my tank with flashlight i did notice some big sweepers on my red mother colony chalice. i'd swear they were at least 1" long.

 

[tuberider]

I have an Echino that sends out 4"+ death sweepers, it's a real sweet brown color too.

 

[Gomer]

is that the LE Chocolate Mocha Mouse chalice?

 

[GreshamH]

[quote author=tuberider link=topic=4691.msg57115#msg57115 date=1222804734]
I have an Echino that sends out 4"+ death sweepers, it's a real sweet brown color too.
[/quote]

4-6 when I had my large chalice collection that got fed every day. Feeding seems to produce MUCH longer FT's.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Sweeper of death... gotta love it.. well some time ago this piece did fall into a colony of indo acan lords and lost big time (a good quarter of the chalice was gone by morning), don't know if that was an indication that it wasn't that potent of a coral, or maybe it wasn't fully developed into a killing machine, but we'll see what happens.

 

[GreshamH]

I think sweeper and feeders are more potent and definitely more capable of taking a hit from another coral. I've found the flesh itself of moist "chalice" to be very weak in comparison to other corals, especially mussids like acans.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Ah... so could have been a matter of the acan was ready to eat, while the chalice was simply taking a nap.

 

[xinumaster]

I seen 2" sweeper on my large colony chalice.

 

[GreshamH]

[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=4691.msg57132#msg57132 date=1222812116]
Ah... so could have been a matter of the acan was ready to eat, while the chalice was simply taking a nap.

[/quote]

well I guess, but I was driving at the sweepers and feeder tentacles IMO/IME are much stronger and can take a hit from a neighbor MUCH more then the main meat of the animal. It would only be logical that the weapon of an animal is protected (even if ever so slightly)from the weapons of the animals it may be attacking. Not strong enough against bites and what not, but strong enough to ward off another feeder tentacle of a colony it's trying to invade.

 

[seminolecpa]

My watermelon chalice has some pretty long sweepers same with my Golden eye chalice. The sweepers are probably 2" long. Neatry all of my chalices throw out at least some type of sweeper.

 

[GreshamH]

sweeper or feeder, IMO.IME they're different

 

[seminolecpa]

Hmm. You are probably right in calling them feeders. They only come out at night typically about the time I feed.