Carl suggested that we start doing a Coral of the Week, with information to help us out.  The following information should be helpful to anyone with Nephthea, and I hope it will encourage discussion.  I found the following information on GENUS Nephthea in Eric Bourneman's Aquarium Corals, Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History written 2001 pp. 142-3.

Common species: N. brasilica, N. chabrolli, N. cornuta, and others.

Common names: tree coral, cauliflower soft coral.

Identification: Nephthia form upright bushy and treelike formations that are generally more squat than Litophyton.  They are monomorphic, with only nonretractile autozooid polyps. Robust sclerites are mainly present in the polyps, not in the main stalks. The few sclerites in the stalk are very near the surface. When contracted, the corals adopt a cauliflower-like appearance. 

Natural Location: Commonly found in reef zones that receive surge, back-reef slopes, and occasionally reef crests. Stronger flow conditions and exposure to deeper clear oceanic water are preferred. They are found in the largest sizes and greatest abundance on steep slopes at mid depths.

Colors: Usually dull cream to brown-colored, although there are occasionally brighter-colored specimens available.  One of the most common Nepthea in the trade is called the "neon green tree" coral (species unknown). It normally turns brown under intense lighting, indicating the presence of zooxanthellae.

Captive Care: Nephthea are notoriously delicate to ship and have a fairly poor record of survival in the aquarium. Feeding is reported to be imperative in these corals: small particulate foods should be regularly blown across their extended polyps.

Current flow: Moderate to strong, though not so strong as to displace the unsupportive stalk. 

Special info: Nephthea are one of the more toxic genera of soft corals in terms of their chemical defenses, producing some of the most diverse and unusual compounds of all soft corals.  Some, such as N. brasilica are able to move their colonies in the same way as Xenia in order to colonize new areas. 

Collection Impact: Widespread, common, and abundant in nature, natural populations are not likely to be diminished by collection for the aquarium trade.

well, I guess its not extinct then.

Weimers wrote: It normally turns brown under intense lighting, indicating the presence of zooxanthellae.

So this brings up a question that I have thought about - does intense lighting bring out the color in coral that host zooxanthellae or does it turn them brown? I have read that the more light the zooxanthellae have the more they fluoresce, hence brighter color from more intense light.

Mark Peterson wrote: My first thought on that question is that it depends on the type/color of zooxanthellae and the color of the intense light.

I agree

Mark Peterson wrote: VHO lighting is much superior for overall color enhancement of a wider range of coral than any other lighting system yet devised.

I disagree.  I'm not that impressed with VHO light.

Mark Peterson wrote: And sometimes conditions are not conducive to a particular zooxanthellae algae and the coral replaces it with another!

Definately.

Mark Peterson wrote: For example: Red Mushrooms are notorious for "bullying" other mushrooms until everyone in the tank is red!

Mark Peterson wrote: I've also seen it go the other more desirable way where a nice color like the green zooxanthellae of our GN gets partially infused into neighboring coral! My 2 cents

Once again, the other coral choses to have that zooxanthellae.  Maybe because it is more beneficial, or maybe because it is more abundant, but it captures it either way.

Adam

Mark Peterson wrote: The few sclerites in the stalk are very near the surface. When contracted, the corals adopt a cauliflower-like appearance.  Not our Green Nepthea ..... What this says to me is that ours isn't your typical Nepthea.

What this tells me is that this is not Nephthea.  Probably Sinularia.

Adam Blundell wrote: Mark Peterson wrote: My first thought on that question is that it depends on the type/color of zooxanthellae and the color of the intense light. I agree

I think most experts now agree that zooxanthellae is brown.  The colors (other then brown) that we see are skin pigments (although I'm not sure I am convinced of this).

Just an observation.

How fast we mutate from the Nephthea to Nepthea to Nepthia.

Also the "Green Tree Nephthea" that we pass around does turn more brown the brighter the lights are (at least in my observation).  The lower lighted tanks seem to produce brighter greens.

Mark,

Read Jake's quote again.  I think you said you disagree with him, but then you agreed with your pics.  The Bangerter tank has the greenest coral (what you said) yet it does have LOWER lighting than Asad's MH. 

This, along with some other junk, has always made me wonder why people want there corals to be nice and bright with lots of color.... maybe that isn't natural.  Another one of those "Adam Cringe" subjects so I'll go back to being quiet on this topic. 

Adam

I got my GN from OBoy about 3 weeks ago.  It was a uniform light green color at the time.  Since then, it seems to have more brown in the tips.  We've got aquaspace lights approx. 30" from the top of the GN frag.  We run the actinics approx 9 hrs a day.  It definitely glows when we have just the actinics lit.  I'm glad that we're discussing this - I was afraid I typed for an hour & a half for nothing.

Renee

Weimers wrote: So d'ya think I could pursue a PhD in Biology or Marine Biology?  Serious question.  But you can laugh if you'd like!!  Totally allowed.

I can safely say that you don't want to do that.  You could turn out like me, and you don't want that.

Adam

I'll second Carl - my 20k XM's are showing a much brighter green then my 10k Ushio's with actinic VHO's did before... Actually, it is so bright green that I had to move the piece to the side because it was distracting me from the other corals.

If anybody wants to try a piece, PM me - I am always interested in a trade.

And, just because people have been asking - here is the color chart for those bulbs:

http://www.xmlighting.com/specifications.html - http://www.xmlighting.com/specifications.html

Do I need to worry about my nepthea being toxic to other corals? IE How close can I place it to some Acros?