How do I feed my sun coral?

coral keeper

Active Member
I just bought a small colony of sun corals. I was wondering, how do you make them open up so I can feed them? Here are a few pics. I only got it for like $3. I bought them yesterday, and yesterday 2 polyps only opened up, so I fed the 2 polyps.

 

earlybird

Active Member
Do they open up at night? When they open I would take a plastic coke or water bottle and cut the bottom off. Get some cyclops or any quality frozen food thawed out. Put the bottle over the open coral and using a turkey baster I would squirt the food through the top of the bottle. Make sense?
 

ameno

Active Member
yep there is some die off but some looks healthy, to answer your question you have to spot feed it, they like low light so I would put down by the bottom of the tank, I set mine in a shaded area down low, the polyps come out at night, you'll start to see the bright yellow once the light start going out and then they all open up, that's when you feed, they say feed each polyp but mine has over 60 so there's no way, what I do is get a large syringe like a marinade sqringe, take the neddle off and thaw a block of mysis shrimp, put it in the syringe and add some tank water to dilute it. I usually turn the pumps off and then squirt it around the coral, the polyps will latch on and eat it. only problem is when the fish figure out what's happening they jump in and have a feast, so I'm planniny on making up a plastic bottle to set over it while I feed. They are a little more work to keep but a really cool coral.
 

coral keeper

Active Member
Ok. But if the polyps aren't open, how can I feed em? So how do I make them open up? Will they open up at night on there own over time? I just got them yesterday, can that be the reason?
 

ameno

Active Member
they should open up at night on there own, mine stayed closed the first few days. if a few open you can feed them, and eventually they should all open up after dark to be feed.
 

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by Coral Keeper
Ok. But if the polyps aren't open, how can I feed em? So how do I make them open up? Will they open up at night on there own over time? I just got them yesterday, can that be the reason?

The coke bottle method works well, especially if you have hermits and shrimp. In either case shut off your filters and power heads. You may have to train them as they prob wont open for no reason. I used cyclops when I trained mine. I just squirted it over them letting the food rain on top of their closed polyps. In time they get to know there is food there and slowly they open. Once they have opened I use mysis and place it directly onto them like you would feed an anemone. After they know they are being fed, you should feed them when ever you see the polyps extended, for the first couple of weeks to a month IMO. After that you can establish a routine and they should be open on a regular basis.
 

bmeeder

Member
When I had them, I would use an eye dropper (i think turkey basters are too powerful...from my experience with these). I would thaw out the cubes and then soak up some shrimp water...not the shrimp. Squart the water over the polyps and it should entice him to open up. Gently put a coke bottle over him...and put the shrimp down and simply allow it to fall on top of him.
The coke bottle technique, is a must I feel. My tangs would always stea the shrimp right off.
 

grabbitt

Active Member
Originally Posted by bmeeder
When I had them, I would use an eye dropper (i think turkey basters are too powerful...from my experience with these). I would thaw out the cubes and then soak up some shrimp water...not the shrimp. Squart the water over the polyps and it should entice him to open up. Gently put a coke bottle over him...and put the shrimp down and simply allow it to fall on top of him.
The coke bottle technique, is a must I feel. My tangs would always stea the shrimp right off.
I use the same method (except I had a flame angel that always stole mysis from mine
)
 
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