How often should I feed the sun coral?

[tomtoro]

Just bought this coral about three days ago. The lfs said to feed it when the tentacles are out. They're out everyday so I've been feeding it babybrine, cyclopeze and mysis shrimp. If I spot feed this thing everyday, I'll pollute the tank.
Question:How often do I need to feed this thing for it to thrive without going overboard? 3 times a week, 2 times a week?
Thanks,
Tom

 

[mudplayerx]

Beautiful coral. It needs to be fed daily.

 

[albfishin']

Nice sunny!

High maintenance, from what I read daily. Good luck!

 

[kiddie lala]

Originally Posted by mudplayerx
Beautiful coral. It needs to be fed daily.

Actually they done need to be feed daily. Some aquarists feed them every other day. By the way nice sun coral.

 

[05xrunner]

wow your lucky it is out already...i bought mine on Wed and I am still trying to train it to come out.
Alot of people take it out and put it in a bowl to feed it so every polyp gets food and you dont have to worry about polluting your tank. I have been doing this getting them to come out..Everyday they have been comming out more and more. I read alot of people feed them like 2-3 times a week once they are settled in the tank.
here are mine so far

 

[kiddie lala]

Originally Posted by 05xrunner
wow your lucky it is out already...i bought mine on Wed and I am still trying to train it to come out.
Alot of people take it out and put it in a bowl to feed it so every polyp gets food and you dont have to worry about polluting your tank. I have been doing this getting them to come out..Everyday they have been comming out more and more. I read alot of people feed them like 2-3 times a week once they are settled in the tank.
here are mine so far

:scared: What a monster. Good luck feeding that thing.

 

[05xrunner]

yea there are atleast 50 polyps on this thing...I cant wait till i actually HAVE to feed each one..cause then they will be open

 

[kiddie lala]

Originally Posted by 05xrunner
yea there are atleast 50 polyps on this thing...I cant wait till i actually HAVE to feed each one..cause then they will be open

Post a pic when you get them open.

 

[05xrunner]

yea i def will...So to the OP. How long was this one in the LFS. Did they care for it. I think mine isnt opening so fast cause I dont think they ever did anything with it or feed it.

 

[tomtoro]

Thanks Folks. I feed my fish every day so I'll figure out a way to feed this thing too. This is a great looking coral. It's worth it.
05xrunner,
That is a huge coral! Keep us posted on how it's doing. I bet it looks great when it's out.
Sort of trained it to come out during the day by putting a little bit of baby brine in front of it with a baster and waited. The polyps come out and I feed 'em. Then all the occupants steal almost all of it.
This time I waited for the actinics only. The polyps came out, I fed him and shut off the lights. Let's hope this works.
Thanks for the feedback. I've heard it's everyday, but I was hoping others had good luck with less. Vacation will be interesting.
Tom

 

[05xrunner]

yea u dont have to do everyday..Maybe for the first week everyday you can kick back to like few times a week.
Did you try the way of putting it in a bowl to feed it..let it eat and dont have to worry about anyone stealing.

 

[tomtoro]

Originally Posted by 05xrunner
yea u dont have to do everyday..Maybe for the first week everyday you can kick back to like few times a week.
Did you try the way of putting it in a bowl to feed it..let it eat and dont have to worry about anyone stealing.

Didn't try that yet, but I might if this doesn't work. Thanks for the idea and good luck with yours.

 

[beth]

If you have a balanced reef tank, feeding your suncoal every day will not cause pollution.
These corals are nocturnal, which means you generally need to feed them about 1 hour after the lights go out. Mostly, they will stay closed up, as in that 2nd picture while lights are on, unless it is located in a rather dark rock overhang where its not getting light.
This is why this coral needs special care, and an owner willing to take some extra steps to feed it.

 

[tomtoro]

Hey Beth,
The tank has been up since 2000 and has gone through tons of problems. I recently added a sump/ref so I'm hoping that will help with the filtration. The sun coral is under a ledge and will open if I coax it with baby brine.
My main concern with feeding everyday is the mejano anemone. Since I've been feeding the fish everyday (for about 3 months prior to this coral) I've noticed more of these pests popping up. Not sure if it's the added nutrients, but it seems like it. I'm thinking if I put another soup in the mix, I'm going to accelerate that problem.
I'll try feeding all polyps everyday and monitor closely. It hasn't been difficult. If I find trouble, I'll sell it back to the lfs or give it away to another reefer. I won't let it die.
Thanks for the info,
Tom
Originally Posted by Beth
If you have a balanced reef tank, feeding your suncoal every day will not cause pollution.
These corals are nocturnal, which means you generally need to feed them about 1 hour after the lights go out. Mostly, they will stay closed up, as in that 2nd picture while lights are on, unless it is located in a rather dark rock overhang where its not getting light.
This is why this coral needs special care, and an owner willing to take some extra steps to feed it.