Sun coral

C

caryn_ia

Guest
That's awesome, I'm so happy. It's still too bad about the other half thou. Wish I could get a pic of it, it's so sad. Well, if they can stay closed for a month at a time.... I have fed it every other day with Kent Chromaplex, which is just phytoplankton. And as soon as I can find some, I will give it cyclopeeze.
My cal is fine, but you think that's maybe why it came looking like that? I'm doin the happy dance now. Thanks to all, esp TheDog!

:jumping: :happy: :happy:
:jumping: :happy: :happy:
 
thedogofwa

thedogofwa

Member
:notsure: but thats what I'm guessing was the prob judging by the recession. When some1 emphasized "CON" earlier, it wasn't the first time I heard that. I'm suspecting the poor thing is in shock from being moved to a much better enviroment.
I' happy for you too, I love these corals. Was thinking about setting my 29 back up for a tubastrea only or nutrient rich corals.
Just don't dance yourself into denial, it isn't dead but it's not healthy either. I was shocked by the month thing I found too, I would have nvr imagined one could survive that long especially considering their feeding requirements. Prob with these guys is the lack of information available. I guess most of the reefers dedicated enough are more into SPS.
Keep us updated, I want to hear about it pulling through.
 
C

caryn_ia

Guest
Thanks for all your help. I am dedicating myself to this little guy. He Will live!
I'll try to keep an updated log on this one.
 
angelofish

angelofish

Member
:eek: Looks alot better than the picture I had in my mind. The only dead spots I can see are the dark ones. Let it get settled in. It it'll be ok.
 
meadbhb

meadbhb

Member
Hiya,
I was at my LFS the other day. They had a lot of sun polyps in. Gorgious coral. I'll have to wait a while before I can add anything like that to my set up.
Meadbhb
 
mbtulimaa

mbtulimaa

New Member
I have a sun coral that I purchased about 1 month ago. I did LOTS of research so that I was aware of the care needed beforehand for the coral. It took me about 1 week to "train" my sun coral to feed. I can now get him to feed at any time of the day. I don't know if he can feel the vibration from me sitting in my viewing chair or what but when I sit in my chair he now opens right up. When I was training him I ALWAYS fed at the same time of evening 10 pm. I have the sun coral in my seahorse tank and since they get fed every day it seems to work well. I turn the filter pump off, put in the PE mysis enriched with selcon in the tank, leave the pump 0ff for about 20 minutes. During that off time the sun coral opens. I then eurn the pump back on and I have a pipette that I use to hold the mysis and I hand feed the polyps. I usually feed 6-8 polyps and then the rest of them can catch whatever wlse is swirling around in the tank. I can also pur a little DT, or marine snow in the tank and that will also get the coral to open up in about 15-20 minutes. This is just how I have gotten things to work for me in my tank. Good luck with yours!
Amy L. Cone
 
mary

mary

Member
Caryn, That looks healthy to me. Mine looked exactly as that pic the first several days, 3-4. I put it where it does not get any direct light at all, built it a cave, and it took 4 days to begin to open. It did look very hard and was pale yellow and light pink. Once it began to open, I teased it with some phytoplex and brine given with a baster right above where it sits. Within 10 minutes it had put out all its polyps and I gave it a little more. Every other day so far I feed it cyclops or brine sghrimp and phytoplex with just marine tank water mixed in a small glass and sucked up in the baster, then again squirt it above the open polyps. I am trying to find marine snow which is another good food for it but can't locate any. In the morning and evening the polyps are not only elongated but the cups are very long themselves. Very beautiful. I think you should give it a few more days. It looks fine unless the skeleton turns white and grey. I got mine from SWF. Everything I have purchased from them has been fine.
 
mary

mary

Member
Caryn, Sorry, I thought the pic Angelo sent was yours. If your cups look as the one Angelofish marked, they are dead, but if they have the color on them give it time.
 
mary

mary

Member
Caryn, I am so confused, checked back at the forum and there your coral is. It is fine, trust me. Just don't let it get any direct light. They are in caves in the ocean. It will open. The color looks normal and will with a little coaxing with the right food, open up. Be patient. Baster works best. Every other day, morning or night.
 
spline9

spline9

Member
Was wondering... Will the Sun Coral eat phytoplankton (ie: DTs)as well? Or just is the diet strictly meaty stuff?
 
kl8n

kl8n

Member

Originally posted by Caryn_IA
I just called the company.:rolleyes: I'm quite disapointed. They told me they could send me a new one with my next order. When I told him that I didn't feel I would ever order from him again, he just said, 'Uh, OK.' I asked him if he could just send it to me now, and he said I would have to pay shipping, which was more than the coral itself cost! I then asked him if he didn't think it was the right thing to do on his company's part to swallow the cost of shipping to make a customer happy, and enable them to have a repeating customer. His response 'Uh, no'. He was not any help. So I guess I will just have to swallow my pride, know that I was ripped off, and move on.
Thank you to everyone who replied. It really helped a lot in identifying the problem.

What company did you order this from? Sounds like something to avoid.
Sorry to hear about your experience.
 
spline9

spline9

Member
Ok, its been a just about a week since I've had my Sun Coral. Got a new pic tonight when I noticed it was open bigger than I've ever seen it.
Earlier I had fed it some frozen brine shrimp soaked in some bioplankton and selcon. It seemed to have loved it. The reason why I say that is beacuse it was all retracted but opened its mouths before extending out. Was interesting to see. I have to use the take-it-out-and-put-it-in-another-container method to feed it or my gluttonous cleaner shrimp will just try to pick all the stuff out of its mouths.
I had the light on for a few mins while getting the cam out so it started to retract some. I managed to get some good pics, though. It looks happy.
Caryn_IA: Your coral definately looks better than others I've seen in LFS's. The other healthy parts look fine to me. How is it doing now?
 
mary

mary

Member
Caryn, By the way, my sun coral came with several empty cups yet after 4 months it has developed several tiny new cups. Don't let the grey dead ones bother you.
 
mary

mary

Member
DT is marine snow! Oh. MBTulima, thanks. I actually have DT. Didn't know it was one and the same. Is "Marine Snow" a brand of it?
 
spline9

spline9

Member
Marine Snow is not DTs. I think you misread mbtulimaas post.
...also pur a little DT, or marine snow in the tank...
DT's is live and must be refrigerated. It contains 3 species of phytoplankton and is concentrated.
Marine Snow is other organisms and is not live. I've heard that a large percentage of it is water, too.
I think this is found on the back of the bottle...
A Natural Planktonic Food for Filter Feeding Marine Invertebrates. This first of its kind product reproduces the special colloidal biogenic suspended matter found in natural seawater. These colloids, collectively called "marine snow" by ocean researchers, are known to be an important element in the food chain of marine ecosystems. MarineSnow is a natural planktonic food for filter feeding marine invertebrates. This first of its kind product reproduces the special colloidal biogenic suspended matter found in natural seawater. These colloids, collectively called "marine snow" by ocean researchers, are known to be an important element in the food chain of marine ecosystems. They have been a missing element in closed system aquaria until now. MarineSnow meets the special needs of tropical coral reef and cold water marine animals that feed on particulate and dissolved organic matter, phytoplankton and zooplankton. The formula for MarineSnow is based on natural components of ocean plankton, does not contain yeast or egg solids, and is blended to provide food packages of the right size range for filter feeders. The formula includes suspended microscopic particles ranging in size from under 20 microns up to 150 microns, and the colloidal clumps formed when it mixes with seawater are macroscopic. Ideal food for soft and stony corals, anemones, hydrozoans, feather duster worms, clams, crinoids (feather stars), sponges, tunicates (sea squirts), foraminiferans, and other filter feeders. Shrimps, brittle stars and even fishes will eat MarineSnow colloids. MarineSnow therefore replicates plankton feeding behaviors for these creatures.
 
spline9

spline9

Member
Ok, for those interested...
I found a nice page with some extra info on Sun Corals (aka: Orange Cup, Sunflower Coral, Orange Tube Coral, Turret Coral) You might already know all the stuff but its good to check out anyhow.
Just do a search on google for "central pets orange cup". Its the first result. That site is good for more info on other stuff as well. Their forums suck real bad, though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top