Sun corals

[sickboy]

I just picked up an $8 sun coral frag at the lfs two days ago and I had a couple questions. In the three tanks I see often (that aren't mine) the sun corals come out mostly at night but sometimes during the day. Well, these haven't come out at all, even when I feed my fish and squirted phyto around them. Is something wrong with them or am I just impatient?
Three of the heads on the frag were dead when I got it, but there are 2 that are still bright orange. Should I be worried that those two will die? They had big colonies for like $45, but I would rather have something small that grows and save the money.

 

[jerryatrick]

My sun corals were all alive when I purchased them. Took two weeks for them to open up. Be patient, try to put them in a shaded area or at the bottom of the tank. Each night I would try spot feeding a little bit. One night hopefully they will open up.

 

[sickboy]

I figured I was just being impatient. They are in a shaded place on the bottom, under a rock ledge. Thanks for the info.
Nice pic by the way, that movie rocked!

 

[texasmetal]

You really don't need to put them in shaded areas. They might be more likely to open up during the daylight hours, but you want to put them wherever it will be easy to feed them once they do start opening up.
They will eventually open up when they sense food in the water. Try to keep a regular schedule and they will learn the schedule.

 

[juggalojim]

When i had my suncorals i feed at the same time everynight and they came out with my lights on.. I normally did this around 7-8ish and they would stay open for at least 4 or 5 hrs with the lights on, it only took a few days to get em on this time frame.. i have also heard of people taking the coral out and feeding it seperatly in a bowl or placing a bowl over it in the tank and feeding it that way.. Hth

 

[mr_x]

i like to put them in a shaded area simply because they are one of the few corals i can put in a shaded area. and mine did the same thing as mentioned above....when food is in the water column, they smell it and come out.

 

[jdsr1970]

I got the same experience, but read in one of the threads that they like brine shrimp and since then it is always open at feed time, even without the brine shrimp.
And yes, it shall be near the sandbed.

 

[alexmir]

I found that they opened VERY quickly when i got a raw table shrimp(from grocery store) deveined it and pounded it real lightly so that it started to come apart a little. I then put that on a wooden stick and lightly rubbed the shrimp on the top of the sun coral soft and slow, i would do this across it a few times, then do it an hour later. IF they dont comeout after that i try again the next day. USually worked pretty well for me