sun corals
- Thread starter marco333
- Start date
nm reef
Active Member
I've got a speciman I'm slowly nursing back to health...I believe they do best in a mild current in a sort of shaded area. They tend to initially feed after lights out but can start expanding during the day in response to direct feedings. They do need regular direct feedings of some type of plankton based food(I prefer DT's phytoplankton) and I mix mine with smaller pieces of meaty foods(mysis/brine)...also soak foods in vitimin suppliments like selcon/zoe/zoecon. Mine has really started to develope into a nice addition. Was worried for a while if it would recover from the stressed/damaged condition I got it in...but I believe its stable and gaining growth week by week...Information indicates they do not rely on the common benefits of photosynthesis via zooxanthellae so they basically must be direct fed in order to keep them healthy.
scubamedic
Member
I have found that using the Coke bottle method of feeding they are actually pretty easy to keep. I feed mine a very fine version of just plain old home made food. My automatic feeder feeds the fish twice a day and shortly after it goes off the sun coral comes out in full and just sits there wondering where it's food is.
I can't wait to get a yellow one when I can find it.
Alan
I can't wait to get a yellow one when I can find it.
Alan
nm reef
Active Member
ScubaMedic...man that is a sweet looking sun polyp!!
Very nice coloration...and obviously in great health!!
I don't use a cover for my direct feedings. But when I direct feed I shut off the circulation and normally spray a small about of liquid mixture around the sun polyps. Then after spot feeding a few other corals the sun polyp usually is extended and looking for a feast. Then I slowly direct feed a mixture of DT's/zoe/zoecon...mixed with thawed meaty foods(mysis/brine...etc)
Works so far...the small speciman I added was nearly a gonner when I got it...but its since recover quite well.Most nights it extends tentacles until the lights come up in the morning. I'm hopefull that even without direct feedings its getting a late night snack just from the water column.I do have a large refugium system and a massive pod population with fairly limited predators(other than corals).
Very nice coloration...and obviously in great health!!
I don't use a cover for my direct feedings. But when I direct feed I shut off the circulation and normally spray a small about of liquid mixture around the sun polyps. Then after spot feeding a few other corals the sun polyp usually is extended and looking for a feast. Then I slowly direct feed a mixture of DT's/zoe/zoecon...mixed with thawed meaty foods(mysis/brine...etc)
Works so far...the small speciman I added was nearly a gonner when I got it...but its since recover quite well.Most nights it extends tentacles until the lights come up in the morning. I'm hopefull that even without direct feedings its getting a late night snack just from the water column.I do have a large refugium system and a massive pod population with fairly limited predators(other than corals).
krux
Member
hey nolo, i would love to take that puppy off your hands, and would be more than happy to cover both shipping, as well as a little somethin-somethin for you for your trouble if you think you can put it in a bag and stick it in the mail.
krux@lanset.com if yer serious about getting rid of it.
krux@lanset.com if yer serious about getting rid of it.
scubamedic
Member
I forgot a few things. Mine is in a fairly low current area out in the open. The lights don't seem to bother it.
Fishead, the automatic feeder is a nutramatic that I use for fish food when I don't feed other stuff. The sun coral smells the food in the water and comes out looking for something to eat. I then take a 2 liter Coke bottle that I cut the bottom off of it and put that over the coral. I then put just a little of my home made food in the bottle with a turkey baster just to get the rest of it out in the open. I then put a little more food in there and put the lid on the bottle. I shake the bottle every now and then to mix up the food that has fallen to the bottom.
NM reef thanks for the compliment I'm fairly new at this and that means a lot coming from a shark.
Nolofinwe, I would love to have your sun coral. I have been looking for a yellow one for a long time but have not been able to find one. I e-mailed you.
Thanks,
Alan
Fishead, the automatic feeder is a nutramatic that I use for fish food when I don't feed other stuff. The sun coral smells the food in the water and comes out looking for something to eat. I then take a 2 liter Coke bottle that I cut the bottom off of it and put that over the coral. I then put just a little of my home made food in the bottle with a turkey baster just to get the rest of it out in the open. I then put a little more food in there and put the lid on the bottle. I shake the bottle every now and then to mix up the food that has fallen to the bottom.
NM reef thanks for the compliment I'm fairly new at this and that means a lot coming from a shark.
Nolofinwe, I would love to have your sun coral. I have been looking for a yellow one for a long time but have not been able to find one. I e-mailed you.
Thanks,
Alan
scuba steveo
Member
those are awesome specimens
scubamedic
Member
mlm, NO JOKE!!!??? Can you e-mail me with some info? I'm a Divemaster and we are always looking for new places to take groups out to. I was in New Orleans last weekend. I should have checked it out then. No one around Houston does the day boat thing. We have to go down to Corpus Christy to find a day boat.
Nolofinwe, thanks for the info. I will have to check into that. I just had 3 n.o. 36" flour. bulbs when that pic was taken. I have since put an IceCap 660 on those. The coral looks the same now as it did then as far as the tentacles and mouth goes. I have noticed several new little heads poping up though. I might try moving it into the shade a bit and see if it changes any.
Thanks,
Alan
Can you e-mail me with some info? I'm a Divemaster and we are always looking for new places to take groups out to. I was in New Orleans last weekend. I should have checked it out then. No one around Houston does the day boat thing. We have to go down to Corpus Christy to find a day boat.Nolofinwe, thanks for the info. I will have to check into that. I just had 3 n.o. 36" flour. bulbs when that pic was taken. I have since put an IceCap 660 on those. The coral looks the same now as it did then as far as the tentacles and mouth goes. I have noticed several new little heads poping up though.
I might try moving it into the shade a bit and see if it changes any.Thanks,
Alan
hairtrigger
Active Member
I got a great specimen about a month and a half ago. I was very scared at first after reading they are so high maintenance. But, the thing is, they are really wonderful and not as high maintenance as I thought. They do like great water paramaters and quality. And they also like to be in shade, such as in a cave or something. But, some light does not seem to bother them I hear. Now, the kicker about these is that they are voracious eaters. And they must be direct or they will not thrive and will die. At first you much feed each polyp as best as possible. They will take some food particles from the water on their own during feeding time should you not be able to reach every polyp. I feed mine formula brine shrimp. Surprisingly, one whole cube a day. And it eats it all and could eat more. At first you may not see the polyps open very much. But they will start to know when feeding time is and will begin opening accordingly. Then you feed them directly. Now, I feed mine towards the evening when some of the lights dim. That way the polyps open quite large and make feeding easier. Good luck and great choice if you get it.
hairtrigger
Active Member
No, not at all. They come in different sizes. And I have heard of the polyps spreading to start new colonies. If you've got a smaller specimen, and have a shady spot for it in the tank... go for it.
hairtrigger
Active Member
Black ones???????? Oooooo. My interest is caught now. Tell me more.
chris l
Member
I actually like my black one a little more than the yellow. It's not near as full but being black makes it cool. The black one I have only has 5 or 6 heads (only had 3 when I bought it) and the yellow I would say is in excess of 70 or so. If you like Sun Corals the black is the way to go.