Sun polyp not opening

[Krabby]

Hi,
I just added a Sun polyp 2 days ago.
It still hasn't opened. Does it typically take awhile for them to extend?
Any way to tell if it is dead?

[scubadude]

Hi Krabby
Welcome to RL!

got pics of it? Where do you have it in your tank? What type of lighting do you have? They require a shaded area. Have you been feeding it?

[Ninong]

Hi,
I just added a Sun polyp 2 days ago.
It still hasn't opened. Does it typically take awhile for them to extend?
Any way to tell if it is dead?

Yes, it can take awhile for them to acclimate. Have you checked your tank at night to see if it's extending then? They're naturally nocturnal but will usually open in the daytime in aquariums if food is available. Try squirting some food on them and see if they respond.

[Krabby]

Last night he finally opened (a few anyway). I had it in a non-shaded area.
But last night I rearranged my LR in order to provide shade for it.
I'm just happy it's alive
Thanks for the help.

Krabby

[Ninong]

That's good news. I figured it would open at night once it adjusted to the tank. Don't forget that you have to feed each polyp separately, or at least make sure that each polyp does get something to eat, prefereably daily. You might be able to get by with feeding every other day but daily would be better.

As far as the shade business is concerned, it really doesn't matter where you place it but I would avoid sticking it high up in the tank. They are found naturally in caves and other shaded areas only because those are the spots with the least competition from more aggressive (zooxanthellate) species. Sun polyps can do just as well in the "sun" or in the shade but most aquarists like to place them in shaded spots. I know of one hobbyist who specializes in these corals and he has them all over the place in his 630-gal tank -- under overhanging rocks, inside caves and in full "sunlight."



P.S. -- Moving it to a shaded area may have hastened its adaptation to your tank if it was collected from a shady area.

[Krabby]

See that's the thing, where I bought it, it wasn't in the shade.
But reading all the threads I got spooked and made a little cave for him.
I hope he appreciates it as now I can hardly see it
As for the feeding there where only about 3 polyps open. I squirted some phytoplankton in each's general vicinity. So hopefully that worked. I will feed it every night; it's kinda neat

[zhenya]

Krabby,

It won't benefit from dosing phytoplankton. Try offering some meaty fare for it, you won't believe your eyes how well it will be recieved. ;)
When I kept this coral I used frozen mysid shrimp and chopped up silversides to feed it, it grows rather fast if fed well.

[Yankee I Am]

I have a Sun with 70-80 heads on it...Ill give you a quick idea that works great for me..

I feed at the same time, all the time...With MH lights or not. It will train them to eat about the same time every day. Heres what I did:

I took a bottle (wesson oil for me, clear). Cut the bottom off and place over coral...Turkey bastor works great to take brine or mysis and shower it with the juice...juice it for about 20 minutes until it extends then feed it. Understand, the bottle is only used to keep the juice around the coral so it doesnt float all over.

I know its a pain but after awhile you hit it once with the bottle it knows and will open quickly.

Mine is to the point at 8-830 every night, no matter of the lighting is out in full bloom waiting to be fed.

DOWNFALL is IT WANTS TO EAT!! If you neglect the feeding too many times in a row youll have to start over again...At first, with a 70 head sun coral, it took an hour or so to feed the sucker and I wanted to sell it because of the time to care for it was wayyyyyy too much. Now it takes 5 minutes and its by far the prettiest coral in any tank Ive seen..The pic is when I first got it...the petals are long and full now

Great luck with it!!

[scubadude]

Excellent post Russ.....Very encouraging

[Yankee I Am]

Excellent post Russ.....Very encouraging

Thanks...I was fortunate enough to get the same pep talk when I wanted to sell mine...Here it is a couple nights ago...

[SouthBayPhoto]

Wow...pretty cool lookin'. Like a sunflower patch under water.

[Yankee I Am]

My favorite piece for sure...I think I stole it for 40 dollars...Me thinks it was priced wrong lol