Help With Feeding Sun Coral??????

Great Reefer Man · 05-19-2001, 10:15 AM

How should I feed this coral. It is in an established 100gal. tank. I dont want to shut the pumps down to feed. I have been removing the coral and putting in a seperate container to feed but it's not working too well. Is there something I could put over it in the tank to feed it? Also, what is the best feed for it in your opinion?

TIA
Dennis

Baywatch Babe · 05-19-2001, 12:15 PM

Get an empty 2L soda bottle then cut the bottom. Put the bottle over the coral and squirt the food, eg. brine shrimp and/or small pcs meaty foods. [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

Aragorn · 05-19-2001, 07:25 PM

And if you don't want to use the above approach, I have 4 Sun Corals and I find that frozen squid(San Francisco Brand in particular) is real "sticky". This way it adheres to the tentacles long enough for the polyp to capture it...even in current. HTH

------------------
One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in The Darkness bind them.

Tahoereefs.com

Great Reefer Man · 05-19-2001, 10:05 PM

Thanks for the tip on the 2 litre!!!!!

Aragorn: How do you get the polyps to come out? Are your's out all the time? If you coax them out with some shrimp juice or something, dosen't it just float away too fast to coax the corals polyps out?????? Mine is not polyped out very often at all. The LFS guy said that these sun polyps were from Tonga and they usually take a couple weeks to settle in and start polyping out. What are your thouoghts???? Also, how long have you had yours????

Thanx,
Dennis

Aragorn · 05-19-2001, 10:57 PM

Dennis,
I've had one since about October of last year. Got another healthy one for our 135g about 3 months ago. These two guys were easy to "train". Additionally, I recently took 2 Tubastraea's from our LFS that were on the brink of death(skeletal structure exposed, polyps unhealthy). They took a bit of "coaxing" but are quite healthy now. Anyway your question.
I feed my Sun corals frozen foods(brine, squid, silversides) because the food will "sink". Since Tubastraea is typically a nocturnal feeder, it's easier to train them to open and feed in the evening. I feed my tank(s) around 8PM. So, I started by lightly placing pieces of food on any polyp that had some tentacles extended. I do this w/ a baster. Once a feeding response is "triggered", all the polyps will begin responding by opening. Nowadays, all my Tubastraea will be open by 7:30-8PM every night. Feeding is simple, especially w/ squid. I do agree w/ your LFS guy. It's not surprising for them to take a couple of weeks to "settle in". I'd suggest trying to "stick" some food on any polyp in the evening(every evening. This'll take patience since it could take a few weeks. Soon, they'll be trained. They do have voracious appetites and should be fed regularly(I feed mine nightly). Here's a link to my Sun Coral page that contains a little info too. HTH http://www.tahoereefs.com/Sun%20Page%201.htm

------------------
One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in The Darkness bind them.

Tahoereefs.com

36 · 05-20-2001, 04:39 AM

I recently got some Sun Polyps and a few started opening in the evening when I tried to feed and within two weeks most were opening at least part of the way. They open at 6 pm. One evening I cut up a piece of fresh shrimp and fed it to them. The next evening I looked at them a little after six and every one was wide open screaming for some of that shrimp. I went back to brine and other frozen foods after that, but now they stay open longer in the evening and also have been open in the early morning.

05-19-2001, 10:15 AM	#1
Great Reefer Man Citizen Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Portland, OR USA Posts: 192	Help With Feeding Sun Coral?????? How should I feed this coral. It is in an established 100gal. tank. I dont want to shut the pumps down to feed. I have been removing the coral and putting in a seperate container to feed but it's not working too well. Is there something I could put over it in the tank to feed it? Also, what is the best feed for it in your opinion? TIA Dennis

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05-19-2001, 12:15 PM	#2
Baywatch Babe Governor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 1,357	Get an empty 2L soda bottle then cut the bottom. Put the bottle over the coral and squirt the food, eg. brine shrimp and/or small pcs meaty foods. [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

05-19-2001, 07:25 PM	#3
Aragorn Governor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pine Grove, CA USA Posts: 2,064	And if you don't want to use the above approach, I have 4 Sun Corals and I find that frozen squid(San Francisco Brand in particular) is real "sticky". This way it adheres to the tentacles long enough for the polyp to capture it...even in current. HTH ------------------ One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in The Darkness bind them. Tahoereefs.com

05-19-2001, 10:05 PM	#4
Great Reefer Man Citizen Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Portland, OR USA Posts: 192	Thanks for the tip on the 2 litre!!!!! Aragorn: How do you get the polyps to come out? Are your's out all the time? If you coax them out with some shrimp juice or something, dosen't it just float away too fast to coax the corals polyps out?????? Mine is not polyped out very often at all. The LFS guy said that these sun polyps were from Tonga and they usually take a couple weeks to settle in and start polyping out. What are your thouoghts???? Also, how long have you had yours???? Thanx, Dennis

05-19-2001, 10:57 PM	#5
Aragorn Governor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pine Grove, CA USA Posts: 2,064	Dennis, I've had one since about October of last year. Got another healthy one for our 135g about 3 months ago. These two guys were easy to "train". Additionally, I recently took 2 Tubastraea's from our LFS that were on the brink of death(skeletal structure exposed, polyps unhealthy). They took a bit of "coaxing" but are quite healthy now. Anyway your question. I feed my Sun corals frozen foods(brine, squid, silversides) because the food will "sink". Since Tubastraea is typically a nocturnal feeder, it's easier to train them to open and feed in the evening. I feed my tank(s) around 8PM. So, I started by lightly placing pieces of food on any polyp that had some tentacles extended. I do this w/ a baster. Once a feeding response is "triggered", all the polyps will begin responding by opening. Nowadays, all my Tubastraea will be open by 7:30-8PM every night. Feeding is simple, especially w/ squid. I do agree w/ your LFS guy. It's not surprising for them to take a couple of weeks to "settle in". I'd suggest trying to "stick" some food on any polyp in the evening(every evening. This'll take patience since it could take a few weeks. Soon, they'll be trained. They do have voracious appetites and should be fed regularly(I feed mine nightly). Here's a link to my Sun Coral page that contains a little info too. HTH http://www.tahoereefs.com/Sun%20Page%201.htm ------------------ One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in The Darkness bind them. Tahoereefs.com

05-20-2001, 04:39 AM	#6
36 Citizen Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Mabank,TX Posts: 180	I recently got some Sun Polyps and a few started opening in the evening when I tried to feed and within two weeks most were opening at least part of the way. They open at 6 pm. One evening I cut up a piece of fresh shrimp and fed it to them. The next evening I looked at them a little after six and every one was wide open screaming for some of that shrimp. I went back to brine and other frozen foods after that, but now they stay open longer in the evening and also have been open in the early morning.

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