Anyone feed pellets to their sun coral?

[daddy2kids]

I have a yellow sun coral. It is going great, but not growing much. I have read that I might've able to get it to grow by feeding it more often. Right now, I feed it mysis and cycplopeze 2-3 days per week.

So, I'm looking for a simple way to target feed my sun coral a few times a week without having to thaw a cube of mysis or thaw some cyclopeze. Any suggestions for easy target feeding a sun coral?

I read that some people feed their sun corals pellet food, but I can't seem to find either the types/brands they use or the methods they use.

What pellet foods are good for sun corals? Do I soak the pellets before feeding or just target feed with sinking pellets? Again, this is to supplement regular feedings with mysis/cyclopeze. Thanks in advance.

 

[EllieSuz]

I tried feeding pellets and I just let them soak in a cup and soften up first. Meaty foods are best. Have you made a good tool for feeding them? Here's a picture of what I use:

<a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk179/EllieSuz/?action=view&current=2011-01-28131521.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk179/EllieSuz/2011-01-28131521.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

It's a medicine stopper attached to a length of rigid airline tubing by a short piece of soft airline tubing. On the other end I attached another short piece of soft tube so it's gentler on the polyp. This enables you to feed each polyp. Draw your mysis into the tube after you thaw it and feed away. Feel free to ask questions about my methods. I got this idea from a fellow RC member and that's why RC is so great...we pass along the good stuff.

 

[daddy2kids]

Thanks Eileen. That types/brands of pellets do you feed your sun corals?

I like your feeding syringe. I have been using a 3ml pipette with the tip cut off, which works great, but it would be nice not to have to stick my whole arm in the tank.

 

[Water Tecn]

Sun corals are pretty hard to feed from what I read, flow or other fish taking food away.One way to combat this is to cut the top half of a 2liter soda bottle over the coral and put the food into where the cap screws on.....just a thought

 

[EllieSuz]

I doubt that the coral prefers pelleted foods to frozen meaty ones, but the one time I fed pellets, it was Spectrum brand. It was just an experiment.

 

[daddy2kids]

Thanks again. If I try it I will let you know. I intend this to be an extra meal or two per week above and beyond the 2-3 mysis/cyclopeze feedings per week.

 

[MechEng99]

When I don't feel like mixing up a batch of food, I'll turn off the flow and drop 1-2 pellets in every mouth I can reach (even if they aren't extending tentacles.) They get the hint, and they'll usually open right up if they're healthy (and if they're used to being fed at that time of day.)

I haven't noticed a difference with healthy corals prefering one type of pellet over another, but I have noticed that unhealthy corals prefer (they react faster and digest more...that's my measure of "preference) Formula Two over Spectrum...and both of those over the Cherry Corals Acan pellets. Those are the only pellets I've tried so far.

 

[daddy2kids]

Thank you very much MechEng99. This is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to get. Any chance you will tell me specifically to which pellets you're referring?

I think I found the Formula Two pellets: *Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Marine Pellets (green cap), right?

The Cherry Corals acan pellets has me scratching head. *Maybe:
Fauna Marin Ultra Zoa/LPS food 100ml? *-or-
Fauna Marin Ultra LPS food, med. pellets?

There are over a dozen Spectrum pellets. *Maybe*New Life Spectrum Thera-A Formula, Sinking Pellet Fish Food...? *They are 1 mm in size.

Thanks again,
Sean

 

[MechEng99]

Sorry about that! Had to go dig them out:

1. Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Marine Pellet (Yup, green cap)
2. New Life Spectrum Marine Fish Formula (Blue cap)
3. Fauna Marin Ultra LPS Grow and Color (random sample I got at MACNA)

Keep in mind, I'm not saying any one of those is better in nutritional quality or whatever. I've just noticed that whenever I have a really stubborn coral who won't eat...if I give it the Formula Two, it'll react a bit more. If you have something on hand, just try it, and if it works, great!

 

[daddy2kids]

Thank you Very much! Just bought Formula Two and will try tonight.

(BTW, I'm an EE '86... And I think I'm well on my way to having your "problem"....)

 

[MechEng99]

Nice! It's amazing how many engineers there are in this hobby...or just those in STEM careers in general. And, my "problem" is getting much much worse. I'm adding a few tanks. I'm contemplating surprising the hubby with a cuttlefish tank (his dream) in a few months. That means growing mysis at home....

Anywho...let me know if you have any problems getting them to take the pellets. I have a few tricks up my sleeve for getting corals to open. Best of luck!

 

[L98-Z]

Yes, I fed mine pellets. Never had any issues doing this. I still feed my duncans with pellets.

 

[RCERNA280]

Go to melevsreef.com he has a whole article on how he grows/feed his sun corals

 

[daddy2kids]

Wow, MechEng99, a cuttlefish tank? Cool! I've never heard of a tank for a cuttlefish.

And, yes, it seems like you need to be both an eng'r and a chemist to survive this hobby.

I will need some tips on feeding pellets to my NPS. I tried my usual 3ml pipette with the tip cut off--FAIL (all the pellets fell out long before I got my arm all the way down). I tried another 3 ml pipette with less tip cut off--fail (the pellets clogged the outlet). I tried a big feeding syringe--fail (again, they clogged the opening). I finally just used my fingers. About a third made it into my sun coral. They stuffed themselves. The rest of the pellets went between the heads and I assume my Nassarius snails cleaned them up. I had a pretty abysmal hit rate. It probably doesn't help that my sun coral is at the bottom of my tank. Suggestions?

Thanks L98-Z. What pellets do you feed sun coral? How do you feed them to your sun coral?

Thanks everyone.

 

[daddy2kids]

Thanks RCERNA280. I looked at the link you posted. I do exactly that for my 3 mysis/cyclopeze feedings per week. I use a 3 ml pipette with enough of the tip cut off to make an opening large enough for the mysis to easily enter and exit.

I am looking for an easy way to do supplemental feedings each week.

 

[jaynel78]

good thread...im gonna use pellets for additional feedings now

 

[WillBattle]

I feed my sun coral and Dendro both with pellets, as well as cyclopeeze and various frozen. Both seem to like them.

Turkey baster works best for me!

 

[username in use]

If you guys are looking for a longer feeder that can handle mysis and pellets alike I will let you in my secret feeding tool.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=13943

It gets pretty long. I know what you are thinking. "Look how little that tip is" Its true, but . . . . . the black tip comes off and leaves just an open ended tube which is a perfect diameter for all sorts of foods to go in and the bulb gives you a good feel to dispense a little or a lot.

 

[Zappo]

I just use my fingers to feed spectrum marine pellets to my dendro when I run out of frozen food. I've noticed that it'll stop the coral from shrinking due to starvation, but it never really shows signs of growing until I switch back to frozen foods.

 

[nick4202]

I will have to add in on this one for you guys a bit late i realize because i am looking at the date on the last post so sorry you all have probably long forgotten about this conversation, but I found this because i wanted to know if anyone found out what I did. I had a problem with my sun coral it was not accepting mysis or cyclopeze unless i stuck it in a coffee cup with some tank water and frozen food (thawed out and rinsed of course) for a good 3 hours before it would eat it, never would accept it in tank without turning off all circulation and sitting there for a hour or two. It was starting to look pretty unhealthy and started to develop white spots on the orange skeleton. Anyways getting to my point i noticed that it opened up fast and wide when i fed the fish formula one pellets, so i then started to feed the formula one, now my sun coral is looking really healthy no white spots and loves the pellets each polyp eats at least 10 pellets it amazing how much they can down, and its amazingly easy to feed them to it as well feed the fish first so they don't pick at it then you don't even have to turn the circulation off just drop the pellets on top with a turkey baster they will stick and not let go and gobble gobble gobble .