are sun corals safe?

[returnofsid]

Especially look for pics with the polyps withdrawn.

 

[rhino509]

hmm,thanks a lot for those links,it looks a lot like the Tubastrea coccinea picture.the one that doesnt really have a body,more looks like tubes just growing out of the rock.

 

[returnofsid]

Yep. I think you should just send it my way...I won't care what kind it is...lol. Feeding it will be more work than you wanna deal with...j/k. Seriously though, if you decide to frag it, let me know. I'd definitely be interested in some.

 

[Aliie]

I have never had any problems with mine. I have seahorses in with mine and they even grad onto it. I haven't had to specifically feed it either. If it's in a good flow stream you may not have to target feed.

 

[rhino509]

hmm, well i was just looking at it up close again,i really think it is a branching specimen,its hard to see in the pic,but the upper left side,there are 4 stalks that come up,the middle one(looks more reddish than the others in the picture) was actually the main stalk at one point,it just dide off some,the branches kept growing.im not going to disagree or agree at this point,since it really doesnt matter,they all look pretty neat regardless.i think i will keep it for now,try feeding it and see what happens,if its health continues to detiriate,ill just learn how to frag it,and do that.if it gets healthy and starts growing,well......then ill learn how to frag it then do so.lol
note:maybe i will put it in the light for a sec so i can get a better picture of it.
thx for reading
keith

 

[returnofsid]

I think you'll be able to bring it around. It actually doesn't look too bad in the pic. I'd try feeding it at least every other day for awhile to get it to perk up. Could end up being a really interesting coral in your tank!!

 

[dippin61]

it actually is a branching one, that has kinda spread around. You can tell by the fact that there are heads sprouting from existing heads. Regular ones all have their own "Tube".

Looks a little rough, skeleton looks a bit tight, but just get it to open and feed it, and it will no doubt come back.

 

[rhino509]

so i tried feeding it today,i got one polyp to come out and eat,good news i guess.so i read earlier that sun corals dont spread the wealth(sorry i dont know the scientific term,where corals share food or what not) meaning each individual polyp needs to be fed,did i misunderstand,or is this correct.if its a branching one,is this non sharing still the case?
thx

 

[returnofsid]

The colony does not obtain nutrients from individual polyps. Each Polyp must be fed. I've also been doing some reading on them throughout the day. I've found that they normally only eat at night. They also can be kept in direct lighting in your tank, they really don't care. They'll normally open up as soon as daylight bulbs are turned off. If they fail to open, it's normally caused by malnutrition. In other words, they're starving...lol. You can induce them to open up to eat by blowing the juices of whatever you're trying to feed them on them. If you're trying to feed frozen mysid shrimp...suck up some of the juices in a syringe and blow it on them gently. Might have to do this for a couple of days, right after daylight bulbs go out. The reading I've been doing also says that they eat foods larger than most corals. They're able to eat adult brine shrimp or adult mysid shrimp sized food. Once you get them to open up, your best bet would probably be to use a turkey baster to gently blow frozen, but thawed food directly on to each polyp where the tentacles will grab the food. Oh one other thing, even though they don't really care if they're in low light or high light, they DO like HIGH flow. That kinda surprised me actually. I'd try and put them somewhere that meets that criteria AND will also be easy to get to for feeding each day.

 

[rhino509]

returnofsid,thanks for the info about the light,that works perfect i think,i have a spot right on the left middle of the tank for it to go for now,the light is gonna make the colors just pop,when i first put it in the tank,under the lights the colors are crazy bright.im up late,just observing it,quite a few more of the polyps are open,maybe ill try and feed it again.

 

[rhino509]

actually,you know what,i retract my statement,i think i read earlier that they needed to be in the shade for the fact algae will outgrow/overwhelm/kill it.correct me if im wrong.
thx
keith

 

[returnofsid]

Well, that's not mentioned in anything I read. I'll do some more reading and send you any pertinent links. Algae wouldn't be any more likely to overwhelm it than any other coral. Keep in mind that Algae is less light loving than most corals. It will grow in lower light levels as well. The quality of the light has a lot to do with algae growth. That's why algae will be a good indicator of bulb lifespan. As bulbs deteriorate, algae growth will increase.

 

[rhino509]

i never even thought about that,the fact that algae will grow even with little light, or no light for that matter.

 

[returnofsid]

Well, in reading Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals Selection, Husbandy and Natural History...which is one of the most referred to books on coral information...

pgs. 315-317. There's quite a bit of info about them. From what I'm reading, they are prone to algae problems but it's mainly because people keep them in shaded spots that are usually also low flow areas. It's the low flow that Eric Borneman seems to be pointing to as the cause of algae problems. He says, "Most aquarists place these corals under ledges or overhangs in an attempt to mimic their natural locale. Unfortunately, such placement often subjects the to areas of low current, contrary to the conditions they prefer in nature. The presence of light does not harm Tubastraea, and they may be kept in the open, exposed to full light. Adequate flow should be provided to keep the interstitial areas free of accumulated food and/or debris." Hmm, another interesting fact about them "...Tubastaea micrantha is so tenacious and strong that it was one of the very few corals whose skeletons remained affixed following nuclear testing in the Pacific." It would seem that they have a very stong skeleton and have also been found to be one of the only species that regularly resist tropical cyclones and typhoons. In the information about Natural Location, he says that many times they are found in direct light in nature, as long as the plankton content is high. Also usually found in areas of laminar current.

Okay, enough copying from a book for now...lol. I'll get back to you with links soon. This is beginning to sound like a very interesting coral. I might have to see if there's anymore available down there. Can I ask how much you paid approx?

 

[rhino509]

thanks a lot for the info.so then i take it its safe to say i can just treat it as a acro as far as flow and placement? i also read somewhere that the "sun coral" (article didnt specify which species) is the most photographed coral in the world,and most people dont even know it.(not that its an important fact)

i think i payed like 25 bucks for it,and actually,id be willing to frag one of them from the rock once/if they start eating regularly,the way i see it,it already looks a little rough,might as well get a chunk here and there to see what it does and doesnt like.that way if it doesnt like what i have to offer,i wont kill the whole thing.

 

[rhino509]

new placement,more light,more flow

and for sh*ts and giggles,a whole tank shot(i know its not much to look at yet but hey,everyone likes a full tank shot )

sorry for the reflection on the rightside.lol

 

[returnofsid]

Looks great!! Have you had any problem with the Flame Angel picking at corals? I had a Coral Beauty for a long time and never had a problem. Would like to add a dwarf angel of some kind to the 75.

I agree with your thinking on fragging. It always helps to spread things out a lil'. In fact, an SPS guy in Montana recently had his 300 gallon tank crash....lost everything. Fortunately, he'd fragged and spread a lot. As soon as he gets his tank up and going again, I'll be able to give him back some frags that he originally gave to me...lol.

 

[rhino509]

actually i did see the angel nip at two corals just the other day,still observing to seeif it becomes a habit or if it was just sampling.my thought is its gonna become a habit,already thinking about getting rid og it,too bad too they are very colorful and active.

 

[returnofsid]

Will Flames are less likely to nip than most dwarfs, but still can. I'd like to get a Potters, Cherub or Eibli's Angel. These are some of the less likely to nip also.

 

[Aliie]

Nice job on the pic Rhino. Nice big tank too. I think you'll have better luck with the light and flow. Mine is not a branching sun coral. Here is what mine looks like right before it opens. The LFS gave me something when I first got it to make it open and feed. It was given to me in a tube. I'll see if they can tell me what it was. It smelled bad but really made it open wide.