Black Sun Polyp Round 2

PhysicsMunkey

PhysicsMunkey

New member
So I received my replacement coral from liveaquaria for the black sun polyp I lost earlier.

After the coral not extending its polyps for 3 days I decided to use the "tupperware" method to feed it. I've been trying since Saturday and still no luck with the coral extending its polyps.

I have had success if I place a bit of food directly on each polyp. I can visibly see the mouth come out and suck down the food (reminds me of spaghetti :spin2:). I have successfully done this about 3 days in a row now, and it will continually eat more food as I place it on the heads directly.

I can see little "nubs" of what look to be the polyp arms when this happens but they just aren't extended. Is it possible that from the capture of the corals, the shipping to live aquaria, the shipping to my house, and then the time in my tank, the arms have just receded to this length? I was thinking maybe it needs to keep eating to be able to "rebuild" its polyps? Or...perhaps it is just being stubborn and will continue to ask to be hand fed!

Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys.
 
Continue to do this process. It can be a PITA but worth it in the end. There are times it can take a week or rwo, sometimes longer. As long as you continue to see improvement in the coral you are in good shape. Welcome to the world of azooxanthellate corals.

Mike
 
I've got a black one with about 20 polyps. Its done the same thing as yours and mine was in a dealer tank for a month. I've had it in my tank for 2 months and it still hasn't opened but it still hasn't bleached out. Even though i've put foods on the polyps they haven't opened for anything except live rotifers. Even when they are open like yours mine seem to have no polyp arms. With a half a 2 liter coke bottle i've tried live bbs but it was an exercise in futility. Rotifers are the only thing it seems to be interested in. I've seen some sucess stories just not me hope you have better sucess.
 
Thanks Mike!

I think I am addicted to these NPS corals.
That's very encouraging news. I have noticed each day that I place the food directly on the polyps it is taking less and less time for the coral to react to it. Today they were munching up the food after about 15 minutes whereas when I started the coral sat in the tupperware for about an hour with little response. Sounds like I'm headed in the right direction!
 
Thanks Tom, maybe I'll try the rotifers if their stalemate lasts a little longer. I did try the pop bottle trick at first and I didn't have any luck...maybe you'd have some luck by removing the coral completely and putting it in its own tupperware? Even though they are not fully opened I am consoled by the fact that at least I can see them eating. Keep us updated though if you have any luck getting yours to open!
 
PhysicsMunkey


Here is a picture of it in its little tupperware feeder. You can see the polyp mouths but no arms extended. Each mouth ends up eating in the end, I just wish the arms were opened. I will try and get a picture of it in the tank tonite since this is just a close up of him.
 
Very nice. My yellow one took a couple days before it started opening up to eat and it's pretty ravenous. I used to overfeed it at first until I noticed it barfing up the food the following day. Now I feed it very small amounts every other day either with Mysis or flakes. I've had it almost a year now - It needs to start spawning...
 
Thank you very much! I will try to get a picture of it in the tank today when I go home. Yeah I've been over doing it on the food to just try and get it to open for me...

Awesome! I agree it needs to start spawning...
 
Very nice! Let us know who the feeding routine goes. Be sure to post some pictures if you have some success in getting it to open quickly. Very nice find!
 
Mine was exactly the same, took a few weeks for the tentacles to come full out. I've also found this with the other suns i have, think it is just the stress of shipping and the starving during this period.

It will be worth it

IMG_7928.jpg


IMG_7927.jpg


IMG_8074.jpg
 
WOW!! I can only hope my black one will look like that some day! That looks amazing. Well I'll keep up with the feedings and hope they keep extending more and more. They've been in the tank about 2.5 weeks and it seems like they are going in the right direction (OUT!). Thanks for the nice picture!
 
Moort,
Those black ones are really struttin' their stuff. Congrats to you and nice job of capturing detail in the polyps. I've photographed them and that's not necessarily easy to do.
Gary
 
Mine are open!

Mine are open!

IMG_9916.JPG


I have a second cluster that I'm nurturing for a friend. There was some progress with feeding last night. The mouths were slightly opened though no show of tentacles. I left small bits of mysyis inside the cup overnight and this morning it was gone and a couple of heads were puffy unlike the others which are sunken.

The plan is to keep this up over the next week or so until the heads are completely open like mine :).
 
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