Gorgonia info and reviving a sun coral.

[rubysmomma1]

Recently a friend of ours gave us a yellow gorgonia and a red gorgonia. Both seem to be doing ok, but he says we need to target feed both and that they both needs lot of light and flow. Up to this point we've only had softies and a bird's nest who doesn't need our help and 2 other corals that I could use an ID on if you'd like to help.

The other quesiton is that the sun coral he gave us looks terrible. He said to soak it in food everyday, but that seems to anger him more. I've been blowing rotifers and flakes directly at him and he seems to be opening his mounths, but I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

Any info would be appreciated and here's pics of everyone:

Bird's Nest we've done nothing to:

Really bad pic of the red gorgonia, but that's the only one I have:

Struggling sun coral:

Yellow gorgonia:

ID on these needed:

The bird's nest is in the front and the other we don't know what it is is in the background right of Dori.

Thanks for any help you're willing to give!!

 

[coralcat]

sun coral not good. tried twice, slow death, THEY DON'T LIKE LIGHT, found in caves. Heavy feeders.There isn't a good solution for them to keep alive. A coral that shouldn't be harvested. I don't know any LFS that will carry them either, or has had any sucess with them. Sorry. Birds nest looks great. How long did your friend have the Sun coral???

 

[rubysmomma1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7524051#post7524051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coralcat
How long did your friend have the Sun coral???

Not sure. I know he hadn't tended to it in over a month though. He also said that it would be happy with or without light. That's why we've left him in the light. I'm afraid it's going to be a slow death also, but if I move him to the sump or an overhang and keep blowing rotifers at him, do you think he'd have a chance?

 

[coralcat]

more food in the sump, try it, but try and keep the light off it. I don't think that food blasting it will help at this point, at worst, it will become another piece to frag onto. (after death)About a month sounds about right for the look of it. To ang bad as they shure are good looking in the wholesalers tanks when they 1st come in.

 

[gregm5]

the coral in the last pic looks like a pocillopora

 

[sb1227]

Ok, as far as the Tubastrea (Sun Coral) is concerned, it doesn't look like a lost cause at all. It just needs a little TLC. Light doesn't matter either way. The orange one's are not that hard to keep, they just need to be target fed. That one is small enough it will be easy to feed. I've had one for years now that wasn't much bigger than that when I got it.

I'll give you something to try, if you want to give it every possible chance. Each evening at about the same time, chop up some frozen food (Mysis, prime reef, krill, etc) and if you have any add some Oyster eggs or cyclopeeze, golden pearls. It's not necessary, but will be easy for it to eat right now. If you don't have any don't worry.
Take a small bowl and dip it in the water, put the coral in there trying not to expose it to air. Use a turkey baster or something like it and add the food, let it settle on the polyps and occasionally blow the food around. It won't hurt to leave it out for 15 or 20 minutes, but you can occasionally add tank water to keep the temp up.

If you do this every day for awhile you'll notice a difference. They need a little "training" until they get used to the feeding schedule. Later you can feed every other day until you notice good growth. For now, try to let each polyp get some food. They are seperate, unlike most corals.

These are pretty hardy little guys, Leave it out where it'll get flow. The cave thing doesn't really work in aquariums. They just don't get enough water flow. It'll take a little time, and a little effort, but it's worth it. Good luck!

 

[rubysmomma1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7525589#post7525589 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sb1227
I'll give you something to try, if you want to give it every possible chance. Each evening at about the same time, chop up some frozen food (Mysis, prime reef, krill, etc) and if you have any add some Oyster eggs or cyclopeeze, golden pearls. It's not necessary, but will be easy for it to eat right now. If you don't have any don't worry.

I have the mysis and cyclopeeze. Is rotifers a no then? Our mysis are small, but do I need to chop them up even smaller? Also, how many times a day should I feed it right now?

Thanks!!

 

[sb1227]

Once a day for feeding is plenty, as long as it gets some food. Rotifers are fine, I just use a mix of whatever I have. You'll be amazed just how big of a peice of food these guys can eat. You don't have to chop it up real fine, but smaller is easier to digest. Just try to make sure each polyp gets fed, at least for now.

It's not a big deal with the mysis, I just go over them a couple of times with a sharp knife, but it's not like it'll hurt it to eat whole ones.

Once it's used to the feeding time, it'll be right there just waiting on you! Just be patient at first, it may not take right to it, but will soon enough.

 

[EYESEEU]

cut a 2 literbottle in half keeping the top half and dome over the coral and feed the coral in this manner it will keep the food in place and keep others from eating it. Do this at the same time every night and pretty soon this coral will blossom every night at this time. I would start with the cyclopeeze first then advance to the mysis

 

[rubysmomma1]

The sun coral is already looking better. Three of the mouths took whole pieces of mysis today and the other mouths have been opening for the cylopeeze and rotifers. Thanks for the input guys!!

If someone could just identify the #5 pic, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!!

 

[Valab]

Just wanted to reiterate what sb said above. They're hardy, but you have to make an effort to feed them. In a low flow tank, the upside down bottle top method works well after they've been trained when to expect food. In a high flow tank, temporarily removing them to a bucket for feeding is the only way to go.

Sun corals could care less one way or the other about light. In my gallery (http://www.reefcentral.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=15443&thumb=1) there are some picts of Tubastraea sp. that I took at the mouth of a cave in the BVIs. During low tide, those things spent hours totally out of water in the baking Caribbean sun. Deeper in the cave they got only dappled light.

 

[sb1227]

You are talking about the greenish fuzzy one? #5 Looks like a Pocillipora, as gregm5 said.

 

[SVXH6]

#5 possibly galaxia?? ever notice sweepers?? can you post a pic when it is closed?? the last pic#6 is a green pocillipora(pic with Dori)..

 

[rubysmomma1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7548265#post7548265 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SVXH6
#5 possibly galaxia?? ever notice sweepers?? can you post a pic when it is closed?? the last pic#6 is a green pocillipora(pic with Dori)..

I don't even know what a sweeper is. He only closes when I touch him. This pic is the one still in question:

The pocillopora I won't forget again.

 

[SVXH6]

i would say Galaxia, but a picture of the polyps retracted would help id greatly..

 

[Sparkss]

I agree, it looks like a Galaxia. Do a web search for pictures of the coral and see if they look like yours.

I also agree that the one in the picture behind the blue tang is a porcilipora

 

[rubysmomma1]

The Sun Coral ate mysis 2 days in a row!!! I'm so thrilled that we might be able to save him.

I will make the possible Galaxia mad and get a pic of his structure. It's weird though. It's a fluorescent blue/green.

 

[zarro]

nice pics

 

[Ti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7554401#post7554401 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zarro
nice pics

I agree

 

[sb1227]

The Sun Coral ate mysis 2 days in a row!!! I'm so thrilled that we might be able to save him.

You're going to be fine. I however.....can't count.