NanoCube-boy
New member
Hi there, I wonder how fast can Sun coral develope? Like how fast the can spread over a 6x5inches rock and grow to a mature polyp?
How fast can Sun Coral thrive?
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Olliereefer
Premium Member
Quite a long time depending on how much you feed them!!!
NanoCube-boy
New member
Well I feed them a lot of food, like 1 and 1/4 cube of food, or 3/4 of cube every other day. It does really on calcium too right? My Calcium are at 480-504ppm and Akalinity is at 10-12dKh. I do Supplement my tank weekly with 5ml of Mag. and Iodine.
Hormigaquatica
Active member
Tubastrea grow slowly- less than a horizontal inch per year if I remember right. But, if it is healthy and happy, it can also 'reproduce' and you will wind up with small satellite colonies around the tank.
Keep the water quality in excellent shape (tough to do with heavy feeding, so stay with it) and the polyps well fed and hopefully youll get some spread in there.
Keep the water quality in excellent shape (tough to do with heavy feeding, so stay with it) and the polyps well fed and hopefully youll get some spread in there.
NanoCube-boy
New member
Thanks man. Yea, it's a little tough feeding them, but inorder to achieve healthy a colony, I must give them what they want. When they fully cover the rock, I will get what i want.
I feed rich frozen mysis and cyclop-eez. Mysis shrimp are very meat, great for them. Cyclop-eez are back up feeding food, sometimes certain baby polyps need small enrich food to grow, and it's best for them eat what they fit in their mouth. Other big guys get their food shared with other livestock, so making sure they get full meal, I feed them cyclop-eez as well. I mix both 1/2 mysis and 1/4 cyclop-eez cubes together and feed them with turkey baster.
What do you guys feed your Tubs.?
I feed rich frozen mysis and cyclop-eez. Mysis shrimp are very meat, great for them. Cyclop-eez are back up feeding food, sometimes certain baby polyps need small enrich food to grow, and it's best for them eat what they fit in their mouth. Other big guys get their food shared with other livestock, so making sure they get full meal, I feed them cyclop-eez as well. I mix both 1/2 mysis and 1/4 cyclop-eez cubes together and feed them with turkey baster.
What do you guys feed your Tubs.?
blackheart
New member
mine ate my arm!!!!
dippin61
New member
mine went from 15 heads, to 150+, in about 2 years.
mine were fed every other day, 5-10 mysis each head.
each head needs to be fed individually. The heads do not share feedings.
and just feeding the water column with cubes, wont give the sun coral enough food. they need to be target fed, meaty foods to thrive.
mine were fed every other day, 5-10 mysis each head.
each head needs to be fed individually. The heads do not share feedings.
and just feeding the water column with cubes, wont give the sun coral enough food. they need to be target fed, meaty foods to thrive.
NanoCube-boy
New member
Blackheart, how often do you feed your sun coral? How much do you feed it?
NanoCube-boy
New member
Dippin61, Ya, I do target fed with a baster.
blackheart
New member
i feed mine about once or twice a week mysis and try and dust it with cyclopeeze when i feed my micros. It has propigated and i have tons of tiny colonies growing all over the tank that are very hard to target feed. I do feed one of them and i cant really tell a difference between that one and any other. Just my .02
PS:remember that they really like water motion so make sure they have some.
good luck
PS:remember that they really like water motion so make sure they have some.
good luck
ShiftNation
New member
The newest issue of coral magazine has an article with a hobbiest who feeds hers everyday and they constantly produce gametes . She explains how to collect them and get them to settle on a new substrate . Its a great article and Ive never seen so much tubastrea in one tank . But she reiterates its the daily feedings that spur the growth and coax the coral into reproducing . She also stated the flow is also very important to the health of the main colony , but even more so in making the gametes choose where they will settle . Wrong flow and they wont settle at all .
NanoCube-boy
New member
What is GAMETES?
Blackheart, I try feeding once a week, but it show signs of dying, Iono why. I fed every polyps with a baster. So i have to feed every other day to thrive. As for water flow, I try feeding with my pump on and it would get blown away. So I usually just turn off the pump and feed them. After I'm done, I turn the pump back on.
Blackheart, I try feeding once a week, but it show signs of dying, Iono why. I fed every polyps with a baster. So i have to feed every other day to thrive. As for water flow, I try feeding with my pump on and it would get blown away. So I usually just turn off the pump and feed them. After I'm done, I turn the pump back on.
sufunk
New member
Actually, i have seen Borneman quoted in other threads saying that in his experience each polyp does not need to be fed. As long as the entire coral is fed properly, each head will receive what it needs. I would have to agree with this IME. My sun has at least 100 heads and i have never fed every single polyp, way too difficult. I cover with a bowl and feed the entire coral and it has done great and sprouted even more new heads in the last 15 months.
NanoCube-boy
New member
Fed in a bowl? How?
blackheart
New member
If your coral is new to your tank and was just bought from a pet store it could be near starvation. It is a shame but most store do not have the time for proper up keep of a coral like this they are very tough to get health but once they are they do very well. Right now i could feed mine in a huricane and it would not drop the food. If yours is having trouble holding on to the food then it is having problems making neumaticytes. these are what the coral uses to catch food. youmust show your coral extra sensitivity right now by feeding every time it is out. I know it sounds a bit extream. also you will have to do water changes to your tank to get rid of excess ammonia produced by the increase in food in your tank. But if you want you coral to thrive you must feed it often for at least the first 6-8 weeks you have it. you will know when it is healthy. you will see much fuller polyp extention and you coral will grab and hang onto food better. When your coral is looking good like the one in the above picture. then you can start to slow your feedings down.
It sound like a lot but it is well worth it.
PS: gametes are the "spores" given off by the mother colony to form baby sister colonies
Good luck
It sound like a lot but it is well worth it.
PS: gametes are the "spores" given off by the mother colony to form baby sister colonies
Good luck
sufunk
New member
Super target had a ton of little turrperware bowls. I found one that is about 4"x4"x4" and drilled a hole in the top and each side. I put it over the sun before feeding and then thaw out a little homemade food in a shotglass of tankwater and feed with a syringe. This way, the sun can eat for as long as it wants and nothing in the tank will bother it or steal food. Also helps to keep the food in 1 place and not pread all over the tank ruining your water quality. After a few hours, i take the bowl off and let my shrimp and fish finish any leftovers.
Works great and would HIGHLY recommend this method.
NanoCube-boy
New member
I see. How much should I slow down to?
blackheart
New member
you should slow down gradually to twice a week.
the feeding bowl also works but dont i dont recommend doing it in the sand or........... well you will see do it on a rock. matter of fact i dont recommend putting this coral on the sand at all.and you will have to keep some of your fish away from the coral while its eating. But when it becomes strong it will be able to fend for itself. My fish, shrimp, serpent star, snails, and everything else dont mess with mine anymore because it has quite a sting to it. Nothing that you will feel of course but a strong sting to the fish and such.
so anyway hope this helps, and keep the questions coming
good luck
the feeding bowl also works but dont i dont recommend doing it in the sand or........... well you will see do it on a rock. matter of fact i dont recommend putting this coral on the sand at all.and you will have to keep some of your fish away from the coral while its eating. But when it becomes strong it will be able to fend for itself. My fish, shrimp, serpent star, snails, and everything else dont mess with mine anymore because it has quite a sting to it. Nothing that you will feel of course but a strong sting to the fish and such.
so anyway hope this helps, and keep the questions coming
good luck
NanoCube-boy
New member
How come it's bad in the sand? Alot of people say that, don't put Sun on the sand. Why?
NanoCube-boy
New member
How come it's bad in the sand? Alot of people say that, don't put Sun on the sand. Why?
