My New Sun Coral

[Tc269]

Hey I have never had a non-sun loving coral before but saw this guy at my LFS and had to have him. The guy at the pet store told me to feed it brine shrimp but I read online to feed them mysis what should I feed him? Any sugestions will do I will buy whatever food makes him happy! Does he look happy and healthy now?

 

[EllieSuz]

Yes, it looks very healthy. I feed mine Prime Reef soaked in tank water, but once it is thawed, I have to pick it apart to get it into my feeding tube. Mysis is good also. Try to feed each polyp every other day or so.

 

[rcgates]

I feed mine mysis, cyclop-eeze, and sometimes Spectrum pellets.

 

[kiknchikn]

I just basically feed my fish over the coral. Pretty much removes the need to target feed.

 

[Eric the half-bee]

I'm eyeing some on ebay. How long have you guys kept these corals?

 

[rcgates]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13958423#post13958423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eric the half-bee
I'm eyeing some on ebay. How long have you guys kept these corals?

I have had mine since Aug and it's thriving, there are two pictures in my gallery, the second picture isn't the best, night time with a flash.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=141258&thumb=1

 

[Tc269]

how much do these corals usually go for?

 

[bandr1002]

how much do these corals usually go for?

sorry not sure how to "quote " at the LFS in colorado we pay about 40 for a clusster of em..

i have had mine for about 6 months and love it... i to feed mysis and it is thriving.... opens around feeding time like clock work

 

[Henryreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13960095#post13960095 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tc269
how much do these corals usually go for?

depends on size, I find the small go for like 30, medium go for like 40 and then the larger for there the more expensive they get.

 

[mushroomhead]

What do you guy's usually use to feed the polyps? I have been using tweezers made from wooden chopsticks to feed each polyp mysis shrimp. The difficulty is, I put the coral in a shaded area to keep it out of the light, and it is difficult to reach. Also my 6 line wrasse and yellow tang steal the shrimp from the polyps mouths.

 

[rcgates]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14008773#post14008773 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mushroomhead
What do you guy's usually use to feed the polyps? I have been using tweezers made from wooden chopsticks to feed each polyp mysis shrimp. The difficulty is, I put the coral in a shaded area to keep it out of the light, and it is difficult to reach. Also my 6 line wrasse and yellow tang steal the shrimp from the polyps mouths.

Sometimes I just squirt food on the coral.

Most of the time, I put an acrylic tube in the tank over the coral and let it feed without being bothered by the fish and shrimp.

 

[Michael]

heres mine, i will try to get some better shots next time hes out, ive had him about 2 months and dont target feed, i just squirt some shrimp near him and use salifert coral food, hes fine, in fact he looks great when hes fully out, hes only about 90% here

 

[Tc269]

I just spray a good amount over the coral and my fish will usually go for the free floating food that it doesnt catch.

 

[bandr1002]

i use a seringe that you would use for baby meds. you can go to any walgreens and ask the pharmicy for a free one....
also i only squirt the food around myne if the fish get it to bad... myne is thriving and the way i figure it.... they dont get spot fed in the wild LOL.....

 

[EllieSuz]

We cannot compare what happens in the wild to what occurs in our tiny, tightly controlled environments. The baby syringe is a great idea. I went one step further and attached a length of rigid airline tube to the syringe with a little bit of soft airline tubing. This way my hands aren't in the tank every time I feed. I also put an inch of soft tube on the business end so as to lessen the chance of injuring the coral. I spot feed each polyp every other night. I had a candy cane that was on its way out until I started target feeding it regularly and now it's huge and plump and healthy. They will live a while without target feeding, but IMO Sun Corals need individual attention.

 

[Henryreef]

I use a turkey baster or the pipet that comes with the refractometer to squirt mysis all over the sun coral. Sometimes I will then cover it with 1/2 a 2L bottle with holes poked in it to protect it form any fish or shrimp that could steal its food.

 

[bandr1002]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14013527#post14013527 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EllieSuz
I went one step further and attached a length of rigid airline tube to the syringe with a little bit of soft airline tubing. This way my hands aren't in the tank every time I feed. I also put an inch of soft tube on the business end so as to lessen the chance of injuring the coral.

can you post a picture of this lovely contraption... i dont injoy sticking my hands in my tank all the time... thanks

 

[Michael]

have you guys tried the pepsi bottle trick, cut the bottom of the plastic half gallon pepsi bottle, and stick it over the coral, providing its small enough of course and squirt the food through a syringe over the coral, the botle stops the fish getting at the food and stops the flow blowing it away

 

[mushroomhead]

I have used the 2 litre bottle trick before, but the coral stopped ingesting the shrimp without the flow around it.

 

[Henryreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14017349#post14017349 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mushroomhead
I have used the 2 litre bottle trick before, but the coral stopped ingesting the shrimp without the flow around it.

I use it, bo problems at all. That is weird, I always turn my pumps off so I have 0 flow when I feed. I do this so no mysis is blown around my tank, and all of it gets in my sun coral, not my water quality.