Sun Coral Polyps Open During Daytime

[Rick55555]

I have a sun coral frag with approximately 5-10 heads. I've been feeding it a mixture of mysis and blood worms twice a week late after the lights are off. I'm wondering if anyone has had success getting the polyps to open up during the day for feeding. To this end, I've tried basting the coral with cyclopseeze. I baste the coral and repeat several times, waiting 10-15 minutes in between. Eventually the polyps begin to respond but never come out fully.

Getting the coral to open up during the day will allow me to feed it more often.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Rick

 

[slcw]

i remember i read a research article conducted by a university.
they concluded that: the increase in temp, caused the polyps to close (temp increased due to lighting). they had various tanks of different scenario.

my own recent experience and discussion other reefers, told me, sun corals reacts to the light. Cause the moment i switch on the lights, the polyps begin to close. However, the same cannot said for balanophyllia sp (super sun) or rhinzo. I not saying they are
need light, they are non-photosynthetic corals. However they probably have photoreceptors or photosensors
I have 3 types of sun.

If u want your sun corals to open 24 hrs, try balanophyllia sp. And have water flow. Majority of my fellow reefers' feedback to me, with much happiness over the super sun cause of the ever hungry mouth/tentacles

 

[dendro982]

I had fish in the same tank, that had to be fed quite well 3 times a day, and sun coral always opened to pick-up own share, in addition to opening 1 hr before lights are off. The night opening is much fuller, than day time. Here is daytime picture:

and daytime photos of other suns and their relatives:

This is likely dendrophyllia, branching:

From what I have seen with my sun corals, if they are not starved and are difficult to make them open to feed, they are opening polyps within 15-20 min after food is added to the tank, especially cyclop-eeze. New yellow-orange suns may be reluctant for a month or so:

This is the same coral, as on the first photo.
Some tend to close, then the flow is off for a feeding.

Is yours in a good flow?

They close within approximately one hour after opening, and it's difficult to make them open within 1-1.5 hr after that.

 

[Rick55555]

I appreciate both of your responses.

Slcw, I am going to look into the balanophyllia sp.

Dendro982, beautiful pictures. The sun coral I have is identical in appearance to the last picture you posted. My frag is at the bottom of the tank, with medium flow. I too have fish in the tank and feed them several times per day. I typically feed enriched mysis and blood worms. However, the sun coral polyps are not responding to the fish feeding during the day. The only time they do respond (during the day) is when I baste cyclopseeze directly at the sun coral. However, the response is minimal: the polyps do not come out entirely, but you can see them swell (if that makes sense?)

 

[dendro982]

I also had read, that firecracker dendrophyllia ($150 for a few heads) also stays open all day long.

Your sun coral may be Tubastrea faulknery. Eventually it should open fully during daytime. Maybe your tank has very bright light? Mine is low light, but enough to support frogspawn and xenia.

You may also take a look at Daniela Stettler tank, http://www.korallenriff.de/Sindelfingen2005/daniela_torsten_2005.pdf, it has similar suns in very high light sps tank, the photos are made when the lights are on.

 

[sivert55]

If I remember correctly, Melev trained his to open during the day by feeding every day at the same time.