sun coral

[timone321]

i got a sun coral frag the other day and i was wondering the best way to feed theses guys. ive tried a baster, but when i get close to the polyps they retract. any ideas/thoughts?

thanks

 

[Bri Guy]

Try putting the food "up wind" from the coral, let the natural current bring the food to it.

Otherwise Ive read about people totally covering the coral frag with a tube, and feeding the coral in the tube. More food actully gets to the coral.

Good luck, there pretty corals, id like one down the road.

 

[dendro982]

Keep the baster higher above the coral, low pressure - just to release the food, not really squirt. The food will drops slowly on the polyps and stick to the tentacles. Flow can be off during feeding.

You can do the long ~5/16" transparent tube with curved end and add on the top the substitute for a baster's rubber end, but smaller opening (from the baby nasal cleaner, dollar store) - for the feeding side polyps and keeping hands out of water, but this is a matter of personal preference.

On the web should be pictured of the syringe, attached to the rigid airline tubing, for the same purpose. Search for the Feeding sun coral should show it.

 

[chrisstie]

another great alternate method not listed here yet is the use of hemostats (like those like needle nose things you work like scissors but they grip instead of cut)

you can pinch a shrimp and place it on the tentacles

 

[thecichlidpleco]

I use tweezers and single handedly feed each each, takes time but I know each one was fed.

 

[Lpabsolute]

I would just release the food above the coral and let it fall on to the coral. This has worked for me in the past. Good Luck

 

[upstatedave]

I bowl feed mine every other day....by taking them from the tank you can immerse them in food with no worries of fouling your tank and the corals can eat without fish,shrimp,etc trying to steal the food. I usually leave them in the bowl for about 45 minutes..in a mix of selcon,phyto,brine,mysis,and cyclopeze. I have had 14 new polyps in the last 3 weeks and the others that were there have grown substantially.

 

["Umm fish?"]

My latest feeding idea: I attach airline tubing to a very large (cooking) syringe. On the other end, I attach rigid airline tubing whose length is about tank depth. I stick the rigid tube into a small tupperware full of very small food mixed with tank water, pull back on the plunger, insert the tubing in the tank, and push the plunger to feed. My hands stay dry and the rigid tubing has a good profile to avoid blowing too much in the current while still allowing me to get food exactly where I want it.

Good luck!

 

[drjuice28]

Just stick with your baster, it'll eventually work as the coral acclimates to being fed. As mentioned above, just lightly exit the food though, no heavy squirts! Try to feed at the same time every day, and the coral will start to open up wider on its own to accept the food.

 

["Umm fish?"]

Nice lookin' coral! Congratulations!

 

[Faviaphile]

Take an empty two liter bottle and cut it in half. During feeding put the top half over the polyps. Once the polyps are open, slowly squirt the food into the top of the bottle. This keeps pesky tank mates away and allows the coral to have a nicely concentrated food source with little dispersal. The only downside is they've got to bed on the sand bed- it would be more difficult with a BB or on rockwork.
I agree with Drjuice- feed at they same time each day and they will anticipate the feeding.
Good luck

 

[dendro982]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9743869#post9743869 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by upstatedave
I bowl feed mine every other day....by taking them from the tank you can immerse them in food with no worries of fouling your tank and the corals can eat without fish,shrimp,etc trying to steal the food. I usually leave them in the bowl for about 45 minutes..in a mix of selcon,phyto,brine,mysis,and cyclopeze. I have had 14 new polyps in the last 3 weeks and the others that were there have grown substantially.

14 new polyps, wow! I should try that too. How do you keep the bowl warm during these 45 min? Mine cooled very quickly in the winter months, the room temperature was 70-72F.

My double colony (frequently neglected, when the other tanks require more attention) only spawns regularly, have a lot of new colonies, 5-7 small polyps each.