Sun corals and dendros in mixed reef

[rhdoug]

I have had sun corals in my mixed reef for 6 years, they are doing very well and I have about 3 babies growing in various spots in the tank. I added 2 branching dendros about a year ago and they are definitely in a slow decline. Can't figure it out, they get fed several times a day (frozen mix of several different foods) just like the sun corals. There must be something they are lacking. Any thoughts are appreciated. The tank is 58 gallons, 13 yrs old. Thanks--

 

[chgoblknazn]

I had one that was doing great with 3 little babies on the side. One day it didn't open...and then that one day turned into 2 weeks. I was crushed. The babies did exactly what they main polyp did. After a month, I tossed it.

Now, I have a large colony in there and all heads are open except one. I feed daily and they are always open but that one only opens halfway. It still takes food though but only with half of the tentacles.

Can anyone chime in on these gorgeous things?

 

[Leena2674]

I have a Sun Coral... it is growing like a weed. I have not had it very long, but I'm having success so far. Generally speaking, they tend to prefer cooler temperatures and a decent amount of flow. Mine are open nearly all the time with moderate flow and a temp around 77-78.

 

[chgoblknazn]

I hadn't even thought about that, and you are correct. They are deepwater corals so I'll need to adjust my heaters when I get home.

 

[Randy15]

yeah excaty what i was thinking. mine do well and im at 76

 

[CuttleKid]

I would say that you are feeding them too much. I have a nps LPS tank and I feed every other day. At most twice a day if it is a recovering rescue coral. Just give them a chance to digest the food before you give it more food. My guess is that there is a good amount of food rotting in it's gut. I would stop feeding the vendors fir about 3 days and then feed every other day from then on. It might not recover if it does have food rotting in it's stomach. Just wait and see. Also, this may not be something that you don't already know but the polyps need to be open to feed. Im only saying this because of the slim chance someone commenting here does not know this.

 

[chgoblknazn]

I would say that you are feeding them too much. I have a nps LPS tank and I feed every other day. At most twice a day if it is a recovering rescue coral. Just give them a chance to digest the food before you give it more food. My guess is that there is a good amount of food rotting in it's gut. I would stop feeding the vendors fir about 3 days and then feed every other day from then on. It might not recover if it does have food rotting in it's stomach. Just wait and see. Also, this may not be something that you don't already know but the polyps need to be open to feed. Im only saying this because of the slim chance someone commenting here does not know this.

This is what I think happened to my fathead orange dendros. I fed too often. I lost the whole colony. My other dendros are fine though, but I have slowed down the frequency of feedings.

 

[chgoblknazn]

Double Post

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Is there a method to determine if the corals are being overfed? Do we know for sure that food rots inside them, or is that just a guess when a heavily fed coral suddenly declines? Is there data to explain what their digestion processes are like, or how long it takes them to digest food?

 

[thebanker]

Why would they not simply expel the uneaten food?

 

[username in use]

I don't hold with the overfed notion, I would think it simply would not ingest food that it did not need.

Are you feeding a variety of food? Mine get food probably 10-12 times a day, but it is a mix of cyclopeeze, fish eggs, daphnia, mini mysis, bloodworms etc, and they always seem to be full and healthy.

I think they are like us in that only eating one kind of food long term is detrimental to your health, they need a variety to be properly supplied with all their vitamins and nutrients. Some corals may simply be more susceptible to nutrient deficiencies than others.

 

[rhdoug]

I don't hold with the overfed notion, I would think it simply would not ingest food that it did not need.

Are you feeding a variety of food? Mine get food probably 10-12 times a day, but it is a mix of cyclopeeze, fish eggs, daphnia, mini mysis, bloodworms etc, and they always seem to be full and healthy.

I think they are like us in that only eating one kind of food long term is detrimental to your health, they need a variety to be properly supplied with all their vitamins and nutrients. Some corals may simply be more susceptible to nutrient deficiencies than others.

Yes, I feed a similar variety of foods, probably 6 times a day or more. The foods seem to agree with the sun corals, they have been happy for 6 years in the tank.

 

[username in use]

Have you played with placement at all? I have a small group of black suns that were declining, and out of necessity for a new coral I moved them. They are in an area that to me seemed to be the same type of current flow, but now they are coming back full force. Same feeding same everything, different spot. In talking with someone yesterday that maintains a large nps system, he said some of his dendro's respond to moving as little as a few inches for better or worse. He's not sure why, but they seem to be sensitive to things that we can't pick up on.

 

[rhdoug]

I am afraid that they are "stuck" with their current locations, because of the amount of epoxy I used and also the lack of available real estate in my tank. Bummer because they looked really good for a while.

 

[chgoblknazn]

My sun corals are different though. They will open up when they are hungry and that is when I take them out of the tank and feed them. They gobble the food up and then close. They usually open back up in 30 or so minutes for more and then I feed until they don't open up again. It usually takes 2-3 feedings. Then they are good and fat. They open up again the next day but I let them digest for a day or two. They have never expelled food. I haven't even seen them poop the stuff out, though I assume they do.

 

[thebanker]

You take them out of the tank? Explain.

 

[chgoblknazn]

You take them out of the tank? Explain.

Yes, when I see them poking out, I'll use one of those deli food containers to feed them in. I typically fill it with water and hold it underwater as I place them in. I've also just lifted them right out of the tank and put them in as well, but I like to minimize any distrbances.

Once they are in there I take them to the kitchen to feed on my countertop. I take whatever food and place it in the container with them and use the baster feeder to swirl the water. My colony is about 3" x 2". NOt sure how many heads. They catch the food on their own and I let them gorge. Once they smell that highly concentrated soup of water they are in, they all open up and every single head gets fed. I keep them in that water for a couple hours and they are fine. They usually open up at least twice so I redo the session again and let them eat.

I feed them mysis, squid, Rod's, brine shrimp and have recenly been adding pellets in with the frozen foods. They are eating those too. My duncans and orange dendros gladly take them even without frozen foods.

After they have closed their mouths, I take them back to the tank and put them back in their spot while they are good and fat and always sticking well past their tubes. They typically eat two entire cubes of food per feeding. Whatever is left, I let the tankmates eat, as I just dump it right back into the DT. The rest of my corals and the fish and inverts easily take care of what little is left over.

 

[thebanker]

Interesting. I have some too, withering away in my refugium. I'll try your method and see how it goes.

 

[chgoblknazn]

I have yet to lose one head yet. I noticed this morning at least a dozen tiny baby heads sprouting out, which makes me rethink getting rid of these guys. Apparently, I'm doing something right.

I was really concerned about letting them sit in that slurry of food for 3 hours, but they are fine.

 

[thebanker]

I tried it your way, it worked well. I'm keeping my sun coral in a clear plastic cup within my sump now, for easy removal & feeding. What surprised me is how much they were able to take in.

Also, i like this method because I only have the one NPS coral, and it helps me feed them without as much wasted food.