Sun coral (husbandry)

[cmay]

I had my eye on a sun coral for ages, I love the way they look, my LFS had one for about 2 months, he seemed to be degrading, empty cups were appearing.

By this time I'd researched about low light/caves and spot feeding from every day to every 3days.

The next time I visited my LFS my mission was to rescue him and love him

I've only had him for about 2 weeks, hes already growing new sections and his polyps are looking fuller.

I've included a pic, can anyone else give me any more tips on husbandry, I would be most great full.

sunc.JPG

[Phurst]

I really want one too, I just haven't made the leap. Sounds like you've got it down if it's thriving. Nice looking coral

[cmay]

I really want one too, I just haven't made the leap. Sounds like you've got it down if it's thriving. Nice looking coral

Thanks hopefully I can continue to give him a good home

[lReef lKeeper]

cmay, sounds like you have it all worked out. because they are a non photosynthetic (non light dependant) coral, they HAVE to be fed, that is why a lot of people dont keep them (hassle of feeding). with regular feedings you should be fine.

keep doing what you are doing and before you know it you will not see any of that rock, and that will be how it is suppose to look. try very hard to feed every single polyp (even the tinyest ones), and you will be amazed at how fast it will regain its health. keep up the good work, HTH.

[cmay]

keep doing what you are doing and before you know it you will not see any of that rock, and that will be how it is suppose to look. try very hard to feed every single polyp (even the tinyest ones), and you will be amazed at how fast it will regain its health. keep up the good work, HTH.

Thanks for the reply, at the moment I poor food down a long tube, seems to work however I need to buy a longer tube and slightly bend the end so I can postion more acrutely.

I will post an update photo in a few weeks time on progress.

[CarmieJo]

I use a turkey baster to feed mine. Some people place a dome over theirs while they eat so the other critters don't take their food.

[cmay]

I use a turkey baster to feed mine. Some people place a dome over theirs while they eat so the other critters don't take their food.

That's a good idea, I've started to notice my fish, crabs and anyone else seem to know my sun coral now gets an extra treat. (my crab hides around the corner and bounces as soon as I'm done )

[CarmieJo]

You can buy feeding domes but I have heard that a cut off 2L bottle works as well as the commercial ones.

[cmay]

You can buy feeding domes but I have heard that a cut off 2L bottle works as well as the commercial ones.

I will try this today/evening, I do like the cheaper DIY solution

[cmay]

I have noticed over the last couple of days my hermit crab is climbing all over my sun rock and seems to be picking at the polyps/cups.

My hermit crab looks like a rock; I will take a photo when I get home.

At the moment he seems to be doing no harm, but I’m slightly worried he may try to rip the polyps apart to get extra food.

Do you think I should remove him to my sump before he go’s to far and im not around to stop him.

[lReef lKeeper]

it is probably just removing algae form the the rock, around the polyps. i would just watch it for a fewq days and see what happens.

[cmay]

it is probably just removing algae form the the rock, around the polyps. i would just watch it for a fewq days and see what happens.

I took your advise bobby and it seems your right

I've noticed the colony growing and existing corals growing, I'm really pleased and feel quite proud

I've place the original rock in between other LR will they speared over.

[lReef lKeeper]

they should spread over in time. i would just lean the other rock (the one that you want them to spread to) on a bare spot of the rock that the colony is on. this should get the result you are looking for.

[cmay]

they should spread over in time. i would just lean the other rock (the one that you want them to spread to) on a bare spot of the rock that the colony is on. this should get the result you are looking for.

Thanks, I've snuggled the rocks up together so hopefully in time they will spread.

[lReef lKeeper]

sounds like you have these guys on the right path. good luck and keep us posted on their condition.

[cmay]

sounds like you have these guys on the right path. good luck and keep us posted on their condition.

Will do......

[dadonoflaw]

i finally got mine to start coming out during the day. i made a cave for it so its still dark but i like to be able to see them. i usually feed cyclopeeze or daphnia to get them to come out. do any of you sun coral owners do this.

[Phurst]

I should be a new sun coral owner here before long, right Bobby

I'd very much like to train mine to come out during lights on. I assume it all comes down to consistency?

[dadonoflaw]

yea you are really just training them to come out looking for food at a certain time

[lReef lKeeper]

I should be a new sun coral owner here before long, right Bobby

I'd very much like to train mine to come out during lights on. I assume it all comes down to consistency?

YUP Pearson, you are correct. sorry it is taking so long ... i have been swamped at work and at home (putting in a new AC unit stinks, ours bit the dust). i will have it out on Monday morning if it kills me !! thanx for being so patient with me !!

[Phurst]

No worries, just bustin' your chops

[CarmieJo]

Mine seems to stay out most of the time although at first it seemed to only come out around feeding time.

[cmay]

Due to work i never really know when i will be at home, so i have no food feeding routine (this may represent a more natural habitat) so.... I've found my sun coral to be open more often than not., I spot feed every third day which seems to be working well (continues to colonise)

[doctorthompson]

We have a yellow encrusting colony (Tubastrea faulkneri) as well as a black branching colony (T. micrantha) and both are doing very well after nearly a year in our tank. I'd read that the black ones don't usually fair as well in captivity (Borneman) but we've seen new polyps/branches on the colony as well as countless polyps popping up on the live rock around the tank - so many that I'm considering using the "lack" of baby black sun coral polyps as a guide for where I need more flow in the tank. They've been a close 3rd behind the Xenia and Aiptasia for spawning speed for the last 2 months.

It can't be stressed enough how much food these creatures really need to grow and thrive (as opposed to simply "live"). I tend to feed all of our corals a LOT and our sun corals are no exception, being spot-fed daily in addition to both being in areas of multiple converging currents so they get a lot of uneaten fish food as well. Until we moved our large electric blue hermit crab to another tank we used to take both colonies out of the tank and spot-feed them in a small container because they were being attacked and torn open for the food before they could finish eating - they slimed up the first few times but after a week they'd close as soon as we picked them up and re-open as soon as they were still again in the small container (where they'd get up to 2 full cubes of Selcon-soaked mysis on "hungry" days). I spot feed them with a turkey baster now with the powerheads and returns off, usually the better part of a full cube of Selcon-soaked mysis (1/2 each) - they also get any leftover chunks of silversides (also soaked in Selcon) when we feed our saddle-carpet anemone (every 3-4 days).

Something I haven't seen mentioned, which probably affects the dendroid (branching) colonies more than the encrusting colonies, is I've heard/read that having detectable nitrates can lead to extremely brittle skeletons - something we've also heard mentioned for stony corals in general. Wish I had a link handy but I don't remember where I read that sun corals are affected more than other corals... it may, in fact, be more anecdotal than factual. Low nitrates tend to be everyone's goal but I figured I'd mention it.

PS. Sun corals were found intact and still attached to their skeletons near the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests in the 1950's ... very hardy animals to say the least!

[lReef lKeeper]

interesting about the atomic bomb site !! thatnks for sharing that with us.