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dadofrad 
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 Topic: Sun coral question (updated with pics)
Posted: May 27 2006 at 10:41pm |
I just bought a second sun coral tonight, and have a few questions. I have never spot fed before and my orange ones have been just fine (open most of the time with no receeding). The yellows that I bought tonight have opened but the feelers are extremely short, or almost none existing in comparison to the orange. I assume that this is not normal and that the corral just needs some tender love and care to get back to what I would consider a normal look.
I have a lot of watter motion in my tank, so it is impossible to stick a piece of food by them and expect them to get it before it is swept away. Any suggestions that won't traumatize the coral would be appreciated.
Edited by dadofrad - June 07 2006 at 10:23pm
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tileman
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Posted: May 27 2006 at 10:49pm |
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Try spraying with a turkey baster some cyclopeez onto the colony when it is open. Mine love it.
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335G Reef
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Suzy
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Posted: May 28 2006 at 7:47am |
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You might try moving it temporarily to a spot where the flow is minimal and then letting some cyclopeeze or brine shrimp just sit on it for a bit. I've found when they haven't eaten for a bit they need to be "teased" back open.
My yellows are a bit more fickle than the oranges...
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jpiotrowski
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Posted: May 30 2006 at 1:07pm |
First turn down/off the flow, I have my pump on a dimmer switch and it has worked quite nicely! It is a signal for the fish that food is coming so get ready! My yellow eye kole tang is very shy but will come out seconds after the flow is lowered and scurries around the tank (very similar to the way he acted earlier when food was added to the water column).
You can use a turkey baster as Brad suggest and/or some sort of cylinder that fits around the coral keeping the food from being taken away. Some use the bowl technique where you remove the coral and place it in a bowl then add cyclop-eze (but this may be a little hard on the coral).
Turning the flow back on stirs up some of the detritus and new food that was added so in essence the tank is fed twice.
My orange colony was doing great and I was feeding it almost every night (for 6 months) I moved a rock up stream and it changed the whole flow of the tank and by 8 months the coral was lost  , so I may not know what I'm talking about...  John
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Kyle
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Posted: May 30 2006 at 7:55pm |
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another good way i`ve found to feed these is to cut the bottom off a two litre bottle, then set it over the target coral, then spray the food in with a turkey baster. That way it should keep the food in close proximity of the coral.
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Suzy
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Posted: May 30 2006 at 8:10pm |
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You can also use one of those green baskets that strawberries come in. That way, you can leave it in place until the coral recovers, & let food sit on the coral until it gets eaten and a fish can't steal it.....
Hermits can, though but they are a bit slower....
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jpiotrowski
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Posted: May 31 2006 at 10:27am |
Suzy,
Cool, I like that idea! Not changed the subject too dramatically...but how do you prevent cyano outbreaks in a low light, tank that needs alot of food? I was thinking of adding a cleaner shrimp to scavange the tank.
John
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dadofrad
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Posted: May 31 2006 at 7:59pm |
I DECIDED THAT I WOULD JUST LIFT THEM OUT AND BOWL FEED THEM, AT LEAST UNTIL THEY GET HEALTHY. I HAVE THEM TUCKED IN THE ROCKS SO THERE REALY ISN'T AN EASY WAY. THANKS FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
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Suzy
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Posted: May 31 2006 at 8:30pm |
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John, I find that the sunpolyps I have (orange, yellow, black) don't seem to mind higher light and flow. Increasing the light won't help w cyano, of course, but you can increase the water motion. I do pull the plug to feed, though....
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jpiotrowski
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Posted: June 01 2006 at 9:37am |
Suzy,
Actually, light does hamper/hinder the growth of cyano. Not much just enough to notice a slowing in growth. Improving flow is key though! Guess I'll have to add a powerhead. I have a non-photo gorgonian that is now three months old (well just a couple of days away) and there hasn't been any tissue recession! I fed it tons at the begining but have reduced the feedings as of late. I think I need a cleaner shrimp to pick up the remaining food though. This is a frag tank that had one of the lights go out and I was slow on the draw to replace it. But I did notice my lps (open brain, fungia and tongue) were extending their polyps almost all the time and had colored up a bit and were looking healthy (much healthier than in the display with halides). After 8 months of these corals looking great and growing I decided to try a gorgo and see, so far so good. My hunch was that the polyps on the gorgo would be extended more often in low light and the coral would be able to filter its surroundings longer than just at night.
Thanks,
John
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