sun coral

untamed · #1 01-07-2008, 06:00 AM

The challenge I had was (as Marie mentioned...) the crabs/shrimp would steal any food I fed to the sun coral. It just wouldn't eat fast enough and defending it while it ate just took too much effort for me.

In my case, the crabs seem to learn how to get an easy meal and flocked to the sun coral for every feeding.

VFX · #2 01-07-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

The challenge I had was (as Marie mentioned...) the crabs/shrimp would steal any food I fed to the sun coral. It just wouldn't eat fast enough and defending it while it ate just took too much effort for me.

In my case, the crabs seem to learn how to get an easy meal and flocked to the sun coral for every feeding.

I cut the top off a large soft drinks bottle & put it over my sun coral when I fed it. I just poked a turkey baster through the hole at the top. Seemed to work a treat as nobody could swim up & steal the food.

I also used mysis and cyclops as well as the vitamin & nutritionally enriched brine shrimp, so in my defence, I was feeding more than just 'water made to look like a bug' - my sun coral more than doubled in size in the 12 months I had it.

fiorano · #3 01-08-2008, 04:48 AM

ok thanks guys i think ill try the 3 times a week approach and see how that goes for me

hillbillyreefer · #4 01-18-2008, 02:34 AM

How's your sun coral doing Fiorano? I got one the same day as you. The polyps eat incredible amounts. Mine is doing well. What did you work out for a feeding schedule? I've been feeding mine every two days, but think I'll cut that down a bit, I've got just barley detectable nitrates today, something I haven't had in a few months. The sun has been the only increased feeding in the tank so it must have something to do with that.

Brad

Cameron · #5 01-18-2008, 03:29 AM

My sun coral is receeding not sure why I was feeding it quite often about the same as everyone else, untill I went away for a week and a friend took care of my tank and didnt feed it....argh.....don't think I can save it.

hillbillyreefer · #6 01-18-2008, 05:01 AM

I've read about recession happening on a couple other sites. Anyone who has brought it back says that heavy feeding worked. It takes some time but as long as they'll eat they can be saved. Mine will eat anything that drifts past them or is place on them. I feed with airline on the end of a syringe. I suck mysis into the airline and feed each polyp individually, keeps the shrimp, crabs and bristle worms from getting them. This way you know each polyp has eaten. HTH.

Good Luck
Brad

fiorano · #7 01-18-2008, 05:36 AM

yah well i do the same i feed it every 2 days and i feed it mysis or brine shrimp with a little bit of phyto plankton for the food to soak in first but the whole 2 liter bottle trick never worked for me because of how it is placed on the rock it cant go all the way around it and i have to feed it each polyp at a time. but o well it looks fantastic