Sun coral help

[kenny77]

I have 4 colonies of sun coral. have them since spring( don't remember the month) when I got them they spawned on my tank. The only problem is that since then I have never seen them open. except for ones that I feed them.

I have try many time to feed them, even putting them on a bowl and get some phytoplanktom adn mysis shrimp so they open and nothing happens. there is no dead tissue or polyps. but if they don't eat soon it will be.

any other idea so I can make them open and feed them?

[dendro982]

What you are feeding them normally and how?
Can you post their photos?
It's very unusual.
Here is what and how I'm doing (link (http://www.defineyourreef.frihost.net/corals/sunfeed.html) ). Even fast feeding by New Life Spectrum smallest pellets works good enough.

[kenny77]

I feed them frozen mysis. like always with a turkey bvlaster

[dendro982]

Make sure that wate parameters are without too much phosphates and nitrates, and no ammonia (sorry for assumption, I'll list all theoretically possible). It means phosphates above 0.5 ppm and nitrated above 80 ppm. And no red slime, dinoflagellates, flat worms or recently killed very big amount of aiptasia. Massive water change 30%+ may help, but it's up to you, my tanks handle this easily. Frequently changed carbon for a week or two, to remove toxins, if they were.

Check, if the flow around sun coral is sufficient: if you have any other coral, like green star polyps or scleronephthya, capable of bending in the flow, they should bend slightly, gsp - more.

To make them open:
1. A pinch of dried Cyclop-eeze for 90g tank works for me, for the suns, that are opening readily, including ones with tissue recession (lemon yellow, same but branching, pale pink-orange and intense orange). In 15 min they are opening.

2. If not working, container feeding. The food should be moving, either by turkey baster or weak pump or smallest power filter without media. Not too cold and no overheating. 1 hr time of feeding, then return coral back in the tank.

3. If not working, with particularly stubborn coral, like the compact black sun coral, T. diaphana, I did once container feeding, and then, for a few days only, showered it by food every 5-10 min during 1.5 hrs. turning flow on and off, as necessary.
After the first reluctant tentacles show, I tried to do my best to stick manually a mysis to the tentacle: by pipette and tong (the plastic tweezers on a long handle). A bit tricky, at 2 ft depth, but possible. If you are using hat feeding, like Lunar Lander, it should be not a problem (but I didn't tried it).

4. Try another kind of mysis and/or add a small quantity of brine shrimp to it, as an appetizer.

5. The lemon yellow and, in lesser degree, the compact black sun coral closed in the absence of flow. I'm turning flow off during feeding. Had to turn flow on again, let them open more, turn off again, feed, turn on again, and so on.

6. If you have the long branching sun coral, with greenish tentacles, it prefers - as I had read, don't have it - higher flow and daily feedings.

On the bright side, tissue recession is not related to the ability to eat (at least for all, but one - that was bought in prime condition - of my different sun corals), and recovery is possible.
HTH

[kenny77]

dendro982 water paremeter are fine, I haven't check phosphate but nitrate is 5ppm as the highest. I have done big water changes as big as 50%. There is no coral that could cause any harm. I have feed them in a container with and air pump in so mysis moev all the time. so far I have seen that after 1 hour some polyps star showing sign of star opening. I think I should try leaving them there for more time.

I have a small colony of greenish tentacles sun coral but I don't have any problem with them since they are open 24/7 same with the new babies.

[dendro982]

Sorry, but this was all I could think of.
Maybe others will add their thoughts.

[kenny77]

I try last night to leave them in a container with food and an air pump. so far some polyp star opening a little bit more. but none of them opened enought to see the tentacles.

[dendro982]

Be careful: without skimmer working, ammonia may rise fast and make a serious problem. Maybe 2 hrs?

This is a water quality in feeding container after 1 hr:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/LPS/Black%20sun/Feb2808contfed.jpg