Sun Coral Colony vs Frag Coloration

Tennyson · 01/02/2019, 12:14 AM

Hey everyone,

For as long as I can remember, my sun coral frags have been fainter in color than their parent colony. Nothing is wrong with the frags other than the lack of orange/pink coloration. All of my sun coral are 2-3 years old and healthy, I'm just being nitpicky

-They are all shaded, although the parent is least shaded.
-I feed mysis, and started coral frenzy 1 month ago which they respond to.
-Dosing Ca/Alk/Mg.
-The lack of color is seen only in frags. This is true for both cut frags, and even in 'baby' sun coral that I start from propagules.

Photos of all sun corals (1), the parent (2), cut frags (3 -4), and colony grown from propagule (5). Any suggestions?

Jason9488 · 01/02/2019, 10:58 AM

What are you feeding yours? Mine only opens up when it smells food.

noy · 01/02/2019, 10:46 PM

From the photos you posted I really don't see any noticeable difference in color. They look to be all coccinea that are yellow polyp with pinkish flesh. The species is defined by the structure of the underlying skeleton. My scientific guess is food is the major contributor to shifts in colour. All of my coccinea turn the same colour after a while.

teddscau · 01/06/2019, 04:43 PM

Sounds like it might be diet, as the others said. I'd recommend feeding them chopped krill, spirulina enriched brine shrimp, clam eggs, and other meaty foods in addition to what they're already eating. I have a balanophyllia and a couple of dendro colonies, and they love the variety I feed them (chopped silversides, krill, mysis, clam eggs, bloodworms, tubifex worms, spirulina brine shrimp, Omega-enriched brine shrimp, etc). I'd recommend feeding them foods rich in astaxanthin (as well as other carotenoids), omegas, aminos, etc.

Tennyson · 01/06/2019, 08:24 PM

Thanks for all the replies! I didn't realize they could eat such a wide variety. Mine all get fed only mysis.

The difference in color is hard to see but these top-down shots should be more clear (pale frags on right). Also attached a pic of the propagules with the same faint color.

I'm going to vary it up and see if I get any progress. Thanks again!

Tennyson · 01/06/2019, 08:36 PM

Also notice the growth encrusting over rock but no new polyps being formed. Hopefully its all due to diet.

Samian · 01/26/2019, 03:11 PM

They all look healthy and vibrand, to me. Especially in the latest pics.

I'll recomend some variation in food as had been said above.

01/06/2019, 04:43 PM	#4
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Sounds like it might be diet, as the others said. I'd recommend feeding them chopped krill, spirulina enriched brine shrimp, clam eggs, and other meaty foods in addition to what they're already eating. I have a balanophyllia and a couple of dendro colonies, and they love the variety I feed them (chopped silversides, krill, mysis, clam eggs, bloodworms, tubifex worms, spirulina brine shrimp, Omega-enriched brine shrimp, etc). I'd recommend feeding them foods rich in astaxanthin (as well as other carotenoids), omegas, aminos, etc. __________________ Dotty the firefish, Delilah and Little Henry Ocellaris clownfish, Pixel (convict tang) and Darwin (blue tang), pyjama cardinalfish, Riku and Kenji the orchid and elongate dottybacks, and Jeremy (yello Current Tank Info: 160g reef tank with mushrooms, leathers, zoas, SPS corals, NPS corals, firefish, a school of pyjama cardinalfish, a pair of designer Ocellaris, two tangs, a striped blenny, two dottybacks, and a watchman goby

01/26/2019, 03:11 PM	#7
Samian Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Aegean Archipelago, Greece Posts: 36	They all look healthy and vibrand, to me. Especially in the latest pics. I'll recomend some variation in food as had been said above. __________________ The only thing i know is that i know nothing (Socrates) Current Tank Info: 450 lt of Mediterranean reef

01/02/2019, 10:58 AM	#2
Jason9488 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 152	What are you feeding yours? Mine only opens up when it smells food.

01/02/2019, 10:46 PM	#3
noy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 772	From the photos you posted I really don't see any noticeable difference in color. They look to be all coccinea that are yellow polyp with pinkish flesh. The species is defined by the structure of the underlying skeleton. My scientific guess is food is the major contributor to shifts in colour. All of my coccinea turn the same colour after a while.