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  #1  
Old 01/21/2006, 04:15 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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Will it open more Large? Sun Coral?

I recent bought a Sun Corals and my feeding hours is 20:00 every night, in the dark. The tank lights shuted off at 18:00, which two hours before feeding time. Right now I'm feeding PRIME REEF frozen food. It's very meaty and has a lot of Coralplankton, which I also added as well. I feed through a couple burst from my waterbottle directly to their polyps.

So Can they open amy more larger than the 2 pictures that are shown? Are they still young?
  #2  
Old 01/21/2006, 04:21 PM
The0wn4g3 The0wn4g3 is offline
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Check this out.

http://melevsreef.com/suncoral.html
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  #3  
Old 01/21/2006, 05:29 PM
musty baby musty baby is offline
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They'll open loads more than that.
  #4  
Old 01/21/2006, 05:31 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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Hmm.. I haven't seen my sun coral open that wide. Maybe I should use a turkey baster instead. Well anyways, I feed my Tubastraeas every night with a couple of shots on top of their polyps. That will be enough for the week.

Any tips for me?
  #5  
Old 01/21/2006, 06:48 PM
Javeo Javeo is offline
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This is mine waiting to be fed. if you add a little 'food juice' to the water and wait 20 minutes or so they will open up alot more.



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  #6  
Old 01/21/2006, 07:12 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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I see, cool tips... Thanks a lot. Is that under with lighting on?
  #7  
Old 01/21/2006, 07:22 PM
Javeo Javeo is offline
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Yes it opens in full light, it opens when i feed the fish or even put my hands in the water, i also have a black one which is open most of the time.
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  #8  
Old 01/21/2006, 08:19 PM
sfsuphysics sfsuphysics is offline
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If you have any shading overhangings or archways in the rockwork on your tank you might want to put them in that, as they might be more willing to be open during the day.
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  #9  
Old 01/21/2006, 08:29 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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cool, very nice... Thanks
  #10  
Old 01/22/2006, 11:14 AM
tangey tangey is offline
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ya it will open up more
  #11  
Old 01/22/2006, 03:26 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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Thanks
  #12  
Old 01/22/2006, 09:33 PM
Zoalander Zoalander is offline
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If you use a feeding hat you can train it to open up anytime. I fed mine a mixture of frozen brine and cyclopeeze for the baby polyps.
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  #13  
Old 01/23/2006, 12:59 AM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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What do you mean by trainning it with feeding hat? explain please...
  #14  
Old 01/24/2006, 11:23 AM
JCD JCD is offline
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Hi nanocube-boy,

I have found that you can get these great corals to fully expand and eat in light or darkness. I have a set feed time of 21:00hrs every day. Before the initial feed of the coral i feed the fish at 20:00hrs which encourages the polyps of the sun coral to open. Then at 21:00 i feed the coral a mixture of brine, mysis, cyclopeze and even oyster eggs. I alternate these offerings each day so it recives plenty of different foods. I directly feed each polyp with the above mentioned foods via a small syringe. It can be a bit time consuming but after a few goes you get used to it and become quicker at it. Ensuring each polyp gets a piece i try and feed it about 4 times each feed. It sounds like a lot of food but it would definatly eat more than this if aloud to. The polyps usually look very swollen after the feed which is a sign of a healthy sun coral. My self i would not place the coral in a cave or over hang purely as in the past i have found that this can make things difficult when it comes to feeding, as long as you keep it out of direct light ie to the sides of the tank it will be fine. Hope this info has helped you and best of luck.

Happy reefing to you.
  #15  
Old 01/24/2006, 01:23 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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Wow, so your corals open light time? Thnks for your tips. When you feed, is your wave pump on?
  #16  
Old 01/24/2006, 09:02 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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Hmm. I routine feeding for the sun corals at 20:00hr everyday and doesn't seem to work. They don't open much. I wonder why? I tried squirting some food from the turkey bast and came 20mins. to see if they are open. It doesn't seem to open that much. So how this hat method work?
  #17  
Old 01/24/2006, 11:54 PM
musty baby musty baby is offline
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Pick the colony up and float it in a rubbermaid container, add some phytoplankton or a bit of whatever you feed it and mix the water around. I use a little 10cc syringe, but whatever will work. The polyps should open up nice and fat in anticipation of a meal, then throw the food in and periodically get the food back into suspension with your turkey baster or what have you. I've coaxed about ten sun coral frags open this way, and by loading the rubbermaid container full of food you don't have to hand feed polyps as the polyps will latch onto bits of food when you get them suspended in the water. When you're done, pull the colony out, put it back in the tank, and dump the water elsewhere. I have the same experience as Javeo evidently in that when they sense the extra nutrients in the water they open right up, even if it's just me sticking my hand in the tank.

Anyway, that works for me, it'll probably work for you to get them to open up.
  #18  
Old 01/25/2006, 01:21 AM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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what do you mean by this "then throw the food in and periodically get the food back into suspension with your turkey baster or what have you."?
  #19  
Old 01/25/2006, 03:48 AM
musty baby musty baby is offline
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Float it in the container. Throw in a bit of "food juice". I either put some phytoplankton in or I just drain some of the water that the mysis is in (to thaw my mysis I put a chunk of frozen mysis in a small glass and put some tankwater in with it). The coral will sense this and open up. THEN, and ONLY after polyps have opened up, I toss in the mysis, brine, etc. It would do no good, absolutely no good to feed when the polyps weren't open. Since there is no water movement in the container, you have to get some water movement (with a syringe, baster, etc) to get the food to be carried to polyps by the water itself. Don't have to go too crazy, they're not competing with anything for the food, just get it into suspension and you'd be surprised how even the smallest polyp seems to grab anything that comes in contact with it. Once you've had your fill of water blasting, and the polyps are no longer trying to stuff themselves, remove the colony and place it back in the tank, and take the extra water and food and dump it in the toilet. I find this gives me a wonderful and efficient chance to take my nightly dump. You can throw the mysis/whatever in before or after you do your duty (I recommend after.) Or, if you haven't fed your fish yet, use the extra food for a feeding. This:

1) does not put an excess of food in your system
2) makes sure the polyps get fed as long as you don't tire of the method too early, which in all honestly doesn't take but 15 minutes when you get your colony(ies) used to it
3) gives you an excuse for some "quiet alone time" sitting on the can

I don't see a drawback
  #20  
Old 01/25/2006, 03:57 AM
musty baby musty baby is offline
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Hmmm... I do have to say, however, that the very first sun coral that I came upon, which was a nearly dead half orange/half black colony, was coaxed open with a 1 mL insulin syringe blowing DTs phytoplankton directly into the mouths of the polyps. Initially they'd retract, but they would then open up (which was no grand sight with the shape they were in). Once open, even the tiniest polyps would readily take small bits of enriched mysis. Might even work with the mysis "thaw water" instead of phyto, since you don't have phyto around to use. Just a thought. I love suns, if you all can't tell. My frags are doing very well, just not big enough to brag about yet

Starting a sun-coral-only nano in 3 days! We'll see how it works (will require lots of really easy water exchanges with my display)
  #21  
Old 01/25/2006, 01:11 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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indead...
  #22  
Old 01/26/2006, 01:54 AM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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I try the container method, and it doesn;t seem to open that much. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this...
  #23  
Old 01/26/2006, 01:59 AM
musty baby musty baby is offline
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I'd just keep at it. I'm sure they'll open more and more with time
  #24  
Old 01/26/2006, 02:21 AM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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So you think i should keep trying, everyday at the same time?

What did is i place the coral in the container and place a cube of food in it. It did open but barely in 30minutes.

How long does it take for a sub coral to be fully open during feeding?
  #25  
Old 01/26/2006, 09:53 AM
musty baby musty baby is offline
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I don't know, maybe a minute the way I do it. The few that open when I put my hand in the tank do it in about a minute as well.

Did you just drop the cube in, or did you blow it around with a syringe or turkey baster?
 

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