How often to feed sun polyps

[this is me]

I just got a very healthy colony of sun polyps and would like to keep it healthy. How often should I feed and does every single head need to be fed?
Here's a pic
http://i.pbase.com/o4/80/587080/1/64475689.Jez791q6._DSC5462.jpg

[Travis L. Stevens]

You should try to feed it nutrient rich, meaty foods as often as possible for optimal health. Varying the diet is also a good idea. Things like Mysis, Mush (blended shrimp, fish, oyster, etc), Selcon soaked foods, etc. I would feed every day until you know how your coral will react to your tank, your tank mates, etc. Then from there, You could feed every other day. I wouldn't be worried if you had to skip 3-4 days as long as you feed daily for a while afterwards. For example, if you had to go on a weekend business trip, vacation, etc.

[sufunk]

Wow!
I'd say that Travis gave you PERFECT advice. Feed every day for a while then switch to every other day. I've had the best luck with a mix of shrimp, clam, mussels, squidd, frozen cyclo and zoecon chopped VERY fine in a blender and frozen.
The only thing he didnt say that i would advise is to get a small tupperware bowl, drill a hole in the top and the sides and shoot the food in with a syringe.

[Travis L. Stevens]

sufunk, it comes from experience. Tubastrea faulknerii and Tubastrea micrantha.

Doh! I knew I missed something. Methods of feeding is up to you. I find it easier to cut the bottom of a two liter pop bottle off and place this over the Tubastrea. Then, take a turkey baster (or something similar and gently squirt it in and let it sink onto the polyp's tentacles. After a couple minutes, the pieces of food that don't get caught will be at the bottom. Then, gently stir the water with your turkey baster by squirting it light in the bottle top. This should stir up just the food and let it land back on the polyps.

Also, I didn't cover that as long as the polyps share connective tissue between the coralites, it is not necessary to feed every polyp. It wouldn't hurt if you did, though ;) But I wouldn't go into a indepth quest to make sure everyone is fed as long as the colony is fed on a moderately regular schedule as well as getting enough food to eat.

[sufunk]

Travis, I have never heard that about not feeding every polyp. Have you read this somewhere or is it experience?
Don't get me wrong, i believe you and think that is right but have never heard it before. Everyone is ADAMANT that every polyp must be fed. On mine, the tissue is completely connected, no gaps or recession at all. I have never made sure EVERY polyp was fed, just made sure that it got ALOT of food. Mine has done great and never had a problem with this method.

[stevedola]

soda bottle trick is a good idea for sun polyps. usually every head will get some protien if the bottle trick is used. 3ltr bottles work very well with this method (alittle bigger) but that was my expirence with trying to feed a larger piece.

[sufunk]

Tupperware makes almost every size imaginable now. They are harder than a 2 liter but still flexible. I got a pack of 3 4"x4x4 ones for $2.99 that is PERFECT for mine. The one advantage is the top (actually the bottom) is flat so you can put a little rock or whatever on top to keep it from floating off when feeding.
I had problems keeping a 2 liter from floating up. I had to bury it so far in the sand it made a sandstorm when i took it off.

[this is me]

Thanks guys!! I just fed it some mysis shrimp.
These things finished their meal fast! by the time I set up my camera, they already finished.
http://i.pbase.com/o4/80/587080/1/64512826.YEGj5lXK._DSC5466.jpg

[Shnabbles]

I use a the top of a 2 liter bottle (need to get a 3 liter though) i drilled a whole in the cap and glued a long air hose to it.. also drilled 2 small wholes in the cap for the air to escape.

I used one of the "sucking" tools used to suck boogers out of a babys nose to blow the food down the hose and into the end of the bottle where it nicely feeds every polyp..

I live the bottle over the coral for 10-20 minutes to make sure the coral completely eats the food.. otherwise my cleaner shirmp and brittle start will try and steal the food from the coral.

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7865302#post7865302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sufunk
Travis, I have never heard that about not feeding every polyp. Have you read this somewhere or is it experience?
Don't get me wrong, i believe you and think that is right but have never heard it before. Everyone is ADAMANT that every polyp must be fed. On mine, the tissue is completely connected, no gaps or recession at all. I have never made sure EVERY polyp was fed, just made sure that it got ALOT of food. Mine has done great and never had a problem with this method.

Hey sufunk...I heard you can feed sun polyps pieces of squiid...

[stevedola]

squiid,shrimp,scallop,clam,lobster ect...chopped up small.

what i like to do is squirt alittle cyclopeeze or arcticpods into the tank and get all of the polyps open first then target feed with the tents out and ready.

[Mrs.kbmdale]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7869981#post7869981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevedola
squiid,shrimp,scallop,clam,lobster ect...chopped up small.

what i like to do is squirt alittle cyclopeeze or arcticpods into the tank and get all of the polyps open first then target feed with the tents out and ready.


This is true when you are first starting out with one, but after a week or two of ROUTINELY feeding at the SAME time, they will open up on their own just before feeding time.

Mine are like *clockwork*. I feed my tank at the SAME time everyday, between 8-8:15PM, so at EXACTLY 7:45pm EVERY night, (whether they get fed that night or not) they start opening up, and by 8, they're ready and waiting! :D

Good Luck and Happy Reefing!
Brianna:rollface:

[this is me]

Thanks guys and gals.
I really appreciate the very helpful advice and input.

[sufunk]

Heres mine being fed.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g89/sufunk/sunfood1.jpg

[55semireef]

Nice picture sufunk. What kind of anemone is that on the far left? Or is that an anemone?

[duec22]

I see star polyps on the left and mybe tenicals from an anemone on the right....

That pics makes me want to pick up a smally colony of these...I forgot how pretty they are when they are open..

[this is me]

Sufunk,
If you do that everyday, I gotta give it up to you. Thats a lot of work man! I feed mine everynight with a syringe with the powerhead off. Yes, they look great when they're open.

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7880134#post7880134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by duec22
I see star polyps on the left and mybe tenicals from an anemone on the right....

That pics makes me want to pick up a smally colony of these...I forgot how pretty they are when they are open..

I meant right not left. Loos like there is an anemone there.

[sufunk]

This is me, I used to every night but it got too much for me, lol. Now i only do it every other night.
Thanks for the compliment on the sun. I love it! Heres another pic of ot
The "tentacles" were from my elegance. Heres a pic but it recently crashed and died out of nowhere:confused:
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g89/sufunk/sunhappy1.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g89/sufunk/elegance1.jpg

[this is me]

Sorry to hear that about your elegance. It's a very nice coral. Your sun is beautiful.
Here is mine under actinic after feeding.
http://i.pbase.com/o4/80/587080/1/64636957.dYDw1WX5._DSC5474.jpg

[jsweir]

sufunk, check your pms

[Ryanqk]

Hey i have a small colony that has been "hanging in there" for quite a while in my tank, but i know it could do better, my problem is keeping upright in one place, it keeps getting knocked around, and i cant seem to figure out if it wants to be up on my rocks or in the sand on the bottom, and how high the flow should be on it, can someone give me some tips on this? I've got the feeding down alright, he just needs to be in one good spot.
Ryan

[amnesiac]

thought id add my experience. heres my sun coral
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/dose18/DSCN1607.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/dose18/DSCN1608.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/dose18/DSCN1609.jpg

feeding mine was a royal pain!!! it took me almost a month (27 days exactly) before i started to see more than an 1/8 of and inch polyp extension!!!! man was i getting frustrated. but with some good advise from armagedon48 i kept at it. using cyclopeze to entice it then hitting it with the mysid. now its fully extended about 2 hours before lights out. i try to feed every polyp three times a week using a turkey baster (a 2 liter wont fit over it) then in the days between (twice a week) my selcon enriched brine cultures go in the tank and when i do this the sun polyp goes nuts. more polyps get fed this way than with the turkey baster, but i know a varied diet is whats needed. just thought id share. -amnesiac

[this is me]

Very nice sun polyp colony!
After feeding it for a couple nights, my arms are gettting red marks everywhere from the damn female maroon clown. Can I feed just cyclopeeze? I hate to put my hand in the tank because of the maroon clowns.

[amnesiac]

im not an expert but i wouldnt think so. as much as this thing eats youd have to feed all the time. it be like trying to live off of peanuts - very nutritius, but youd have eat a lot of peanuts:D. my system cant handle a heavy bioload so sometimes ill take it out of the tank to give it a food bath (squid, mysid, brine all soaked in selcon and vitachem) but i know that taking him in and out isnt good for him either. my next system that im currently working on will be able to handle the excess food. i would try the food bath method if i were you. mine has always destroyed like 2-3 cubes of food and doesnt look any worse for the wear. -amnesiac