Sun POlyps

[SlamaJama]

OK, I've read how hard it is to keep or should i say maintain Sun Polyps...i purchase a rock of bout 20 polyps (yelo), , altho i have seen them partial open when all lights r out, and they just opened up after 2 weeks being closed...
why did thy open one would ask,,,well today i bought brine shrimp to supplement a mandarin that i have and to change the fishes diet little, and those SP's just flew open.
now, according to wat i have read thy need to be fed (target feed), how, in the wild do they get fed, seems to me they grab prey from the water currents, and yes, i know thy do not photosynthesise.
can some1 shed light on this?
ty for all replies,
mike

 

[inkblue]

I have the same problem, they look awesome when oPen, but it's difficuLt to get them to open...

Check this out... Sun Corals

:smokin:

 

[Josh]

They are open at night and usually hang around areas with high current. There is a LOT of stuff in normal water on the reef, especially at night.

 

[herman]

In nature, Tubastrea is found usually found upside down at the entrance to caves. It is occasionally found in the open reef, under overhangs, or in areas of high nutrients that can provide for the corals nutritive needs. It is this aspect which sets Tubastrea apart from many other aquarium corals. It does not have symbiotic algae in its tissue, and must therefore depend entirely on direct nutrient uptake from the water and from heterotrophic food capture...and this coral has an insatiable appetite. Capable of feeding on large zooplankton, captured food is rapidly engulfed with their polyps extended again as soon as the food is taken into the gastric cavity. Contrary to popular opinion, Tubastrea are not found under overhangs and in caves because they cannot tolerate light. Nor are they found there because they cannot compete with stony corals. Rather, cave waters and overhangs are areas far richer in terms of nutrients and plankton populations, and so these corals thrive in areas that can provide them with enough food supply. Furthermore, the highly porous skeleton is adept at storing phosphorous and nitrogen in its pore waters, which the corals can use as a "back-up supply" of these sometimes limited nutrients.

 

[herman]

BTW Ink, they dont like light.

 

[ed212]

My sun corals opens up whenever I feed the fish and them. usually opens at 6pm wait for dinner when lights on too. they just have to get used to open while lights on. Put some cyclopeeze in, they will open in 10seconds. I do have some not open for the first 2 weeks. but some(the black one i have) opens right away.

 

[SlamaJama]

..... Contrary to popular opinion, Tubastrea are not found under overhangs and in caves because they cannot tolerate light. Nor are they found there because they cannot compete with stony corals. Rather, cave waters and overhangs are areas far richer in terms of nutrients and plankton populations, and so these corals thrive in areas that can provide them with enough food supply. Furthermore, the highly porous skeleton is adept at storing phosphorous and nitrogen in its pore waters, which the corals can use as a "back-up supply" of these sometimes limited nutrients.

hmmm...the light issue seems to been answered, thy dont mind the lite...if u read it rite, my interpretation of this means that while thy were closed their skeleton was processing phosphorus and nitrogen, and the fact that thy live in overhangs is just for the fact of higher nutrients in the water thr. seems thy feed off currents as this states...
thxs much herman
...any more views would be appreciated

 

[SlamaJama]

ed....those r sweet...vn

 

[herman]

That is one sweet pic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[herman]

Slama, nice signature. I just hope noone models trhemselves after me. he he he

 

[SlamaJama]

I have the same problem, they look awesome when oPen, but it's difficuLt to get them to open...

Check this out... Sun Corals

:smokin:

nice ink...read the whole thing...vn...thxs

 

[marrone]

I have mine on the bottom of my tank and they start to open when they MH go off. It took a good 2-3 weeks before they even started to open. I have never feed them and usally don't feed my tank that much and they're doing fine and actually alot of little babies have been growing out of the larger colonies.

 

[DEEPWATER]

I have mine on the bottom of my tank and they start to open when they MH go off. It took a good 2-3 weeks before they even started to open. I have never feed them and usally don't feed my tank that much and they're doing fine and actually alot of little babies have been growing out of the larger colonies.

Same here ,,mine are on the bottom..my orange ones open whenever they are hungry ,i guess ,the black one are kinda picky on when they want o open ,but are not died ,,i dont feed my tank too much as marron stated and do not target feed them as well ,I have tooo tooo many shripm for me to target feed and im not going to start ether ,they are doing just fine this way so be it ,I think some ppl just like the idea of target feeding ,and like the way the coral comes out and eat ,other wise i have mine for over 6 months and they are doing just great as is

 

[joe]

get a dendrophyia, they open up more often

 

[joseney21]

i use to target feed my suncoral (gave it away) with a turkey baster. i gave it mysis shrimp and small pieces of fish and shrimp.