Sun polyps advice?

[MorganAndFish]

I was just given sun polyps from a friend and I know they have to be spot fed but I don't know much more then that... Any experts on them that can give me some tips?

 

[dherrera83]

I had one and I fed it once a week or so but when the light was dim it would open and grab food from the current. They are usually always closed till sundown or at night. I kept it at the bottom but i have a bunch of pods so Im not sure but I think he was eating them too.

 

[KathyC]

Sun corals can be trained to be open while the lights are on - IF you are going to feed the tank at the same time each day - by first 'teasing' the coral to open by putting a tiny bit of food into the water - use Zooplankton or a few pellets or pieces of flake food.
Once the coral realizes there is food, it will tend to open up so it can eat. But said I said, the trick is to do it at the same time each day and eventually it will automatically open at that time. It may take a few weeks.

Many folks have an issue feeding these as other critters/fish/shrimp will happily swipe the food the coral has captured in its tentacles, so it is suggested that at least a few times a week you make sure the coral is eating a good meal.
You can do this by cutting the 'cap' portion off a 2 litre soda bottle (or a 16oz bottle if you have a smaller coral), by slicing it about 4 or 5 inches from the top so you end up with a dome with the opening (where the cap was). Find yourself a glue gun and hot glue a few marbles or pieces of rock rubble near the opening to weigh down the dome. Place it over the coral and squirt the food in there...a turkey baster is handy for this.
IF you have no critters in the tank that will steal the food, you can simply direct feed the coral with a gentle squirt of food from the baster.
You do want to make sure all of the heads get fed.

One other thing - sun corals do NOT need to be kept in the shade, nor do they need to hang upside down at the entrance to a cave or pass-thru. They commonly do this in the wild as the currents tend to flow through these quickly and bring small particles that the coral will eat.
They can very happily live out on your sand bed (or in your aquascaping though it is harder to make sure they get fed if they are in the rock work)

Hope that helps!

 

[MorganAndFish]

Thanks that helps a lot!

 

[KathyC]

Thanks that helps a lot!

You're very welcome
Do we get to see a pic of it?

 

[Awibrandy]

I have kept mine in a over hang for the past 3 or 4 years. They get some light, but not really bright. I feed them at the same time I feed the fish. I don't necessarily feed on a particular schedule, and mine open when ever (correction; the orange ones do, the black & the yellow ones only open during feeding time.). I feed a mixture of mysis, rod's food, frozen cube, topiko eggs (tiny sushi orange eggs) on occasion mixed with Oyster Feast, Phytoplankton, Rotifier Feast). I blast the mixture in the tank with a turkey baster tip thing, while the fish are busy eating, I skirt food directly at the heads of the sunpolyps.

I do tease all my corals by swooshing the brine shrimp net I use to drain the food when rinsed. There is always something left stuck on the net.
1 thing you should know is that if you don't feed them they will start to shrink, and eventually disappear.