Sun Coral/Polyps - any experience with these animals?

[thorn]

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So I was browsing the LFS and these guys REALLY caught my eye. They were absolutely striking in the display case (a little more shy in the sale tank)! I am thinking about getting them in the next month or so... I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with them and can share some tips and/or tricks for success.

I know they are non-photosynthetic and prefer zooplankton, but I know nothing about what kind of flow/water quality/temp/tankmates they can tolerate.

Thank you in advance for the advice!!

 

[fishlips12]

They are beautiful. Do you know the name and type? I too would be interested in adding something like this to our tank.

 

[reefrunner69]

Do you know the name and type?

They are Tubestrea spp.

As noted they are non-photosynthetic and require daily feeding (each individual polyp must be fed). They will prefer a shaded location (cave, under rock ledge, etc...) and good waterflow to stimulate the polyps to open for feeding. This is not a beginners coral, IMO it should only be kept by an experienced reefkeeper, not necessarily an expert, but someone with a few years experience keeping corals.

 

[fishlips12]

So I should not put this in my just recently cycled tank??

Just kidding thanks for the advice. For my 2 month old tank we have a hammer coral and zooanthid that are both doing great for the past week now. But I will likely wait on this one.

 

[thorn]

BTW, they also come in black. Extremely cool. I've only seen pictures of the black ones, but they look like they are truly black (not blue or dark brown) with bright blueish-green central disks.

I did do some reading on them today and it looks like the "keep it in the dark" part is mostly because the regular feeding promotes hair algae... and hair algae will grow over these guys and stifle them. Keeping them in a darker area will lessen the chances.

Here's some further reading:

http://www.aquaworldnet.com/awmag/sunpolen.shtml
http://www.aquarium.net/0797/0797_3.shtml

 

[GOBY]

I have heard that when feeding you must feed every polyp because if one polyp dies than the whole colony will die.

 

[reefrunner69]

Well, I would think if this were true...the opposite would be true as well and therefore you would not need to feed each individual polyp. I think it is simply a matter of the individual polyps dieing off.

 

[loganj]

Correct...I have one that lost several poylps. The rest of the are doing well though. They love brine shrimp.

 

[Guest]

ya. you do have to feed each individual polyp. i feed mine mysis shrimp.

 

[pluk1992]

Yes, very nice coral. It just require's alot of time and attention. for it to do good.

 

[Brenden]

Great corals but plan on spending some time with it.

 

[Tanked001]

I have a small frag of those. I sold the larger piece becuase there was only a small shaded area in my tank... under the over flow box. The small frag only had 3 polyps, we've been feeding them phyto daily and now we have 5 to 6 polyps after about 4 to 6 weeks.
Do you think I could get even better results if I feed them mysis shrimp?

 

[Guest]

i didnt know they grew that fast

 

[Brenden]

This is not a great pic because the polyps are not out. The smaller growth on the right is all new. BTW I do not feed each polyp. Get a 2 liter bottle and cut the bottom out of it. Place it over the coral and put food in through the threaded hole. Stir it up every 5 minutes or so with a baster. I use (small) mysis and cyclopeeze. If I just place the bottle over it now it comes out because it knows what is coming. Make sure you clean the bottle good.
www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/data/506/IMG_0384.jpg

 

[Tanked001]

It's not the best pic but it started with the 3 larger polyps and now you can see 3 smaller ones next to it... there all closed up now, they normally don't open until the evening.

well it wouldn't let me attach the file, so I put it up over at my place


http://www.thepiratesreef.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=57&c=5