Sun Polyp LPS rescue!

redspot321 · 10/13/2007, 06:17 PM

I got a sun polyp coral today. It looks like at one point there were roughly 30 polyps/heads on this colony. Now there are 5!

What can I do to really give this coral the best chance?
Lighting
Feedings
Flow
Ect.

redspot321 · 10/13/2007, 06:18 PM

Also, should I cut away the dead skeleton or leave it be?

cato · 10/13/2007, 06:58 PM

Target feed it 2-3 times/wk. And no, don't cut anything away. It will be fine. If you don't feed it it will die sooner or later. IME Good lick.

shabreeson · 10/13/2007, 07:59 PM

I have had a sun coral for about 4 to 6 months, and it it thriving to the point where I am seeing baby colonies all over my tank. They require no light but algae is their enemy(I honestly have no idea what would happen if they were under intense metal halide lighting but i wouldn't try it). They require as many direct feedings as you are willing to do, once a day is best(I feed with mysis shrimp and or brine shrimp(trust me on this), and I usually feed them at a certain time so the polyps are ready and waiting to be fed so I don't need to coax them with the mysis juce to open) once a week would be the minimum and they'll be just fine, a full 30 polyp colony can eat up to 2 cubes of brine shrimp in one sitting. when it comes to water flow they prefer very little, but if anything settles in between the polyps(on the fleshy part in between, when they heal that far) it will kill any flesh that it settles on, so all you need to do is to blow it off if you knowtice it.

as to whether it will survive...probably not if the polyps don't come out. how large the starving polyps are in diameter will also be a big factor. if they are the full 1cm then your in great shape (which I doubt) if half a cm then i would feed them as often as possible with a mix of minced up brine shrimp and phytoplankton at a specified time. the reason it would be optimal to feed at a certain time is because it uses a lot of energy in the process of opening its polyps which it needs to survive, so make it count.

In the long term if you don't have a big enough system to devote this much food to such a coral,due to what you want your nitrates to be, sell it off.

the above specifications is exactly why lfs are rarely are able to keep sun corals, you cant just throw the siht in there and hope your sun coral lives. it takes some attention.

if you follow wh

redspot321 · 10/13/2007, 08:06 PM

Thanks guys! good info. Im going to post before and after pics, hang around!

redspot321 · 10/13/2007, 08:14 PM

Before, man this thing looks bad! It might have 3 good polyps on it.... Its been in the tank for 1 hour.

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shabreeson · 10/13/2007, 08:27 PM

the polyps that are inverted at the moment probably won't make it unless you use minced brine and phyto, the few polyps that are out are in good shape and will live if you're consistent. The algae that is on it will be a problem so brush it off with a brush and stick it someplace in the dark, darker the better.

if the algae grows the coral dies, but if you do the above, you're in great shape.

OnoIgotICH · 10/13/2007, 08:46 PM

did it look good in the lfs?

that doesnt look too good.

Runfrumu · 10/13/2007, 08:54 PM

I have mine under metal halides. They don't seem to care, they stay in all day anyways and only come out at night.

shabreeson · 10/13/2007, 08:55 PM

It's not the healthiest but it will survive. and if this person felt it worth it then it's perfectly ok

shabreeson · 10/13/2007, 08:57 PM

if you feed them during the day then they will come out during the day, unless it is the MH that is keeping them in.

redspot321 · 10/15/2007, 08:22 AM

I did not get this from a LFS..... LOL!

This was a rescue from another local reefer. No longer had the time to feed etc...

Thanks for all of the info.

redspot321 · 10/15/2007, 09:00 AM

Day 1

I worked 12 hours the past two days so I couldnt get any food for these guys. Im going to the LFS now to get something. I thought I would just see how they reacted to forumla 1 reef food.

Heres a couple of polyps fighting over a piece!

SolidDetail808 · 10/15/2007, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by shabreeson
I have had a sun coral for about 4 to 6 months, and it it thriving to the point where I am seeing baby colonies all over my tank. They require no light but algae is their enemy(I honestly have no idea what would happen if they were under intense metal halide lighting but i wouldn't try it). They require as many direct feedings as you are willing to do, once a day is best(I feed with mysis shrimp and or brine shrimp(trust me on this), and I usually feed them at a certain time so the polyps are ready and waiting to be fed so I don't need to coax them with the mysis juce to open) once a week would be the minimum and they'll be just fine, a full 30 polyp colony can eat up to 2 cubes of brine shrimp in one sitting. when it comes to water flow they prefer very little, but if anything settles in between the polyps(on the fleshy part in between, when they heal that far) it will kill any flesh that it settles on, so all you need to do is to blow it off if you knowtice it.

as to whether it will survive...probably not if the polyps don't come out. how large the starving polyps are in diameter will also be a big factor. if they are the full 1cm then your in great shape (which I doubt) if half a cm then i would feed them as often as possible with a mix of minced up brine shrimp and phytoplankton at a specified time. the reason it would be optimal to feed at a certain time is because it uses a lot of energy in the process of opening its polyps which it needs to survive, so make it count.

In the long term if you don't have a big enough system to devote this much food to such a coral,due to what you want your nitrates to be, sell it off.

the above specifications is exactly why lfs are rarely are able to keep sun corals, you cant just throw the siht in there and hope your sun coral lives. it takes some attention.

if you follow wh

Good info!

shabreeson · 10/15/2007, 10:38 AM

redspot321 It looks like you're going to have a beautiful colony on your hands.

try to feed them when you know you'll be able to show them off

redspot321 · 10/15/2007, 07:45 PM

Okay, Last post for a while

Im just excited.....

The end of day one Im happy its eating great. Heres some mysis.
Ill update again when there is some significant change.

pledosophy · 10/15/2007, 10:50 PM

If you stay on top of feeding it, it will be fine.

Mine usually come out right after lights out, they do take to a schedule well.

I feed with chop sticks or with a turkey baster if I'm tired.

They do take a tole on your bioload after a bit. My one colony takes an entire cube of mysis by itself.

Had mine for a bit over a year now, about to frag it. Getting to big to fast.

melev · 10/15/2007, 10:55 PM

I just posted this in my thread:

My little suncoral polyps continue to expand and as they do, more babies are forming.

It is so nice to see this coral recovering, since I've had it so long. It's embarassing to show it in such sad shape, but at the same time we can learn about how to bring them back into health rather than just giving up, right? Many of the individual polyps are swollen at the base and hopefully they will fully encrust the stonework beneath one day.

10/13/2007, 06:17 PM	#1
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	Sun Polyp LPS rescue! I got a sun polyp coral today. It looks like at one point there were roughly 30 polyps/heads on this colony. Now there are 5! What can I do to really give this coral the best chance? Lighting Feedings Flow Ect.

10/13/2007, 06:58 PM	#3
cato New England Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CT Posts: 5,450	Target feed it 2-3 times/wk. And no, don't cut anything away. It will be fine. If you don't feed it it will die sooner or later. IME Good lick. __________________ -Cato I swear it's an illness... Current Tank Info: On Hiatus

10/13/2007, 07:59 PM	#4
shabreeson Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rockford, IL Posts: 761	I have had a sun coral for about 4 to 6 months, and it it thriving to the point where I am seeing baby colonies all over my tank. They require no light but algae is their enemy(I honestly have no idea what would happen if they were under intense metal halide lighting but i wouldn't try it). They require as many direct feedings as you are willing to do, once a day is best(I feed with mysis shrimp and or brine shrimp(trust me on this), and I usually feed them at a certain time so the polyps are ready and waiting to be fed so I don't need to coax them with the mysis juce to open) once a week would be the minimum and they'll be just fine, a full 30 polyp colony can eat up to 2 cubes of brine shrimp in one sitting. when it comes to water flow they prefer very little, but if anything settles in between the polyps(on the fleshy part in between, when they heal that far) it will kill any flesh that it settles on, so all you need to do is to blow it off if you knowtice it. as to whether it will survive...probably not if the polyps don't come out. how large the starving polyps are in diameter will also be a big factor. if they are the full 1cm then your in great shape (which I doubt) if half a cm then i would feed them as often as possible with a mix of minced up brine shrimp and phytoplankton at a specified time. the reason it would be optimal to feed at a certain time is because it uses a lot of energy in the process of opening its polyps which it needs to survive, so make it count. In the long term if you don't have a big enough system to devote this much food to such a coral,due to what you want your nitrates to be, sell it off. the above specifications is exactly why lfs are rarely are able to keep sun corals, you cant just throw the siht in there and hope your sun coral lives. it takes some attention. if you follow wh __________________ Regards, Mike Current Tank Info: 55 gallon mixed reef, 55 sump with a 20 gal refugium, 2 A. Allardi.,2 Bartlett's Anthias

10/13/2007, 08:27 PM	#7
shabreeson Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rockford, IL Posts: 761	the polyps that are inverted at the moment probably won't make it unless you use minced brine and phyto, the few polyps that are out are in good shape and will live if you're consistent. The algae that is on it will be a problem so brush it off with a brush and stick it someplace in the dark, darker the better. if the algae grows the coral dies, but if you do the above, you're in great shape. __________________ Regards, Mike Current Tank Info: 55 gallon mixed reef, 55 sump with a 20 gal refugium, 2 A. Allardi.,2 Bartlett's Anthias

10/13/2007, 08:54 PM	#9
Runfrumu Hi Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NC Posts: 1,014	I have mine under metal halides. They don't seem to care, they stay in all day anyways and only come out at night. __________________ Red Sea Max 130d and 125 gallon mixed reef. Current Tank Info: 125 gallon oceanic tank, Lighthouse Pro XLS, 72" outer orbit fixture, H&S 150-F2000/1 skimmer, H&S 110 Calcium Reactor, Tunze 7096, 2 Tunze 6105's , Tunze Osmolator, Prime 1/4hp drop-in chiller. 5 years running. Red Sea Max, 3 years.

10/13/2007, 06:18 PM	#2
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	Also, should I cut away the dead skeleton or leave it be?

10/13/2007, 08:06 PM	#5
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	Thanks guys! good info. Im going to post before and after pics, hang around!

10/13/2007, 08:14 PM	#6
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	Before, man this thing looks bad! It might have 3 good polyps on it.... Its been in the tank for 1 hour.

10/13/2007, 08:46 PM	#8
OnoIgotICH Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 287	did it look good in the lfs? that doesnt look too good.

10/13/2007, 08:55 PM	#10
shabreeson Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rockford, IL Posts: 761	It's not the healthiest but it will survive. and if this person felt it worth it then it's perfectly ok __________________ Regards, Mike Current Tank Info: 55 gallon mixed reef, 55 sump with a 20 gal refugium, 2 A. Allardi.,2 Bartlett's Anthias

10/13/2007, 08:57 PM	#11
shabreeson Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rockford, IL Posts: 761	if you feed them during the day then they will come out during the day, unless it is the MH that is keeping them in. __________________ Regards, Mike Current Tank Info: 55 gallon mixed reef, 55 sump with a 20 gal refugium, 2 A. Allardi.,2 Bartlett's Anthias

10/15/2007, 08:22 AM	#12
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	I did not get this from a LFS..... LOL! This was a rescue from another local reefer. No longer had the time to feed etc... Thanks for all of the info.

10/15/2007, 09:00 AM	#13
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	Day 1 I worked 12 hours the past two days so I couldnt get any food for these guys. Im going to the LFS now to get something. I thought I would just see how they reacted to forumla 1 reef food. Heres a couple of polyps fighting over a piece!

10/15/2007, 10:38 AM	#15
shabreeson Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rockford, IL Posts: 761	redspot321 It looks like you're going to have a beautiful colony on your hands. try to feed them when you know you'll be able to show them off __________________ Regards, Mike Current Tank Info: 55 gallon mixed reef, 55 sump with a 20 gal refugium, 2 A. Allardi.,2 Bartlett's Anthias

10/15/2007, 07:45 PM	#16
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	Okay, Last post for a while Im just excited..... The end of day one Im happy its eating great. Heres some mysis. Ill update again when there is some significant change.

10/15/2007, 10:50 PM	#17
pledosophy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Beaverton Posts: 5,290	If you stay on top of feeding it, it will be fine. Mine usually come out right after lights out, they do take to a schedule well. I feed with chop sticks or with a turkey baster if I'm tired. They do take a tole on your bioload after a bit. My one colony takes an entire cube of mysis by itself. Had mine for a bit over a year now, about to frag it. Getting to big to fast. __________________ 120g mixed reef 90g QT

10/15/2007, 10:55 PM	#18
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I just posted this in my thread: My little suncoral polyps continue to expand and as they do, more babies are forming. It is so nice to see this coral recovering, since I've had it so long. It's embarassing to show it in such sad shape, but at the same time we can learn about how to bring them back into health rather than just giving up, right? Many of the individual polyps are swollen at the base and hopefully they will fully encrust the stonework beneath one day.