SunCoral - any hope?

yellow submarine · 07-01-2006, 03:10 PM

I got a SunCoral 6 months ago and it was doing well up until about 2 weeks ago. Instead of being completely covered in its orange skin.... the skin has retracted inbetween each polyp to where you can see the white skeleton. 3-4 polyps have died-off and left behind an empty white skeleton.

Anything I can do to start REVERSING what seem to be a SLOW DIE-OFF??

....and YES.... its sitting ontop of some oyster thing that breaths in and out water

dobejazz · 07-01-2006, 03:12 PM

Have you been feeding it? If so What and how often ?

JennM · 07-01-2006, 03:16 PM

You beat me to that question

Jenn

yellow submarine · 07-01-2006, 03:20 PM

Cyclopeze (that red photoplankton-stuff) under the advisement of the LFS owner who has been selling these things for years now

He told me to just put in a 1/4inch cut of cyclopeze once a week and let it swirl around the tank....and that should be enough to keep it fed.... WHICH DOESNT LOOK LIKE ITS DOING ITS JOB.

I've noticed that when I occasionally put in diced-up mysis in the tank... it really "flowers-up"

I NEED FOR SOMEONE TO GIVE ME PROPER CARE FOR THIS THING -OR- IT WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE GARBAGECAN IN ABOUT 1-2 MONTHS.....I'M AFRAID.

dobejazz · 07-01-2006, 03:37 PM

Best thing is mysis shrimp target fed to each polyp a few times a week

yellow submarine · 07-01-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dobejazz

Best thing is mysis shrimp target fed to each polyp a few times a week

do you BELIEVE (after seeing the picture) this thing can make a RECOVERY?? ....meaning will the overall SKIN start to grow back? I know the lost polyps are gone forever.

so this TARGET-FEEDING....if I have a syringe filled with diced-up mysis.... I can just go..."plop, plop, plop" in each polyp...right? That shouldn't take but 5min... right?

HOW DO THESE STINKIN' THINGS LIVE IN THE WILD IF THEY HAVE TO BE HAND-FED?

dobejazz · 07-01-2006, 03:46 PM

I think it can recover here is a good link on Sun Coral Care
http://melevsreef.com/pics/0604/suncoral.html

theplatypus · 07-01-2006, 03:55 PM

Just place the coral in a tupperware type container with tank water. Then add some thawed mysis. When the coral is done eating put it back in the tank.

salt creepette · 07-01-2006, 04:13 PM

I had one in my 120 gallon in a cave on the bottom. I found it too much work for me to climb on a chair and try to reach the bottom of the tank with a turkey baster to direct feed it so I traded it. But, while I had it, I used a 2 liter coke bottle with the bottom cut out to cover the coral and squirt mysis/blender mush in there so the fish and shrimp couldnt steal the food out of its mouth. I think if yours are able to eat and are fed well they should be able to recover. I would definitely feed it nightly for a while until you can see it's definitely doing better. melev's page on this subject is great!

JennM · 07-01-2006, 04:21 PM

The soda bottle "hat" is a great way to feed it. It does not need to be shielded from light - so put it where you can get to it easily to feed it. It just does not benefit from light - but it isn't a vampire.

Using the soda bottle "hat" it will keep the food concentrated around the coral and help prevent your other tankmates from poaching the food.

The specimen you have is perfectly salvagable - it's a bit thin looking but certainly not beyond hope.

Jenn

Loverotties · 07-01-2006, 05:58 PM

Great link kelli!