Training a Sun Coral

[PerculaClown]

I was thinking about getting a orange sun coral for my tank but i need to know what im getting into. Is this coral really hard to care for like many people say. Does anyone have any expercience with it? I know that you have to feed it frequetly but im up to that challenge. I also read that you can train the coral too take foods at a specific time so you dont have to feed it when the lights are off. How would you do that?

[Purple-Tang]

I got some frags of sun corals in my tank, they doing ok. They are very beautiful. i keep them in low lighted areas, just because thats what people say. They come out sometimes. About food, i never really aimed to feed them, although I do give my tank some coral food (zooplank, phytoplank)

[Jonno]

Originally Posted by Purple-Tang

I got some frags of sun corals in my tank, they doing ok. They are very beautiful. i keep them in low lighted areas, just because thats what people say. They come out sometimes. About food, i never really aimed to feed them, although I do give my tank some coral food (zooplank, phytoplank)

I have never kept sun corals but if you do it right it won't be to much hard work. There's a brilliant little journal that i have posted a link below.

I wouldn't feed them phtyoplex & zoo the corals will take these foods but i would still feed it mysis & other live / frozen foods. If you get into a routine i doubt its that hard, i really want to get some sun corals. Also just get a turkey baster or something similar pipettes i use and just get a cup of water put some mysis or other foods in there mix it up and suck up the mysis feed the other fish at the same time and just squirt the food over the sun coral.

Here's the link for the journal:

http://www.melevsreef.com/suncoral.html

[mr.dark-saint]

I don't know about "training" them but when few of them are opend up you can feed them and the rest will follow.

[PerculaClown]

Thanks jonno the journal was really helpfull. I guess they are not too hard taking care of them. Some people say its right way to place them is glued on a rock facing downward. Should i do it this way or should i just place upright?

[TheOldSalt]

Downward, or at least under a cliff or in a cave well out of the light. If you see them on the reef they are almost always hanging upside down in the dark.

[Brack-Man]

I have my sun coral on the bottom of my tank right in the mouth of cave and they do great there....you can "train" them to open at certain times by feeding them at the same time every day for about a week or so, and then after that they will open up at that time searching for food. i feed mine every other day a combo of mysis and formula 1 (frozen)...

[Limi]

Yup...If it's completely closed and you want it to open, squirt the shrimp over the top of them and they will 'smell' it and start to open....then feed...repeat at roughly the same time everyday and you will have a trained sun coral. Mine completely opens around 7-7:30pm. I usually feed mysis but have tried a variety of things.

[PerculaClown]

thanks guys Nice pics!

[Ice]

Curious - what type of lighting do they need ? Also - are they a good beginner coral ?

[Fishfirst]

they don't need light, they are an exclusive filter feeder. I wouldn't recommend them for beginners, but they aren't extremely hard neither. Make sure their feeding requirements are met and you'd be okay... of course, we don't really know what size of phytoplanton they really need.

[Ice]

Thanks for the info. They are a nice looking animal though.

[Brack-Man]

They're not filter feeders either really,They like meaty foods, i.e. mysis, brine, chopped up silversides, etc. I feed mine every couple of days and all is good.
As for light they pretty much dont need any special lighting needs, just put them in a low light section of the tank and they will be fine.

As for being a begginer coral, yeah they'd be an okay begginer, wouldnt be my first choice for someone to start with, but they're easy to care for, just dont forget to feed them.

[Fishfirst]

http://www.divegallery.com/coral_closeup.htm

I guess my last comment was not correct about not knowing what they feed on, but they do "filter feed" as in they are not photosynthetic and they eat from the water column.

[TheOldSalt]

They actually do poorly under bright light, as they tend to get overrun with algae, and they are anything but good beginner corals. Absolutely not for beginners or anyone else not willing and/or able to handfeed them every day.

p.s: nice pics!