Hopeless Dendrophyllia/Sun Coral?

[dyno]

Not sure what this is. Am trying to force feed it some Neptune coral pellets. You guys think there is a chance or is it too late? Maybe the polypse don't even have enough energy left to come out?

 

[anemoneanatomy]

Those pellets look far too big for it. Putting food on it that will decay will not help matters, I do not think. Do you have any plankton? If some settles on the coral and it doesn't take it in, at least it won't be as big a vector for bacteria.

 

[dyno]

I was just trying to entice the polyps to come out. They can eat large pieces of food, you'd be amazed. But yea will remove before they rot.

 

[anemoneanatomy]

Ah, ok. It looks pretty far gone, unfortunately, but it hasn't turned totally white, so I wouldn't lose all hope.

 

[Robertellis30]

If you want it open during the day place it in low light in a cave or under a shelf. Then start feeding it during the day to get it to come out.

 

[dyno]

When I bought it at the store the polyps were so close to being out so I thought it was healthy. Now In just two days the skeleton is turning white

 

[Shirak]

When I bought it at the store the polyps were so close to being out so I thought it was healthy. Now In just two days the skeleton is turning white

Do you have any aminos or other liquid coral food? If you do, try adding a little to a cup of tank water and let the coral soak for 30 min or so each day and then put it back in the tank.

 

[dyno]

Do you have any aminos or other liquid coral food? If you do, try adding a little to a cup of tank water and let the coral soak for 30 min or so each day and then put it back in the tank.

Unfortunately not. I can make a brine and mysis smoothie right away though! What liquid food do you suggest?

 

[GHOSTLY]

That sun coral is Amazing! I dont own any NPS but I know they should be fed lots and preferably frozen

 

[mdb_talon]

It is not too far gone at all. Have had sun coral heads that were white skeletons come back. I would use the sofa bottle trick in tank or remove him to a large tupperware with a ton of food to entice him to eat. I usually try soda bottle first but if that dont work i take them out a couple times a day for awhile and just load the water up with mysis. Keep temp correct and can leave them in that for couple hours at a time if needed.

 

[dyno]

hahaha it actually worked! Out of the 4 heads I put pellets on 3 heads ate.

 

[Shirak]

Unfortunately not. I can make a brine and mysis smoothie right away though! What liquid food do you suggest?

A mashed up mysis cube would help. Lots of different amino vitamin blends on the market. I have brightwell restor as well as aminos. I occasionally add a drop of the aminos to the frozen food defrosted in a cup.

 

[Shirak]

hahaha it actually worked! Out of the 4 heads I put pellets on 3 heads ate.

Nice. Probably still adjusting to your water parameters if it’s only been a couple days.

 

[dyno]

So the polyps are starting to come out more now. I still need to find a good amino acid supplent and see if that will give them energy. They aren't eating the pellets anymore and no mysis either. Would a small coral food be better like reef frenzy, PE Calanus (I think), a liquid food or an amino acid supplement?

Thanks

 

[Shirak]

If the mysis are too large you could try chopping them up. While it's still frozen you can shave the little cube into pieces. You could also try soaking the pellets first and mashing them up a bit first. After lights out I find it helpful to put some of the liquid into the water then wait 30 min-1hr. That gives the polyps time to extend. Flesh looks a little thin so it will take some time for them to 'bulk up' and extend fully. The skeleton is fully covered though so that is good. Could still be adjusting to your tank.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Pellets are terrible for sun corals. Frozen brine or mysis or any finely chopped raw seafood and each head NEEDS to be fed daily.

 

[steveweast]

The trick is to get those polyps to come out first...in order to feed. It could take days or even a week or so. Looks like yours are starting though. Once they start coming out....you are in business. Once they start coming out.....each day, they will expand more and more.

I usually feed the rest of the tank with a small amount of plankton food.....or even just stirring up the sand.....which will then cause the polyps to emerge day or night. At that point, I use a turkey baster to directly deliver a mixture of mysis, bloodworms, brine and even LRS. Those polyps can take in large chunks. I will even occasionally feed them live blackworms....which usually ends up in a "Lady and the Tramp" spaghetti scene as each polyp gets one end of a worm. My sun corals are secured mostly upside down under a ledge that gets no direct light.

 

[dyno]

The trick is to get those polyps to come out first...in order to feed. It could take days or even a week or so. Looks like yours are starting though. Once they start coming out....you are in business. Once they start coming out.....each day, they will expand more and more.

I usually feed the rest of the tank with a small amount of plankton food.....or even just stirring up the sand.....which will then cause the polyps to emerge day or night. At that point, I use a turkey baster to directly deliver a mixture of mysis, bloodworms, brine and even LRS. Those polyps can take in large chunks. I will even occasionally feed them live blackworms....which usually ends up in a "Lady and the Tramp" spaghetti scene as each polyp gets one end of a worm. My sun corals are secured mostly upside down under a ledge that gets no direct light.

Hi @steveweast,

First of all Wowww! Your tank is amazing. Thanks for the input and for the wonderful pictures, I really appreciate it. I guess Sun Polyps need love too....Lady and the Tramp...haha that was hilarious! I love NPS corals and am fascinated specifically by Sun Corals and Dendrophyllia, they are just so beautiful. I will try feeding them a mixture of frozen foods and avoid pellets now. Its just weird because they should be grabbing a hold of the food but it just slips off the polyps without sticking to them. I was thinking if an amino acid liquid would be good because they might be so starved that they have no energy to grab frozen. Kind of like when humans are given electrolytes/glucose in extreme situations.

 

[Adam1985]

The trick is to get those polyps to come out first...in order to feed. It could take days or even a week or so. Looks like yours are starting though. Once they start coming out....you are in business. Once they start coming out.....each day, they will expand more and more.

I usually feed the rest of the tank with a small amount of plankton food.....or even just stirring up the sand.....which will then cause the polyps to emerge day or night. At that point, I use a turkey baster to directly deliver a mixture of mysis, bloodworms, brine and even LRS. Those polyps can take in large chunks. I will even occasionally feed them live blackworms....which usually ends up in a "Lady and the Tramp" spaghetti scene as each polyp gets one end of a worm. My sun corals are secured mostly upside down under a ledge that gets no direct light.

Beautiful tank! May I ask how you secured the sun corals upside down? I’d like to do the same with mine.

 

[steveweast]

Very secure. I blend up stick epoxy...put some super glue on the coral bottom...then the epoxy blob on the super glue....then more super glue on the epoxy. Then I secure it upside down and support it myself for a few minutes or support it with something like a net handle while the epoxy cures. The epoxy hardens in a few minutes.