Sun Coral in a FOWLR?

[livinlifeinBKK]

Hey guys, I was visiting my LFS today since I just started putting together a FOWLR tank and saw a really impressive looking black sun coral...In the tank I only have two small butterflyfish right now and don't plan on adding much more except maybe a tang or dwarf angel...Now I know that butterflyfish aren't reef safe but since sun corals remain closed when the lights are off, would the butterflies really be able to do it any harm during the day or would they actually go looking for food in the middle of the night when the sun coral opens? Oh and btw, I actually have a small black sun coral in a different tank so I know what's involved in their care...this one I saw at the shop today was really sizable and since it was a little bit bleached (likely from lack of proper feeding) I'd probably get a really good price and could just nurse it back to health. Has anyone tried this? What do you guys think?

 

[R0L0]

What type of butterflyfish are they?

 

[AcroNem]

I haven't personally kept them together, but I wouldn't try to. Even when closed there is flesh exposed, and if a butterfly or angel wants to eat them they will.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

a

What type of butterflyfish are they?

yellow butterflyfish (Chaetodon andamanensis) and I believe the other is a Threadfin but it's hard to tell since it's very young and colors haven't come in fully yet...I live in BKK but don't speak much Thai and I doubt the girl in the shop knew anyway tbh...I got each for about $5

 

[ZoWhat]

Then your tank becomes a

SUN FOWLR

 

[R0L0]

yellow butterflyfish can be reef compatible if you use caution and keep them well fed. However Threadfin A.K.A. Auriga butterflyfish are not reef compatible so I wouldn't try it.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I haven't personally kept them together, but I wouldn't try to. Even when closed there is flesh exposed, and if a butterfly or angel wants to eat them they will.

That's what I was worried about but since both butterflies are so young I was thinking that they would get used to eating a pellet/non-coral diet and they wouldn't be very interested since they've not had coral before...I was hoping maybe someone had tried before but haven't found anything in the forums

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

yellow butterflyfish can be reef compatible if you use caution and keep them well fed. However Threadfin A.K.A. Auriga butterflyfish are not reef compatible so I wouldn't try it.

Yeah, they would probably start picking at it eventually...just a shame that that beautiful black sun coral will probably starve at the shop before they sell it or get around to ever hand feeding it

 

[sp1187]

Hey guys, I was visiting my LFS today since I just started putting together a FOWLR tank and saw a really impressive looking black sun coral...In the tank I only have two small butterflyfish right now and don't plan on adding much more except maybe a tang or dwarf angel...Now I know that butterflyfish aren't reef safe but since sun corals remain closed when the lights are off, would the butterflies really be able to do it any harm during the day or would they actually go looking for food in the middle of the night when the sun coral opens? Oh and btw, I actually have a small black sun coral in a different tank so I know what's involved in their care...this one I saw at the shop today was really sizable and since it was a little bit bleached (likely from lack of proper feeding) I'd probably get a really good price and could just nurse it back to health. Has anyone tried this? What do you guys think?

i have multiple suns, orange and black in my reef tank.
i have a copperband. never seen it pick at the suns.
side note: don't know that the butterflies sleep. my copperband doesn't.
active lights on and lights out.

 

[R0L0]

Yeah, they would probably start picking at it eventually...just a shame that that beautiful black sun coral will probably starve at the shop before they sell it or get around to ever hand feeding it

You said you had one in your other tank. Do you have room in your other tank for another?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

You said you had one in your other tank. Do you have room in your other tank for another?

Unfortunately that tank is going through a fallow period because of a velvet outbreak about a month ago...I've read it's a bad idea to add anything during the fallow period

 

[R0L0]

Unfortunately that tank is going through a fallow period because of a velvet outbreak about a month ago...I've read it's a bad idea to add anything during the fallow period

Ah, ye not a good idea to add it now then. Do you think its actually going to starve at the fish store or was that an exaggeration?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

You said you had one in your other tank. Do you have room in your other tank for another?

I do have a small tank I was going to use possibly as a hospital tank that's empty right now...maybe I'll try the sun coral with the butterflies but if I ever see them picking at it instead of a hospital tank I'll just put a pair of clowns in that tank and move the sun coral in there...it hasn't been used for any sick fish yet

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Ah, ye not a good idea to add it now then. Do you think its actually going to starve at the fish store or was that an exaggeration?

I'm serious...these shops in Bangkok really don't care as long as they break even in the long run...they've got other bleaching suns

 

[R0L0]

I do have a small tank I was going to use possibly as a hospital tank that's empty right now...maybe I'll try the sun coral with the butterflies but if I ever see them picking at it instead of a hospital tank I'll just put a pair of clowns in that tank and move the sun coral in there...it hasn't been used for any sick fish yet

That could work. If you think that the coral is actually gonna die at the fish store than I would go for it. Better it having a chance of living than just dying before it even got to a hobbyist

 

[R0L0]

I'm serious...these shops in Bangkok really don't care as long as they break even in the long run...they've got other bleaching suns

Dang that really sucks. I hope one day that all the fish stores like this will end up dying out and news ones with owners that actually care about the life of the corals and the fish will pop up.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Dang that really sucks. I hope one day that all the fish stores like this will end up dying out and news ones with owners that actually care about the life of the corals and the fish will pop up.

Me too...unfortunately there are two extremes here...there are a few shops that only sell really high end expensive fish that are well cared for and then there are the rest who would rather just get new livestock instead of doing the work to maintain a coral like that until someone buys it...i don't think a lot of people appreciate sun corals around here because they're not as flashy so they end up sitting with the shops for a while

 

[R0L0]

Me too...unfortunately there are two extremes here...there are a few shops that only sell really high end expensive fish that are well cared for and then there are the rest who would rather just get new livestock instead of doing the work to maintain a coral like that until someone buys it...i don't think a lot of people appreciate sun corals around here because they're not as flashy so they end up sitting with the shops for a while

Yea. Sun coral is a really underrated coral IMO. Its a little harder to care for and requires a lot of feeding but so beautiful

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yea. Sun coral is a really underrated coral IMO. Its a little harder to care for and requires a lot of feeding but so beautiful

If I pick it up I'll send you a pic and tell you what I ended up paying...coming from America, it's weird how the pricing works here...I remember a shop in Florida wanting $50 for a black sun coral literally one fifth the size of this one and I bet the most I'd end up paying for this colony would be maybe $20 at most...like I said, I got the two small butterflies for $5 each...most corals are a comparable price to the States but fish and certain corals and inverts are a total coin toss

 

[R0L0]

If I pick it up I'll send you a pic and tell you what I ended up paying...coming from America, it's weird how the pricing works here...I remember a shop in Florida wanting $50 for a black sun coral literally one fifth the size of this one and I bet the most I'd end up paying for this colony would be maybe $20 at most...like I said, I got the two small butterflies for $5 each...most corals are a comparable price to the States but fish and certain corals and inverts are a total coin toss

Hmm. That's very interesting, I wish I could get sun coral for that cheap lol.