Sun Coral

[OneTimer]

I have a small piece of sun coral that isn't doing well. It doesn't seem to eat. i place a tube over the coral and then shoot small brine shrimp into the tube The first time I did it the largest part of the coral opened and ate a shrimp.

When and how do I know that the coral is "awake" or ready to eat? Is there something I can do with the lighting or time? Better question how do I know if it is dead?

Any advise please

 

[PolandSpring]

if the suncoral is dead you will see white skelton instead of the nice yellow/orange

 

[emmanuel]

they dont like bright light .
when it opens shut off your circulation in the tank power heads etc. it will make feeding the suncoral easier

 

[PurpleTang]

ya i keep mine inside a cave like area in my tank, they seem to like that and they go crazy for myisis shrimp

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

according to some articles and personally eye witness, they are mostly at the top of a cave in the wild. It is said the flow at the top of the cave is higher than the lower part of the cave. I did a test of that and it's true that the string I ran the test flow faster at the top of the cave. I used to use Cyclopeeze to tease them to open first before feeding . After a month, they seems to remember what time I feed and will open at the time before I do anything.

 

[Avi]

Cyclopeeze is a good inducement to get the sun coral to open up and be ready to take food. Once the cyclopeeze has been in your tank's water for a few minutes, cut off all the flow in the tank. Then, gently place chopped mysis onto the sun coral, using a turkey baster. Don't blow it onto the sun coral too hard. Once the chopped mysis shrimp is on the sun coral, it should start closing its polyps taking in the chopped shrimp. It may take a few weeks, but this regime will become more and more reliable for feeding the sun coral.

 

[tomtoothdoc]

cyclopeeze is good but may be a little expensive for just feeding small piece of suncoral, they sell them it big block size like a block of butter.

thaw out the frozen mysis, turn off the flow and with a turkey baster or a sea squirt if it's a farther reach, gently squirt the "juice" over the polyps about 2-3 time every 3-5 minutes. if they open up then feed them. if not, feed the mysis to the fish and try again the next day. after a few times, they will learn to open when they sense the mysis juice. have fun.

 

[KathyC]

according to some articles and personally eye witness, they are mostly at the top of a cave in the wild. It is said the flow at the top of the cave is higher than the lower part of the cave. I did a test of that and it's true that the string I ran the test flow faster at the top of the cave. I used to use Cyclopeeze to tease them to open first before feeding . After a month, they seems to remember what time I feed and will open at the time before I do anything.

What Wingo said is very true. Suncorals are often found in caves as the flow there is higher and it is easier for them to capture food there. They really do not have an issue with bright lighting, though are better placed lower in the tank.
I too have used cyclopeeze to 'train' a suncoral to open up so I can feed it. The trick is to do so at a consistent time each day and after 2-3 weeks of this - the suncoral will usually open at that same time each day to feed.

Be sure to gently direct the mysis toward the coral, if you do it with too much force it will either close back up, or not eat.