Have I been "had" by the LFS?

[lcstorc]

Definitely not a dead sun coral. I think it just needs some time and perhaps some target feeding, If you blast it with food from a baster it will close as wel. Use the top of a bottle to gently add the food around the coral. Mysis and cyclopeze are both great foods for them.

 

[Frankie]

A dead sun coral will have no orange or yellow skin on it. That one is alive. How is the flow over it? I find mine open big time with good indirect flow over them. Also DT's had them popping the moment i used it. I don't target feed my corals but they open up big time when i clean the glass.

 

[flricordia]

Hate to dash any hope as it may still be alive and I personally couldn't tell you from any experiance, but I have seen them dead and still retain the color for awhile. There was one here lately in a LRS that stayed the orange color for a week after it had come in, but it was dead no doubt. Hope it is alive though.

 

[dobejazz]

I would say it's alive but not super healthy since the polyps look shrunken not plump. I wouldn't give up on it though with care you should be able to bring it back

 

[jhnrb]

it is definitely a type of sun polyp. the polyps are there, but very retracted. best thing to do is either take it back, or leave it alone for about 4 to 5 days with indirect medium to medium low currents, then try a feed it by dealing with the best looking polyp and if successful it should start to expand. you will need some patients and time to nurse this one back. good luck. keep us posted.

 

[Dentoid]

Do you know how long it was in your LFS. Perhaps they weren't feeding it!

 

[forestal]

i agree with above, it is for sure alive, but looks very withdrawn...when mine is happy and retracted, it still has more tissue to it.

I recommend using cyclopeeze/mysid shrimp and squirting over the colony every night at the same time after lights out (or in am before lights on). watch it for 20 min or so and if it starts to open a little squirt some more...

if a lot of current or greedy fish are getting in the way...you can use an old (clean) soda bottle with bottom removed to place over coral to isolate its food source while feeding...

here is a link to an article by Eric Borneman:
Reefs.org: Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet - Tubastrea by Eric Borneman July 1997 Aquarium.Net

 

[JT101]

Hello all,

Thanks again for all the replies! Last night for the first time (sorry, no pic available) I saw polyps just beginning to protrude from EACH AND EVERY "tower"! So, it IS alive!! Problem is, they only stuck out a tiny bit. Nothing like the beautiful shots of sun corals I've seen here. This morning when the dual actinics went on with the timer they were withdrawn again inside the "towers" but this time at least I could see the very tips of each polyp. So, I guess it's getting used to the tank.

Water flow in the area of the sun coral is moderate.

 

[tippMANn98]

Still give it time....each day it will open more and more...I just passed on my chance at a small head of sun polyps(bout 5 polyps, its only going for $15) so maybe it will be there at the end of the week.

 

[Dentoid]

Hello all,

Thanks again for all the replies! Last night for the first time (sorry, no pic available) I saw polyps just beginning to protrude from EACH AND EVERY "tower"! So, it IS alive!! Problem is, they only stuck out a tiny bit. Nothing like the beautiful shots of sun corals I've seen here. This morning when the dual actinics went on with the timer they were withdrawn again inside the "towers" but this time at least I could see the very tips of each polyp. So, I guess it's getting used to the tank.

Water flow in the area of the sun coral is moderate.

When you see the polyps start to expand, even a little, it's time to squirt some food over it.

 

[AQTCJAK]

Reef Nutition makes a coral food called Artic Pods & Rotifeast Vickis sun coral go nuts when it is in the tank

 

[JT101]

When you see the polyps start to expand, even a little, it's time to squirt some food over it.

I'll try that tonight :smirk: ! Thanks.

 

[vdituri]

Glad to hear it is still alive.
They are beautiful when they expand.
I lucked out and got a black/maroon one that I love.

 

[Dentoid]

That's stunning Victor. I saw a black tubastrea with olive green polyps at my LFS-I thought of you!

 

[vdituri]

Awwww!

 

[JT101]

Still shrunker! I guess I'll check later tonight.

 

[BigAl07]

Any updates?

Allen

 

[JT101]

Any updates?

Allen

Sorry, I actually have been commenting on another thread about the state of this coral. I've been introducing local NSW I have harvested from a clean ocean inlet and the sun is beginning to open nicely! So far it hasn't opened 100% but each evening it opens more and more. Interestingly, it opened the MOST the day I put in a 20% NSW change - right after I did that, the coral seemed so much more alive and has ever since

 

[JT101]

I did another 20% NSW change this morning, this afternoon my sun coral finally opened up a little more, then after "lights out" even more still! The top picture was taken at about 6PM tonight, the bottom with flash at 8:30PM after all but the lunar LEDs went out. She's a beauty!!

 

[Dentoid]

There you go! All perky and pretty!