Sun coral, how big?

[jerry h]

I have had a sun coral for about a month, I feed it daily and it is increasing in size rapidly. At present its about 5" round [when polyps are extended].Can I expect it to increase more? How big are yours?
Also, I have seen pics of red Tubastreas, does anyone have one?
Regards
Jerry.

[ollie100]

Hello mate
You will find that your sun coral will start spreading more and the heads will get bigger but not massive.
Keep feeding them, good quailty water and you will reep the rewards;)
As for red sun corals,I've not seen any :(
I think you will find they are prob dark orange ,the camera shot makes them look red:rolleyes:
Ollie

[jerry h]

Thanks Ollie, pity we cant get red ones, I remember seeing one on a US site but it may well have had the colour altered. Still, my yellow one is beautiful.

[ollie100]

They do love there photoshop:D :rolleyes:
Ollie

[ollie100]

These are my tri colour sunnys.Pink,dark orange and yellow.
I feed these every other day;) I'm yet to get some black ones but there hard to find.
Ollie

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/new2 sun small.JPG

[Johnt]

Looking great Ollie, have you got any shrimps or hermits in there, when I feed my sunnys I have to fight them off. I've got the sun corals in the sump at the mo while I build them back up to good health.

John.

[evilervin]

Hi,

An average "large" T.faulkenri, T. Coccina etc (what everyone knows as Yellow / orange sun corals) sold in LFS are around 5 inches across un-expanded, and will continue to grow if well fed, as Ollie mensioned above.

Before the "wipe-out", one of my T. Faulkenri was approx 6 inches across and 3-4 inches high, un-expanded.

Tubastraea micrantha (Black sun Coral) can grow branches greater than 1m in height, but due to thier poor survival rate in captivity, to my knowledge no one has come close to this within a tank. Mines about 6-7 inches in height, un-expanded.

I have seen pics of red Tubastreas, does anyone have one?
I wish! Red(ish) ones do excist, but are EXTREMELY rare to see in an LFS, as with all Tubastraea colour morphs. Ive seen want i believe are un-altered pics of a divine Tubastraea with a red oral discs and white tenticles.

for me the holy grail is a Tubastraea Micrantha with a green coenosarc and white polyps. pretty much just like this:
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/whitegog01.jpg

HTH

Gog

[ollie100]

Johnt
Get your sunnys out the sump and get them back in your main tank!.
Yes i do have shrimps and hermits .I feed my shrimp a little peice of silversides or some brine before i feed the sunnys,that sorts him out but most of the time he is good.As for the hermits just knock of the ones that are close :D and by the time the sunnys have eaten the hermits are off looking else where;)

evilervin
Love that picture.They must be rare as rokin horse $h1t:D as i've never seen any of the in any lfs's and i do like to shop around:rolleyes:
Ollie

[evilervin]

They must be rare as rokin horse $h1t:D as i've never seen any of the in any lfs's and i do like to shop around:rolleyes:
ya telling me!!!:D
I check 5 LFS religously(sp?), and travel quite a bit, and in 2 years Ive only seen 1 "standard" Micranta (mine:p) let alone a rare colour morph. If anyone finds one I'll swap you my left arm, the Mrs and the contents of my bank account (which isnt alot:D)

Gog

[jerry h]

Thanks for the replies gents.
Top pics ollie.
Evilervin, I am also always on the lookout for different colours, I will let you know if I ever find anything, but you can keep your left arm.
Cheers
Jerry