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Hi All
Some advice please. I purchased from STM on Thursday a Sun coral and a small cat. I took three hours + to acclimatise them. The cat is fine however not so with the sun coral. I have positioned it low in the tank under a small rock overhead. Since being in the tank it has remained closed, I have tried tempting it out by basting with different foods but it stays firmly shut. Any ideas?
what food have you tried, have you blown it gently over the top of the coral? :)
Was the Sun coral feeding before you purchased it?
Have tried cyclopleeze or the 'juice' from thawed brine / mysis shrimp?
To add to the above;
Have you try using any liquid amino acid supplements? one which contains Cystine, Glycine and Glutamic acid (Glutathione), will trigger LPS corals to expand their polyps.
As an example, Seachem Reef Plus contains Glutamate (iirc is a form of Glutathione) and can do the job, but your better off looking for one which contains one or all three of the amino acids named above.
Roger
Many thanks for the comments.
STM said that the coral had been feeding although I did not see it myself, but I have no reson to doubt them as they are a reputable store.
I have tried cyclops, coral flourish, ultra clam mixed with ultra min(which contains amino acids) then diluted with tank water.
Still the coral stays firmly shut.
Regards
John
Reef plus is great, gets a quick feeding response from mine. I can give you a sample if you want to try it John. Have you tried putting a cut down coke bottle over it to slow the flow to encourage it to feed, and have you checked it in the middle of the night! Thats when mine tends to be open. Hope all is well! Kev
John,
When you say "firmly shut", I take it that there is absolutly no puffing or swelling of the tissue within the calices at all, nil, nada, nish.....
ultra min(which contains amino acids)
UltraMin contains (from FM website):
"Water, Glucose monohydrate, Calcium chloride, Magnesium sulfate, Potassium chloride, Sodium acetate, L-Arginine chloride, Histidine hydrochloride, D-Phenylalanine, L-Threonine, DL-Tryptophane, DL-Valine, Thiamine chloride 100ml/L, Nicotinamide 1500 mg/L, Riboflavine 40 mg/L, Dexpanthenol, Pridoxin hydrochloride 100 mg, Cyanococobalamin, Natriummethyl4hydroxybenzoate, Phenole," etc
....no Cystine, Glycine and Glutamic acid listed, but;
UltraMin S contains (from FM website):
Water
"Glucose Monohydrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Ethylene Acetate, Sodium Acetate, L-Arginin Hydrochloride, L-Histidin Hydrochloride,
Taurine, L-Threonine, DL-Tryptophane, Glycine, DL-Valine, Thiamin Chloride 100 mg, Nicotinamide 1500 mg, Riboflavine 40 mg, Dexpanthenole, Pridoxine Hydrochloride 100 mg, Cyanococobalamine, Sodium Methyl-4-Hydroxybenzoate, More than 70 trace elements"
Which one do you use? I would use UltraMin S out of the two above.
For a Tubastreaea sp to still be in a grump 4-5 day after acclimatation is not un-common, but to have absolutly no signs of swelling or puffing is a slight worry.
same old boring questions, but;
whats your:
water volume?
PO4 levels?
NO3 levels?
Have you checked for extension after dark?
What sort of water movement is the coral in?
Do you have a pic?
Whilst writting this I checked the amino acid is Ultra Clam and it contains the amino acids: Lysine, Alanine, Glycine, Taurine, Thronine.... so you've got an amino acid that could aid your cause...If there is an analysis on the bottle could you do my a favour and tell me how many mg pr 1ml of Glycine there is in the product.
Try some mushed-up thawed brine shrimp with your Ultra Clam and UltraMin S (if you have it) mixed with it, and very gengly form a dense 'cloud' around and over the coral with your turkey baster.
Roger
Ps sorry for the rather disjointed post.
Kev
Thanks for the offer, would welcome a sample of Reef Plus if your passing (it will give us a chance for a chat).
Roger
Many thanks for your in depth reply, it is appreciated. I use Ultra MINs which on the front of the bottle says it contains amino acids and vitamins. Having checked the back of the Ultra Clam bottle it does not mention how much Glycine it contains, only that it is in the product.
Without listing all the parameters it is quicker to say all are within the norms for a reef system and none of the other corals show any signs of distress. As soon as I add the feeding mixture to the tank my chilli coral (sorry do not know its proper name) is out and feeding.
In answer to your question regarding the sun coral itself, there are signs of swelling and it looks very plump although not extended. The lights have been off for about 10 mins and there are some signs of it extending so fingers crossed maybe I just need to be patient.
there are signs of swelling and it looks very plump although not extended. The lights have been off for about 10 mins and there are some signs of it extending so fingers crossed maybe I just need to be patient.
when its swelled and it looks "very plump", waft your coaxing mixture over the polyps again.... do this for a few days, it will soon get the message that theres going to be food about.
With it swelling, I would say the change of environment and the acclimation process has put the coral in a grump, and its just having a good old sulk.
Try coaxing for a few more days , if say by saturday / sunday you see no improvement, post a reply on this thread and we'll take it from there.
Roger
I'd also stay up late and take a look. If you "pre-feed" with a very small food then feed about half an hour (the red plankton frozen i find quite good) later you may get to see some action.
Cut the base off a 2 litre Bottle M8, then feed with Mysis and brine Mix that should get it out, I was advised this from the shop I got meine from an was told to do it as soon as it went into the tank, it cam out within 10 mins.
Heres Mine BTH It Looked like this when I bought it
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/carlos-de-jackel/suncoral2.jpg
Carl
Hi mine took nearly 2 weeks:eek: to come out I got it as a frag and it has grown,
I baste cyclopeeze around it (turn all pumps,filter,skimmer off) wait 5 mins put powerheads back on and leave for 30 mins or so then turn everything back on.
Sorry to hear about your sun coral, I bought some lr from a guy on another forum, about an hour away from me, when i got it home an hour later i was putting it in my tank, i noticed a small sun coral on one of the rocks, the next day prior to the lights coming on....there it is...fully open in all its glory well alive (amazingly) I have been feeding it twice a week. That was a month ago and its still doing fine. I thought they were quite delicate.
Do yourself a favour also, don't worry where in the tank you put the sun coral. Put it where it looks good and easy access for feeding.
It doesn't require light as you know but it doesn't do any harm to it also. They are naturally in dark over hung areas in the sea because that s where their food survives, in our tanks their food is in a bottle/tub.
Chris
Do yourself a favour also, don't worry where in the tank you put the sun coral. Put it where it looks good and easy access for feeding.
It doesn't require light as you know but it doesn't do any harm to it also. They are naturally in dark over hung areas in the sea because that s where their food survives, in our tanks their food is in a bottle/tub.
Chris
Thats a really good point Chris i must admit i look for dark areas but when you think of it your dead right mate. :applause:
Thanks for the advice guys. Fortunately it is now opening up of an evening just before lights out, once lights off and only moonlights on it comes fully out. Such great corals just a pity it is at its best when the lights are off. Is it possible to change the sequence with the times of feeding? As at the moment if I try and feed it during the day it stays shut and opens of a night even if I am not feeding.
Fortunately it is now opening up
:rockon:
Is it possible to change the sequence with the times of feeding? As at the moment if I try and feed it during the day it stays shut and opens of a night even if I am not feeding.
Give it a few weeks....
If after a few weeks of regular feeds the coral still doesnt expand during the 'daytime', think about increasing the amount of food offered to the coral as in IME a healthy, well fed Tubstraea will open willy-nilly and especially whenever it sences food within the water column.
If it still fails to expand its probably due to unwanted attension from fish / shrimps during illuminated hours.
HTH
Roger
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