FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I just got a dark red sun polyp, I used to have the orange sun polyp, but thanks to a lion fish I lost it. <img src='/images/forums/puppy.gif' border=0><br>DRO I see that you mentioned that sun polyps are not light sensitive, and I know that my orange one was opened quite offten with the lights off or on. I am struggeling to get this one to open with the lights on, is there a difference between the yellow and red on? <br>I don't really want to move it because it is placed at a good spot where all the food goes to it, but it is in the middle of the tank, and a 1/4-high up. I have 6 X T5 55W globes, and the tank is 650mm high, and the globes is about 100mm up on the tank. <br>Any help would be great as I have never seen any red sun polyps before and my other sun polyp was doing great until..<br><br>Regards

All the sun polyps I've ever seen, including my own, have had an orange base with bright yellow polyps. Red sounds cool.

Mine aren't "trained" yet, so they open up at night, and that's when I've been feeding them. IME, they definitely respond to the light, though they aren't dependent on it since they are not photosynthetic.

If you had good luck with the last one, I'd continue by giving the new one the same treatment. A member of this site did an article on Tubastrea which you can read for some good info. I believe it's stickied to the top of this forum. Best of luck!


-Ferret

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

There is no difference between the yellow, orange, or the red...well except color The red is just a more "rare" color morph.

The easiest way to train them is to use frozen foods and instead of throwing away the "juice" use it! Add some of it to the tank and this should cause them to start to open up IF you do it at approximately the same time EVERY day. After they are opened then of course feed them. You can also use the juice and your turkey baster and "soak" the area around them in the juice. They should sense the food in the water and start to open up.

Ferretfish.....as for yours not opening during the day. A lot of the reason that they are not opening during the day is because you are feeding them at night. You must feed them during the day if you want them to be trained to open during the day. I would feed them first thing in the morning using the method that I described above, and maybe also when you get home and its still light out. You might have problems getting them trained for daytime until you get your lights though.

The key to training for them to be open during the day is......feedings during the day.

Guesswho....use the method above to entice them to come out. A lot of tubastrea are already starving by the time that they make it to the LFS. It is critical that you entice them to come out! Tubastrea have a tendancy that once they get to a certain point of not opening up for feedings that they may not ever open again and will in a sense "starve" themselves. Keep trying and dont give up

Last edited by DarkRealm Overlord at 08-Aug-2005 23:14

Ferretfish.....as for yours not opening during the day. A lot of the reason that they are not opening during the day is because you are feeding them at night. You must feed them during the day if you want them to be trained to open during the day. I would feed them first thing in the morning using the method that I described above, and maybe also when you get home and its still light out. You might have problems getting them trained for daytime until you get your lights though.

Yeah...and I realize that, I'm just not around during the day to do it. I only can remember at night for some reason? Lights come in soon, I'll make more effort to give day time feedings then. What time would be best? Photoperiod will be T5s on, MH on, MH off, T5s off, moonlight on, repeat.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Feeding at the beginning of the photoperiod would be best if you want them to stay open most of the day, atleast until they are trained. I have trained probably 25-30 colonies by feeding as soon as the halides turn on, with another feeding towards the end of the photoperiod.

Thanks DRO, I seem to have won. It is starting to open up more every day. I have changed my lights though. I have 6 X T5 2 Blue 4 White. I run my white's for 8 hours and the blue for 12 hours now. I feed the sun polyp just after the whites switch off and the blue are still on at night, it seems to open up more.

Thanks

The halides turn on while I'm at school though. Ugg...

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

feed them before you go to school then...they should stay out after feeding even after the lights come on. Once you get them use to opening when food hits the water (thats all training really is) then they will pretty much be out all day waiting for their next meal. When you get home from school, blow some more food past them.

Its not uncommon while "training" them to have to feed 3-4 times a day.

Be patient, and keep feeding them...they will eventually stay out during the day. As long as they are fat and healthy then you are doing good and thats what really matters isnt it?

If I remember correctly this picture was taken about 6pm....way into the photoperiod. I snagged these the day they came into the store because they were nice and fat so I marked them sold as soon as I unbagged them.



DarkRealm Overlord attached this image:


Last edited by DarkRealm Overlord at 10-Aug-2005 21:45[/font]

I'm thinking that maybe I can put the tank on a timer, so that I can shut off circulation in the morning, feed the polyps, go to school, and then a little while later the tank will automatically turn on again when they're done eating...?

I'm already noticing an improvement in them; though they open at night still, each morning they seem to stay open for a little while longer. Still nowhere near the way yours looked yet. I can only hope my tiny frag will grow and spread. Any ideas on helping it along?

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Feeding, and feeding a lot of high protein foods will get them growing fast. Keep in mind that even though you have had yours for awhile, they are still adjusting. Be religious on the feedings and they will reward you with growth.

High protein foods such as...mysis, cyclopeeze, etc? Soaked in garlic?

I have to remember to get those phyto/rotifer cultures going...

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Yup, those are all high protein foods and work well

Is there anything else that's recommended?

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish