Sun Coral - Care And Requirements Of Sun Corals

Scientific Name : Tubastrea sp, Dendrophyllia sp

Origin : Indo Pacific Oceans

DIfficulty : Medium

Temperature : 72 - 82°F

Diet : Carnivore

The sun corals are some of the most stunning corals every offered in the marine aquarium industry. They are called sun corals after their polyps which can expand or contract on will.

They are normally collected around Indonesian and Fiji waters and are somewhat common. The two main species covered here are the Tubastrea and Dendrophyllia variants.

Sun corals from the species Tubastrea are by far the most common found for sale. Coloration ranges from a rich orange to yellow.

Tubastrea are non photosynthetic corals that require feeding. Each head has a mouth that captures passing prey.

Because they do not possess an ass, waste is expelled through their mouths which is confirmation that god does indeed, have a sense of humor.

In the wild they are found in shaded areas that have good flow. While the flow rate in captivity should be emulated, they can also do well under direct light.

Problems that may arise include the growth of algae on the coral rock itself. But if you have hair algae or any other nuisance algae growing on any rock in your aquarium, your tank has problems.

Ideally, they should be fed everyday but they get by with feedings three to four times a week. Feed them meaty foods like raw chopped seafood and mysis shrimp.

Dendrophyllia sp is by far the most desirable types of sun corals. They are also very expensive.

The primary difference between dendrophyllia and tubastrea are the size of the heads.

Dendrophyllia possess far larger heads and generally have a larger polyp.

Like tubastrea, dendrophyllia is a coral that does not require any lighting whatsoever.

Any nutrition is derived from prey captured by their tentacles. Provide good flow for the coral and they should be fed frequently.

Personally, i feed them every day but they do get by with 3 or so feedings every week.

Offer meaty foods like raw chopped fish, squid and shrimp.

I've been keeping both Dendrophyllia and Tubastrea for about a year now. And i have found that constant feeding is the key to the well being of both species of sun coral. In addition to daily mysis shrimp feedings, i also feed them pellet food from New Life Spectrum. They have responded well to pellets but you should never overfeed them with pellet fish food as i've found they have a harder time digesting them then they would frozen food.

If you have an algae problem going on in your tank, keep them in shaded areas before putting them in areas with direct sunlight. Along with daily feedings i also blast the corals with a syringe everyday. There may be gunk from last nights meal stuck in the nooks an crannies of the coral that you need to get out. Overall, sun corals are a hardy and beautiful addition to your reef provided you feed them often.