Black sun coral pico setup

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

Hi everyone! As you may remember, in addition to my 10 gallon and my sister's 5 gallon marine tanks, I am also planning to set up an NPS pico at some point. Currently I am scheming to do a black sun coral pico in the future. Here are the specifics (this setup is at least a few months down the road, so I have time to think about it);

 

Container: A 1 gallon jar

Filtration: 1-2 pounds live rock, and Gracilaria macroalgae. Also, at least 3 100% WC's a week

Aeration: 2 airlines from an air pump

Heater: Standard 25 watt heater set to the mid-high 70's

Substrate: None (for ease of cleaning)

Light: An ABI tuna blue PAR38 bulb, 12 watt

Flora: Gracilaria macroalgae (a whole pint of it)

Fauna: Black sun corals (+ 1 hermit crab for eating scraps?). Normal sun corals would also work, but trying to use a filter feeding coral would result in me needing to feed twice a day with reef roids, which would probably require daily water changes (that I cannot afford). Alternately, may try Aiptasia sp (not NPS, but oh well)

Feeding schedule: Reef roids 3 days a week, frozen food 3 times a week. Fast for 1 day a week.

 

How does this setup look? Would it work better to have a thin layer of live sand and add Caulerpa sp. instead of the Gracilaria? Any other thoughts? Thanks 🙂

 

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

...well? Any thoughts?

[banasophia]

Are feeding requirements different for black sun corals vs other sun corals? I thought they were all NPS, but that the black ones ares even harder to keep alive in home aquaria. 

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

I have heard conflicting reports on whether the black suns have different feeding requirements to their yellow brethren...some have no trouble with them on this forum, and others inevitably kill them.

[banasophia]

Hmm... well I don’t have any experience with picos or the black suns, but I do have the orange and the yellow suns in my Biocube and they are very beautiful. 

[Clown79]

Black suns need feeding like the regular suns.

 

Both are nps so they need feeding.

 

Each head must be fed, broadcast feeding isn't as beneficial. Most feeding is done qt night when they open up.

 

https://m.liveaquaria.com/product/424/?pcatid=424

 

 

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

54 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Black suns need feeding like the regular suns.

 

Both are nps so they need feeding.

 

Each head must be fed, broadcast feeding isn't as beneficial. Most feeding is done qt night when they open up.

 

https://m.liveaquaria.com/product/424/?pcatid=424

 

 

That's what I thought too. I have just heard conflicting info on how well they do long term in aquariums.

[Clown79]

Sun corals and dendro longevity is dependant on being fed regularly 

 

I had dendro, very beautiful coral but it did best having each head fed at least 2 times a week.

 

Sun corals and dendro are both part of the Dendrophyllidae family. They have similar needs but the one difference is that dendro's stay open during the day whereas most sun corals don't.

[Tamberav]

I wouldn't feed twice a day. I would just feed heavily before the water change so there is no waste. They only need 2-3 times a week anyways. 

 

Photobucket ate my old tanks pics but found this one... 20g long, no reef lighting... just a whatever I had cheap light for viewing hence the stark white rocks since coralline algae could not grow, meant no algae could grow, easiest tank ever. 

 

Black suns were no harder than yellow or pink or white or whatever. 

 

 

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

45 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

I wouldn't feed twice a day. I would just feed heavily before the water change so there is no waste. They only need 2-3 times a week anyways. 

 

Photobucket ate my old tanks pics but found this one... 20g long, no reef lighting... just a whatever I had cheap light for viewing hence the stark white rocks since coralline algae could not grow, meant no algae could grow, easiest tank ever. 

 

Black suns were no harder than yellow or pink or white or whatever. 

 

 

Wonderful! I like that tank 🙂 How did you feed the non-sun corals?

[Tamberav]

1 hour ago, AlmightyJoshaeus said:

Wonderful! I like that tank 🙂 How did you feed the non-sun corals?

That is a chili coral, they are pretty easy - I just basted reef roids at it. 

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

20 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

That is a chili coral, they are pretty easy - I just basted reef roids at it. 

How many times a day? And do the polyps open only at night?

[Tamberav]

2 hours ago, AlmightyJoshaeus said:

How many times a day? And do the polyps open only at night?

 

I fed it when I fed the suns and it probably caught fish food juice too. It opened when it sensed food or sometimes randomly when it felt like it. Did not seem to be timed to night/day.  

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

Ah...ok

[Tamberav]

Just now, AlmightyJoshaeus said:

Ah...ok

 

FYI... It has to be hung UPSIDE DOWN. It will crush itself under its own weight. The one on the right back corner is glued to a magnet upside down. 

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

I heard the upside down part before but never that it will crush itself...by the way, where can you get them? Live aquaria never seems to have them.

[Tamberav]

1 minute ago, AlmightyJoshaeus said:

I heard the upside down part before but never that it will crush itself...by the way, where can you get them? Live aquaria never seems to have them.

 

They have them now and again, just sign up to be emailed or they pop on DD sometimes too. That is where I got mine.

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

What is DD? Diver's den?

[Tamberav]

Just now, AlmightyJoshaeus said:

What is DD? Diver's den?

yes