Coral Feeding Questions (pics)

[zhonk]

I just got some sort of Favia. Its has a very pretty blue to it. Anywhoo, I wanted to ask about feeding them. I know they should be fed at night. What do you do about that? I have mysis. Who you just squirt a bit around it? Does it really need it at all?

Oh yes, I promised. With flash

Without

Here is my Truffula tree/branching hammer

Here is both

And

Sorry about the archaic camera. It cannot focus underwater. I know my tink is filthy, but... I have trouble making myself do it. I think the brown stuff on the third picture is coraline. Or atleast it doesn't come off with a magnafloat. It turns white when it dies and comes off then.

 

[zhonk]

I'm starting to get the feeling that there is a lot I don't know. I hardly know anything about feeding corals. I think Ineed some sort of primer for this. Where should I start?

 

[Catpicklesdog]

Try this link. They have some excellent information on caring for corals.

 

[cav]

I'm not sure if its the picture but the favia doesn't look well

 

[cav]

Can you take a picture without using the flash on your camera, just using the tank lights

 

[zhonk]

The purple ones are pictures like that. Even in macro mode I can't get them to focus on the favia. I am pretty sure that the brown bloches are it's natural colors. The mouths in between the ridges are still blue when the ridges are brown. I will keep trying to get good pictures.

 

[zhonk]

I had to use a bucket and a stool as a ramshackle tripod.

 

[kay-bee]

Try feeding them some mysis shrimp.

I prefer to target feed my corals with tweezers (sort of like a bird feeding its young) when their feeder tentacles are extended, rather than squirting food in the tank and have them capture it by chance.

A favia will most likely be unable to eat when its feeder tentacles are retracted (they typically extend at night). That euphyllia species should react favorably to any mysis which comes in contact with its tentacles.

 

[zhonk]

I know frighteningly little about coral anatomy. In the Euphilia how would the tentacles differ from the polyps?

 

[Ace25]

Personally I use a "coral feeder" which is just a smaller version of a turkey baster. Whatever works.

Ya, the pics do make it look bad. The brown areas make it seem like the flesh is ripped away, but if it is just brown color and there is no tears/skeleton showing then it is fine.

At the edge of the circles is where the tentacles will come out at night. Those are the stinging/sticky part that will grab the food. It is different from the mouth. Look at this picture, that is a scolymia coral, aka button coral. Just think of it as one giant version of all those circles on yours. See the tentacles coming out at the edge of the ring. That is what you will look for.