Care
These beautiful corals require much dedication if they are to live in the home aquarium. Lacking the zooxanthellae that are needed for photosynthesis, it is essential that individual polyps are fed regularly - ideally on a daily basis. As they do not require sunlight for nourishment, Sun Corals tend to inhabit dimly lit areas, often colonising the underneath of rocky overhangs in the wild; however, this is not all that practical for the home aquarium as it makes frequent feeding very difficult. Instead, these corals are best suited to dimly lit aquaria, which will unfortunately then limit the hobbyist somewhat as to what other sessile invertebrates can be kept in the same tank. Powerful, efficient filtration/protein skimming is a must due to the high quantity of meaty food that is required and high nutrient levels involved. As Sun Corals prefer areas of high flow, ideally there will be extra powerheads to increase current and oxygenation. If these corals are placed under too much light, they can become overgrown with algae. The polyps will often remain closed for much of the day, opening into their flower-like state during the evening to receive their feedings.
Feeding
Each individual polyp of the Sun Coral colony requires frequent feeding with small meaty foodstuffs such as vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, finely chopped prawns/fish etc. The easiest way to ensure each polyp receives food is by using a turkey baster or syringe to target feed and dispense the defrosted frozen food near each polyp. If the polyps are closed, they can be encouraged to open by dispensing a small amount of the water the frozen food has been defrosting in around the colony (obviously, this should be done sparingly). If you get into a routine of feeding the polyps once every evening, they will usually start to open at the same time every 24 hours in anticipation of receiving food. When well-fed, they will take on a "bloated" appearance. Pay close attention to each and every polyp as you feed them to ensure that fish or shrimp sharing the same tank haven't darted in and taken the food away from the coral.
Propagation
Sun corals reproduce asexually. They are hermaphroditic, and produce planulae (flattened, free-swimming larvae) which tend to colonise within 1m (3ft) of the parent colony.
