• Skip to main content
AlgaeBarn

AlgaeBarn

Marine Aquariums Made Easy!

    • Shop See All
      • Ultimate Packs See All
      • Ultimate Refugium Starter
      • Clam Keeper Kits
      • Ultimate Ecopack
      • Mandarin Feeder Kit
      • Hair Algae Killer Kit
      • See All Ultimate Packs
      • Live Foods See All
      • Copepods
        • Ecopods
        • 5280 Pods
        • Galaxy Pods
        • Poseidon's Feast
        • Tisbe Pods
        • Tig Pods
      • Food Combos
        • Ecopods & Phyto
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto
        • Poseidon's & Phyto
        • Tig Pods & Phyto
        • Tisbe Pods & Phyto
      • Phytoplankton
        • Oceanmagik
      • Brine Shrimp
        • Simple Brine
        • Nano Brine Shrimp
        • Premium Brine Shrimp Eggs
        • Magnetic Brine Shrimp Eggs
      • Most Popular Products
        • Galaxy Pods 5 Species Copepod Blend

          Galaxy Pods

          $66 – $229
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • Ecopods 4 Pack Special

          $99
          Shop Now
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto Combo

          $80
          Shop Now
        • 5280 Pods

          $45
          Shop Now
      • Macroalgae See All
      • Clean Macro Series
        • Clean Chaeto
        • Clean Sea Lettuce
        • Clean Green Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Spike Sphere
        • Pom Pom
        • Red Ogo
        • Red Spike Sphere
        • Red Spaghetti
        • Red Mangrove
      • Premium Rare Macro
        • Leafy Ogo
        • Blue Hypnea
        • Dragon's Tongue
        • Thick Ogo
      • Most Popular Products
        • Clean Chaeto

          $40 – $125
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • Clean Sea Lettuce

          $30 – $95
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • Red Ogo

          $30 – $80
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • Red Mangrove

          $13
          Shop Now
      • Captive Bred Fish See All
      • Gobies
        • Green Mandarin
        • Court Jester Goby
        • Watchman Goby
        • White Spotted Goby
      • AngelFish
        • Biota Coral Beauty
        • Maculosus Angel
        • Majestic Angel
        • Swallowtail Angel
      • Tangs
        • Yellow Tang
        • Blue Tang
      • More Species
        • Grammas
        • FileFish
        • Blennies
        • Damsel
        • ClownFish
        • RabbitFish
      • Most Popular Products
        • Blue Mandarin

          BIOTA Green Mandarin

          $99 – $209
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • ORA Neon Goby

          $35
          Shop Now
        • Captive Bred Yellow Tangs by BIOTA

          BIOTA Yellow Tang

          $250
          Shop Now
        • ORA Premium Picasso

          $145 – $300
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
      • Captive Bred Invertebrates See All
      • Clams
        • Ora Derasa Clam
        • Squamosa Clam
        • Ora Gigas Clam
        • Ora Maxima Clam
        • Ora Hippopus Clam
      • Shrimp
        • Ora Peppermint Shrimp
        • Harlequin Shrimp
      • Snails
        • Cerith Snails
        • Trochus Snail
        • Nassarius Snails
      • Urchins
        • Ora Tuxedo Urchin
        • Ora Pincushion Urchin
      • Most Popular Products
        • Animated gif of peppermint shrimp

          Peppermint Shrimp

          $49 – $119
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • 10 Cerith Snails

          Cerith Snail

          $25 – $79
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • pincushion urchin lytechinus variegatus reef safe and captive bred by ora for sale at algaebarn

          Pincushion Urchin

          $29 – $99
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • Gold Maxima Clam Bed

          ORA Maxima Clam

          $80 – $150
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
      • Corals See All
      • LPS Corals
        • Biota Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Marshall Island Goniopora
        • ORA Marshall Island Hammer
      • SPS Corals
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Imperial Acropora
        • ORA Turquoise Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Yellow Porites
      • Soft Corals
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool
        • ORA Long Polyp Leather Coral
        • ORA Silver Xenia
        • ORA Pulsing Xenia
      • Frag Packs
      • Most Popular Products
        • Biota Pearl Bubble Coral

          $65
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora

          $290
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool

          $70
          Notify Me When in Stock
      • Additives & Bacteria See All
      • Live Cultures & Bacteria
        • Turbostart 900 Saltwater
        • Aquarium Cycle Kit
        • Coralline Algae
        • PNS Yellosno
        • PNS Probio™
      • Additives & Chemicals
        • Nitrocycle
        • Clarifier
        • Fritz A.C.C.R
        • Fritz RPM Salt
      • Most Popular Products
        • Mandarin Feeder Kit™

          $66
          Shop Now
        • Coralline Algae in a Bottle, In Pink or Purple!

          Coralline Algae

          $22 – $44
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Notify Me When in Stock This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • Ultimate EcoPack

          $100
          Shop Now
      • Aquarium Supplies See All
      • Fuge Lighting
        • AI Fuge 16HD Light
        • Kessil A360X Fuge Light
        • Kessil H160
        • Kessil H80
        • Chaetomax
      • Biomedia
        • Marinepure Gems
        • Marinepure Rocks
        • Marinepure Plate
        • Marinepure Cubes
        • Marinepure Spheres
      • Foods
        • Dragon Roe
        • Simple Brine
        • Can'O Cyclops
        • Benereef™
        • Fresco Cyclops
      • Rock & Sand
        • Dry Rock
        • Clam Rocks
      • Most Popular Products
        • Mandarin Feeder Kit™

          $66
          Shop Now
        • Coralline Algae in a Bottle, In Pink or Purple!

          Coralline Algae

          $22 – $44
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Notify Me When in Stock This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • Ultimate EcoPack

          $100
          Shop Now
      • CADE Aquariums See All
      • Reef Series
        • CADE REEF 500 S2
        • CADE REEF 600 S2
        • CADE REEF 900 S2
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2
        • CADE REEF 1500 S2
        • CADE REEF 1800 S2
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2
      • Frag Series
        • CADE Frag 600 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1200 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1500 S2/F
      • Peninsula Series
        • CADE Peninsula 1200 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1800 S2/P
      • Most Popular Products
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2

          $7,225
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P

          $5,525
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2

          $4,125
          Shop Now This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F

          $3,275
          Notify Me When in Stock This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
  • Blog
  • Shipping
  • Our Guarantee
  • Help
  • Deals
  • Sign In
  • Cart
You are here: Home / Corals / Keeping and Feeding the Sun Corals

Keeping and Feeding the Sun Corals

by Kenneth Wingerter

Reef aquarium keepers are always looking for that one oddball “piece” of coral that will really make their aquarium display shine. Sometimes this is just something a little different in terms of ecology or behavior. Other times it is something that is atypical in terms of shape or placement. Quite often it is something that has unusual or especially vivid coloration. But it takes something that possesses all three of these attributes to make for a truly stunning showpiece. The sun corals could certainly qualify for that distinction.

Sun corals differ considerably from the characteristic stony reef tank coral. Zooxanthellae, the symbiotic algae that make intense lighting so critical to reef-building types, is totally absent in sun corals. As a consequence, these “non-photosynthetic” corals much capture and consume a lot more food than their zooxanthellate cousins to survive. While this does create some additional responsibilities for the aquarium keeper, most people seem to very much enjoy watching these creatures as they feed. But they differ also from so many non-photosynthetic corals in that they have rather large polyps (they are indeed widely regarded as a LPS species) and secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton. And color? Few species, zooxanthellate or otherwise, exhibit the blazing oranges and yellows of this coral. Amongst the blues, greens and purples that prevail in most reef tanks, the fiery auburn hues in these guys really “pop.”

[Phyto]

The name “sun coral” might refer to several superficially similar (and sometimes difficult to distinguish) species. One, Tubastrea aurea, appears to be one of the most commonly encountered of these in the trade. A feature of Lee Chin Eng’s famous marine aquaria in the early 1970s, it is among the first corals to be successfully kept by aquarists. Cultured by the Shedd Aquarium in the mid-1980s (sexually via planular larvae), it also among the first to be propagated in captivity. Still, it has a mixed record with regard to long-term survivability, particularly when maintained in brightly lit, zooxanthellate coral-dominated systems. This has for long led to a presumption that they are directly harmed by intense illumination. More recently, however, this supposition has been refuted; it increasingly appears that the key to success with these corals is proper nutrition.

Relying entirely upon nourishment derived from foods that they capture from the water column, they simply have not (at least in some cases) had an adequate amount of zooplankton available to them in typical reef aquaria. It is true that they tend be open (i.e. actively feeding) in the dark hours, and thus may be inhibited by bright lights and extended photoperiods; that being said, providing them with plenty of shade or even total darkness will help them little where proper types and amounts of food sources are lacking.

These are very hungry animals that (by many reports) can be “trained” to open for midday feedings when prompted by heavy spot-feeding. And indeed, spot-feeding may provide them with a substantial amount of sustenance (and be a lot of fun for the keeper). And they do seem to be able to capture and even ingest rather large amounts of food in short time. Nevertheless, like so many non-photosynthetic (NPS) corals, sun corals should be allowed to feed continuously as they are in their natural environment. Exclusively pulse feeding them may tax their digestive systems as well as be inefficient metabolically. Thus, the constant availability of a nutritious live food source will do much to maximize their health and reproductive rates.

The best (atubastreand arguably easiest) way to accomplish this is to establish a large, stable population of zooplankton within the aquarium system itself. The harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus californicus (e.g. Tig Pods) can serve this purpose well. These hardy, highly productive copepods adapt easily to ordinary marine aquarium conditions. Reaching a length of as much as three millimeters, it is a very large copepod species and is thus quite suitable for sun corals, which prefer a rather big bite size. Tig Pods, which are benthic as adults, may be ensnared as they crawl onto the coral; they also have a habit of skipping into the water column and may jump right into the coral’s stinging tentacles. Rich in astaxanthin, Tig Pods are an excellent source of the biopigments needed to maintain the coral’s vibrant orange coloration. Occasional offerings of high-quality Artemia (i.e. brine shrimp) nauplii can help to boost growth rates. If pod predation intensifies as the sun coral colony grows larger and larger, the standing pod population can be replenished simply by adding a new bag of Tig Pods from time to time. Maintaining high pod densities in this way will do much to keep to the sun coral (and likely many of its tankmates) happy and growing vigorously. What’s more, these pods scavenge heavily on detritus and undesirable algae throughout the tank, and so will be an important part of the aquarium clean-up crew.

Especially in brightly lit tanks, sun corals should be mounted onto the ceiling of a cave or under a shadowy overhang with the use of a strong aquarium-safe putty or epoxy glue. Such a placement can encourage opening and feeding activity. This will also serve to protect them from overgrowth by benthic algae, to which they seem to be particularly susceptible. They must be positioned in such a way that they receive very strong water movement. Powerful currents are necessary to carry a large amount of food items to the animal, as well as carry away the large amount of waste products that it produces.

With the growing interest in NPS biotopes, one might soon see a resurging popularity of Tubastrea and related sun corals in the marine aquarium hobby. These sorts of aquaria certainly are built to provide an optimal environment for creatures of their kind. But, rightly fed and nourished, they can be very successfully kept in conventional reef aquarium systems as well. Wherever and however they are displayed, it is hard to deny that healthy sun corals are among the most beautiful of all marine aquarium species. [Phyto]

References
[1] Rosser, Bill. “Make Your Reef Sunny.” Tropical Fish Hobbyist vol. LIX no. 12, issue 665. August 2012.
[2] Young, Ngalon. “Adding Non-Photosynthetic Corals to Your Reef: An Introduction and Husbandry Guide.” Reef Hobbyist vol. 7, 4th quarter, 2013.
[3] Hemdal, Jay F. Advanced Marine Aquarium Techniques. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H. Publications, 2006.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kenta Awesome says

    March 11, 2019 at 5:55 pm

    Ahhhh

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

How hard is it to keep a refugium?

Adding a refugium to the reef tank system can be a game changer for some reef keepers! Most experienced hobbyists agree that a refugiums’ natural

Read More about How hard is it to keep a refugium?

The Ultimate Housekeepers

We at AlgaeBarn love clean-up crew critters and microorganisms, so welcome to the ultimate housekeeping celebration! At AlgaeBarn, we are highlighting our

Read More about The Ultimate Housekeepers

How Macroalgae Benefits Coral

Many hobbyists are constantly looking for ways to increase the health and vitality of their corals. There are many obvious ways to achieve better

Read More about How Macroalgae Benefits Coral

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Browse the AlgaeLab by Category

  • Advanced Education
  • Beginners Education
  • CADE Aquariums
  • Captive Bred Fish
  • Clean Up Crew
  • Company News
  • Copepods
  • Corals
  • Freshwater
  • Freshwater Aquariums
  • Intermediate Education
  • Invertebrates
  • Live foods
  • Macroalgae
  • Our Oceans
  • Phytoplankton
  • Product Info
  • Refugium Education
  • Rock and Substrate
  • Saltwater Aquariums
  • Wholesale

Company

  • About Us
  • The AlgaeLab Blog
  • Our Team
  • Careers
  • FAQ

Get in Touch

  • Contact Us
  • AOA Claim Form
  • Press Inquiries
  • Call Us: 772-444-7637

Policies

  • Legendary AOA Guarantee
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement

Other

  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale & B2B inquired
  • Business Location

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our mission to build a more sustainable aquarium hobby, one tank at a time!

Copyright 2025, AlgaeBarn LLC - Live Copepods and Phytoplankton