HUGE Sun Coral Spawning event

Tennyson

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Hey guys,
Sharing some exciting news from my sun coral garden
After upsetting the parent colony with alkalinity shock (dKH: 12, unintentional), she rewarded me with 100+ babies, and they're still coming! I've never heard of a spawning event spanning over 7 days.

Spawning notes:
- Sun coral spawn (propagules) are yellow in color
- Dark orange/brown propagules are duds
- Released with physical agitation/rough flow
- 1 - 2 dozen released at a time over the course of a week
- Parent colony refuses food for 1 week leading up to spawning event and eats very little during spawning days

Propagule notes:
- 'Free swimming' sun coral larvae
- Will only attach in high flow
- 0 attached naturally to my rockwork in the display, I had to collect them.
- Attachment takes 1 - 2 days
- Feeding reef roids/coral frenzy despite absence of tentacles.

Fingers crossed much of the young ones make it! 92 successfully attached so far.

Screenshot_20191009-224747_Video Player.jpg
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Screenshot_20191009-224712_Gallery.jpg
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IMG_20191009_214411_179.jpg
IMG_20191009_214120_717.jpg
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Dr. Dendrostein

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Hey guys,
Sharing some exciting news from my sun coral garden
After upsetting the parent colony with alkalinity shock (dKH: 12, unintentional), she rewarded me with 100+ babies, and they're still coming! I've never heard of a spawning event spanning over 7 days.

Spawning notes:
- Sun coral spawn (propagules) are yellow in color
- Dark orange/brown propagules are duds
- Released with physical agitation/rough flow
- 1 - 2 dozen released at a time over the course of a week
- Parent colony refuses food for 1 week leading up to spawning event and eats very little during spawning days

Propagule notes:
- 'Free swimming' sun coral larvae
- Will only attach in high flow
- 0 attached naturally to my rockwork in the display, I had to collect them.
- Attachment takes 1 - 2 days
- Feeding reef roids/coral frenzy despite absence of tentacles.

Fingers crossed much of the young ones make it! 92 successfully attached so far.

Screenshot_20191009-224747_Video Player.jpg
20191005_205310.jpg
Screenshot_20191009-224712_Gallery.jpg
IMG_20191005_145714_211.jpg
IMG_20191009_214411_179.jpg
IMG_20191009_214120_717.jpg
IMG_20191009_223644_535.jpg
Thanks for sharing, comrade. For some reason yellow sun cup corals release gametes more often. I didn't know alkalinity would do that. Very nice, keep us posted.
 
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Tennyson

Tennyson

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Thanks for sharing, comrade. For some reason yellow sun cup corals release gametes more often. I didn't know alkalinity would do that. Very nice, keep us posted.

IME these events are tied to a sudden stressor. In this case it was definitely linked to a bad batch of baking soda I had made for dosing alkalinity. The last time the parent did this was during the first week I bought her, over 3 years ago.

Edit: Surprisingly only the parent responded this way. No other coral or suns were negatively affected by the change in alkalinity.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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IME these events are tied to a sudden stressor. In this case it was definitely linked to a bad batch of baking soda I had made for dosing alkalinity. The last time the parent did this was during the first week I bought her, over 3 years ago.

Edit: Surprisingly only the parent responded this way. No other coral or suns were negatively affected by the change in alkalinity.
I use ocean water(Ocean in Motion) and for the first 2 months was doing 50% WC. 3 weeks in a roll. I wonder if this made my sun cup corals to do same.
 
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Tennyson

Tennyson

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I use ocean water(Ocean in Motion) and for the first 2 months was doing 50% WC. 3 weeks in a roll. I wonder if this made my sun cup corals to do same.

Might be worth trying to induce a spawning event in the future! Although it definitely takes a lot of energy out of the coral, also sets the tank in risky conditions. I wonder how often they're capable of reproducing this way.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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Might be worth trying to induce a spawning event in the future! Although it definitely takes a lot of energy out of the coral, also sets the tank in risky conditions. I wonder how often they're capable of reproducing this way.
You try first then I will. Hahaha
 

LisaAP

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Nice! That's a lot of babies. :D My Tubastrea spawns regularly but never for such a long period of time, it's usually over a period of a day (although to be honest I don't really know how long it takes, lol).

This is the first baby polyp I ever spotted, it's now just over 2 years old and full sized. I'm just waiting for it to sprout new heads. It's been fed somewhat erratically so I expect it would have grown quicker had I offered it more food.

Sunbaby090919.png


Regards

Lisa
 
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Tennyson

Tennyson

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Nice! That's a lot of babies. :D My Tubastrea spawns regularly but never for such a long period of time, it's usually over a period of a day (although to be honest I don't really know how long it takes, lol).

This is the first baby polyp I ever spotted, it's now just over 2 years old and full sized. I'm just waiting for it to sprout new heads. It's been fed somewhat erratically so I expect it would have grown quicker had I offered it more food.

Sunbaby090919.png


Regards

Lisa


Beautiful young polyp! I feed my guys everyday so at 1 year they cover a frag plug (pic). Love the tentacle extension/color on yours though. I think I spoil mine with food/flow so their tentacles never have a reason to be that 'flowy'.

I'm sure suns release babies all the time! But with a sump and fish they probably never have a chance to settle down. Thanks for sharing.
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LisaAP

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Beautiful young polyp! I feed my guys everyday so at 1 year they cover a frag plug (pic). Love the tentacle extension/color on yours though. I think I spoil mine with food/flow so their tentacles never have a reason to be that 'flowy'.

I'm sure suns release babies all the time! But with a sump and fish they probably never have a chance to settle down. Thanks for sharing.
Screenshot_20191010-100200_Gallery.jpg

Crikey you get that much growth in a year! I must be starving mine. :oops: Do you broadcast feed or target?

Regards

Lisa
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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Beautiful young polyp! I feed my guys everyday so at 1 year they cover a frag plug (pic). Love the tentacle extension/color on yours though. I think I spoil mine with food/flow so their tentacles never have a reason to be that 'flowy'.

I'm sure suns release babies all the time! But with a sump and fish they probably never have a chance to settle down. Thanks for sharing.
Screenshot_20191010-100200_Gallery.jpg
Keep us posted, comrade
 
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Tennyson

Tennyson

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Wow that must take forever, you have lots of mouths to feed. :)

Regards

Lisa

I love having mouths to feed! I find the dendros also appreciate the daily feeding, if only they would spawn too.
 
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Tennyson

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Welcoming the newest addition to the Sun coral garden - Tubastraea micrantha! This guy arrived with a bang, more propagules in the bag!!! These babies were super sticky and ready to attach to anything (even the bag). At first I was confused because they were orange, but after a closer look they are clearly of a darker pigment than the yellow suns. Hoping they're viable after the overnight journey!


20191011_134044.jpg
20191011_131640.jpg
20191011_134251.jpg
20191011_134323.jpg
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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Welcoming the newest addition to the Sun coral garden - Tubastraea micrantha! This guy arrived with a bang, more propagules in the bag!!! These babies were super sticky and ready to attach to anything (even the bag). At first I was confused because they were orange, but after a closer look they are clearly of a darker pigment than the yellow suns. Hoping they're viable after the overnight journey!


20191011_134044.jpg
20191011_131640.jpg
20191011_134251.jpg
20191011_134323.jpg
Nice, thanks for sharing, comrade
 
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