Feeding Sun Coral, Tools

Tools for a feeding in a deep tank:

1. Main tool:

In my particular case, the most covenient is a DIY pipette with curved end - for reaching the bottom polyps. It consists of 5/16" rigid acrylic tubing, heated and bent. The end is slightly pulled to narrow the opening.
Baby's nasal passages cleaner (nose sucker) from dollar store serves as the dosing part. Anything squizable of the similar size and rigidity can be also used. Tool and its components: Pros and cons: Does the work, wide opening allows use of the Ocean Plankton and chopped seafood, but difficult to clean.

2. Syringe with acrylic tubing:

Some highly praise the syringe, connected to the rigid air tubing for the precision of dosing.

I had seen a photo somewhere on the web, it was even offered for sale, and cheap, can't find link right now. It was too complicated, as seemed to me.

For this video, I made own version of the syringe feeder, at least main components from the verbal descriptions are present: the rigid airline (from LFS) and the plastic syringe (Surplus store). Personal touch - the curved end, necessity for my tubastrea, and the flexible airline tubing as a connector - even my tanks are connected to the sumps by the flexible vinyl tubing. Kind of duct tape for an aquarist.
Original construction had something additional for the rigidity - now it's up to you.

Pros and cons: Doesn't duck, when pressed. Impossible to clean at all, tends to clog, and then blast, when the food is bigger than the smallest mysis (see on the video, second tool).

Shortcut for those, who has the long veterinary gloves (Aqua Gloves are oversized and bulky): link to the article about Daniela Stettler's presentation. One of the photos shows bare hand feeding, using just a syringe, without any attachments. And the tank, where the feeding is done. Translation can be made by Google Language Tools.

I'll quote any available information about her method of Tubastrea keeping as much as possible: this is an ultimate source of information on topic, in my opinion. I would like to make my tank as clean as hers, and be able to keep a lot of sun corals for many years without permanent strain.

3. Kent Sea Squirt (TM)

Last, but not least: the ready made tool for a deepwater feeding: Sea Squirt. Most expensive and most elegant - beautiful toy to play with. Reaches the deepest depths of the big tanks, and is collapsible in a half for small ones:

Not the tool for the task as is, the opening is too small. Compare with the size of mysis (on the left), and Sally's Plankton (pink on the right):

Luckily, the end can be sawn or filed off:

Or the easier way: remove the bottom part and add the cut off disposable pipette (unused, of course). This one is from Nutrafin test kit: The third on the video.

Cleaning tool:

At last - the cleaning tool, battery operated vacuum/gravel cleaner. The original tubing was replaced by the rigid acrylic tubing, elastic bag - by DIY bag, made from the Coralife micron filter pad, available from the most marine fish stores:
Pros and cons: Does the job. The button frequently sticks, and they don't last long. Used up 3 of them in one year. Super version lasted longer.

The last tool on the video.