Elegance Coral with White flesy-cob webs

[chucko]

For the last few days my elegance has had this white, stringy, fleshy cob web/cotton ball looking stuff on it. Its also not opening quite as much as was at first. I do have a dwarf angel but I've never seem him anywhere near the elegance.

Its in a pretty low flow area, under a 4 bulb T5 light with a screen to block some of the light.
Alk - 10dkh
Calc 350
Mag 1300
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Ph 8.0
Nitrates 10ppm or less
Temp around 80-.80.5

It is still sticky and ate a small piece of shrimp the other day.

 

[markschmitt85]

how much flow is in your tank

 

[elegance coral]

The "white, stringy, fleshy cob web/cotton ball looking stuff" are mesenteric filaments. Part of the corals digestive structures. They are often used in self defense. Judging from the pic, I'd say somebody, probably the angel, has been pecking at it. The coral is very,very, very stressed. If it were my coral, I'd isolate it and/or remove all potential threats. If the coral remains in that stressed condition, it simply will not survive.
HTH
EC

 

[hogfish]

agreed. the coral needs to be isolated and its chances of survival are not very good at this point. It is certainly very stressed. Sorry.

 

[jonthany]

Hey guys, I just had a quick question. My father also has a tank and he sent me this pic today. Hes not really sure what to do. I am just trying to help him out. Im pretty sure its an elegance coral but I have no experience with them. But... it doesnt look good. Anyone had any insight?

 

[elegance coral]

That looks like a dead or dying anemone. Your Father should remove it from the tank before it rots and pollutes the water. Sorry.

 

[agruetz]

OK so I have got an elegance that started doing this almost to a T today. I have had the elegance for about 1.5 years now. Everything was fine yesterday but I woke up today and it was closed...so I was not to worried it has "off" days about every 3 or 4 months...However on closer inspection thru out the day it started doing this right in front of me. It has been about 6 hours since this happened. I have done a water change (5 gallons), add a poly filter just in case and dipped the coral in Revive.

I checked all my parameters everything was within normal except my phosphates were thru the roof (.12 ppm). They are normally .05ish ppm (high but normal for my tank).

Is it possible the high phosphates caused this coral to stress like this? Everything else is completely happy, including the hand full of SPS I have.

I will try to get a picture tomorrow when the lights are on.