feeding response or defensive response?

[psteeleb]

Yesterday my $500 efflo was going nuts, is this a feeding response or defensive response? - there's a lot of controversy on this one. I use to get the same reactions to cyclopseze on my blue tort. In this case I did some things different that may have stimulated this response.

first off, about 30 minutes earlier I was using superglue in the tank. Tis may, or may not have stimulated the coral. I've never had a response from superglue, but am noteing it for reference as it may have led to a stimulation (like aminos do) .

secondly, I fed mysis before the cyclopeze, I usually feed the cyclopeze first. I think the coral may have sensed the meaty food coming with the taste of mysis and therefore ready to respond to the cyclopeze.

Take a look, it's a long video but there are some pretty long streamers on this little coral

@ 4:14 the main return pump kicks in
@ 5:32 my wife enters the room and i start to explain what's going on. After asking a couple questions she starts to comment on a new fish (not to be confused with the coral )

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[nvdiz]

i think thats a feeding response. not 100% sure, but it sure looks like it. i tend to get the same response from a few sps shortly after i feed my tank cyclopeez as well.

 

[flyyyguy]

that looks like a feeding response

in some instances when you do see a defensive or a stress response you will see those sweepers along with mesenterial filaments

 

[sahin]

I believe that is a feeding response. Most times after feeding I see some of my corals do the same. I decided to particularly look out for this response after feeding due to reading another thread here asking about this a week ago.

 

[Acrotrdco]

I'm pretty sure that's NOT a feeding response.

The feeding tentacles should be exactly the same ones you saw normally extending from the polyp except slightly longer.

These long ones, which I often see happening in some of my acro's, only happens when they detect certain chemical in the water, usually when I touched another piece of SPS (such as monti, they slime a lot), then immediately one of my staghorn will show these long defensive tentacles.

I think what really happened is the new frag detected some chemical in the water, released by another species in nearby water, so it triggered a defensive response. From my experience, it shouldn't really matter as it'll slowly resume normal in about an hour, if you've used GAC in your sump, it'll be fine.

See here is some night time PE from my acro's - those are the same tenticles you'll see during the day except at night time it's 50% longer, that's feeding response.

p.s. wow that thing cost you $500? Wow.

 

[flyyyguy]

I'm pretty sure that's NOT a feeding response.

.

I encourage you to get a bottle of phytoplankton, dump a little in and then go look at your corals in 15-20 minutes

Not even most of them will do it, but depending on how many acros you have many can and will

I dont actually dose the stuff anymore, but when I did I would see those sweepers often

 

[Acrotrdco]

I encourage you to get a bottle of phytoplankton, dump a little in and then go look at your corals in 15-20 minutes

Not even most of them will do it, but depending on how many acros you have many can and will

I dont actually dose the stuff anymore, but when I did I would see those sweepers often

I've been feeding Oyster feast and when it ran out a few months ago, ReefPearls.

If you look at my first photo, the white staghorn in the background, have that sort of long tentacles appearing when I feed oyster / reefpearls, but it's not a full out PE like the one shown in OP's video, but like only half a dozen tentacles.

It's only when I've touched another SPS nearby, it'll start showing the long tentacles in a defensive response, a full out response from top to bottom of the entire piece.

That led me to believe, the SPS in OP's video, is reacting defensively to something in the water, rather than a feeding response.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I'm pretty sure that's NOT a feeding response.

Ditto. Something irritated the efflo, causing it to release its protein slime. Kind of looks like it is being stung.

 

[psteeleb]

To add to the discussion my Torts use to do the same thing with cyclopseze quite regularly but not until the colony was fairly large. I did not get the reaction with frags. I am still leaning toward the feeding response but not discounting this as a defensive measure.

In both experiences the tendrils appear to come from otherwise unseen pores in the coral at the base of the polyps

the torts

 

[dvanacker]

I think its up for debate...but Im in the not a feeding response but a chemical response. If you have two acros touch all of a sudden they release the same slime...to kill each other. It could be that it is used to digest as well though allowing the coral to consume.

I do know for certain that a standard feeding response for acropora is longer polyp extension usually seen at night.

 

[psteeleb]

I think its up for debate...but Im in the not a feeding response but a chemical response. If you have two acros touch all of a sudden they release the same slime...to kill each other. It could be that it is used to digest as well though allowing the coral to consume.

I do know for certain that a standard feeding response for acropora is longer polyp extension usually seen at night.

In all my experiences to date there have not been other corals touch the subject acropora. The common element has been cyclopseze and I'm still open to it being a defensive response to it. I feed the stuff everyday and to date this has been the only time the efflo has had the response (as suggested I'm thinking maybe there was a pre stimulate in the mysis or superglue). It could also very well be a random chemical contained in or even bad cyclopeze that's causing the effect.

Hope people will continue to share their experiences with more pictures and thanks to everyone that has responded so far.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

Yea, Thats ****ED.

my $5 efflo only does that if it comes into close proximity with another coral.

 

[Acrotrdco]

In all my experiences to date there have not been other corals touch the subject acropora. The common element has been cyclopseze and I'm still open to it being a defensive response to it. I feed the stuff everyday and to date this has been the only time the efflo has had the response (as suggested I'm thinking maybe there was a pre stimulate in the mysis or superglue). It could also very well be a random chemical contained in or even bad cyclopeze that's causing the effect.

Hope people will continue to share their experiences with more pictures and thanks to everyone that has responded so far.

Acro's do not need to actually touch another piece of acro to trigger that chemical reaction. Remember they live in water, which is a very effective media for all sort of chemical to dissolve in and carry to nearby area, where it's detected by a neighbouring species.

But to put this topic to rest, you don't really need to worry a lot as long as it's not an on-going thing, it may happen every now and then, but as long as your SPS is acting normally most of the time it'll be fine.

 

[psteeleb]

I'm not worried as I've seen this reaction in several of my SPS and they always pull back in an hour or so with no noticable ill side effects.

I don't buy these events as and offensive move like sweepers, I've seen that and have taken numerous pictures of the interaction between SPS colonies fighting for space.

I can buy it as be a defensive response but not to another coral as this specific response has only happened when a meaty food was introduced. I have witnessed it mostly in acroporas but also in some other corals like the Cyphastrea.

To recap the event (as witnessed in several corals mostly acropora)
1) a meaty food is introduced to the system (mostly cyclopseze but have seen it to lesser degrees using other meaty foods)

2) long filiments extend from pores at the base of polyps (not from the polyp). Most of the filiments are from the base of the axial polyp but n ot exclusive as some have come from the radial polyps

3) the filiments are sticky and sometimes slime is evident

4) the filiments recoil curling up near or at the the main polyps (not a straight retraction) - this is where it appears to be retreiving food and pulling it toward the polyp to feed. But it is somewhat chaotic, that said I would not expect a graceful feeding like you would see in an anemonee.

5) the filiments retract

I can post other pictures of other events like this and pictures of corals fighting for space to compare the events

 

[israel.kendall]

p.s. wow that thing cost you $500? Wow.

$500 efflo isn't $500 any more it's just a name, there is a story behind it here:

http://www.reeffarmers.com/limited500dollarefflo.htm

 

[Enjoy]

I also vote for defense response. My $500 Efflo slimes up like that anytime the flow rate drops dramatically (return pump being off), or I have my hands in the tank too much in a short period of time.

Typically you will see sweeper tenticles come out especially at night for feeding, but nothing close to 1"+ long. Millipora is another story for sweeper's

If anything, do an experiment: Next time your efflo looks to be in its normal daily state, squirt some food near it and observe the changes the coral makes.

HTH, great looking piece btw

 

[smtank]

I am in the feeding response camp. I feed my acropora every three days, and I see this response to most of my acropora to one degree or another. I have a ton of images of it but here is two. There are no other corals within 4 inches of this coral. All corals have good growth and coloration.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

but nothing close to 1"+ long.

Wake up at 4-5am and check out the PE.
thats freaky big. I will be photographing that soon its so insane.

 

[psteeleb]

great pictures smtank, those look like the same filiments I'm talking about

 

[Enjoy]

Wake up at 4-5am and check out the PE.
thats freaky big. I will be photographing that soon its so insane.

I leave for work at 4:30am, and believe me I stare into my tanks every morning. I have not seen any efflo with feeding "sweepers" like in the video. The video seems to be more of a slime.

Not saying im 100% correct. I'm always open to learn something new, just thought I'd share my experience.