Hammer coral losing poyps?

IPT

Active member
I have a hammer coral and for the second time I swear I saw a single polyp from my hammer coral floating around my tank. Do these corals shed polyps? This is not a reproductive thing is it? I have not seen any fish harassing the coral at all. Any thoughts on this.
 
I have actually seen this happen right when one of the polyps from the hammer disconnected in a display tank at my local fish store. I watched it for a few minutes as it floated around the tank and found a spot to land. I am pretty sure this is normal and I would think that it would be a reproductive thing.
 
nope, not normal.
I forgot the term...... polyp evacuation, polyp seperation, polyp detachment....or something like that. I have the article printed out at home, but it means the coral does not like its water, and realises it will die, so is letting its polyps go to hopefully float to somewhere better.
 
polyp bail-out, tks jjjo.

if the flow was too high, the coral would recede itself completely, and die that way.... it would not expand in such a way that the flow could blow polyps off, not possible

google polyp bail-out
 
I'll try and get a pic, This tank is at my office.

It's not too much flow, I don't think at least. Yes, it is on the sand bed (the tank listed on my ID is my at home SPS tank). It originally had too much flow higher up so I moved it down (now there is good sway in a pretty random fashin. The polyps are far from being battered or even pinned/forced in a continuous direction) . Interestingly that in the past 3-4weeks it has REALLY opened up nicely (well as nice as a 3 head coral can :)). It looks the best it has since I got it (I finally set up my LM3 with 2 part).

I wonder if it is polyp bail out. I have heard of this for an SPS (pocilopora?) but not on an LPS.
 
The coral has 9 or 10 heads and when expanded is softball sized. The polyp that is looking like it will bail is on the low flow side of the coral.
 
Bailing polyp

Bailing polyp

112177bailout-med.jpg
 
With Euphyllias, this happens. It can be from Stress, to deficiency in water quality or just luck of the draw. If your really unsure split the stalk off from the rest and try to frag it.
 
I have a frogspawn at the other end of the tank that is doing fine and several soft corlas that are also well and growing. Actually i have a toadstool that seems to grow by the day! I haven't changed the lighting or really anything else lately. I'm wondering if a low magnesium level would cause this?
 
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