Is there something wrong with this button coral

[SimonSKL]

This is the first button coral that I have and was purchased from a local frag meet about 3 weeks ago. In the last several days I noticed some brown tips ( 11 o'clock and 4 and 5 o'clock). The brown substances seemed to come from inside the coral. Is this something that I should be concerned about?

A closer lock at the 11 o'clock position.

Also any tip in providing good care of this coral: light, water flow, feeding..etc would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SimonSKL]

Bump!

 

[Palting]

I'm new at this too, so I may be wrong. But that looks kike a vermetid snail. It even has that "fishing line" floating in the breeze on the close up pic.

As far as care for button coral, here's a link for you: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+321+460&pcatid=460

 

[SimonSKL]

Thanks Palting for your comment and link. I don't think they are snails as they never moved. When I touched them, it felt hard and seemed to be the tip or part of the skeleton. The brown substance is soft almost slime like. I suspect they are cyanobacteria but they seem to come from inside the coral, almost like an excretion.

Here are couple pictures from the top this afternoon.

 

[reefWW96]

that is the skeleton, and it is slowly dieing. try moving it and make sure no other corals are able to sting it

 

[SimonSKL]

that is the skeleton, and it is slowly dieing. try moving it and make sure no other corals are able to sting it

Will, the coral is sitting on the sand by itself with nothing close by. Where do you suggest I move it. Water flow is not strong where the coral sits. My water parameters are good. What would have caused the coral to have problem like this? I have fed the coral with shrimps and mysis and it took them so I don't think it is starving. Any help in keeping this coral alive would be appreciated.

 

[reefWW96]

hmm, odd. i would say make sure none of your fish are picking at it. also, i would see if you can take it off the sandbed. sometimes if they get sand piled up and them it will cause that. otherwise, move it around til it seems to stop. try up on a rock in a place it wont fall.

 

[sabodish]

im guessing you damaged it during transport from your frag meet to your house. when disturbed, all the "flesh" gets sucked in and it gets pulled tighter to the skeleton. if the coral was rolling around in the bag, its quite possible the skeleton poked through the flesh in these areas. what you are seeing now is algae on the skeleton. if all your parameters are in check, the flesh will grow right over it.

 

[SimonSKL]

im guessing you damaged it during transport from your frag meet to your house. when disturbed, all the "flesh" gets sucked in and it gets pulled tighter to the skeleton. if the coral was rolling around in the bag, its quite possible the skeleton poked through the flesh in these areas. what you are seeing now is algae on the skeleton. if all your parameters are in check, the flesh will grow right over it.

Sabodish, I think you are right about the damage during transport. The person who sold me this coral said it would inflate to twice its size but it never did. At times it contracted quite tightly to the skeleton. This morning the coral started to inflate to about 1.5X its size and the spots are less obvious. May be the flesh is indeed regrow over it. Thanks for the comment.

Will, I will see if I can find a spot on the rock where the flow is mild with moderate light.

What kind of food is good for this coral. I have been feeding mysis and crab meat and it ate it but took a long time to do. Almost 30-40 min.

 

[sabodish]

i have seen people feed them silversides before...i never could get mine to eat before a fish would steal their meal.