Need help - strange growth on Colt coral

[Gene72]

Hi Guys!

I need help to find out what is growing on my Colt coral (please see attached pictures).
It looks like tiny flowers with tentacles that growing on the dark spot on the stem of the coral, closer to the base.
I have two Colt corals growing on the same piece of rock, one is aOK, but the one that has this strange growth seems not to be doing well. The polyps are almost closed most of the time, and lately I've noticed a few dozen of tiny tiny bugs running up and down the coral. They are so small that you can ony notice them when they move.
Please let me know what is it and how to solve it.

Thanks

 

[Hormigaquatica]

Looks like a patch of hydroids to me. Id suggest carefully scraping and siphoning them off. You don't want them to float around the tank too much, or you risk them settling down elsewhere, and stinging even more coral.

The tiny bugs you're describing sound somewhat like copepods. If that's the case, they are harmless; nothing to be worried about.

 

[twintrades]

Looks like your coral forgot to shave today.

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

They look like some type of hydroid. It looks like they may be stinging your coral. I would just put the coral in a small bucket of tank water and scrub them off with a tooth brush so they aren't re-dispersed into your tank. It appears your coral is a neon green capnella. Also know as pineapple tree or green kenyan tree coral even though they are more of a blue green. I have fraged these and colts many times at AquaCorals in ME and they grow very well. Here is a photo of a green capnella vrs a true colt or carnation tree coral. There are a lot of stores that get these mixed up and label them all as colts.