Oh NO! Bubble Coral sick?! Help me!!!

[ek9vboi]

So my bubble coral has been acting weird the past few days. When it shrinks, you can see its mouth. But today I noticed that I saw its mouth and it has brown stuff coming from it. It is rather stringy... not so much like mucus. Do you think I should be worried? Here is a picture of it:

 

[BLockamon]

Looks to me like it's just pooping. Hard to tell from the picture though.

 

[ACBlinky]

Did it get a big meal yesterday or the day before? I have to agree with BLockamon, it might just be going to the bathroom

 

[rich415]

My Bubble does this when I feed it too often. I freaked out the first couple of times but it should look the same as before by tomorrow. If it doesn't then test your water and replace the activated carbon.

 

[Sk8r]

I just found this tidbit today: bubbles are low-light corals, and they regulate their light exposure by thickening the walls of their bubbles (which they can only do by not expanding as much.) This also has to do with how much zooanthellae it contains. Sometimes when corals expell goop it is excess zooanthellae (which give them sunburn protection). So if you want good extension, keep it shaded somewhat.

 

[ek9vboi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7413225#post7413225 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
I just found this tidbit today: bubbles are low-light corals, and they regulate their light exposure by thickening the walls of their bubbles (which they can only do by not expanding as much.) This also has to do with how much zooanthellae it contains. Sometimes when corals expell goop it is excess zooanthellae (which give them sunburn protection). So if you want good extension, keep it shaded somewhat.

You might be correct as well as the others. I feed it often, but then again it sits kind of in the middle of my tank as the center piece for now. My tank is a 29 gallon with 130watts of PC lighting. Would this be too much for the bubble coral?

 

[ek9vboi]

Here is a blown up picture of the coral...

Looks fine today, maybe it was taking a poop. lol

 

[colettem]

Mine does this frequently - I don't think it is anything to worry about. In fact it is rather exciting when it does it as it expels stuff simultaneously from all its mouths - it is quite spectacular.

 

[Sk8r]

I have my poor bubble under 250 mh, 20 inches down. I am trying to negotiate him a place in a shadier spot, but I have to play coral chess to get him there.

 

[Asuran]

no wonder why i havent been able to keep bubbles for a long period of time... too much light... doh! well that and i blame the cleaner shirmp for harassing them all the time... but its mostly my inexperience...

 

[ek9vboi]

Yeah I think I need to place it in an even lower lighted area and even more less flow. Its already in a low flow area, but it doesn't seem like it wants to open up like it was at the LSF.

Is too much lighting preventing it from opening up bigger?

 

[porky]

This coral has been overfed. Stop feeding it and it should be fine.

 

[ek9vboi]

Went to a LFS today and learned alot. Looks like I will be rearranging me rocks and moving the location of my bubble up high now. BTW I have stop feeding the coral... well not everyday. lol

 

[bam20747]

I noticed some dark colored bubbles in my tank yesterday could it be Bubble Coral ?

 

[MiddletonMark]

What's your water parameters?
Looks like what mine has done when water chemistry gets off.

FWIW, I've kept our bubble under MH's for 3+ years [last 2 in my SPS tank] ... if you give time and patiently acclimate it, they can handle quite a bit of light - though it seems fairly easy to shock it if lighting increases, water gets much clearer, etc.

But - in this case, once you completely rule out water chemistry/flow - I'd shade it a bit.

 

[ek9vboi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7447767#post7447767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MiddletonMark
What's your water parameters?
Looks like what mine has done when water chemistry gets off.

FWIW, I've kept our bubble under MH's for 3+ years [last 2 in my SPS tank] ... if you give time and patiently acclimate it, they can handle quite a bit of light - though it seems fairly easy to shock it if lighting increases, water gets much clearer, etc.

But - in this case, once you completely rule out water chemistry/flow - I'd shade it a bit.

Note taken. I talked to a LFS and they told me it bubbles loved lights.