OMG...what is this....seriously....WTH
- Thread starter pcurry18
- Start date
pepe.king.prawn
New member
Is that a scolymia? I don't think you need to feed anything large like silversides or anything of that nature. If you can feed brine or something that's probably okay, otherwise bright light + good water = just fine.
MrMikeB
New member
I have a rather large rose anemone that eats a slice of silverside every so often. The tomato clown that hosts it takes such great care of it and will often dive into its mouth/butt and pull out the poop and spit it out on the other side of the tank. Now that's love! Come on just ask yourself, would you dive into your significant others'... on second thought, never mind. Sometimes its better not to know. 
Justin74
New member
Sorry guys that's not poo 
In streams like that? It's zooxanthellae, being expelled. LPS are notorious for this usually when coming from a brightly lit tank to a less lit one. It's a natural process when the animal doesnt need or can support the zooxanthellae it once needed under brighter conditions, so it expells them. In turn your coral may lighten as a result, or if it continues may bleach white or transparent.
-Justin
In streams like that? It's zooxanthellae, being expelled. LPS are notorious for this usually when coming from a brightly lit tank to a less lit one. It's a natural process when the animal doesnt need or can support the zooxanthellae it once needed under brighter conditions, so it expells them. In turn your coral may lighten as a result, or if it continues may bleach white or transparent.-Justin
MrMikeB
New member
Did you just pick this up? If so, I can about guarantee you they were not feeding it anything at the store. It might be worthwhile to allow it to adjust to the new environment without too many changes to contend with (new lighting, water, feedings, etc.). If your new MH are going to be substantially brighter you might want to lower your specimens to allow them to adjust by bringing them back up slowly - or - Ed has used a screening material that he applied in sheets over the top of the tank to 'dim' the light and progressively removed them over say a week or 2 to allow the corals to adjust to the intensity. This is if your new lights vs. the old will be night and day (no pun intended). Light shock is the real deal and I can attest to what happens if its not acclimated correctly.
The good news is that if Justin is right and this was zooxanthellae it does reproduce and grow back as needed to support the photosynthesis process that the corals rely on to live.
The good news is that if Justin is right and this was zooxanthellae it does reproduce and grow back as needed to support the photosynthesis process that the corals rely on to live.
That is some good info. I think i will have to slowly introduce the light. I had the little guy for about 2 weeks. He ate maybe twice in that time and seemed to do very well. I feed them a small piece of fish (about the size of a small pencil eraser) or brine.
I certainly hope he does well. he is my favorite and is appx 10-12 inches across when he is fully laid out.
I certainly hope he does well. he is my favorite and is appx 10-12 inches across when he is fully laid out.
Justin74
New member
Like I said it's fairly common. I'll dig up some old photos of my experience with it. Takes a few months for them to come back if they totally bleach out.
But if it stops after this bout it may just lighten up a lil. But, if it does fade feeding will become more important than it usually is. Tristan is right, when there healthy good water and light is all they need. If during that time you want them to grow more rapidly occasional feedings then would be warrented granted you keep up with water quality as it can adversely effect it if not carefull. But when a coral loses a significant amount of zooxanthellae it will become more dependant on autrophic feeding than photosythesis as there just arent enough to support it's nutritional needs. Corals also do this when exposed to very intense amounts of light for just the opposite reasons. They will expell to make room for more high light demanding zooxanthellae and expell the rest as there is no need for the more common low light strains. This is important to SPS growers as some of the more colorfull pigments left behind is believed to be a protection against damaging ultraviolet rays but inturn make the coral appear in vibrant pinks and purples. It gets pretty in depth and I may have a left a few points out but thats the generic breakdown of what's known.
-Justin
But if it stops after this bout it may just lighten up a lil. But, if it does fade feeding will become more important than it usually is. Tristan is right, when there healthy good water and light is all they need. If during that time you want them to grow more rapidly occasional feedings then would be warrented granted you keep up with water quality as it can adversely effect it if not carefull. But when a coral loses a significant amount of zooxanthellae it will become more dependant on autrophic feeding than photosythesis as there just arent enough to support it's nutritional needs. Corals also do this when exposed to very intense amounts of light for just the opposite reasons. They will expell to make room for more high light demanding zooxanthellae and expell the rest as there is no need for the more common low light strains. This is important to SPS growers as some of the more colorfull pigments left behind is believed to be a protection against damaging ultraviolet rays but inturn make the coral appear in vibrant pinks and purples. It gets pretty in depth and I may have a left a few points out but thats the generic breakdown of what's known.
-Justin
Justin74
New member
I think I got rid of most of them because they were so painfull to look at 
But heres a few to give you the idea. This was my tank last year back April '05, take notice of the frogspawn in the left bottom. This was a couple months after I first bought him(back in Feb 05, I think):
Here it is one month later:
Notice a slightly lighter coloration? I started to at this time. Then a few weeks into it I saw why. All 7 heads were doing exactly what yours did. But on and off for a period of 3-5 days. That's when I realized I was giving it inadequate lighting from what it was used to. This was before I retro'd my gear and used individual reflectors(and cheap old bulbs at that!)So I moved it up higher but this is what it looked like in June 05 :
I since increased the lighting and was able to lower it again and colored back up beautifully. Even better than when I first bought it
Just took some time, patience and some good ol' TLC. Good luck.
-Justin
But heres a few to give you the idea. This was my tank last year back April '05, take notice of the frogspawn in the left bottom. This was a couple months after I first bought him(back in Feb 05, I think):
Here it is one month later:
Notice a slightly lighter coloration? I started to at this time. Then a few weeks into it I saw why. All 7 heads were doing exactly what yours did. But on and off for a period of 3-5 days. That's when I realized I was giving it inadequate lighting from what it was used to. This was before I retro'd my gear and used individual reflectors(and cheap old bulbs at that!)So I moved it up higher but this is what it looked like in June 05 :
I since increased the lighting and was able to lower it again and colored back up beautifully. Even better than when I first bought it
Just took some time, patience and some good ol' TLC. Good luck.-Justin
To make things even more odd, the coral did it again this evening and my yellow tank ate half of it as it was still attached to the coral, and then he detached the rest of it and delivered it to the top of the tank where the overflow caught it. Im dazzled. any word on a tang hosting this thing.
dots
Premium Member
Is that a cynaria or scoli? I have had terrible luck wth the cynaria....red/pink type and eventually receeds......gave up with LPS in the 75g cuz I have too clean of water for LPS to grow.
I have always thought of that stuff as a type of entrail that can be extended and expelled if needed......mostly to be extended in a flush the tounge off of something nasty reaction......I have always been under the impression it could be used much like baleen in whales is used.....to catch and filter food.
The zooxanthellae being expelled......I don't know......sure it may be contained in this material to give it the color, but I don't think thats a discharge of it.....for one, its a bacteria......bacteria I think would have trouble forming strands like that........and one the numerous times Ive killed Xenia.......smokes lofts from it as it turns from pink to yellow or purple......that red "smoke" I believe is waht a xooxanthellae discharge look like.
And that coloration and slow shrinking thing Justin is displaying.....is what slowly happens to most Anenome under the wrong lighting as well.
I have always thought of that stuff as a type of entrail that can be extended and expelled if needed......mostly to be extended in a flush the tounge off of something nasty reaction......I have always been under the impression it could be used much like baleen in whales is used.....to catch and filter food.
The zooxanthellae being expelled......I don't know......sure it may be contained in this material to give it the color, but I don't think thats a discharge of it.....for one, its a bacteria......bacteria I think would have trouble forming strands like that........and one the numerous times Ive killed Xenia.......smokes lofts from it as it turns from pink to yellow or purple......that red "smoke" I believe is waht a xooxanthellae discharge look like.
And that coloration and slow shrinking thing Justin is displaying.....is what slowly happens to most Anenome under the wrong lighting as well.
