Open brain on the can?

[SkiFletch]

Hey guys, got another question for you. Since I've owned it (about a month) my open brain coral looks like its dropping a deuce or growing algae out of it, or somethin wierd. Its got this long stringy stuff coming out of one of its "mouths" and I'm wondering if this is normal. It looks kinda like byropsis, but what would that be doing growing out of the middle of a brain coral? Should I leave it, pull it with tweasers, or somethin else? Thanks for the advice and heres a pic

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

It looks like hair algae from here, too. Is there a dead spot on the coral where some HA might grow? Whatever it is, I would leave it alone unless it becomes an obvious problem.

 

[SkiFletch]

No dead spot... It looks like its coming out of the mouth for that section of the coral if you ask me

 

[^CelticReefer^]

I've seen some of my LPS catch some algae that was floating around the tank and eat it.

Brian

 

[ReeferMac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7536486#post7536486 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SkiFletch
No dead spot... It looks like its coming out of the mouth for that section of the coral if you ask me

It's hard to say w/o seeing it, but it could merely be the 'deuce' you were referring to.
For just about all corals, their "mouth" serves as the in, and the out door. Wether fed directly or not, most corals will extend feeding tentacles at night, and in a healthy tank they will find prey. The animals are also known to produce and digest extra Zooxanthella cells, which appear IME as a long, brown, stringy mess being released from their 'mouth'.

- Mac