ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
Do you know if it is bad when a bubble coral excreetes some sort of slimey string that floats off into the water? My bubble coral is doing this and the bubbles are not nice and plump like they usually are.
Bubble Coral
- Thread starter ryshark
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sounds normal to me. I'm thinking this is a new coral to you?
I think you'll find it will go through periods of big, happy bubbles, and periods of being less than happy. It all depends on the energy needs of the coral as it takes energy to make all those plump bubbles. The slimey stuff you see floating away, I believe, is just the coral, well... pooping, for lack of a better analogy. It's only got one hole going in and out, and just like us and fish, it can't use everything it eats. Sooo... what goes in must eventually come out in some form or another.
If you haven't found out already, it will greedily accept mysis shrimp, or any small meaty food.
OP
OP
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thank you Kurt. Yes it is fairly new coral for me. I just bought a target feeder yesterday (turkey baster like) so I can get more mysis to it. When I just pour mysis in the tank, the mysis seem to hit the bubbles and then float by. I will identify that one opening you mentioned and slowly shoot the mysis there.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
You don't need to get it at the exact opening. Most likely, you won't be able to find it when it's in full "bubble mode". Just squirt some in the bubbles and it'll do the rest.
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
Zooxanthellea (the algae in corals that give them their food and color) sometimes are expelled and looks like stringy stuffs. It can either be good, as in they are making too much and are just getting rid of some, or a sign of stress. Either way, I agree with Kurt that it's likely nothing to worry about.
OP
OP
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for asking. I thought it was doing better but, just yesterday it looked like the top 1/4 of it was retracted in to where you could see the skeleton and shrivled up bubbles. It hasn't got as big and full as it used to do since I posted this thread. I saw a shell next to it, so I moved it thinking that it might irratate it. However, the part touching the shell the bubbles looked ok. When I bought this bubble, the LFS had about 4-of them that day. I bought one and apparantly his other 3-are already dead now. I did add 36watts of T5HO super blue, but it is more towards the back of the tank, I have the bubble on the bottom in the front. My other lighting is 440watts of VHO over a 75gallon.
I also have a white finger leather that seems to be shrinking instead of growing. My torch, brain and hammer are all doing fine. I did a 20% PWC yesterday. I will post an updated water test later.
I also have a white finger leather that seems to be shrinking instead of growing. My torch, brain and hammer are all doing fine. I did a 20% PWC yesterday. I will post an updated water test later.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Can you post a pic of your coral? I have a bubble coral as well and it started out looking amazing and then started looking very sad. Everyone around here (not online) told me I should just get rid of it because it wasn't looking good. What I did was move it to a lower flow area of the tank and it is actually shaded somewhat by my large toadstool and is now doing very well.
OP
OP
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here are a couple of pics. In the picture of my entire tank it is located on the bottom left of the picture, in the front. Is there somewhere else you see that may be better for it? It is in a very low flow area now, the lowest in my tank I believe.
Attachments
OP
OP
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
I will try that, I will put it up on the flat ledge right above and back a little of where it is now.
OP
OP
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
I forgot to mention above. Since it is the top part of the bubble coral that is messed up, I was thinking maybe it was getting too much light since that would be the part of the coral getting the most light. The part of the coral that looks ok, is the bottom part actually touching the substrate. But I will definitely try to move him up and see what happens. How long should I give it after the move? 1-week?
