Plate Coral

[MarkW19]

My short-tentacled plate coral has just inflated to about twice its size, it looks awesome! It's the first time I've spotted it doing it (it must have done it before as it's moved a couple of times).

I know that they inflate to give themselves a bigger surface area to get more light, and also to allow them to move.

But my main question is: When it's inflated, is that a sign that it's HAPPY, or that something's wrong?

 

[lando]

The tissue expansion is a good sign in most LPS corals. Just make sure you have it in the sandbed as they tend to wonder off of rockwork.

 

[MarkW19]

Hehe, yeah I made sure to place it on the sand.

Although, it moved slightly to the left after day one and sort of balanced half of itself on the side of a low piece of rock. So, I moved it, thinking it was the powerhead etc. that moved it. But it did it again, so I've let it be. Now, after its massive expansion this morning, it's back to "normal" and 100% on the sand

It does however seem to give off some mucus/film every few days which is stuck to it, and works its way off it. Is this normal?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I remember my plate corals did give off a mucus coat, but I don't really remember it getting stuck to it... except when it would get injured and it was actually tissue. Doesn't sound like that's the case with yours though.

They like low flow, so if it's getting blasted by that powerhead, you might want to move it (or the powerhead!).

I really like plate corals, but gave up after I lost three of them. My rock work is more vertical than most and I seem to have clumsy/lazy crabs and snails that decided to just take a dive off the rocks for the quick ride back down to the sand. And wouldn't you know it, that darn plate coral would always position itself right under a "fall zone". I'd move it back to a safe area, then a few days later, it'd be right back in harms way. Hope you have better luck than me!

 

[fijiwigi]

I would really like to see a photo of that one. very interesting.

 

[MarkW19]

Hehe, thanks guys. Well, the mucus coat isn't really stuck to it, just sort of "being given off" and not quite left it yet...

It extends its tentacles often enough, and opens/closes its central white "mouth".

And I guess the inflation is a good sign. It does seem to be losing its colour though, with some of its "channels" going brown, from pink. But as it has to be on the sand, obviously its on the bottom in low light.

Low flow by the way

 

[melosu58]

I would really like to see a photo of that one. very interesting.

http://www.fantasyreef.com/database/index.php?p=getitem&db_id=5&item_id=44

 

[MarkW19]

I would really like to see a photo of that one. very interesting.

Here are a few pics of my nano, pink plate coral at the bottom:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidw49/sets/72157602267042537/

 

[ellisz]

looks nice

 

[MarkW19]

Thanks!

I've got some more pics of him today, when he was inflated! He has been even bigger than this though!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidw49/sets/72157602267042537/