Acropora expelling zooxanthellae or just stinging tentacles?
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Steven Garland
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They are filaments they expel when they sense something in the water. Could be food,or something of that nature. Maybe run a test and see if anything is out of whack.
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Latte
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I've been feeding a bit more heavily recently as I added two new fish, would this likely be the cause?
Steven Garland
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It very well could be. I know when I had my sps pico and broadcast fed the whole tank,some acro's would put out filaments.
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Is it supposed to be white in the first place? Check your water or keep an eye on if something is touching it.Hey I've seen this a few times over the last few weeks but noticed today it's particularly thick.
Any thoughts?
They are called mesenterial filaments. Most people report no trouble associated with that kind of extension.
To me, it seems like an awful lot of energy expended by the coral for capturing some nutrition. Most of their nutritional needs are met by photosynthesis. Prey capture is mostly supplemental. A lot of physical risk as well. My coral beauty angel would decimate that guy.
Unless your residual nutrients are tracking high, I would keep upping the feedings gradually.
To me, it seems like an awful lot of energy expended by the coral for capturing some nutrition. Most of their nutritional needs are met by photosynthesis. Prey capture is mostly supplemental. A lot of physical risk as well. My coral beauty angel would decimate that guy.
Unless your residual nutrients are tracking high, I would keep upping the feedings gradually.
shakacuz
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my initial thought was that this was a very fuzzy acro. reading though comments i guess it makes sense this could be a feeding response... an extreme guess would be reproduction? don't corals in the wild expel to propergate?
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Latte
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Hard to see in the pictures but it actually looks pink in person. That being said, I only added it semi-recently and it isn't coloured up as nicely as it was in the store (much brighter pink) but it has been slowly getting there.
I've always heard/thought of a lot of polyp extension as being a sign of a healthy coral, but what you're saying about the filaments seems like it would apply to general PE too that if they're extending too much it's a sign that they aren't getting enough food?
homer1475
Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
PE, or the lack there of means nothing to the health of an acro.
Many things can effect PE. From lighting, to fish, to flow, to food, to something in the water, to respiration for the coral, etc, etc.
I have great looking and growing acros, but 0 PE. I attribute the lack of PE to my lemon peel angel. But look at night with a flashlight, and they are not lacking PE one bit.
I feed live phyto daily to my tank, I have a few acros, and a sarmentosa, that display their mesenterial filaments when feeding.
Many things can effect PE. From lighting, to fish, to flow, to food, to something in the water, to respiration for the coral, etc, etc.
I have great looking and growing acros, but 0 PE. I attribute the lack of PE to my lemon peel angel. But look at night with a flashlight, and they are not lacking PE one bit.
I feed live phyto daily to my tank, I have a few acros, and a sarmentosa, that display their mesenterial filaments when feeding.
