Overnight Favia Mortality

[flying4fish]

Yesterday this pink and green Favia was stunning in all it's glory. This morning it was a shriveled mess oozing white slime. Any idea what could do that overnight? Perhaps the Chalice next too it?? Or, I have a Flame Angel that in the past few weeks has started nipping corals. I've been thinking about removing it, but it hadn't caused any major damage and I've never seen it picking ate this Favia. I don't think this coral is going to make it.

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[MnFish1]

I had a problem similar - with a lemon peel - it was attacking the coral - and I didnt notice it. It also trained the other angels to do it - not sure if this is your problem - but once damage starts - it can rapidly progress....

 

[Hemmdog]

Acan echinatas sting pretty bad. It’s weird it would all go in one night, but I guess it’s possible.

 

[ScottR]

Acan echinatas sting pretty bad. It’s weird it would all go in one night, but I guess it’s possible.

+1 Once another corals sweepers smell blood, they go all out and a coral will literally melt away in a short amount of time.

 

[Reeferdood]

Coral warfare, usually always happens at night... I would move the lower Acan before the same happens to it as well....

 

[flying4fish]

Acan echinatas sting pretty bad. It’s weird it would all go in one night, but I guess it’s possible.

You may have nailed it, ScottR. This is what I just found on the web: "Be aware that Acanthastrea are voracious nocturnal predators and competitively extrude mesenterial filaments and digest organisms within reach." There's no way my Flame Angel could cause that much destruction in one day!

 

[ScottR]

You may have nailed it, ScottR. This is what I just found on the web: "Be aware that Acanthastrea are voracious nocturnal predators and competitively extrude mesenterial filaments and digest organisms within reach." There's no way my Flame Angel could cause that much destruction in one day!

This is all @Hemmdog - He’s the acan man. He knows way more about acans than I know about toilet paper.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Coral sting or alk swing

 

[mta_morrow]

Acan echinatas sting pretty bad. It’s weird it would all go in one night, but I guess it’s possible.

That’s the first thing I saw....... acan Encinitas need some serious space. They can be brutal!

And they are one of my favorites.

 

[flying4fish]

So...is that coral already dead, or is there a chance it will recover if I move it now??

 

[ScottR]

So...is that coral already dead, or is there a chance it will recover if I move it now??

I’d move it and keep it to see if any of it recovers. I’ve had corals her damaged before and it’s half/half. I was lucky to find two different types of mushrooms stinging each other while it was happening. Half of one had completely dissolved and it eventually recovered. I had a goniopora completely melt into almost nothing. Never recovered.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I would agree 100% the acan Encinitas is guilty of murder! I have had one for years and it never caused any issues at all but a couple months ago a Mexican turbo pushed it over near a small Goniopora overnight and it looked just like your picture the next morning.. a ball of slime

 

[Katrina71]

I would move the favia and see if you have any tissue recovery in 6 weeks.

 

[flying4fish]

I did move the Favia, but now it is just white skeleton. Ugh. Lesson learned. I moved my other Favia that was near another Acan. I had noticed it wasn't expanding as much as it used to; it's probably trying to hide! But sadly I'm also going to have to remove my Flame Angel. After more than 6 months of peaceful living, it has decided to nip, nip, nip my SPS. Look at the pic!