Hammer coral deflating and odd thing on skeleton

[jedimaster1138]

I've had this hammer for about 3 months. ORA Purple Hammer. Yesterday I noticed that it closed up in the evening. Normally it doesn't do that until late night when the lights go out. Tonight it did the same thing. I also noticed this odd bump thing on the main trunk bit. It almost looks like a closed zoa/paly polyp (I have several of those on various rocks). Any ideas what is going on?

 

[jedimaster1138]

The bump looks a little...fuzzy for lack of a better term. Also, there is a second one on the other side of the main skeleton trunk.

This is not a branching type coral...at least was not sold as one...

 

[KathyC]

The bump - as you describe it - looks like a sponge and would not affect the coral.

At times some corals will close up unexpectedly, and it usually doesn't mean anything is wrong, it might have just captured something to eat from the water column, or simply for no reason we might understand. Not to worry too much unless it stays that way for more than a day.

Has anything changed with your water/lighting conditions?

 

[jedimaster1138]

Thanks for writing back Kathy.

No changes to hardware, lighting, flow, etc. Last night I did move a rock around, though that was on the other side of the tank. (it was a dry rock too)

Over the past couple weeks I have obtained several new corals and frags...

Radioactive Dragon Eye frag...probably a dozen polyps
Orange Montipora Digitata frag (from MetroKat - thanks btw )
ORA Red Planet frag (today)
And a pretty big....4+ inch neon green tipped Aussie frogspawn

All the corals were dipped in CoralRX or Revive and then rinsed before going into my tank.

 

[James404]

Agreed, I wouldn't worry about it too much. From my experiences many corals close up for a day or two for no reason I can see. The object is definitely a pineapple sponge, harmless filter feeder.

 

[irvp13]

+1 I have several of those all over my tank, not a problem at all

 

[jedimaster1138]

Thanks all. You folks are nice :biggrin:

:thanks:

 

[rbtwo4]

nice corals bro

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Pineapple sponge, harmless unless it got onto let's say zoo polyps