Cup Coral with SLITS? above a few polyps????

[SnowManSnow]

so my up coral has a few small "slits" over a few polyps. There is some sort of algae looking stuff comming out of the slits... What is this stuff? Is it cause for concern? Should I pull it off?

B.

 

[Anonymous]

Pull it off, it is just algae, but if left unchecked, it will cover more and more area, making your coral not as good looking.

 

[SnowManSnow]

IM not sure it is algae. Again, it is coming from the inside of the coral.. and only in 2 places where there is a "cut" above the polyps. I'll just watch it a few days an pull it off if it doesn't change.

B

 

[Anonymous]

IMO that is algae.


You will see that happen when there is some damage to the coral tissue (as in shipping damage probably) creating a small spot of bare skeleton where algae can take hold. Pull off the algae and it will likely grow over with coral tissue. If you do not keep the area clear, then the coral has a much harder time healing there.

 

[SnowManSnow]

whatever it was its gone now.

i read in sprung's book TRA that sometimes, when placed under different lighting conditions, a coral will "eject" some of it's zooalgae in a brown/green mucus looking manner. I wonder if that could have been what was happening?

Hmm also, those places went away a few days following a fresh water dip to rid the coral of flatworms. I guess it could have been damage inflicted by the flatworms, and it's able to heal now. OR it could have been tissue damage .. as Laura stated, inflicted either in shipping, or i guess by the worms, where algae took root.

B.

 

[Anonymous]

whatever it was its gone now.

i read in sprung's book TRA that sometimes, when placed under different lighting conditions, a coral will "eject" some of it's zooalgae in a brown/green mucus looking manner. I wonder if that could have been what was happening?
.

Corals will expell zooxathellae out their mouths, but it looks kind of like a brown slime. What you have looks to be coming out of random spots in the body between the mouths, and looks kind of fluffy, like green hair algae, so I don't think it was expelling. I still think that for whatever reason, either damage or something else, the tissue receded there, and was a prime spot for a little algae to take hold.

Good to know it's gone!

 

[Anonymous]

Mine expells zoo out of the polyps. It looked like algae.