Re: Pistol Shrimp Trapped, Fungiid hlth. 4/16/09
Boy was I wrong!
<Ahh!>
I took out the rock with the suspected pistol shrimp and carefully looked at the hole where I thought he was residing. Needless to say, The blood red carapace was actually the empty shell of a razor clam. Back to trying to find the location of the mysterious clicking.
<I see>
Since I have your rapt attention, I would like to ask your opinion on one more item developing in my tank. My plate coral (Fungia) has started separating from its skeleton, inflating itself to let the current assist in separation. I know that this is one way that they can ultimately reproduce this way, but should I be concerned that something else might be causing this?
<Yes... Look to other cnidarians nearby, or not... Ones may well be mal-influencing this Fungiid>
The water conditions are acceptable with low nitrates and nitrites. Any suggestions are, as always, greatly appreciated.
By the way, Bob, let me know if you'll be driving through Irvine soon - it's Guinness time!
<I'll say!>
Regards,
The other Scott F.
<BobF>
Re: Pistol Shrimp Trapped, now Fungiid hlth. 4/16/09
Thanks Bob.
There are no other life forms near the plate coral to cause this kind of reaction. Should I continue to target feed it in hopes that it will either return to health or reproduce, or should I just let it go to see what
happens?
<I would target feed Fungiids... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/fungiidfdgfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. BobF>
Regards,
The other Scott F.

Heliofungia Plate Coral 3/6/03 Great site...very informative! <thanks kindly> I have a Fungia plate coral bought like a week ago. I have him in a 90 gal, w/live rock, and various fish. He is on the sandy bottom. He mainly opens up at night. I have 265wat power compact lighting with actinic too.....Why does he only open at night, <planktivorous... when plankton is out> and my main question is this.....When I 1st got him, his mouth was visible...now, there is a hole there, and bare coral skeleton is visible. <Yikes... a sign of severe stress. Perhaps light shock if you did not QT in subdued light first.> He seems to no longer be able to accept food, but is putting off very little mucus, and is still puffing up at night... <the latter being a good sign> Is it just a matter of time, or is he ok do u think...thx a lot guys    Tim <its a little scary... gaping is often a rather bad sign. My advice though is to not move or stress this animal at all... it is likely very weak and will not tolerate a change well. Patience and diligence are required here. Do keep offering food in small amounts and give it time to acclimate. Be sure nothing is bothering it (another coral nearby... fishes, crabs in the tank, etc). Anthony>

Plate Coral (Heliofungia) Hi. Just a question about my plate coral. It's a brand new purchase. <FYI this coral is actually a rather delicate (primarily with regard for handling) species. NOT recommended for beginners by any stretch of the imagination. Actually significantly dependent on organismal and absorptive feedings as well. Even with "perfect" lights, this animal may only be satisfied by up to 80% (by some estimates) by photosynthesis. So, without feeding, most are remitted to slow starvation and death by 10-18 months. Do take heed and research if you were not already familiar. They must also be kept on a soft sand bottom. Never on rock (a surefire way to kill them: cycling polyp tissue abrades, or the animal simply inflates, falls and gets torn> The coral is beautiful and expanded. I was wondering about it's color and some spots on the tentacles. The color is almost exactly the same as my BTA. The coral is a light brown with lighter tips. Does this tell what part of the reef it came from or better yet, narrow down it's lighting requirements?  <neither> I thought the brighter the specimen, the more light it needs.  <nope... many highly iridescent coral are from very deep water. Pigmentation can be used to reflect light away or refract weak light within (amplify, sort of)> I was thinking medium.  <OK> The spots I noticed, after I got it home of coarse, almost look like small tears or weak spots on the tentacles. The spots are darker brown on the outside, and look like weekend tissue on the inside. Any thoughts on this would be nice.  <indeed... many wholesalers and retailers do not know how to handle this animal. If you bought it off of a perched rock or placed it so... it could get a little rough. > Also, do I need to place this coral on the substrate?  <absolutely critical for survival> I know they move around, and have read about them climbing rocks. Thanks! -Becky <best regards, Anthony>