BBC E-mail: Predatory coral eats jellyfish  11/15/09
Neale Monks saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you should see it.
<Interesante. BobF> 
> ** Predatory coral eats jellyfish **
> A coral is recorded eating a jellyfish for the first time, in intriguing photographs taken by scientists.
> < http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8350000/8350972.stm >

Fungia... fdg.    7/2/07
Hi Crew, I just got a Fungia, small tentacle. It is orange with a hot pink mouth. I do not understand how it eats. How do the tentacles come into play.
<The tentacles grasp/trap the food and bring it to the mouth. Though, there's probably good reason to suspect that the tentacles might also digest some of the food themselves.>
They are short so I do not see how they would get food into the mouth.
<Well, whenever I've watched them eat, the tentacles appear to be carrying the food along towards the mouth. I don't know how to describe this except it's kinda like how at a rock concert when someone falls backward off the stage and the crowd catches them and moves them across the rest of the crowd. All the many arms and hands of the people below move the person along (sometimes quite a good distance). So I think the Fungia tentacles work a little bit like that. Also, you might be surprised just how long the tentacles of a "short" tentacle Fungia can get. When the coral is happy and healthy, they can get a lot longer at night (or during feeding) than they are during the day. All that said, they can survive without a mouth, so go figure.>
I know they belong on sand but I do not have enough open area for this guy to sit on the sand. Can I put a thin sheet of Styrofoam under it?
<One reason they should be on a relatively flat surface is because they can move (and quite a bit more than most people would think). If they're up on rocks when they try to move, they can fall down. I'd suggest rearranging some of your rock to make space for it at the bottom (if this is possible).>
So by now you are wondering why I bought it. It was part of a group where it was take all or none so I took all and was not aware of how large this thing is.
<Ah yes, some species can get pretty big.>
It is really a beautiful creature
<No doubt... and one of my personal favorites. :D>
but I will reluctantly give it to a coworker who has space for it and is willing to take it off my hands.
<If your coworker wants it and can better care for it, that might be for the best. Fair warning though, you might miss it. When well cared for, and once they get "settled in," they can be really fun corals.>
Thanks
<De nada.
Sara M.>

Fungia and carbon question
hey crew, hope all is well with you guys.  
<Howdy!>
I have a Fungia coral, it is on the bottom  of my 90 gal. reef tank, the other day it was going through these contractions and expelling a reddish, brownish stuff.  Tried to take pictures, we'll see if they turn out.  
<awesome... please do share them with us>
Anywho... I'm hoping it was either digested food or going through reproduction and not expelling its zooxanthellae.  
<easy to tell... digestion is most likely if you have been feeding this very hungry coral 3-5 times weekly or better. Else, little or no food on the bottom of a 24" tank is not a good situation for this weakly zooxanthellate coral. By some estimates, about 30% of its diet cannot be met daily by even the best lighting>
My water quality is great and all others are doing well.  The Fungia is doing well also--looks great, its eating minced seafood and swells up at night and moves around a little bit, so I would venture to say what ever it was doing was not a bad thing.  
<agreed... all sounds good>
Maybe an opinion of yours would be great.  
<OK... I think the Pittsburgh Steelers had a fine season all told and they played hard and nobly this past weekend. Kudos to the coach, Tommy Maddox and my favorite- Heinz Ward... Hard working athletes <G>>
Also for my 90 gal. reef I'm wondering how much carbon per gallon should I have placed in my sump and how much should I change weekly.  thanks a bunch as always gentlemen.....
I would use 2-4 ounces of carbon weekly to start with. See if that is enough to keep all discolorants out of the water (look for yellow in a glass of aquarium water against bright white paper). Add more if necessary. Best regards, Anthony>

Algae eating Fungia?
Hi Anthony, I have a Fungia I recently purchased, I don't know the species. I can give a vague description, wish the damned camera worked. Here goes:
> shag green carpet color, and speaking of shag... it's feeding polyps are about 1/2" long, it's fleshy mantle extends appx 1/3" over the edge of it's skeleton, it has a purple mouth. in shape, the fleshy mantle somewhat resembles the common heart symbol, only slightly flattened. Here's the interesting part, it ignores meaty food, but put a piece of wakame on it, and it goes to town. I've watched it ignore fish, shrimp, and squid, but like I said, put a piece of wakame on it, and it sucks it down like nobody's business. Thought you might like to know, Mike
<Dude... thanks for sharing. To be certain... were the meaty foods extremely small (minced)? Particle size is everything with all types of planktivores. True- some Fungia can and will take large chunks of food... but they are rare. Do consider that the largest zooplankton this coral is ever likely to see on a reef is an amphipod... and not many of them. Most zooplankton is smaller and like most anemones, Fungia can reject large chunks of food. My thought/suspicion on the matter. Actually... I'm quite certain of it: form follows function. Large stinging aspects the 1/2 tentacles, etc) evolve for a reason... and its not for catching microscopic phyto. Sheets of algae do not drift nightly on a reef, but a bazillion zooplankters do come out like clockwork :)Ciao, bub. Anthony>

Long Tentacle Plate Feeding 11/27/04
I recently heard of a long tentacle plate coral eating a Coris Wrasse.  Is this possible? Thanks for the reply. Sam Reef
<I find this very unlikely.  My understanding is that Gut studies of long tentacle plate corals show tiny plankton, not large prey.  Hope this helps.  AdamC.>

Plate Corals
Hi Bob,
The 40 gallon gal again. I hope you had a good time on your little trip.
<Oh yes... all pet-fish chatted out... for a short while>
Anyway, Saturday I got a very pretty "pink tip" plate coral.
I was reading in Aquarium Fish 7/01, and Ron Shimek recommends them as hardy corals for beginners. I guess that everybody doesn't feel the same way as Borneman rates them as difficult and I read your FAQ and comments also. So anyway, I could have made a mistake here (See, new and different mistakes and not the same old same old. :-))
<Progress!>
I posted on reef-l on topica, and someone stated they are difficult to feed. He suggested this: you take a piece of fish, put it in the corals mouth and when it starts to grab it, put a upturned berry basket (I did the best I could haven't seen those in years) over it with a rock on top and this keeps others from grabbing its dinner. This worked very well and it eventually ate it, and the basket frustrated the shrimp!
I must have a mean streak as I kind of liked watching that. :->
<Good trick>
So anyway, more questions about these, but I wish to succeed as I find them very fascinating creatures with the quite visible mouths and tentacles that are always doing something different!
<Is this a Fungia actiniformis?>
CA is at 375 last tested and alk was 3.0 (other things SG 1.024;
Temp stable at 80 degrees; pH 8.2; Phosp .02; Ammon. 0; nitrite trace; nitrate 10 (I'm thinking this is because of the Sailfin being so big, but I believe I have a new home for him now. Happy and sad about this!! And a new Kole coming for me).
<A much better choice for this system>
Questions (finally):
Do you give them variety (I gave them squid tonight)?;
<Yes>
how often and how much (I think I gave him a thin inch long piece-- you suggested mashed and with turkey baster-- is the method above ok?)
<Yes, and about twice a week>
Do I need phytoplankton and/or iodine?
<Likely the latter, the former doesn't hurt in most any system>
I understand the Ecosystems mud has iodine in it.
Does my CA need to be higher?
<No, it's fine>
(it ranges between the 375-420
or so). I am adding buffer with CA. I am about out of this,
can you recommend a good one?
<The Kent, SeaChem product... or just a pinch of baking soda if KH and GH aren't too far off. Bob Fenner>
Thanks again,
your always verbose and totally inquisitive friend in fish,
--Jane (Subaru?) J
"Timing is everything."
<No my friend, only everything is everything>

Re: Plate Corals
Hi Bob,
>So anyway, more questions about these, but I wish to succeed >as I find them very fascinating creatures with the quite visible > mouths and tentacles that are always doing something different!
><Is this a Heliofungia actiniformis?>
Yes I think so. They didn't have the species name. (I haven't seen any LFS around here that does this. I wish!) Anyway, it looks very similar to the middle specimen on
the bottom of the page-- actually a bit prettier, IMO.
<<Only member of the genus: http://wetwebmedia.com/fungiidae.htm>
>because of the Sailfin being so big, but I believe I have >a new home for him now. Happy and sad about this!! And >a new Kole coming for me).
><A much better choice for this system>
Yes, happy someone with a bigger tank will be over to see him this week! (Sailfin Piggee, I mean).
>Questions (finally):
>Do you give them variety (I gave them squid tonight)?;
><Yes>
I was thinking of human food, as you can get these in very small quantities and cheaper. I go to a store that makes their own sushi. I heard you like that?
Any nice ideas here?
<Yes, was with friends as they made a few pounds of Sanjay food (blended seafoods including Nori sheet, this weekend>
>Do I need phytoplankton and/or iodine?
><Likely the latter, the former doesn't hurt in most any system>
>I understand the Ecosystems mud has iodine in it.
Doesn't a refugium provide the phytoplankton?
<To a large extent yes>
>Does my CA need to be higher?
><No, it's fine>
>(it ranges between the 375-420 or so). I am adding buffer with CA. I am about out of this, can you recommend a good one?
><The Kent, SeaChem product... or just a pinch of baking soda if KH and GH aren't too far off. Bob Fenner>
Does this do anything for the CA? (Baking soda?)
<<No... sodium, carbon, oxygen...>
I am not wanting to dose with strontium. Have read several articles that indicate this might not be so good. I notice some of the combo buffer/iodine
products have strontium.
<The systems that will ever have a deficiency of strontium are almost non-existent... yes>
>Thanks again,
>your always verbose and totally inquisitive friend in fish,
>--Jane (Subaru?) J
Very clever, Bob. I know about Subaru being the Pleiades in Japanese.
And most of my friends do think I am an alien. :-)
<<We are my friend>>
>"Timing is everything."
><No my friend, only everything is everything>
Now where have I heard this...

Fungia fungites
Hello. 
<Cheers>
I bought a Fungia fungites today. It has been expanding well, but on part of the edge, some of the tissue is peeling up, so there is some bare skeleton exposed. Should I be worried? I didn't notice because
at the LFS the Fungia was not expanded fully.
<little concern... Fungia are one of the most incredibly hardy and regenerative corals. Even if it seems to die and lose all tissue, leave the skeleton in the tank... very often the seemingly dead skeleton will decalcify and issue daughter polyps (anthocauli) from along the septa. An incredible coral. Just know that this animal is only about 70% photosynthetic which means that it is critically dependant on feeding for survival (and healing <wink>). Feed meaty foods (except brine shrimp...what trash)... and nothing larger than 1/4" (even though it will eat it... bad for digestion, often just regurgitates it at night). Some reef iodine in the water to raise Redox and be mildly antiseptic would be nice. Look for an article by Steve Pro and myself on this site within the month. Best regards, Anthony>

Re: Fungia fungites
Thanks Anthony. I truly love this coral. I will be
sure to feed it. The issuing of daughter polyps sounds
interesting, although I would never try to force that
condition on a coral. As for coloration, I would
greatly appreciate it if you could please list some of
the different colors and patterning fungites come in.
Mine is a nice yellow with the pink edging, and green
fluorescence. What a beautiful coral these are.
Looking forward to the article.
Calvin
<Calvin, you are very welcome. I do admire this family of coral too. An uncommon cousin, Cycloseris, can actually flip itself right side over if upturned and it can climb over rocks! Fungia is fairly motile too... don't be surprised. There is a picture of the many daughter polyps (tens of the them) on a Fungiid in my Book of Coral Propagation. We'll have them in the article too soon. Best regards, Anthony Calfo>