dandelion Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 My montipora digitata has a burned hole since I got it. Didn't seem to be spreading and the polyps are extending so I figured it's ok. Today I noticed this little thing poking out. I touched it with a skewer stick and it retracted into the coral. Any idea what this is? Is it the cause of the hole? Link to comment
Elizabeth94 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Not completely sure what that is, but I would probably just frag that piece and dip it in bayer to see if you can get it off/out. That way the montipora and grow back and look normal. It doesn't look like a normal filter feeder to me.. maybe some kind of coral burrowing worm? Link to comment
dandelion Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 I already Bayer dipped my frag before putting it in my tank. It looks like something that as a stem that attaches to my coral, and 6 branches that come out wavering in the water current. Should I pull it out? Not completely sure what that is, but I would probably just frag that piece and dip it in bayer to see if you can get it off/out. That way the montipora and grow back and look normal. It doesn't look like a normal filter feeder to me.. maybe some kind of coral burrowing worm? Link to comment
ajmckay Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Looks like an aiptasia IMO... Would explain the dead area. Use a flash to take the pic or even a flashlight and you'll be able to see more detail. Link to comment
TFish77 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Honestly it looks like a feather duster that grew in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have gotten a lot of ocean caught coral that have the same issue. However if it seems to be negatively impacting your monti it might actually be an aiptasia that is stinging it . Keep an eye on it and see how it develops. If whatever it is seems to continuously negatively impact your coral I would cut that whole branch off and let the main colony regrow. Montis grow pretty quickly so it should come back pretty fast. Link to comment
dandelion Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 I was going to say I didn't see any mouth. But I shined my flashlight at just the right angle to see a white dot at the center of the tentacles. I think aiptasia is likely! Thanks! Never thought aiptasia is so badass that it'll grow ON someone else. Now what do you say. Yank it out, or superglue over the black area, or both? ? Oh on a side note my peppermint shrimp in the other tank is bearing eggs. Too bad I'm not even going to try breeding.... Looks like an aiptasia IMO... Would explain the dead area. Use a flash to take the pic or even a flashlight and you'll be able to see more detail. I don't think that's a feather duster. Those are definitely separate tentacles. That frag actually consists of 3 different branches separately mounted onto the plug. I'm going to try removal before fragging. After all the dead area hasn't spread over the past 2 weeks and polyps are extending. Honestly it looks like a feather duster that grew in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have gotten a lot of ocean caught coral that have the same issue. However if it seems to be negatively impacting your monti it might actually be an aiptasia that is stinging it . Keep an eye on it and see how it develops. If whatever it is seems to continuously negatively impact your coral I would cut that whole branch off and let the main colony regrow. Montis grow pretty quickly so it should come back pretty fast. Link to comment
dandelion Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 I ended up super-gluing over the black area. Hope that'll solve the problem. Link to comment
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