Coral Health

[livebait]

My reef is barely at the end of the cycle (6 1/2 weeks since set up) and was cycled with live rock, live sand. One piece of rock that was purchased has a little button polyp on it. I thought for sure it would die because at the time the ammonia and nitrite was high and nitrate was just beginning to show on the scale. But it didnt die and over the past 4 weeks has been getting bigger and began turning from a dark yucky brown to a dark purple with lighter purple tentacles around it's disk. After I add my cleaning crew I began to give the crabs and shrimp a little brineshrimp everyother day and would squeeze out 1 or two above the coral. It doubled in size over a two week period. Today I gave it some brineshrimp and after the crabs etc had time to get thiers I started the powerhead, skimmer and filters back up. About 3 hours later I noticed the poly was hanging almost straight down and it's disk was only partially open. It's stem looked real 'loose' too, like saggy skin. I thought it was dead so I touched it with the tip of my feeding syringe. It pulled back inside itself but that really made it look like a deflated balloon. It's since stood back up and fanned out to get light but still looks 'baggy'. I've grown attached to it and am worried that it is sick or dieing.
Does anyone have any ideas what might be going on with it? Does it sounds ill or is it possibly begining to split off another polyp?
I know the pic is very pixelated and not real clear but it's the best I can get with my cheap Kodak and shooting thru the curved front of my tank.
Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[sambrinar]

Welcome to RS...

Hmm a picture would be very helpful, I am not sure what "coral" you are talking about.. sounds like a zoa, but they are photosynthetic and don't "eat" per say.. at least none of mine do.. let alone brine shrimp

 

[r2d2]

It could be a Nem... purple and eating are my clues.

Greetings

 

[sambrinar]

It could be a Nem... purple and eating are my clues.

Greetings

I think a nem woulda died during a cycle tho... they are very sensitive to chemical swings .. maybe a duncan.. but again.. I think the cycle woulds killed them too

We need a picture for sure... or a google image of what it looks like

 

[sambrinar]

Wow, I am not sure what that is.. could be a duncan, or maybe your right.. a nem, but I don't think so.. could be a polyp of some kind too.. We need boomer I think.. I will send him a PM

 

[livebait]

Wow, I am not sure what that is.. could be a duncan, or maybe your right.. a nem, but I don't think so.. could be a polyp of some kind too.. We need boomer I think.. I will send him a PM

I cant find anything online that looks like it either. Showed my LFS owner, the guy I bought the rock from and he can't ID. The closest match by photo I've come up with was some button polyp pics on another site so I assumed it to be just that. I know it's a tough lil critter, it's survived ammonia and nitrite spikes during the cycling period.

 

[sambrinar]

IDK... give Boomer some time, he will help you out and get you an ID if he can.. it's kinda purdy from the picts

When you fed it, did the tenticles grab the food and draw it in to a mouth?

 

[BigAl07]

What does it compare to right now size wise?


What type of lights do you have?

It resembles some type of anemone but hard to tell.

 

[Boomer]

I cannot tell what that is even blown up 300 % but it is not a Duncan it is sitting to close to the rock. Looks like a sick Majano Anemone to me.

majano anemone picture - Google Images

 

[sambrinar]

Thanks Boomer Is that unusual for a majano to survive a cycle? It really does look like a nem

 

[sambrinar]

check out the link that Boomer posted too..

 

[livebait]

IDK... give Boomer some time, he will help you out and get you an ID if he can.. it's kinda purdy from the picts

When you fed it, did the tenticles grab the food and draw it in to a mouth?

Yes. The first time I saw it 'eat' was right after I restarted the powerheads, filter etc after feeding the crabs and shrimp. Some brines blew out of the rock and the flow drifted one right to the polyp. It pulls them to it's center and folds in on itself, after a few minutes it comes back out and goes back to basking but today it got all baggy like I said. It was looking perkier a bit ago right before the actinics timed off. Lunars are on now but it's in a spot that doesn't get much light from them so will have to see what it looks like in the morning.

 

[livebait]

What does it compare to right now size wise?


What type of lights do you have?

It resembles some type of anemone but hard to tell.

The day I bought the rock it's attached to it was maybe an 1/8th of an inch across it's disc. In the last 2 weeks it's nearly tripled it's size so I'm guessing just over .25 inch when fully open.

T5 HO's 156 watt total

 

[livebait]

I cannot tell what that is even blown up 300 % but it is not a Duncan it is sitting to close to the rock. Looks like a sick Majano Anemone to me.

majano anemone picture - Google Images

When it's fully basking it's stem extends to approx. 1/2". I looked at the pic's in the link you posted (ty btw) but my critter has alot more tentacles surrounding the disc than the Majano's I think.

Another bit of info I have may not be relevant but the night I bought the rock and noticed the polyp I was touching it with the tip of my finger. I dip snuff and did so w/o washing my hand, using the same finger I touched the polyp w/ to put the chew in my lip..there was a bitter taste that I ignored but about 15 min later I had very painful cramping in my stomach that I couldn't ignore, hurt so bad I went to bed. I think it was residue from the secretion the polyp was giving off but I cant be sure.

 

[mempho reefer]

Majano!
They will survive the apocalypse. Kill it now before they take over your tank.

 

[Reefmack]

Looks like a Majano to me, and from experience with them I'd also advise getting rid of it now. They can multiply pretty quickly.

 

[r2d2]

1+ Majano

 

[livebait]

After hours online reading posts, articles etc. and looking at dozens of pics + the fact that all ID's made point to Majano I sadly agree. I say 'sadly' because I was so happy when it first unfolded and I assumed it was a little polyp. I've spent alot of time just watching it basking and imagining the day I noticed a new one forming from it. From everything I've read I know I can't let that happen now and (feel free to laugh at me) it truly hurts my heart thinking about scraping it off the rock and killing it.

Thanks to all who helped out and most likely saved me a huge headache later on down the road.

 

[r2d2]

I know how you feel but think this is, as you said, to avoid a future problem.
You can also get a small zoas frag as soon as your cycle ends and star to see life in your tank.
Greetings

 

[livebait]

Holy %*#p!! Found another Majano today. This one was waay easier to kill. Was moving some rubble sized rock to fix a deadspot and realized it was there when it stung my palm. Felt like a low volt shock that suddenly decided to burst into flame. Yeah the lil beast is no more.