Polyp Bailing out

[user17482]

Hi, I've had this frogspawn corals for the past year it hasn't given me much issues besides for now. I first noticed to frogspawn showing some skeleton on the one head so I tested and everything was within reason beside nitrates we're elevated. I'm curious on what you think I should do next? The frogspawn is in a lower flow area along with 3 other LPS but I haven't noticed any problems with the others and it's only the one head that has died. If you need additional information let me know thank you.

 

[user17482]

Here are the corals

 

[podsquad]

I first noticed to frogspawn showing some skeleton on the one head so I tested and everything was within reason beside nitrates we're elevated.

What do you consider elevated? Have you had any bumps in your stability in the past 6 weeks?

 

[user17482]

What do you consider elevated? Have you had any bumps in your stability in the past 6 weeks?

I've really had problems with Nitrates and Phosphate at one point Phosphate were too high. Now Nitrates are too high and Phosphate sit at 0.09 and Nitrates at 20PPM ( I added Nitrate and Phosphate remove to bring those levels down.)

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Its very hard to see with the blue lighting, but I am guessing that it was too close to the other coral.

 

[user17482]

Its very hard to see with the blue lighting, but I am guessing that it was too close to the other coral.

It's been around the same coral for the past 3 months no issue unless a torch sent out a huge sweeper tentacle! Would a hammer sting a frogspawn?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It's been around the same coral for the past 3 months no issue unless a torch sent out a huge sweeper tentacle! Would a hammer sting a frogspawn?

Possibly, my frogspawn killed a couple of polyps on my hammer a few years ago.

 

[user17482]

Possibly, my frogspawn killed a couple of polyps on my hammer a few years ago.

I think I'll move the frogspawn and see if the one head makes it or not.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think I'll move the frogspawn and see if the one head makes it or not.

It can't hurt to move it a few inches, if anything at least you can cross coral warfare off the list of possible ailments.

 

[user17482]

Update:
I moved the coral and sitting behind it is this tube like structure attached to the coral... Not to sure what it is but I'm going to get a better picture!

 

[user17482]

This is the tube thing its definitely alive as I've see it move its head... Any idea on what it it?

 

[podsquad]

I doubt this was caused by a hammer. I've kept my hammers frogs and octos together for many years and have seen no evidence of them affecting each other. The torch is the one who doesn't play nice with hammers and frogs. Also stings look entirely different for Fimbriaphyllia vs polyp bailout. If it is true Coral polyp bailout that's usually caused by 2+ stressor affecting the coral. Like low salinity over the course of a month or two mixed with stray current. Coral polyp bailout is really suicide for the large majority of times it happens its very rare to see the polyp that bailed live more than a few weeks and start new. That coral says it's so unhappy with the environment it's in that it'd rather take that huge risk to move elsewhere than stay where it's at(ofc it does not know it's in an aquarium nor does it actually think. But it's in its DNA and is programmed to survive if dealing with life threatening conditions in its environment).

 

[user17482]

I doubt this was caused by a hammer. I've kept my hammers frogs and octos together for many years and have seen no evidence of them affecting each other. The torch is the one who doesn't play nice with hammers and frogs. Also stings look entirely different for Fimbriaphyllia vs polyp bailout. If it is true Coral polyp bailout that's usually caused by 2+ stressor affecting the coral. Like low salinity over the course of a month or two mixed with stray current. Coral polyp bailout is really suicide for the large majority of times it happens its very rare to see the polyp that bailed live more than a few weeks and start new. That coral says it's so unhappy with the environment it's in that it'd rather take that huge risk to move elsewhere than stay where it's at(ofc it does not know it's in an aquarium nor does it actually think. But it's in its DNA and is programmed to survive if dealing with life threatening conditions in its environment).

Do you think those two stress factors could be a pest and unstable Nitrates and Phosphates ?

 

[user17482]

I think this might be a Vermetid Snail around the coral

 

[podsquad]

I think this might be a Vermetid Snail around the coral

It looks way too big to be a vermetid. Although it can be another type of tube worm or feather duster. Take a pair of tweezers and remove that thing. What you don't want is to have that open and irritating your coral polyps causing them stress and causing them to close up and miss out on making vital energy.

 

[podsquad]

Do you think those two stress factors could be a pest and unstable Nitrates and Phosphates ?

Yoyoing nutrients is never good on corals and their microbiome. It's possible that unstable nutrients could be the source of the bailout but it's really hard to determine from the outside looking in.

 

[user17482]

It looks way too big to be a vermetid. Although it can be another type of tube worm or feather duster. Take a pair of tweezers and remove that thing. What you don't want is to have that open and irritating your coral polyps causing them stress and causing them to close up and miss out on making vital energy.

The coral already lost both polyps so its a goner.... : ( but I did open up the tube its definitely make out of calcium as it was hard to crack open and the worm is coiled up in the far back of the tube so I can't reach it.

 

[user17482]

 

[user17482]

This guy had the same issue

 

[user17482]

It looks almost Identical to my Vermetid snails but mine already reached the polyp of my corals as his did not.