Short tenacle plate Vs. calcareous agal

[Nemo]

My short tenacle plate seems to be fading. Its tenacles are retracted and doesnt seem to happy :cry: I was wondering if the recent bloom of my calcareous agal could be competing for nutrients with the STP. Possible ?


Any help is appreciated :shock:

[HoopsGuru]

Plate corals need to be placed on sandy substrates. If yours is placed on liverock or other hard/course substrate, this is most likely the problem.

[Zack]

worst comes to worst and it dies and then u can do what I do and bleach white! It is really cool looking!

[Nemo]

Plate corals need to be placed on sandy substrates. If yours is placed on liverock or other hard/course substrate, this is most likely the problem.


Well, right now there are some smaller live rocks around it, that could be irritating the plate. Ill try moving it to smoother pastures and see what happens. I did notice that early this morning when the lights in the tank where off. The tenacles seemed to be out in somewhat full force. Could it be that it has changed its eating habits because of feeding interference from the other criters in my tank ?

[Nemo]

worst comes to worst and it dies and then u can do what I do and bleach white! It is really cool looking


This seems like a sad fate for my plate :cry: After you bleach it how long should you treat it in salt water before introducing it back into the tank?

[Pineapple House]

Zack, i'm really not a big fan of bleaching corals, esspecielly when they come from your own tank!

I personally wouldn't bleach the corals, but it's up to you. I would make sure they are 100% dead before you hit that. I am pretty sure you dip them in bleach for a couple days, take them out, wash them off very well, and put them up on top of your T.V. :cry: In the tank, it will likely just sit there, collecting algae, and might ruin the 'naturalness' of your tank. The algae is quite hard to get off of the bleached corals.

PH =)

[HoopsGuru]

I wouldn't pack in the ship because its tentacles are not "normal". Your description of it's tentacles being out at night in a normal fashion leads me to believe that your coral is fine (I would still move any rock away). Corals will adapt to your tank, thus IMO, your coral has most likely learned that it can feed freely at night with perhaps less competition, thus eliminating the need to extend its polyps and feed during the day.

This of course is going on the basis that the coral does look "normal" at night. I would watch is closely over the next few days and see if it continues this nightly behavior.

[Nemo]

Ya I dont think I will bleach the coral. I understand that it may have some appeal, but I cant think of my poor coral in that light until it has gone to it :cry:

Ive moved it into a better spot now, and any small rocks away from it. It seems to be responding to the move!!! :D

[HoopsGuru]

It seems to be responding to the move

Cool! I don't think your coral is on its way out, in fact I think you may have found why it was disgruntled :wink: . Also keep in mind that if these corals get enough to eat at night, they may not extend much during the day because they don't need to.

[Nemo]

does anyone know what size plates grow too? or if there are diff types that grow to diff sizes

[Pineapple House]

I'm prettys sure the average size of a plate in the aquarium is about 9-12"

PH =)

[Zack]

that seems a little big! I would say a little smaller than 12"