Coral closing

FishyReef

FishyReef

Broke Reefer!
1 branch of my pearl bubble coral has been closed up for the last few days and I'm not sure why. This particular branch was never open as much as the others, but now its closed and appears to be receeding on the edge. I haven't adjust light or flow, and my parameters have been stable. All I can think is that maybe my clowns have been bothering that branch, but I don't see them doing so during the day (but who knows what happens after 6pm since I'm not here to watch). Is there anything I can do to verify whether the clowns are bugging it? The only reason I'm suspecting the clowns is that they have shown interest in the other areas of the coral (the female has nipped at a few areas), but not that particular branch.
 
I don't think so - if anything the branch that is closing is getting less light than the other branches. But it was open before and I haven't changed my lighting at all so I don't think its a lighting issue
 
Also, just to post up some numbers: Ammonia/nitrite = 0, nitrate = between 10-15 (lower than last week), pH = 8.2, alk = 3.5 meq/l (or 10 dKH). Need to test calcium and mag, but don't have RODI on hand today to do so (have some at home so I'll test those tomorrow, although I don't think its a parameters issue since the rest of the coral piece is open and happy).
 
Okay, so I'm almost certain its because the clowns have been bothering it. Been watching them closely today (in between working of course) and they keep swimming through the skeleton, going up the open areas and peering very closely at the polyps, occasionally nipping at them, and peering at the closed section. While my clowns really haven't decided on their home in the tank and have yet to host something, they tend to go back to the rock that the bubble tip is on regularly, have cleaned the sides of the rock at times, and I've always figured once they settle in this will be where they chose to set up camp. Is there anything I can do to distract them from the coral that I've placed at the top of the rock? I'm seriously thinking of going back to the LFS that I got them from and buying the anemone they used to host when they were at the LFS (they were there for 3 months and very settled in).
 
You can try adding something more "appealing" to the clowns. I've had great success with clowns taking to hairy mushrooms. They also like toadstool leathers and xenia. You could try adding their old anemone to the tank, but with the other corals or the nem, there's no guarantee that they would go back to it.
 
Thanks Biff and Hannah. I actually do have a pulsing xenia frag that I'd placed in that large corner of the rock, and St Thomas mushrooms on a rock right below that area and they've completely ignored both. They do seem to like this rock and I'd love to find something to grow in that corner that they would take to. The xenia stopped pulsing when I put it there (I don't think it got enough light), and the mushrooms are super attached to the rock (which is too big to fit there), so I'm still looking for something else that will appeal to them. Mushrooms would be perfect in that area because it is a lower light and lower flow area. I'll take a look for hairy mushrooms this weekend. Are there any polyp corals that would work in that area that would also be attractive to clowns? I am pretty leery of adding a nem right now, and don't think that particular area gets enough light for the ones they were previously hosting. A maxi mini would be cool, but I can't find any right now online or at local places here.

Also, if I place a basket over the coral, will it discourage the clowns from the rock entirely? I'd kind of like them to stay with that rock if possible. One option is to move the coral further back temporarily (I would have to substantially change the flow pattern in my tank because there is currently a powerhead in the location I'd move the coral to), but that is an idea I was toying with earlier.
 
So just today I've finally seen my female clown paying serious attention to the huge $75 hairy mushroom that I added to the tank almost 3 weeks ago. I am so thrilled! She isn't hosting it yet, and the male is totally ignoring it, but I am hopeful! It is placed lower down on teh same rock as the bubble coral that she has continued to harrass. Today she's gone back and forth between peering at the bubble coral and very closely checking out the rocks around the mushroom, and nuzzling up to the mushroom. Haven't seen her nestle into it yet, but she keeps returning to the mushroom after checking out the bubble. And the mushroom doesn't seem to mind the attention at all! I think once she picks her spot, the male will quickly follow. Fingers crossed everyone, because I don't think the lower branches on the bubble can hold out much longer! I'll try to get some pics in the next few days :)
 
My pearl bubble is looking better (even in the last two days) now that my clowns are paying far more attention to the hairy mushroom!! Today when I spent several hours doing maintenance, they kept going into the mushroom to snuggle - and the male even joined the female (on friday it was still just the female snuggling in the mushroom!!). I'm still hesitant to say its a done deal that they are hosting the mushroom, but its looking more and more like success!
 
Thanks Hannah! I can't believe they are actually doing what I had hoped they would do! I think largely its because I placed the mushroom right in the area where they had spent the most amount of time (they swam all over, but would come back to this part of the big rock and pick at it repeatedly, perhaps pre-cleaning behavior? I tried a few other corals in that area, but this mushroom was by far the largest and most attractive for snuggling, next to the pearl bubble. Anyhow here's a picture from Friday of the female in the mushroom (the male is swimming above) - it doesn't show how beautiful this mushroom coral is, I really can't wait to get some good shots of it! And it really is the perfect place for a mushroom - low light (because the light is largely blocked by the bubble coral), and low flow. So excited how this is progressing!

 
Well, I was kind of desperate to save my pearl bubble from their wrath, and when the guy at the LFS offered me this monster hairy mushroom that was only attached to a small snail shell (not a huge rock that wouldn't fit in the area), I went for it. It was a hard $75 to part with, but now that they are actually paying attention to it, it was worth it. And it the coloration and size of it are stunning! This thing has to be 6-8" in diameter!
 
She's back to bugging my pearl bubble :( I keep trying to will her back to the mushroom LOL I guess this is really a process for her to decide where the heck she wants to land!
 
Well, my clowns continued to harrass the pearl bubble all yesterday and it's been looking worse and worse. I'm seeing tissue receeding from the skeleton in several new areas, and further up the healthy branches. I finally decided to move the pearl bubble to another (hopefully temporary) location in my tank. Had to shift powerheads so that it doesn't get too much flow and now my fish are hiding and other corals that are glued in place are getting a lot of flow (like my acans) - going to watch everything very carefully and hope none of my other corals respond badly to the change in flow.... Stupid clowns!
 
It sounds like you may be forced to make a choice between the coral and the clowns. It is not uncommon for clowns to beat some corals to death... Or more like, "love them to death".
 

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