Sick Caulastrea

[rbrown10]

Hi All:
Two months ago, all of the coralites on this Caulastrea had polyps, which expanded. Over the past two months, most of them have died and the few that are left are shriveled. During that same time the tentacles which can be seen in the photo have been growing. The tips are the same mint green as the polyps and they all emanate from the same place on one of the stalks. They expand during the day and contract at night. They are not feeding tentacles since the feeding tentacles have white tips and emanate from the mouths of the polyps. Does anyone have an idea what these tentacles are and why this colony is dying?
Thanks,
RB

 

[yote]

Those tentacles are sweepers.They are for fending off other corals.
Is that clownfish trying to use the coral as a host?

 

[rbrown10]

Hi Yote:
Don't think they're "sweepers" as they all emanate from one spot on one of the stalks rather than from the polyps. Also, they are out all the time. Any other thoughts?
RB

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

whats your water perameters?

 

[rbrown10]

Hi "Knucklehead":
Water parameters are as follows: pH 8.2, spG = 1.025, Ca 420-30, Alk 3.30-3.35, NH3,NO2,NO3 = 0, Temp 77-78. My alkalinity is purposely high per an article I read on LPS Corals.
RB

 

[dustin_P74]

what was the alk measured in

 

[Bifferwine]

To me, it looks like you have two corals growing on the same rock. The tentacles look like those of a torch coral. Since they are so close to the candy canes, the torch is probably stinging them and killing them.

 

[JAG107]

+1 for Biff and Yote. I have a caulastrea frag w/ 3 polyps in my 3g and the sweepers came out this week on the euphyllia and stung them. All 3 polyps on the caulastrea are dying as a result.

 

[rbrown10]

The Claustrea was in my tank for 9 months before I saw the "tentacles". If it's a second coral, I don't know where it came from. Alk is measured in meq/l.

 

[Bifferwine]

It was a hitch hiker coral then. A valuable hitch hiker too.