white stuff on torch coral?

[clowntank]

There's some mossy white stuff on my torch coral. It's kinda of blowing around, but there's also some stuck in the coral, and the torch has closed up around it. It was on it a couple a days ago in a different spot as well, but has since gone away.

Can anyone tell me what it is, and if it's harmful?

 

[yote]

It could be slimming from the clowns messing with it.
One of the first signs of stress in corals is a stringy slime.So I'd watch it close,and hope its not brown jelly infection.

 

[Bifferwine]

Can you blow it off with a turkey baster? Or gently with a powerhead?

 

[clowntank]

I tried to get it off with two long rods, but there's still some in the head.. It's kinda of white, the head is still closed up... Its on a head that's splitting into two heads ;(

How can I tell if it's brown jelly infection, and what should I do if it is?

 

[Bifferwine]

If it's brown jelly, it will look like...brown jelly. If it is brown jelly, you'll need to take the coral out and do an iodine dip. It will probably be too late though; by the time you start seeing brown jelly there's usually no chance of the coral recovering.

Your coral could also be pooping. Have you been feeding it?

 

[clowntank]

I've been using a frozen popsicle type shrimp food for my baby clowns.. (comes in a red wrapper?) everything in my tank eats it... not sure if my coral has been.

I know for a fact that when I placed the coral in the tank, it opened up and had a white stringy thing waving around... a day later it was gone. But this one seems to make the head stay closed. Also, when I tried to get it off, it all didn't come out. I didn't forcefully try though, so I couldn't be sure if it's attached/stuck. The rest of the coral is open.. it's got two other heads.

 

[Bifferwine]

Give it a day or so. See if it detaches by itself. It could be poop.

 

[clowntank]

Ok, I'll stick it out.

What about this red spot I have on the skeleton of the coral... Kinda looks like the "good pink bacteria" you'd get on the back of your aquarium... Is that ok?

 

[Bifferwine]

If it looks like coralline, it's probably that. Coralline will grow on the glass, your equipment, rocks and coral skeletons.

 

[clowntank]

Ok, well the head is still closed. The one that it is splitting from is open. The head that is closed, it looks like two or three of the tentacles have completely gone white?? Some of the outside tentacles are open and waving around a bit though..

Any idea guys?

 

[yote]

Dont know.

 

[Bifferwine]

It sounds sick. Not much you can do about it though. You can try taking it out and giving it an iodine dip, but usually once they start dying it's hard to stop it.

 

[clowntank]

This is an oldish picture of the situation... but you can kind of see what's going on.

Now the white center is gone. The head has been closed the entire time, with the exception of a few outer tentacles. Some of the closed tentacles are still white, with normal heads.

The only thing I can figure is maybe it's acting weird because it's splitting?
Any ideas guys?

 

[reeffreak]

Your guess is good as mine.I have a torch who went from 2 to 12 heads and never showed signs like what you are experiencing.Many corals multiply in more than one way.I have a frogspawn where it multiplied by splitting and budding.Maybe yours is reproducing different than what we commonly see.

It looks healthy otherwise to my eyes.