Bubble coral help (1 Viewer)

[porkchop]

I have had this bubble coral since Christmas. When it was in the 20L at our old house it would get HUGE and beautiful during the day and then at about the 6 or 7 hour mark (of lights on) it would kind of wilt and put out its feeding tentacles.

Now in the new tank, at the new house, the bubble only gets maybe half the size it would before, and it wilts at the 2 hour mark. I really feel like something is wrong. There are no feeders coming out this time, and it is wilting way more severely than it was previously.

Any ideas?

All other corals are doing well and opening up more and more each day.

Here is a pic of it "open"

And one after two and a half hours of light. It looked good when I got on the laptop, and then thirty minutes later it looked like this....

 

[PescadoAmor]

I'm no expert, but how's parameters? are the lighting and flow the same for the coral in its new home compared to the last?

 

[CCrescini]

I've only had mine for about 4 months now, but he seems to be doing well in my tank. I have it about mid-height in the tank, not in direct current, but in good flow. My nitrates are about 3 or 4. My phosphates are embarrassingly high. My lights are at full intensity from 1-6, and they ramp up before then, and back down after. Mine doesn't start showing feeding tentacles until about 7 at night. As far as feeding, I probably give him part of a silverside or a piece of shrimp about once a week.

Not sure any of this is useful, but I thought you could compare conditions.

Chris

 

[porkchop]

Lighting, flow, and water parameters have not changed much if any between this tank and the other.

I guess I will try to run a full battery of water tests this evening and look at it.

Last night I turned the lights off for a couple hours and then turned them back on before our company showed up. The bubble opened up and looks good the whole time the company was here.

I cannot get my head around this. It's like the bubble gets tired or something.

 

[LSUFireGal]

Is anything bugging it? Mine deflates when my clowns decide to try it out as a potential host. It also deflates if there is a lot of activity near by.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ReefMaster32787]

You said New tank..how long did you let it cycle? Mine does something similar from time to time but usually bounces back after a water change. Also happens if I go to long between feedings.

 

[johnnytrinh]

Feed it more. Mine was Like that too.

 

[Tangs]

I have had my pink bubble for well over 5 years. It is the hardiest coral that I have ever had. It needs a good water flow and the odd feeding to spruce it up. Even fish food that has dropped on it serves as a good food source,and they love it.

 

[porkchop]

Fed mine yesterday and today. It's looking better. I also have shortened my light cycle a little as I don't want to stress it out.

 

[CCrescini]

Glad to hear things are looking up. My five year old just got her first tank (thanks doodlebug). Besides the mandatory "nemo", do you know the first thing she wants for her tank? A bubble coral. I've taught her corals, now I just have to teach her patience.

 

[porkchop]

CCrescini, thats awesome, you should make a little build thread for her. MY daughter has a 7 gallon cube that is hers (she's 6) and its awesome to take the time each day and work on the tank together and follow along the maint. calendar i made. I think its really helping her learn responsibility and giving her and I something *special* to do together.

 

[porkchop]

I just watched my cleaner shrimp attack my bubble coral. Holy crap!!!!

The bubble immediately deflated and closed up. The cleaner WOULD NOT leave it alone.

I finally moved the cleaner to my daughters tank.

Have you ever had a cleaner shrimp irritate a coral? I know that occasionally, the cleaner will annoy my zoas or my candy canes, but he is normally just passing by. He was full on attacking the bubble, and it was not liking it.

 

[PescadoAmor]

I just watched my cleaner shrimp attack my bubble coral. Holy crap!!!!

The bubble immediately deflated and closed up. The cleaner WOULD NOT leave it alone.

I finally moved the cleaner to my daughters tank.

Have you ever had a cleaner shrimp irritate a coral? I know that occasionally, the cleaner will annoy my zoas or my candy canes, but he is normally just passing by. He was full on attacking the bubble, and it was not liking it.

what kind of cleaner? I have heard that cleaners will attack corals that are dying since they are opportunistic feeders...

 

[porkchop]

Coral was open and healthy and looking good. Then, all the sudden...bam...cleaner attack.

It's just a normal skunk cleaner. With the white and red stripes.

 

[Bakapuma]

Very strange indeed. Cleaners will seek out food stuck on the coral. It will pick at necrotic tissues. It will eat living coral tissue if starving. You might have a rouge cleaner shrimp.

 

[porkchop]

Well, his butt got deported tonight.

There is only some frogspawn and gsp in her tank so maybe he will behave.

I can assure you.....it's not starving. That thing is a PIG. It out eats my clowns.

 

[porkchop]

So, my bubble was out all day yesterday and never receded or shriveled. It was just open and fat and happy all day long....even after the moonlights came on.

I can't say that one day of data is a sure thing, but I am convinced that the cleaner was the problem.

Also, I was talking to the wife this morning, and she was thinking that the same thing happened to our maxima clam. It was doing great until we put it into the tank (I had two identical setups in my bedroom at the old house) with the cleaner. She said that she remembered the cleaner picking at the clam as well. Unfortunately, we were not able to save the clam.

I will keep a close eye on the cleaner in its new home and make sure the frogspawn and gsp are doing ok.

This is crazy.