Colt coral LIMP

Coralreefdiver

New Member
My colt coral (closest thing I can find that looks like this guy, or it is some type of leather) has gone LIMP.

He has been doing wonderful....growing so big, I actually was going to frag him this week. I did have him in the sand bed, and moved him about 3 weeks ago up top into some rockwork as he was blocking the view. He adjusted great to the move and seemed even happier.

I find him today absolutley limp. Contracted and his base is actually bent over. I tried picking him up, thinking maybe his rock base had shifted, and found he has grown onto the rock work, so I cannot move him.

Water parameters are perfect, the only thing off is my Ca., which was a little low. It has not been low for long as I test religiously.

Everyone else is happy.

Any ideas from the experts??
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
likely just "molting" - give it a day to a week before you show concern. softies will fall apart if there is a real problem - but periodically go though a shed, where they will close up for a while
 

Jennie

New Member
Some leathers will bend over then right themselves after a day or a few days, some even do this nightly. Keep us posted please.
 

dragon79

New Member
how about mixing in a little bit of "viagra" in your next water change to get rid of that limp problem...haha j/k!!

Yeah, I agree with the other two :p Give it some time.
 

Coralreefdiver

New Member
Hehehe...VERY funny

Well....he's nice and ERECT now. Standing upright and looks good. I was not aware that these corals do that....He normally is always upright and polyps out and hes happy. So when he (I say he....perhaps that comes for a subconcious though about the limp thing) was closed up and bent over, I thought UH OH.


I will have to take a photo of him, as I am not for sure what type of coral he actually is. He doesnt quite look like the colt coral photos I have seen...so who knows.

BTW, this group is great. Its really nice to know I have some knowledgeable people to ask silly questions to. :)
 

Jennie

New Member
Just his little way of making you pay attention to him! Joking of course, but glad that everything is doing well.
 

Coralreefdiver

New Member
Not a carnation coral

I guess he is a colt, just the photos I have seen dont look quite like him. I never asked the LFS what he was....

He has a hard base, attached to a small piece of rock. Looks like a tree almost, with just one thick stalk for a base, then all the little arms are off of that. At night he shrinks down to nothing, with his arms turning a green color when they are shrunk.

I guess with all this I am learning ro relax a bit when my different corals dont extend sometimes. I just get use to them being out and looking good, and when they are not, it makes me wonder if somethings wrong, if I can help them, that sort. I hate to lose any animal, even my little corals in their world of a glass box of water.

I noticed at night when the lights turn off, most of the corals retract. I woke up at 3 a.m. the other night though for some water, and decided since I was up to go "night diving" (thats what I call the flashlight at night) in my tank, only to find all the corals were fully extended! I had no idea they came back out....because in the morning, they are retracted again until the lights start coming on. I know some corals are night guys, but I didnt think what had were.

On a recent dive in the keys, I collected some Maze (sp?) coral and some great Cup coral specimens. They only would come out at night. One of the cup corals was a complete round ball the size of a tennis ball. He had formed on some monofilament fishing line off of a wreck. I cut the line, and just dangled him in the tank. At night, he would extend to the size of a softball...it was amazing. I ended up giving the cup and maze to a friend......I like to see my corals open in the day!!
 
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