Acan polyp falling off?

CindyKz · Feb 20, 2019

I have an otherwise healthy acan with a couple polyps that aren't attached to any underlying structure - they are just kind of hanging on, partially attached to the adjacent polyps. Is this normal, maybe a form of replication? So far I've just been keeping an eye on it. All polyps look healthy, even the "free floating" ones inflate and put out feeders.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h · Feb 20, 2019

It's called "polyp bailout." Sometimes it's a negative, a sign of stress, but many corals also use it as a way of asexually propagating.

McFly · Feb 20, 2019

Looks like the Acan is partially shaded and growing into the higher light area.

CindyKz · Feb 20, 2019

McFly said:
Looks like the Acan is partially shaded and growing into the higher light area.

No, that's actually the light I was shining on it to get a photo :)

CindyKz · Feb 20, 2019

Hmm. I did have a pretty severe salinity and alk swing recently, lost over half of my small collection of SPS. Maybe that. Looks healthy now tho...should I do anything about it?

mattzang · Feb 20, 2019

hmm can't really help, but i'm kinda having the same issue right now. i have this little rock with 6-8 acan polyps on it and over the course of the last 2-3 days, they're just going.. flat and shriveled? it started with one, then a couple more around that original, now half of the rock is looking upset. the original one is completely gone now, guessing the entire colony is probably headed towards the old coral graveyard. i might try dipping it tomorrow with the seachem iodine dip, but hopes are low

idk why, my nitrates were actually really high for awhile and it did fine, now that i've gotten those under control, death is imminent, cmon now!

CindyKz · Feb 20, 2019

mattzang said:
hmm can't really help, but i'm kinda having the same issue right now. i have this little rock with 6-8 acan polyps on it and over the course of the last 2-3 days, they're just going.. flat and shriveled? it started with one, then a couple more around that original, now half of the rock is looking upset. the original one is completely gone now, guessing the entire colony is probably headed towards the old coral graveyard. i might try dipping it tomorrow with the seachem iodine dip, but hopes are low

idk why, my nitrates were actually really high for awhile and it did fine, now that i've gotten those under control, death is imminent, cmon now!

Good luck! MIne is super puffy. Just detached. My parameters have stabilized since the January swing and other corals are starting to look better so hopefully my acan will too.

mattzang · Feb 20, 2019

CindyKz said:
Good luck! MIne is super puffy. Just detached. My parameters have stabilized since the January swing and other corals are starting to look better so hopefully my acan will too.

oh, hmm, maybe yours are just growing new little polyps? the opposite of dying! puffy seems to be good in the acan world. it's weird because the other half of the colony is fat and puffy. maybe acans have some weird pest i'm not aware of.. that has been laying dormant for several months since i got the coral lol. corals are weird