Short Spine purple urchin eating coral.
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Brady4000
I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
I’ll sag a photo for you. It ate the coral nothing els. Was on a seek out and destroy mission, if I moved the coral around the tank, It would find it in a few hours.
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Brady4000
I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
Ok here is the photo of the frag and the urchin. Purple haze is no longer in the sump (I felt bad) and is now back in the reef. I put the coral in a box to protect it, and put the lid on it… dang thing is still trying to get at it lol, I just put the urchin back in the tank about 5 hours ago and it’s back trying to figure out how to get in the box.
The other photo is what the frag use to look like before it was eaten.
The other photo is what the frag use to look like before it was eaten.
OP
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Brady4000
I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
Ok now it’s going mission impossible climbing up the Kenya tree to get on the frag rack to get to the coral box… sorry for the dirty glass, maintenance day is tomorrow.
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I know it's tempting to equate color and expansion with being healthy but unfortunately apparently "healthy" corals may in fact be very sick. Here's an excerpt from this paper, "How microbial community composition regulates coral disease transmission"
"Critical to coral disease transmission – or resistance – is the coral's surface mucus layer,
which is produced in part by the coral's endosymbionts [12]. The mucus layer hosts a complex
microbial community, referred to hereafter as the surface microbial community (SMC). Because
the mucus environment is rich in nutrients, microbial population densities there are orders of
magnitude higher than in the surrounding water column [20]. Most established and emerging
pathogens are endemic to the ecosystem and typically present at low numbers in the SMC.
When stressed, the SMC can switch rapidly from a community associated with healthy corals to
diseased corals. In field studies during the 2005 summer bleaching event, Ritchie [28] observed
that "visitor" bacteria (bacterial groups otherwise not dominant) became the predominant
species in mucus collected from apparently healthy Acropora palmata."
Additionally fluorescing proteins are made to cope with less than ideal environmental conditions and also as an immune response. A healthy coral may be colorful but a colorful coral may be very sick.
1. Photoprotection When the light is too intense for the zooxanthellae the fluorescing oragnelles are placed above them shading them, reducing the amount of light they recieve. As the light levels increase the coral makes more proteins intensifying the colors.
The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in corals
The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in corals
www.academia.edu
2. Photoenhancement. If the light is not bright enough for the zooxantheallae to work at optimum photosynthetic effeceincy the fluorescing organelles are located behind them with respect to the light source so they receive increased light levels.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v408/n6814/full/408850a0.html
https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/4244/1/4244_Salih_et_al_2006.pdf
The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in corals
The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in corals
www.academia.edu
3. As antioxidants. The fluorescing proteins are used to neutralize the free radicals caused by photosythesis.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26873319_Coral_Fluorescent_Proteins_as_Antioxidants
4. As an Immune response. Fluorescing proteins are used by the corals immune system to deal with parasites.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25470724?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents[/QUOTE]
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Brady4000
I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
Thanks for the research, I’ll set aside some time today to read all the links you took time the to post!! Appreciate it.I know it's tempting to equate color and expansion with being healthy but unfortunately apparently "healthy" corals may in fact be very sick. Here's an excerpt from this paper, "How microbial community composition regulates coral disease transmission"
"Critical to coral disease transmission – or resistance – is the coral's surface mucus layer,
which is produced in part by the coral's endosymbionts [12]. The mucus layer hosts a complex
microbial community, referred to hereafter as the surface microbial community (SMC). Because
the mucus environment is rich in nutrients, microbial population densities there are orders of
magnitude higher than in the surrounding water column [20]. Most established and emerging
pathogens are endemic to the ecosystem and typically present at low numbers in the SMC.
When stressed, the SMC can switch rapidly from a community associated with healthy corals to
diseased corals. In field studies during the 2005 summer bleaching event, Ritchie [28] observed
that "visitor" bacteria (bacterial groups otherwise not dominant) became the predominant
species in mucus collected from apparently healthy Acropora palmata."
Additionally fluorescing proteins are made to cope with less than ideal environmental conditions and also as an immune response. A healthy coral may be colorful but a colorful coral may be very sick.
1. Photoprotection When the light is too intense for the zooxanthellae the fluorescing oragnelles are placed above them shading them, reducing the amount of light they recieve. As the light levels increase the coral makes more proteins intensifying the colors.
The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in corals
The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in coralswww.academia.edu
2. Photoenhancement. If the light is not bright enough for the zooxantheallae to work at optimum photosynthetic effeceincy the fluorescing organelles are located behind them with respect to the light source so they receive increased light levels.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v408/n6814/full/408850a0.html
https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/4244/1/4244_Salih_et_al_2006.pdf
(With ULNS methods starving the corals makes them look brighter because the zooxanthellae numbers are restricted reducing thier brown componet to the corals coloration.)The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in corals
The role of host-based color and fluorescent pigments in photoprotection and in reducing bleaching stress in coralswww.academia.edu
3. As antioxidants. The fluorescing proteins are used to neutralize the free radicals caused by photosythesis.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26873319_Coral_Fluorescent_Proteins_as_Antioxidants
4. As an Immune response. Fluorescing proteins are used by the corals immune system to deal with parasites.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25470724?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
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176327
Guest
Ok here is the photo of the frag and the urchin. Purple haze is no longer in the sump (I felt bad) and is now back in the reef. I put the coral in a box to protect it, and put the lid on it… dang thing is still trying to get at it lol, I just put the urchin back in the tank about 5 hours ago and it’s back trying to figure out how to get in the box.
The other photo is what the frag use to look like before it was eaten.
you don’t have much coraline do you?
I think we have the same problem man. Pour guy’s desperate. That plug has some perp, he may just want that.
mine has scrubbed my entire tank free of coraline (it’s only a 29gBC). He may not have eaten my gsp, but just ripped it up. The other frag he was going after is new and still has growth.
he’s a tremendous cleaner, but my tank probably isn’t meeting his actual nutritional needs. I’m pretty sure the bulk of their diet is supposed to be calcified algae, not GHA and diatoms (largest food source in my tank apart from phyto and pods).
OP
OP
Brady4000
I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
He hasn’t depleted the Coraline in my tank, in fact it’s outgrowing him. I get more and more each day. He does turn sections of the rock back to white, now and then. He’s in a 32 Biocube.
But no I don’t have “a lot”.
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anemoneanatomy
Active Member
First of all: I love Purple Haze!
Secondly, I'm inclined to agree with the "there was something in the favia that smelled good" theory. This is very much an apples to oranges comparison, but I had a stylo come down with rapid tissue necrosis. The evening before it happened, its polyps were looking a little "flat" but it was otherwise normal looking, yet I noticed several of my marine hermits scuttling around the base of the frag plug, and knocked off one that was climbing up the actual coral. Came back the next morning and 40% of it was bleached, and there were three marine hermits eating something off of the exposed skeleton. I'm convinced that leaving them alone and letting them munch on the diseased tissue is what enabled me to save a portion of the colony.
In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I think you should trust your clean up crew. They may know when something about a coral is off before there is visual evidence. If Purple Haze eats your entire favia frag, or seems to develop a taste for coral, then maybe it's time to re-home, but for now I think he's innocent until proven guilty.
Secondly, I'm inclined to agree with the "there was something in the favia that smelled good" theory. This is very much an apples to oranges comparison, but I had a stylo come down with rapid tissue necrosis. The evening before it happened, its polyps were looking a little "flat" but it was otherwise normal looking, yet I noticed several of my marine hermits scuttling around the base of the frag plug, and knocked off one that was climbing up the actual coral. Came back the next morning and 40% of it was bleached, and there were three marine hermits eating something off of the exposed skeleton. I'm convinced that leaving them alone and letting them munch on the diseased tissue is what enabled me to save a portion of the colony.
In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I think you should trust your clean up crew. They may know when something about a coral is off before there is visual evidence. If Purple Haze eats your entire favia frag, or seems to develop a taste for coral, then maybe it's time to re-home, but for now I think he's innocent until proven guilty.
OP
OP
Brady4000
I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
Well thanks for the advice all!!
Looks like the coral may be sick. I came here for advice and all are pointing to a sick coral. So I’ll take it!!
I’ll keep all updated if Purple Haze starts eating more coral, or if the coral recovers in the box.
Looks like the coral may be sick. I came here for advice and all are pointing to a sick coral. So I’ll take it!!
I’ll keep all updated if Purple Haze starts eating more coral, or if the coral recovers in the box.
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176327
Guest
so... mine ate halfway through a hammer’s skeleton today. It’s my favorite hammer too. I hope it lives.
flesh looks fine, the skeleton is literally halfway chewed through. It looks like a breadstick someone took a bite out of.
I had to go to the lfs for water today, I was going to take him with me. Wish I had.
flesh looks fine, the skeleton is literally halfway chewed through. It looks like a breadstick someone took a bite out of.
I had to go to the lfs for water today, I was going to take him with me. Wish I had.
Oldsman
Active Member
our urchin mowed over a hammer skeleton that was mounted on angle off rocks..looked like bulldozer drove across it..I super glued over the damage and its been fine . Think it was just in the urchins path
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176327
Guest
Good to hear it’ll likely be fine. Big chunk of it is missing and I’ve never seen the polyps that recessed. It really doesn’t look good.
Oldsman
Active Member
Hopefully yours will be okay , I had posted a photo of my hammers damage, and it was suggested by a member to glue the missing material.
Good tip to add a photo here so everyone can offer advice
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