Strange growth pattern on Hawkins Enchinata

[Dowtish]

As you can see, there are horrible nodules on the tips of this coral where it is growing. I did have an accidental calcium overdose a few weeks back, and I am thinking that is the cause. Anyone else ever seen this before? I also have another acro doing something similar.

Question: Should I snip the ends, now that my levels are back to where they should be, or will that stress the coral too much?

 

[ritter6788]

That is strange. I'd clip the tips if you can but maybe leave one or two just because I'd be curious to see what it does. :)

 

[Dowtish]

I'm thinking it might not do anything. This coral really only gets PE at night, and I need to see if there is even any PE on the tips of these ugly tumors!:squigglemouth:

 

[Dowtish]

bump

 

[3Twinklets]

If it were mine, I would not cut it. It does not look bad.

 

[Dowtish]

I really dont want to snip it, but it really doesnt look good to me, and i'm actually wondering if it is stunting the growth overall.

 

[Pkunk35]

why not snip some tips and leave a majority, that way you can progressively frag the coral without too much stress. This way you can note growth of the "ugly" tips.

Do you know what your calcium levels were at when you OD and what product did you OD with? Did it affect your alkalinity as well? Just curious.

 

[Henry C]

I have seen this before in my tank and there have been threads about this occurence in the past. I would personally leave it and let it run it's course. If it's the same thing I had happen, those nodules will turn into bubbles and eventually deflate.

 

[Dowtish]

why not snip some tips and leave a majority, that way you can progressively frag the coral without too much stress. This way you can note growth of the "ugly" tips.

Do you know what your calcium levels were at when you OD and what product did you OD with? Did it affect your alkalinity as well? Just curious.

My Calcium usually runs at 440. I accidently smashed down 4 buttons on my timer right before I went out of town for 3 days for work. so basically I was dosing 2 more hours than I needed to for 3 days. It shot my calcium up to about 750, and my alk dropped from 7.5 to 6.2 dkh. I have the calcium back to 450 now, and my alk is at 7.8. This took about 3 weeks to get back to normal levels again.

 

[Dowtish]

I have seen this before in my tank and there have been threads about this occurence in the past. I would personally leave it and let it run it's course. If it's the same thing I had happen, those nodules will turn into bubbles and eventually deflate.

Do you have any links?

Deflate? Did you ever come up with why this happened in your tank?

 

[Dave3112]

I had this happen in one of my tanks a while ago. I left it and in a month or so I couldn't tell any difference anymore... I wouldn't stress about it too much. But if you are worried you could do like Phunk suggested and just snip a few and see what happens.

 

[Rob.D]

I started to notice the same style of growth on my SPS when I over dosed Alk a few weeks back. I cut a few frags from the strange growth and the coral was hollow.

 

[Chameleon]

I had this happened to a smooth skin actor I have called shamrock acropora. It hasn't changed too much yet

 

[mainereefer]

looks like it is "budding" did you move the coral to better light or flow or change your bulbs?

I have seen this happen with new corals being moved to better quality tanks or better lighting its like a growth spurt

 

[-Logzor]

I think this might occur when debris lands on the tip of the coral and then the skeleton begins to grow around it. I saw this occur on my Icefire Echinata when a piece of hair or something landed on the tip of the coral.

 

[Dowtish]

The coral was placed there about 4 months ago. But this did not happen until the calcium overdose.

I am going to snip a few tips and actually glue them upside down on a plug. Nodule down, and see if the nodule encrusts or not, and if the freshly snipped end grows normally.

 

[-Logzor]

Perhaps precipitated calcium lodged in the polyps, causing the deformation?

 

[skinz78]

I have a few Acro's in my tank that are doing the same right now, I'm just leaving them be and see what happens.

 

[mainereefer]

sounds like it is just "budding" it just used the extra calcium to grow really fast

my birdsnest does this when I frag a piece and put it in higher light,

 

[luke33]

I have had this happen before. I left it alone and things were back to normal after a month or two. I wouldn't snip a stressed Hawkins as that could end up badly.