strange death to star polyps

[obie]

My star polyps has been the happiest and healthiest coral in my system - it has always been out, always flourished more than all of the other corals. Then this weekend I left for 2 days and came home and its completely closed - its all just stubs! Did my fish get hungry and eat it? Is it possible to eat an entire coral like that in 2 days? They've never touched it while I've been watching. I recently added a Lunare Wrasse and a Bi-Color Angel - could they be the culprit? This is the first time in its life that it hasn't been out while the bulbs have been on.

 

[afss]

What are your water parameters?
Do you have any current flowing in your tank? I did and had similar conditions, though not as extreme as you seem to have.

Also could be the angel, all angels have a reputation to have a good chance of being nippers/eaters. If it really liked the taste it wouldn't take long for one to strip a coral I wouldn't think.
Scott
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BMW X3

 

[IBJJ]

mine did the same thing they were closed for 3 days and opened back up yesterday and are fine now. Wait a few days and see what happens after you test your params.

 

[Circa]

Yup I would suspect it could be one of those fish, they both are not "completely' reef safe. And you also mention here that they were just recently added, I would say the odds are against the fish. But then again you never know...

 

[Anonymous]

my encrusting gorgonian -eurythrypodium-(sp) has closed up before when the lights were on. a few times actually. but it's healthy. open with plenty of extension and it's spreading to adjacent rock.

but i've never had green star polyps.

just my .02cents,
chris

 

[danmhippo]

were your lights off during the 2 days vacation?

 

[NaH2Ofreak]

THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR STAR POLYPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is very much normal for starpolyps to be open and thick one day and completly closed down to nubs the next. Just leave them be and they will be big and beautiful in a few days. I have had some green star polyps stay closed for 13days, only to open back up and be bigger and more beautiful than before. Just let them do their thing.

Dennis

 

[obie]

Thanks Dennis - I will let them be and post an update when they return!

 

[tetra]

One time I had to pull out a tiny feather duster from the mat of my Star polyps to get it come out again.

 

[ging]

Mine did that when I went on vacation and I was sure it was going to die. It took about 2 weeks and it came back. I think it went thru a growth spurt as it is now bigger than before

 

[Mouse]

I have found that when mine close up if i give the colony a quick going over with a turkey baster to remove detreus buildup they soon open up fine. I think even with amazing flow the polyop heads keep the detreus pretty much trapped which can eventually build up significantly and stop them from opening. Many tanks with with wave simulators reduce the flow in the evening, meaning that this opertunity for the current to remove the detreus while the heads are closed is wasted, the polyops then have to wait for the timers to re-activate the surge the next day removing the detreus whilst the heads are still closed. Once removed the heads will return expanding further and lusher than before due to the removal of the inhibiting detreus.I have also found that the detreus only needs to build up in a small part of the colony for the whole to become affected. Just MO.

 

[obie]

All the lights are on timers, so the environment had no differences in the two days except the food. I tested before I left and did a followup when I got back and saw the closed coral. All params are in line - Calcium was low for the week (250), but before I left it was 380. Phosphate < .1. PH 8.3, dKH was 8.5. The angel is a very slow feeder so I can't imagine it did this. The wrasse is very hyper and do suspect it yet people for the most part say that lunare wrasses tend to leave their corals alone. Anyone have suggestions on how to catch a wrasse??

 

[MIKE NY1]

Mine do the same thing. They will close up for a few days at a time then open up again. Just keep the water parameters,current,lighting the same and keep the ditrus from collecting on them and they should be fine. I would remove the wrasse and angel, I wouldn't trust them in a reef tank.

Good Luck
Mike

 

[JeremyR]

The lunare is unlikely to bother corals, but will eat all your snails/crabs/shrimp sooner or later, and as they grow they get pretty aggressive.

The bicolor could certainly be nipping the polyps, but as others have stated, that is also normal behavior for GSP's. Bicolor angels would not be on my list of "reef safe" fish...