Can Corals Move?

[bizkit]

I have a open brain coral can they just get up and move? I had him on top of some LR and this this morning I turn on the lights and boom it is at the bottom of the tank!!!
Am I going crazy?

 

[twoods71]

An open brain will inflate with water usually in the daytime and at night it will expell the water and tiny tentacles will come out to feed. Of course there are always exceptions to that rule.
Anyway the point is that they sometimes fall off of rock structures because of the above process.
Also a fish or snail or crab may have pushed the coral off the rock.
I keep mine on the bottom in the substate and he is very happy there.
If you do keep them on the rock structure try putting it in a very secure place. There flesh can tear easily so tumbling down the rock structure could cause a fatal injury.

 

[jacksonpt]

From my experience, the only time any of my hard corals have moved was when my hermits knock them off the rockwork. I've never seen corals actually move themselves though... not like anemones can.

 

[bizkit]

Well it appears to be ok maybe in a few days I'll move it back to a diffrent spot. Thanks Guys!

 

[rickt4du]

Open brain will move...i wish I could set up a video camera at night to catch it.

 

[bizkit]

wow if it can just wow

 

[rickt4du]

Lots of corals move...mushrooms move all the time...just really slow. Polyps move as new ones grow...I know my open brain moves because I kept putting it back where "I" wanted it. It went where "it" wanted to be.

 

[-shawn-]

Brain corals also have the amazing ability to uncover themselves. Sort of like moving but only virtically. When covered in sand, the brain coral can swell up and push sand out from around it. As it does this it slowly rises up. After doing this several time a brain coral can completely uncover itself. Unless of course it gets buried really deep.
Just a little added insight.
--Shawn--
[ September 25, 2001: Message edited by: H2O-boy ]