Pyramid Snails permanently hurt coral???

[toddpolish]

Pyramids have been all over the base of my new coral....a pocillopora (as I was told). Wondering if they did some permanent damage here where it's totally white now.
what happened here?
is this common?

 

[footbag]

Yes this is very common. You can take it out for an hour and blow dry it with a hair dryer
grindzgreg = moron:sleepy:

 

[toddpolish]

grindzgreg = drunk

 

[dburr]

Greg that was a very lame joke.

That is a soft coral by the looks. Maybe a colt. Or is it a stoney?
I have never heard of a pyramid attacking a coral. But hey, i've been wrong, lots of times. Could it have already been declining and they are getting a free meal? Are you sure it's pyramids? They normally host on snails and clams.
Here is a pic of one on a snail.

 

[jauringer]

looks like a pocillopora to me. Pyramid snails feed on other snails and clams. They would not do that to an coral. looks like it coulb be shut down reaction.
What are your perameters?
how long have you had the coral?
what is your lighting?
is this happening slow or fast?
does the tissue look like it is falling off of the skelaton?
jason

 

[toddpolish]

I think they are Trochus Snails that have been doing this. Not sure of the name cause I didn't buy them, they came on the rock when I originally set up my tank.
parameters I need to test for - I usually go by the look of my other corals. The tree coral is a good indicator. (I make weekly water changes anyways)
I've had the coral for maybe 10 days now.
lighting is VHO - 3 super white, 1 actinic (I could move it into my other tank which has MH) . but this coral was under VHO in the store.
slow or fast is a tough question...seein as how I've had it for under 2 weeks, I'd say it's fast.
Tissue falling off...No.
It just looks like the snails have been bulldozing over the tentacles - and that that's the cause of it.

 

[jauringer]

parameters I need to test for - I usually go by the look of my other corals. The tree coral is a good indicator. (I make weekly water changes anyways)

If you plan on keeping stonie corals. thats going to have to change.
Those snails are probably eating the algea that is building up on the bare skeloton. they are not the problem.
I wish I can help more , but unfortunatly your don't know your water perameters.
first thing I would suggest is frag it. break off a good portion of the coral that still has tissue and polyps and super glue it to the rock. then go buy alkalinity, nitrate, calcium, and PH test kit.
How old is the tank?
do you have any other SPS corals?

 

[toddpolish]

I have all the tests - I just slack at actually using them sometimes. when I do use em, all results are normal. I've had the tank running for 15 months now.
I have all LPS in my tank

 

[jauringer]

well, first try at SPS will sometimes end this way. those corals are prone to polyp bail out when they get stressed. who knows in three months you may 10 of those things growing in different parts of the tank. :scared:

 

[toddpolish]

I like your idea of fragging it. Think I'll do that.
Probably put a couple in the 10g Metal halide tank - better lighting will probably help

 

[jauringer]

if it has been under VHO the whole time, then you'll need to acclimate it to the new lighting. eggcrate or shortend light cycle. you don't want to stress it any further.
good luck
Jason