Ummmm.... Do chili corals shed?

kilofey

Member
Sounds wierd, but I think my chili is shedding....
It was big and pretty, and then something pissed it off and it wouldnt expand or put its polyps out and it got this dandruff/scabby looking stuff on it.... THEN last night, it started to expand a bit and it put its polyp nubs out (not quite the stars, just the nubs but it was a huge improvement). This morning, its FULLY EXPANDED! And the nubs were still out, but it had this wierd clear skin looking stuff on it, I think its the little white scabby things. So I turkey basted most of it off.
Im so confused, its looking better than it has in months but I cant figure out what its doing. Its definately not melting, I know that much because it seems so happy right now. But what the heck is going on?
The little scabby stuff isnt from anyone picking on it. I have a coral beauty but shes not a nipper. its like dandruff that u couldnt blow off until this morning when it shed.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///t/391186/ummmm-do-chili-corals-shed#post_3467897
Sounds wierd, but I think my chili is shedding....
It was big and pretty, and then something pissed it off and it wouldnt expand or put its polyps out and it got this dandruff/scabby looking stuff on it.... THEN last night, it started to expand a bit and it put its polyp nubs out (not quite the stars, just the nubs but it was a huge improvement). This morning, its FULLY EXPANDED! And the nubs were still out, but it had this wierd clear skin looking stuff on it, I think its the little white scabby things. So I turkey basted most of it off.
Im so confused, its looking better than it has in months but I cant figure out what its doing. Its definately not melting, I know that much because it seems so happy right now. But what the heck is going on?
The little scabby stuff isnt from anyone picking on it. I have a coral beauty but shes not a nipper. its like dandruff that u couldnt blow off until this morning when it shed.
Do you have a sandsifter? My sandsifter was dumping sand on mine and clogged it up...it behaved very much like what you discribed. OR maybe a power heads blew sand on it.
 

kilofey

Member
...i didnt have a sand sifter until yesterday lol. I have a blue spot watchman goby in qt... Hope he doesnt pose a problem in the dt.
There shouldnt be a reason for it to get clogged but stranger things have definately happened in my tank.
When yours did the same thing, was it okay after it was done shedding or did it die shortly after? Im wondering if this is a last ditch effort for the chili or if its just coming out of its funk
 

kilofey

Member
...i didnt have a sand sifter until yesterday lol. I have a blue spot watchman goby in qt... Hope he doesnt pose a problem in the dt.
There shouldnt be a reason for it to get clogged but stranger things have definately happened in my tank.
When yours did the same thing, was it okay after it was done shedding or did it die shortly after? Im wondering if this is a last ditch effort for the chili or if its just coming out of its funk. The stars are out now =) ive fed a healthy dose of phyotofeast (sp?) & im going to keep the skimmer off for about a week and then do a water change. Does that seem like too much too fast? I guess im just so happy its looking good and expanding again so I wanna do everything I can to help it.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///t/391186/ummmm-do-chili-corals-shed#post_3467970
...i didnt have a sand sifter until yesterday lol. I have a blue spot watchman goby in qt... Hope he doesnt pose a problem in the dt.
There shouldnt be a reason for it to get clogged but stranger things have definately happened in my tank.
When yours did the same thing, was it okay after it was done shedding or did it die shortly after? Im wondering if this is a last ditch effort for the chili or if its just coming out of its funk. The stars are out now =) ive fed a healthy dose of phyotofeast (sp?) & im going to keep the skimmer off for about a week and then do a water change. Does that seem like too much too fast? I guess im just so happy its looking good and expanding again so I wanna do everything I can to help it.
The sandsifter kept covering it over, no matter what I did, and it couldn't recover. It was huge too and I had it for some time. The chilli doesn't like too much light and it was in a tunnel type cave with it's own little power head. So I don't know if you recued it fast enough. If you have the coral in the open light algae will clog it up as well and if your sandsifter didn't clog it with sand...it could be algae on it...both spell chilli coral death.
 

kilofey

Member
Its upside down in the best cave I could make for it and it also has one of those itty bitty ph behind the.rock work (rio 1800 or something like that). I pointed the ph away so it sucks water last the chili and doesnt beat it to death.
At this point, its still doing good :)
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///t/391186/ummmm-do-chili-corals-shed#post_3468009
Its upside down in the best cave I could make for it and it also has one of those itty bitty ph behind the.rock work (rio 1800 or something like that). I pointed the ph away so it sucks water last the chili and doesnt beat it to death.
At this point, its still doing good :)
Glad to hear it...keep a record and watch for what comes next....the information could come in handy some day for someone else.
 

kilofey

Member
Will do, at this point, its retracted again but it is day time, so that doesnt surprise me. It still looks better than it did, so we shall see :) ill update this thread periodically. Maybe it just stays retracted till its really hungry then it comes out for food??? Who knows. I love my chili, regardless of what my hubby's opinion is lol.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///t/391186/ummmm-do-chili-corals-shed#post_3468190
Will do, at this point, its retracted again but it is day time, so that doesnt surprise me. It still looks better than it did, so we shall see :) ill update this thread periodically. Maybe it just stays retracted till its really hungry then it comes out for food??? Who knows. I love my chili, regardless of what my hubby's opinion is lol.
I always loved the bright red color. LOL, now I have discovered red macroalgae. I love this hobby!
 

kilofey

Member
I love macros too, but ive always assumed my coral beauty will just eat them... They do eat them right? If not I want some! Lol
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///t/391186/ummmm-do-chili-corals-shed#post_3468239
I love macros too, but ive always assumed my coral beauty will just eat them... They do eat them right? If not I want some! Lol
Some macros are eaten and some don't taste so good. I added some sargassum to my seahorse tank and the nassarius snails are going to town on it. They have covered it and eating on it since it went in the tank.
 
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