Heliofungia actiniformis behavior

[clownchic]

I have a pink and white tipped heliofungia actiniformis (long tentacle plate coral). I've noticed at times throughout the day and especially at night the body will expand greatly and the tentacles will become very very rigid (so much that the clowns that host in the coral leave). It happens most often when the lights are out (except for the moonlights). I would say the coral expands from 5" to 9" in diameter and becomes twice as thick. It stays in this expanded state about 1 minute or so.

Is this normal? Any ideas will help. I can try and take "before" and "after" pictures if that would help.

Clownchic

[clownchic]

I assume this is normal, maybe a feeding behavior? Maybe this question is so basic it is sort of lame.

[Ephraim]

Maybe it's trying to float away to another place in the tank?

[Aquabucket]

Its normal for LTs to inflate to a very large size at night and to fluctuate during the day. The problem with LTs is they hate to be irritated and your clowns may eventually lead to its demise. I also recommend that you don't feed them meaty foods at all. They will thrive just fine on light alone. Placing meaty foods on or near the coral only attracts organisms that will irritate the coral.

[Aquabucket]

Just wanted to clarify something. I previous stated that these corals can live on light alone in a captive system. I failed to add that they will collect enough available food from the water column under the right conditions. I have only kept these corals in un-skimmed refugium based systems but not long enough to be an expert by any means.

There is some conflicting info on feeding these corals. Many think they need large meaty foods but in fact their natural diet consists of very small food particles captured from turbid waters.

Julian Sprung states ~ "fish food and feces as well as dissolved nitrogenous waste supply enough nutrition for the coral to thrive, apart from the nutrition Heliofungia obtains from its symbiotic zooxanthellae. Heliofungia does eat solid food, and the occasional small piece of chopped fish, shrimp, crab, or clam meat will be eagerly consumed."

Anthony Calfo states: "without feeding, most are remitted to slow starvation and death by 10-18 months" he also states "Daily feedings of finely shredded meats are necessary. Else it will die of attrition within a year"

And yet many others state that they should be fed micro-plankton.

[clownchic]

Thanks so much for all of the information. I have been feeding it mysis, Cyclopeez and adding DTs every other day. I'll keep an eye on it. I don't want it to starve to death, bad way to go.