Plate coral - strange behavior

[Linc]

I recently bought a large plate coral (Heliofungia, I believe), last night it's behavior was quite impressive. About 8:00 it started to gradually retract it's tentacles (after being fully extended earlier in the day), ultimately revealing a 1" long (or so) slit like opening that I assume is a mouth equivalent Following this on 3 separate occasions it expelled a brown cloud from the mouth that contained a number of pieces of short stringy dark brown material that resembled fish feces. It looked dead (tentacles flat and motionless) following this last night, but everything was fully extended (and it had moved an inch or two) as of early this morning. Did the coral defecate? Thanks. Linc

[AustinReefer]

Don't know if he was taking a dump, but do insert shrimp
in the slit, they are a kick to watch eat. I turn my pumps off
to feed. Here's a pic of my plates mouth.

[Linc]

What size shrimp do you use? Do you feed during the day or at night with the lights off? Thanks. Linc

[apeshot]

My plate is acting weird also. I have had it for about a week, and it has been fine, until today. He has been all shriveled up and he moved about two inches some time today. I gave him shrimp, I'll see how he adjusts.

[RHCP]

The coral was expelling excess xooanthele. It is in response to stress most likely. It should be fine but keep an eye on it and feed it silversides a few times this week.
hth

[AustinReefer]

Linc,
I turn off my pumps and let the plate settle (the tentacles fall to
the sand). Then I place about a third of a good size cocktail shrimp or tiger prawn uncooked and peeled close to but not on the mouth. It then draws the shrimp in with its tentacles and when it's done it really puffs up. As soon as it has about half in its
mouth it's o.k. to turn the pumps back on.

[AustinReefer]

I feed around 9:00 at night with the lights on.

[ravenmore]

It was probably just coral poop. My corals do this regularly. If it was zooxanthallae algae the coral would be bleaching and have an obviously lighter color and/or be somewhat translucent. The "dead" look you describe is typical - they contract to push the waste out. Anemones do this too.

-Mike

[PDDIII]

ditto - ravenmore.

[msu76md]

My plate likes to blow up at night. It's normally three inches in diameter. On random nights, it'll blow up like a balloon very taut, up to 6 inches. My tongue does this too.

[Lilgrasshopper]

Plates can move????? I just bought one the other day. Not sure if it's the short tentacle or not but it's green with pink tips. Mine's humongous..it's 8" diameter.

[dfitzz]

Mine likes to wiggle over and sit on my ricordia, so I have to nudge him back every now and then, especially when he swells.

One morming I saw the pincers of my CBS sticking out of his mouth-thought he had swallowed the fairly big shrimp. Turns out it was just his molt but the plate gobbled it up.

[Linc]

Thanks for all the replies. Since it's "purging" event the other night the coral has seemed fine - coloring is good and tentacles have generally been fully extended. I will try to feed him according to everyone's advice. BTW, where do you get silversides? Thanks. Linc