wentreefgirl
Salt waterlogged!!
The white fluffy stuff.
Well believe it or not, no one knows what this is. Does anyone here have any ideas.
- Thread starter wentreefgirl
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The white fluffy stuff.
RandyO
New member
The white fluffy things look like Mesenterial filaments.
Corals will sometimes dispel these filaments when they are stressed or as an act of aggression. The filaments are digestive strands, and can pack a nasty sting to neighboring corals.
In your case, it looks like the coral is new and adjusting to it's new environment, or something has upset it.
Corals will sometimes dispel these filaments when they are stressed or as an act of aggression. The filaments are digestive strands, and can pack a nasty sting to neighboring corals.
In your case, it looks like the coral is new and adjusting to it's new environment, or something has upset it.
Last edited:
RandyO
New member
Found this info on mesenterial filaments with a google search.
Text by Charles Delbeek
Aggressive Structures
I Mesenterial Filaments
Mesenterial filaments, the coral's digestive organs, can be used quite
effectively as aggressive structures. When two hard corals come into
contact (either different species or the same) one of them, the
aggressor, will extrude mesenterial filaments through the mouth cavity
or the body wall, onto the surface of the other, literally digesting
it's tissue. This results in a zone of naked skeleton that can then be
overgrown (Sebens and Miles, 1988). This zone can be overgrown by the
attacking coral or it can be colonized by encrusting organisms,
thereby creating a "buffer zone" between the two species (Huston,
1985).
Info found on this site.
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~delbeek/reefaq6.html
Text by Charles Delbeek
Aggressive Structures
I Mesenterial Filaments
Mesenterial filaments, the coral's digestive organs, can be used quite
effectively as aggressive structures. When two hard corals come into
contact (either different species or the same) one of them, the
aggressor, will extrude mesenterial filaments through the mouth cavity
or the body wall, onto the surface of the other, literally digesting
it's tissue. This results in a zone of naked skeleton that can then be
overgrown (Sebens and Miles, 1988). This zone can be overgrown by the
attacking coral or it can be colonized by encrusting organisms,
thereby creating a "buffer zone" between the two species (Huston,
1985).
Info found on this site.
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~delbeek/reefaq6.html
wentreefgirl
Salt waterlogged!!
Thanks Randy. I thought it was but the owner described it as being bugged by those small snails that attack clams, and he thought the white stuff was egg sacs. The first thing i thought was mf but no one would answer me on the lps at reef central. New you guys would come through for me. Besides, they are equally apart from eachother. No fungus would do that.
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
... and if its not from aggression/competition from other corals, it reminds me (often seen) of when aquarists dump supplements int he system that sink undissolved and irritate (hence the messenterials for defence) coral tissue. Like when dumping powdered buffer or calcium into the tank at night.
wentreefgirl
Salt waterlogged!!
Thanks so Much Mr.Calfo. This is a friends coral and Like I said I wasnt sure but thought it wasnt those pesky snails. Let him know that it could be his chemicals. He tested and his calc was 380. I said to bring up slowly but briskly. I also told him to test his mag as when the calc is off, it is off too. That was low also. So I think we have our defence fuzz detected,lol.
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
no worries, my friend... but please know too that 380ppm calcium is actually quite fine. Near perfect IMO (350-400ppm is recommended).
The erroneous sps freak mentality of exceedingly high Calcium (over 425ppm) is a principal cause of low alkalinity.
It is mag and alkalinity that deserve far greater attention than calcium in typical aquarium applications for stability and better rates of calcifiction.
The erroneous sps freak
mentality of exceedingly high Calcium (over 425ppm) is a principal cause of low alkalinity.It is mag and alkalinity that deserve far greater attention than calcium in typical aquarium applications for stability and better rates of calcifiction.
Mr. Calfo - on the coral care sheets for ASIRA, I only put the 420ppm+ calcium recommendation on sheets for "sps" corals. I'm wondering if you think I should put a note on the care sheets for other "non-sps" corals that 350-400ppm is possibly a better target... do you think this is an important enough point to be addressed?
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
There is the issue of what is better for captive conditions/realities versus reef conditions. Many examples (O2, DO levels, tolerance of nitrate and phosphate levels, etc)
Re: calcium... I'd simply remind folks that both Calcium and Alkalinity (and magnesium for that matter) do not have to all be on the high end of the acceptable range concurrently. Rather, it is my strong opinion (and that of others) that high Alkalinity and moderate calcium are better for captive conditions.
Specifically... 350-425ppm is the "ballpark" for Calcium and 8-12 dKH for Alkalinity.
In a perfect world... I'd like to see aquarists with garden reef aquariums have their Alk at a solid 11-12 dKH while calcium was kept stable at an average of 375ppm or not far from it (+/- 25ppm)
I seem to recall the (truly) esteemed Dr Randy Holmes Farley making similar comments about Calcium not needing to be as exceedingly high as (too) many sps enthusiasts recommend.
Re: calcium... I'd simply remind folks that both Calcium and Alkalinity (and magnesium for that matter) do not have to all be on the high end of the acceptable range concurrently. Rather, it is my strong opinion (and that of others) that high Alkalinity and moderate calcium are better for captive conditions.
Specifically... 350-425ppm is the "ballpark" for Calcium and 8-12 dKH for Alkalinity.
In a perfect world... I'd like to see aquarists with garden reef aquariums have their Alk at a solid 11-12 dKH while calcium was kept stable at an average of 375ppm or not far from it (+/- 25ppm)
I seem to recall the (truly) esteemed Dr Randy Holmes Farley making similar comments about Calcium not needing to be as exceedingly high as (too) many sps enthusiasts recommend.
Thank you. Yes, I also recall the similar comments made by Dr. Holmes-Farley... and I would like to incorporate this advice into the care sheets (hopefully before they go out to all the stores). I'm just not quite sure where and how to work it in... I'll have to think of something though (since I do think it's an important point).
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
It struck me this way too... for me, as I'm preparing to provide the LFSs with some help in providing customers with good information, what I'm wondering is if it should be on each care sheet or if it should be in a more general "aquarium basics" type section of the site. There's pros and cons to each approach, but I do think it's something that needs to be gotten across one way or another...
Damsel13
Well-known member
I vote for more general care sheet that has the great info on it also!
Cool... we have some of those here too: http://www.asira.org/aquariumbasics
However, I have yet to put those in a printable format. I'm hoping to get a few more experienced hobbyists to review the information first before I make actual "care sheets" our of them... if anyone is interested in helping out, please feel free to PM or email me.
However, I have yet to put those in a printable format. I'm hoping to get a few more experienced hobbyists to review the information first before I make actual "care sheets" our of them... if anyone is interested in helping out, please feel free to PM or email me.
DonW
R.I.P.
Cool... we have some of those here too: http://www.asira.org/aquariumbasics
However, I have yet to put those in a printable format. I'm hoping to get a few more experienced hobbyists to review the information first before I make actual "care sheets" our of them... if anyone is interested in helping out, please feel free to PM or email me.
Have you concidered just dropping your web pages into a pdf with a downloadable link? They turn out pretty good.
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~dwacker/Reef related pictures/__www.asira.org_equipment.pdf
Don
Oh, cool... thanks. That's actually kinda what I did with the care sheets. the only thing is that I'd like to adjust the font and margins and everything so that they can fit nicely on one page (or two sides of a page at most).
wentreefgirl
Salt waterlogged!!
Mr.Calfo, this is the next question. I also have the same question.
From what I can gather on the internet I find that if the magnesium level is too low,then the calcium can't rise. I guess what I need to know is ,do you think I will hurt anything by adding more magnesium while I'm having a precipitation problem? When I look up "aquarium calcium precipition' on the internet ,tons of things come up about it but I can't find out how to stop it.
Not always but every so often I get those fluffy looks like snow in my sump. When you mix it up it goes back the milky liquid form and travels up the return and gone. Whey does the alk dose do this?
From what I can gather on the internet I find that if the magnesium level is too low,then the calcium can't rise. I guess what I need to know is ,do you think I will hurt anything by adding more magnesium while I'm having a precipitation problem? When I look up "aquarium calcium precipition' on the internet ,tons of things come up about it but I can't find out how to stop it.
Not always but every so often I get those fluffy looks like snow in my sump. When you mix it up it goes back the milky liquid form and travels up the return and gone. Whey does the alk dose do this?
Damsel13
Well-known member
Hummmm....Just listening.
Anthony Calfo
Well-known member
just had a thread on the topic, my friend:
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25632
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25632
