how much should a fungia expand? it's HUGE!

[craighuckins]

I have been doing larger than normal (60L) water changes twice a week to try and battle hair algae / phosphates. Just looked in my tank when lights went on and my long tentacle fungia is huge! the bottom of it looks like an octobubble it's so expanded! Is this a bad sign or is it just really happy with the increase in water quality?

[wayne g]

they inflate with water to move.
usually a sign that ther are unhappy with their placement.
this can as a result of too much/not enough light...too much/not enough flow....attack from neighbouring corals....poor water conditions etc.
fwiw the long tentacle variety are not the hardyist of corals and whatever you do dont damage it as death is then nearly always inevitable sadly.
the short tentecle varity are much harder cookies.

[Reef bloke]

Agree with Wayne,if its a Heliofungia Actiniformis variety they can be very difficult to keep happy and damage easily.
Does it look like its swelling up like a football?If so its usually not a good sign.

[craighuckins]

It was normally inflated all over except for round the skirt. Sorry to confuse it by calling it a long tentacled, wasn't meaning like the hel. acti, it's a cycloseris erosa.

[Reef bloke]

Ah i see,Ive got no real experience with that particular fungia so cant really comment.my only suspicion would be that the coral is trying to move away from the threat of another coral or isn't happy with flow or getting a dusting of sand on it regularly.Hope it sorts itself out soon.
Tony

[craighuckins]

...it seems fine at the mo. night before last a small zoanthid colony fell next to it so they were touching - wonder if that could be anything to do with it? It tends to move around a little but I've never seen it do that. The tank's bare bottom and it has a large area to itself, out of direct flow but with good circulation, and it eats like a pig - even unwary ceriths!

[Reef bloke]

Might have just had an off day then,that zoanthid probably upset it a bit.My wife has the same effect on me when we share the sofa.

[craighuckins]

what, your lower regions swell to alarming proportions????

[Paul]

Here is a pic of my plate when i first got him and him taking a load off recently. When i first got him, i i bought him because he was a nice colour - white and pink :eek: now i realise i probably saved his life from the lfs :o.

He has never walked anywhere around the tank, he eats like a horse and does Elvis impressions!

His name is Plateface.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/Paulmalsop/Fish%20Tanks/2ft%20reef%20cube/progression5.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/6784/grrryr2.jpg

[Reef bloke]

what, your lower regions swell to alarming proportions????
Nah her head does with my hands around her neck.
Nice fungia Claude,very nice indeed!

[craighuckins]

Not kidding Claude mine is identical to that! perhaps a deeper magenta on the mouth. Mine also does elvis curled lips. Perhaps we could hire them out for weddings, parties etc? I can see it now -the elvis plately duo! I can't wait to see the looks on peoples faces when they start singing.....!Oh. Bugger.

[ricordea]

Hi,

I find the long tenticled species easier than the smaller short tenticled varieties. I have always found that when the plate coral is as per the photo it is the normal healthy state (when the lights are on). As previously stated by earlier posters they will puff up when they want to move and they can move quite fast especially if there is enough current. Mine moved about 6 inches one evening when I placed a new coral about 4 inches from it....even clambering over a small rock!