Splitting OR Dying?!!!!!!!

hello all. this is my first post, I'm a total newbie to the forums! I chose to post here because I have a plate coral that had been doing amazing and just recently it looks as if it were going to split in two. There are times when it looks pretty healthy, the arms are full and moving freely and then other times they're all shriveled up and not looking too happy. It used to be a complete oval shape and now has a big crack on the one side. Right now, it's just sitting on the sand bed. Alos, my crabs seem to be getting into it more often, something we've never seen before. If anyone has any suggestions or might be able to help, please let me know, and if I need to give more info such as tank specifics, let me know too! Once I figure this site out, Ill put up some photos!!! Thank you in advance!!!!!

-e

 

I may be wrong but I am not aware of plate corals splitting. They kick out little babies to multiply. I have one but it has not yet made babies yet. Lets see what others with more experience with them have to say.

 

I've only mentioned my issue to one other tank mate so far (who doesn'y have much experience either) and he didn't seem very opptimistic when I described everything to him. :-[ I should really get some photos up to show what I'm trying to describe huh....lemme work on that. Thanks for the reply, I have a feeling I will be on here a lot more! Hopefully not because I'm killing coral though, this really is the first time I've run into a not-so-good situation with my tank. lol

e

 

We are here to help.

 

Here is a photo of the coral about 3 weeks ago. Since then it has been moved to the opposite side of the tank.



This is what it looks like today......Both photos are taken with my phone, so they're not terrific, and in the photo below, the lights have been turned off for the night. In the opening on the right, you can see parts of the coral that almost resemble the underside of a mushroom, white in color and kind of rippled. The crack continues to grow.

 

I had a plate coral phase....it didn't last long...for about 3 weeks they would look just like your first picture...then all of the sudden they would look like the second..i recently stopped by a fairly large LFS in Montgomery and asked the owner about long tentacle plates..and he said "do you see any in here?" me-"no" him-"because they're crap"..that's when i decided i'll never get another one lol From what i understand they're very hard to keep in captivity..it makes me mad that all the online fish suppliers have them labeled as "easy". back to your question..I too have never heard of a plate splitting..

 

no way! wow, thanks for the info. I wonder how long it's going to last now. If we do lose it, will it put the tank in danger if we don't realize it right away?

-e

 

i think it's only getting worse there appears to be some stringy material accumulating on the coral's arms, brownish in color in some spots and whitish in others.......this can't be good.........

-e

 

if it looks like brown jelly then it's probably brown jelly disease...it sounds like it's a goner..sorry It shouldn't harm anything in your tank..on the last LTP i had..i removed it as soon it started to decay because i knew there was no turning back..

 

I don't have any personal experience with this but just to clarify there are at least 3 different types of "plate coral". Some are apparently easier than others. The long tentacle ones like yours,Heliofungia genus I believe, are the hardest and the others, Cycloceris and Fungia genuses are much easier. It looks like you have a heliofungia though so it might be a goner.