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Corals Closed? = Bathing!
There are
several reasons why a coral will pull in its polyps and
close but for most it’s a natural bathing process called
“sloughing”. Toadstools, Sinularia, Lobophytons especially,
can close up, shrink down & look terrible. This scenario
has caused more than one SOS call or e-mail to me from
hobbyists thinking their coral is dying! These corals can
close for few days or even as much as a week or more! 99%
of the time this is not a sign of ill health but rather good
health! Sloughing or bathing is the equivalent of giving
themselves a facial!
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Toadstool closed shiny w/mucous |
Polyps
appears as mucous sheds |
Very
happy Toad after bathing! |
Because these
corals are true flesh they also have what’s similar to what
we know as skin “pores”. If detritus (dusty looking dirt)
is allowed to sit on their flesh, it irritates them & they
will react by closing up. The coral will secrete a mucous
which might make them look shiny (sometimes algae grows on
the film making them look a tad green or brown). All of a
sudden you may see what looks like thin sheets of filmy
tissue falling away. This is the mucous shedding which
is also pulling out & clearing their pores of the dirt.
Again, basically giving themselves a facial. :c) Sometimes
you will see your fish picking at the mucous. Not to worry,
they aren’t eating your coral but rather the mucous &/or the
algae on it.
 Occasionally
you may see a toadstool with a hole in the cap. This is
also caused by detritus sitting on their flesh. Usually
seen as a concentrated little pile/spot of detritus, if left
on the coral tissue will literally burn a hole into their
flesh!
This is usually an indicator that the water flow is too low
around that coral to keep it clean of detritus. Remedy -
gently blow the dirt out of the hole & increase the water
flow around the coral. Also be sure that the tank is not
littered/dusty with detritus which can also be a sign of
overfeeding &/or too low a turnover rate.
Corals are
amazing animals & when healthy can easily self heal a hole,
cut or sting area. Just be sure your system provides
enough water flow and that no detritus is allowed to sit on
them and they'll give you countless years of beautiful
enjoyment!
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