Inflated plate coral

Is this normal for plates to inflate like this?

The exposed skeleton is courtesy of my clowns. It's been in my sump for the last few weeks and has fed.

 

A bit abnormal, that a little under-stated

 

gaga, throw that out, it looks like it can nuke your tank dude.........run away:leaving:

just joking
very very very strange

 

No gaboon - it is definitely NOT normal. BUT, since we don't know so much about these wonderful creatures in any ways - please check this coral as much as you can, and document with pics, as much as you can.... That we can see what happens. It could possibly be that the coral is preparing for some event? Perhaps preparing for e.g. releasing sperm or something other strange happening?

 

more pics please

 

It did the same thing last night, not as big though. Goes back to normal after 2 hours or so. Could it be from the damage done by the clowns?

 

No gaboon - not likely...

 

Plate corals die with wedge shaped blocks like that and that is an indication that that plate is dying. I doubt if their is enough flow and light in your sump to justify keeping the plate there and it will surely die. Clowns trying to nest it it will not cause damage like that. Give it good light and moderate flow, feed regularly and get it to recover.

 

you could build a cage out of egg crate

 

LPS do inflate to expel old water from their system, but i think Alfie is right, there is insufficient flow/light in a sump to keep it housed, move it back to the display tank, the clowns would have probably forgotten about it by now.

 

Mine just puffed up the same way

 

Wo thats deep! - I guess anythings possible. He has returned to normal just as fast as he puffed up. So i'm not too worried.

 

Heliofungia actiniformis (long-tentacled plate coral) will indeed puff up like this.

Interesting factoid.....it's the only known coral that can "walk". By controlling where they puff up, and when, they can move across your tank.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2003/invert.htm