Flower Pot Coral

[Saltie]

Hello Reefland,

Hi, I recently picked up a flower pot coral that now has some brown jell type gook all around the edges (as you can see in the photo) Can anyone tell me what this is? Is the coral still healthy?

50 gallon aquarium
5 to 6 watts of light per gallon
67 pound live rock
20 pounds live sand
Refugium with LR, caulerpa, and a deep sand bed
Prizm protein skimmer
My water tests are all within normal limits.

[vtec si]

This looks like brown jelly illness. So no I do not think your coral is still healthy. Also most flowerpot corals do not live long in a tank. Most die in a few months or so. Most like moderate waterflow and NOT so clean water.

Hope this help some,
Martin

[gregb]

Its doomed Id say.

[Poseidon]

Why do fish stores still sell these?

Saltie, in my experience your coral was DOOMED the moment it was taken from the ocean. The brown jelly you see is a bacterial infection, and is almost alway terminal. You can try an antibacterial med, but I think it is a moot point with this coral, as even if you can rid the coral of the jelly, something else will kill it anyway.

Sorry to be somewhat hard on you, but with a quick use of the "search" function here, you could have saved yourself the cost of that coral. It is very hard to resist impulse buying, but in this hobby, don't buy ANYTHING without at least a little research first. (Oh and BTW, don't trust everything you hear at the LFS.)

[josh_crosson]

i had one and it was still nice and healthy when i sold it after having it in my tank for at least 6 months

[Poseidon]

There are exceptions to every rule, but usually 6-12 months is all those corals will live in captivity. For every one success story there are at least 6 failures... Not good odds in my book.

[vtec si]

I will agree with Mike that MOST woun't make it 6 months let alone 12. I have not seen one last longer than about 8 or9 months.

Martin

[gregb]

The people who sell them should be flogged & horse whipped then keil hauled.