Utah Reefs Homepage
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Devils finger / hand is loosing fingers
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Devils finger / hand is loosing fingers

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
DutchDude View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: August 16 2002
Location: Draper, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 166
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DutchDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Devils finger / hand is loosing fingers
    Posted: October 12 2002 at 8:48pm

This is something that started showing in the last few weeks and it is puzzling me. This is one of my older corals and has always done really well. Looks like some kind of yellow leather, but got sold to me as a devils hand or devils finger. It can get smaller then your fist when agitated, and two/three hands wide when all blown up and with polyps extended.

Two weeks ago I found a frag of him which had attached elsewhere in the aquarium. I didn't think too much of it at that time and just gave it to another member of the club. Now, in the last few days, another one of the "fingers" is kinda dangling, looking to be letting loose from the main body. The main coral and the finger are still blowing up and seem to be feeding.

Finally to my question: Is this its way of propagating? Or is there a sinister coral ripping/eating creature at work? Or is it maybe sick?

Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2002 at 9:20pm

Arjen,

If it is dieing then the flesh will look as though it is melting or rotting or sloughing off. Did the finger pinching off slowly and are the polyps near the area of separation still coming out or are they rotting away? More description may help, though I have never experienced this myself. Another question: are other leather coral being affected. Also you could ask how the cutting is doing in the other members tank.

Mark

Back to Top
Jake Pehrson View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: June 13 2002
Location: Murray, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 4279
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jake Pehrson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2002 at 9:12am

Many times coral will self propagate.  This has been documented many times.  If there is only one finger doing this and it slowly falls off then most likely this is self propagation.  If you see the flesh eroding and more the one part of the coral is affected then this is usually not propagation, but it is usually the start of the end for the coral.

Jake Pehrson

Murray

coralplanet.com

:)
Back to Top
Marcus View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: August 28 2002
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1398
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marcus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2002 at 9:42am
Hello. Just another tid bit for you, I agree with both Mark and Jake. If you see any rotting on the coral at all try to brush it off. You may be able to save the coral if you get all the "dead" off of it. If you run out of options, maybe you could cut it and see how many cuttings you can get to grow.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.344 seconds.