Qu Re: Candy Cane Branches

[JasonR]

Hello, I have a Candy Cane coral with about 5 polyp heads. In the past few weeks, the coral has sprouted 2 new branches. One is about 1.5 inches long and about 1/4 inch diameter. The other is about 2-2.5 inches long and about 1/4 to 3.8 inches in diameter. The branch is red in color, and semi-transparent near the end where the polyp is. Its really fun to watch the small polyp pop quickly in and out of its tube (i'm assuming eating/filtering). I'll also notice a stringy line (poop?) extending several inches from it on occasion. My questions is this, how long will these branches continue to grow before the polyp turns neon green like the rest of the coral. The other branches appear to be short and stubby when compared to these new sprouts, so at one point i'd expect the new branches to stop growing long-wise, and start fattening up. I'd imagine at that point the polyp's jerking in and out action would stop and the polyp may turn green like the others. Am i correct in thinking this? My tank is a 92 corner. lighting wise, I have a 250 watt 14k HQI metal halide bulb, supplemented with 2-65 watt actinic 03's. The coral is located just off center of the MH bulb, and the new branches are obvioulsly trying to grow in the direction of the MH bulb. BTW, the bulb was a DIY replacement to a powercompact fixture after the coral was placed in the tank.

[lReef lKeeper]

i would guess that the polyps are in the process of building up their xoozanthellae so they make take a while in turning green, but it will happen. xoozanthellae is the photosynthetic algae the the coral uses to turn light into energy. the branches will stop growing and the colony will likely form a ball, as they keep branching and splitting. i have never noticed the polyps "popping" in and out, but i am not a LPS guy, so i could be wrong about that.

[CarmieJo]

Hi Jason and :welcome: to TR.

My candy cane has only developed new heads by dividing so I don't have a definitive answer either.

[Phurst]

Yeah, mine split all the time, but I don't think they actually grow new branches, and mine certainly never move. Is it possible something is growing ON the coral skeleton? Any way to get a picture of whats going on?

[JasonR]

Well, I was able to take some pictures and a short video... You'll see the 2 new red branches sticking almost straight up.. In the video, you can see the polyp on the right move in and out of its branch (near the end of the video after the pj cardinal gets it 10 seconds of fame :) )..

I don't know how to post here so i just posted the pics to my google account, see them here ( if you click on the pics you can get a bigger view):
Picasa Web Albums - Jason - Candy Cane ba... (http://picasaweb.google.com/jasonrucco/CandyCaneBabyCoralBrancy)

Anyway,

Heres a google video i uploaded:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5107854517437984724&hl=en

Yes thats alot of hair algae behind the coral, but its going away now.. I had a mantis shrimp kill all most all of my herbavore snails and hermits. I also had a bad phosphate/nitrate problem. Oh well... Whens this polyp going to turn green?

Is it forming a new branch system all together?

The coral itself was rescued from a disaster tank and i'm trying to nurse it back to beauty..

[Phurst]

They're pretty cool, whatever they are, but they're not new candy cane branches.

[lReef lKeeper]

i believe those are commonly called snake polyps (around here anyway). they are in no way related to the candy canes, in fact i would move the candy canes if you can. if you do then the polyps will likely open to show you what looks something like a zoanthid (same family just longer "stalks").

they COULD even be button polyps.

[JasonR]

Whats weird is that they are growing directly out of the existing candy cane main branch. Thats why i was certain it was part of the rest of the candy cane coral "system".. I'll look more closely in the morning with the lights are on to see how they are attached... Anyway, thanks for the help, at least I know they aren't candy cane sprouts :huh:

Thanks for you help guys..