Brown Jelly Infection

[bitfishy]

I think my newly aquired torch coral has developed brown jelly infection. Originally I thought its mouth was gaping open, but today the bubble had receded a bit and it turns out that its not the mouth but the space between two mouths. This is strange because I'm sure there was only three mouths when I got it and now there is five (with this brown bubble between two mouths on two of the heads). Now, Ive searched the site and Ski mentions in a past post that the bubble could mean that the mouth is splitting. This very much sounds like what has happened to mine. My question is this: is mouth splitting normal and OK or is it still brown jelly infection and very much not OK. Its been like this for six days and seems quite happy with itself, it doesn't feed very much that I can see, but I've read that this may mean its just getting sufficient food from the water and lights The tentacles are sticky.

Please help me, I'm so confused!!!!

Thank you

 

[SkiFletch]

A "brown jelly" infection is technically the coral's immune inflamatory response. Sometimes its a result of infection, others a result of stress. Either way, brown jelly usually encompasses entire coral heads and is usually lethal to the affected head within 2-3 days.

What you're describing sounds like a head-splitting event though which is a perfectly normal part of torch coral growth. As they outgrow their skeletons the mouths split almoast like single cellular organisms do. During the splitting process, copious expelling of zooxanthellae is common and sometimes stressed tissue near the split is present. If the tentacles are extended and sticky, thats a sign of good health. Just keep water stable and relax

 

[bitfishy]

A "brown jelly" infection is technically the coral's immune inflamatory response. Sometimes its a result of infection, others a result of stress. Either way, brown jelly usually encompasses entire coral heads and is usually lethal to the affected head within 2-3 days.

What you're describing sounds like a head-splitting event though which is a perfectly normal part of torch coral growth. As they outgrow their skeletons the mouths split almoast like single cellular organisms do. During the splitting process, copious expelling of zooxanthellae is common and sometimes stressed tissue near the split is present. If the tentacles are extended and sticky, thats a sign of good health. Just keep water stable and relax

Thank you Ski, for putting my mind at rest once again.... Its been like this for a week now and the 'bubble' hasn't grown so from what you say I can definately rule out infection and maybe look forward a bigger, better torch - YIPPEE!!

I feel so relieved I might take a trip to the fish shop