Floating Stinging Polyps

[Werbo]

I have 15-20 bright green floating polyps floating in my water column. If the floating polyp settles on a SPS coral they sting/burn it. It's a powerful sting.

Judging by the appearance of the floating polyps they are either from my hydnophora (most likely) or possible a euphillia (hammer/frogspawn/torch) corals. I am leaning towards the hydnophora.

What do you think? Has a coral expelled polyps to self propagate and spread (like poccilipora are known to do)?
Or is it my regal tank that I've had for 3 months? I've never witnessed any nipping from the tang.

[daniella3d]

I have seen my frogspawn does this once. YOu would remove them from the water column for sure and put them in a small plastic pot with some liverock rubbles in there and covered with a net so they won't start floating around.

[Werbo]

Thanks Daniella. Anyone else had a frogspawn do this?

[ScubaSteve]

I've had both frogspawn and hammers do this.

[Werbo]

How long did the corals release there polyps? This has been going on in my tank for 4-5 days now.

[ScubaSteve]

Never timed it really. The hammers were very obvious when they were doing it as they'd start to pinch off the polyp and it'd hang down. Looked like coral cancer or something. Then it'd let go. From my understanding it's a reproductive method. The little pieces are supposedly able to form new polyps. I never kept them around long enough to find out.

Check your parameters and do a water change though just to make sure there isn't something stressing them out. Reproductive methods like that can be a "last ditch effort" to spread itself if it feels under threat (like how aptasia can spread when you attack them).

[Werbo]

Hammers, ect are not stressed. Water change was just done. Parameters are right on. Fresh carbon.

Knock on wood .... things are looking good.

[ScubaSteve]

Or they could just be really happy... Who knows!

Just get some extra flow in there so they don't settle on your SPS and just keep an eye on things.

[ocean diver]

My frogspawn has also done that, but not sure how long or if the grow.