Are Sweeper Tentacles a sign of health in Coral?

[daudelus]

I've often wondered if the presence of sweeper tentacles is a sign that a coral is healthy (as in healthy enough to fight for space) or is it a sign that the coral is stressed and feels under threat. Any one have any insight into this?

[TampaReefer79]

Are we talking about a specific coral or in general terms?

[daudelus]

The question comes up because I have recently seen sweepers come out on a favia and cauliflower coral as my water quality is improving in regard to lowering of nitrates. The sweepers have never been present in the past, so it peaked my curiosity.

[TampaReefer79]

That's their way of telling you they are hungry. lol

[daudelus]

That makes sense, since I've been feeding Zooplan recently, so they may be getting used to getting something to catch in the water column!

[schoch79]

If it is sweepers wouldn't that be more of a competing for space thing? There is a difference between feeding tentacles and sweepers if I remember right.

[TampaReefer79]

Your corals showing sweepers...how close are they to each other?

[Skins]

Sweepers are a sign that the threatened coral senses another coral close and is clearing out room.

[TampaReefer79]

Sweepers are a sign that the threatened coral senses another coral close and is clearing out room.

I wouldn't say this is the ONLY scenario. Wouldn't a bubble coral in a tank by itself still extend it's sweepers?

[Skins]

In my experience no. LPS distend one of the polyps to be longer than the others to sweep its territory. Galaxia coral are notorious for sweepers. I have frogspawn and hammers that will send out sweepers made from normal polyps when their territory is threatened.

[cubsFAN]

interesting argument. in my experience i do think that a bubble coral will let out sweeper tentacles regardless of it's surroundings. ive always thought of it as both a feeding response and a means to do battle. i have a lot of corals growing that let out sweeper tentacles. in the pic below my favites is in more of a feeding position, but at times those tentacle will stretch out several inches which i consider attack mode. I think the op's coral is normal and healthy.

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/ElCubbieFan/P5080003.jpg

[TampaReefer79]

interesting argument. in my experience i do think that a bubble coral will let out sweeper tentacles regardless of it's surroundings. ive always thought of it as both a feeding response and a means to do battle. i have a lot of corals growing that let out sweeper tentacles. in the pic below my favites is in more of a feeding position, but at times those tentacle will stretch out several inches which i consider attack mode. I think the op's coral is normal and healthy.

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/ElCubbieFan/P5080003.jpg

God bless...that is a gorgeous coral! How long have you had it? How big was it when you got it? Was size tank is that? lol Sorry for so many questions. It looks absolutely massive! I'd have to say that brains are some of my favorite corals...and maybe a little overlooked?

[cubsFAN]

Thanks TampaReefer. I got this coral close to a year ago from TahoeReefer. It dosen't grow out as much as it "drips" off heads that i have been getting frags of. It's a little bigger than when i recieved it. The coral is the size of a large softball. It has always been very healthy in my 40 breeder. You realize how amazing it is when you pick it up. It is quite heavy and there is no where to hold onto it without having your hands on the coral heads.

[daudelus]

My favia is still very small (1" frag that is now about 2" in diameter) and the only change recently was that I placed a Turbinara Peltata on the sand next to it until I can attach it somewhere else. The cauliflower is next to a frogspawn, but the sweepers have only recently come out after about 8 months of rubbing elbows.

[jbird69]

I think the answer to you question is yes. A coral needs health and strength to do battle and/or feed. The sweepers are weapons like mentioned above. I have watched my corals feed with their shorter tenticles, not the long sweepers.

Once they start sending them out, they will progressivly get longer, so moniter anything down current because those sweepers can actually kill other corals.

Check the tank at night or especially early in the morning, this is typically when theyre sweeping.

[daudelus]

the sweepers on the favia are predominantly on the side that the turbinara resides. The current is pretty chaotic, but I'll keep an eye on it for length... right now, the tentacles are about 3 inches away. The favia having the sweepers is surprising to me, because I did not think of them as aggressive.

[Sheol]

Then it is sensing an intruder in its space. Aggression, here.

Matthew

[jbird69]

They can be extremely aggressive. My favia has displayed 12" sweepers and I have seen one at my lfs with them even longer.

The fact that they are appearing on the side near the other coral confirms aggression.

[daudelus]

12 inches is amazing! At the moment, my favia has sweepers at an inch long...
Is it safe to say that corals that are not at their peak, will not produce sweepers? Or is there really no correlation?