Tip of the Day – 7/1/2013

Corals respond to stress in a variety of ways. Some undergo bleaching, which is an event that involves the mass exodus of photosynthetic algae from the coral’s tissues and usually leads to coral death. Others do what’s called polyp bailout. In this method, the coral is trying a last ditch effort to survive a stressful environment by shedding its polyps so that they can hopefully drift into a more suitable environment. In the aquarium, both of these events happen, though bleaching is far more regular. Still, polyp bailout happens and it’s something that you could stay on top of to save your favorite coral. Just capture the free floating polyp mass and place it into a cup of water and rocks. Over time, if the coral is undisturbed, it could regrow its skeleton and become a new coral colony. It won’t be a quick or easy process, but it can happen.