Favia coral displaying mesenterial filaments from its mouth

[felixon]

I'm stoked to report that by the end of the day, half the polyps that were showing their guts have already retracted them. I really appreciate all the suggestions from everyone - it's been super helpful. Hopefully in about a week I'll be able to post a fully recovered pic, and maybe by then I'll have the colors sorted out too.

[rustyfox9]

Don't rule out the sponge as a potential aggressor. I've seen them use mesenterial filaments to attack and digest neighboring corals when stressed, like during a new tank setup. This stress can heighten their defensive behavior, so it's worth keeping an eye on the sponge's behavior around your favia.

[felixon]

Yeah, I'm in no rush to move the sponge, it's stuck to the rock with the Favia, classic reefing - one thing leads to another.

The Favia's looking better though, it's retracted about 75% of the filaments and seems happier. I'm starting to think most of the stress was from flow and lighting. Getting my water params in a better range is probably helping too.

There's barely any stomach balls left, just little bits coming from the mouths of the remaining ones, so I think it's just a matter of time till it's all back to normal.