[dwall174]

I have what I think is some type of zoanthid? It was a hitchhiker on a piece of LR. I’ve had it for about six months & it’s been growing in size until just recently it started to shrivel up & does not open up anymore? I just noticed this afternoon that there was what looked like white smoke coming from two of the steams? I will attach a pic from several months ago when I borrowed a camera from a friend.

Any ideas ? Here are my current water specks: PH = 8.2 / PO4 = 0.3 / NO2 = 0 / NO3 = 2 / NH3 = 0 / SG = 1.025 / Temp 82 degrees / The Ca is low 340 I need to get a new Ca test kit before I try to raise it!

 

[Jeremy1973]

Those look more like button polyps to me. They have the ability to shed a thin layer of skin. Which is how they keep algae and such off. What you saw as smoke, I am more then willing to bet was excess skin slowly coming off. Once they have shed, they should start to open up again. Mine occasionally do the same thing. Esp. when I disturb them. heh heh I wouldn't worry.

 

[dwall174]

Thanks for the reply

Being a newbe I wasn't sure what they were from the pics I have looked at they looked more like the zoanthid than button polyps? but then again I haven't seen many good pics of button polyps? Thanks again for the reply!

 

[Jeremy1973]

Heh heh, from what I can see, they look more like buttons, but I could be wrong. I think my site is still up.. http://www.sunflower.com/~reefkeeper in there, under the picture page, is a shot of my button polyp rock. Let me know if yours looks like them.

 

[Jeremy1973]

I just looked, the site is still there, but that is a terrible pic. I will try to get a new and better pic of my button polyps for ya.

 

[dwall174]

Yea the color looks the same I can’t tell if they have the tentacles like mine do? From the pics I have seen the button polyps didn’t have long tentacles (except for the star polyps) like the zoanthids do? The only thing that I noticed is that they are all the same color (inside & outside) where as the zoo’s are usually two different colors?

 

[Reefer Addict]

Button Polyps feel leathery to the touch, while zooanthids feel slimy... that's about the easiest way to tell, besides identifying through a photo.
Those definitely look like Buttons to me too... or they may be a similar polyp... I don't believe they're zooanthids though.
That's just my .02¢ anyway.

 

[Casey]

Looks like buttons to me

 

[dwall174]

Looks like everyone agrees that it is a Button Polyp But now I have another problem? I have had a dwarf angle several crab's & all my pod's die in the past week? I hade thought that it could have been from the white smoke like stuff from the polyp? I just had to remove most of my micro algae in my fuge because it also turned a light brown color and was also not growing?

Here are my current water specks again: PH = 8.2 / ALK =3.5 MEQ/L / PO4 = 0.3 / NO2 = 0 / NO3 = 2 / NH3 = 0 / SG = 1.025 / Temp 82 degrees / The Ca is low 340 I need to get a new Ca test kit before I try to raise it!

Have I over looked anything Any ideas :idea:

 

[Reefer Addict]

The white smoke stuff could be the Polyps reaction to whatever it is that's killing off everything else...
If you've had that many things die then there's definitely something going on with your water. I'm clueless as to what could be the problem (the stuff you have listed looks okay), but I'm sure somebody more knowledgeable will tackle it for you.

 

[Jeremy1973]

Did you add anything recently before the die off?

 

[dwall174]

Nope I purposely have not added any thing to the tank because of the hair algae problem. Also the tank is only six or so month’s old I don’t want to rush any thing. I have been doing regular 20% RO/DI water changes? I just did two 20% change’s four day’s apart? I did treat the tank several month’s ago wit marine S.A.T. it did get rid of the hair algae but it came back? Not as bad as before but still enough to be a problem!