Spat out purple rock?!

[KyleC]

I know my zoas are not doing the best, waiting on all for reef and testing kits. I'm just after seeing the zoa highlighted spitting that purple rock out!? Now it's mouth is gaping... any ideas what's happening?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It will help if you list your parameters? Type of lighting and flow? How old is the tank? They don't look good.

 

[KyleC]

Bought the whole tank from someone 5 weeks back. Kept all the live rock and sand etc. Took 2-3 weeks but reading zero ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. Salinity is 1.024/5. Temp is 24.5 celsius. Not sure on lighting, it's the standard lights that come with the aqua one aquareef 300 (a white light, and a blue light). Lfs said my dkh was 6... and phosphates was a little high at 20ppm... waiting on test kits to arrive.

I know my parameters need fixing, I'm more curious about the purple 'rock' it spat out. Have you heard of anything like that before?

 

[Just John]

Have you picked it out? Is it squishy? It looks like it may have spat out something it digested. Usually it's stringy when it does that, but if you feed them that's what it could be. Just throwing out ideas since you have not gotten many responses.

 

[KyleC]

Have you picked it out? Is it squishy? It looks like it may have spat out something it digested. Usually it's stringy when it does that, but if you feed them that's what it could be. Just throwing out ideas since you have not gotten many responses.

Appreciate the input thanks. I don't feed them. Haven't touched it as I know they can be toxic so wanted to check on here first. Might lift it out tomorrow for closer inspection.

It's so bizarre.

 

[Just John]

Have a look at this about the toxicity issue. https://reefs.com/the-dangers-and-myths-of-zoa-toxicity-part-1/
1 am here, so time for bed

 

[KyleC]

Have a look at this about the toxicity issue. https://reefs.com/the-dangers-and-myths-of-zoa-toxicity-part-1/
1 am here, so time for bed

Thanks

 

[Kerbash]

Im guessing sure its zooxanthellea, I got a bleached nem right now that im trying to nurse back to health and every couple of days, there are these pink balls that he spits out. Looks just like yours.

 

[Tired]

That looks like possibly one of the toxic ones, but you shouldn't be touching unidentified substances with your bare hands anyway. Tongs and/or a turkey baster are your friend.

Likely not a rock. Zooxanthella or the remnants of something digested are possibility.

 

[KyleC]

Im guessing sure its zooxanthellea, I got a bleached nem right now that im trying to nurse back to health and every couple of days, there are these pink balls that he spits out. Looks just like yours.

Ahh Ok... it's not bleached but it's definitely not well! For a second I thought is this how it replicates haa

 

[KyleC]

Soooo it looks like it may be bleaching

It was lower in my tank, not doing so well... I'd moved it up to see if that helped... which makes sense now, it was spitting out zooxanthellea... should I move it down? Turn off my white light (I have a white and blue light on together)? Or is it just acclimatising to it's new spot? Think I'll stick with just blue light fkr a few days to see what happens.

 

[Kerbash]

Is the whole thing turning white? The ones u got in particular are most likely Palythozoa Grandis Im not really sure to be honest , with lps i would say too much light, anemones leave it alone and keep feeding it, with acros too many possibility need to ask a psychic, but with a zoa, I have not have them bleached before. I got 2 wild guess why its turning white,

1. Maybe too much light too quickly?, I would move it to the bottom of the tank though Im not sure would this be the case, I have them all over my tank before and they did fine, never acclimated them too, they only turn white for me in near complete darkness.
2. They are being stung, i see a couple of aptasia in your picture, the other only time I had one paled on me was when my nem moved too close to one and kept stinging it for a couple of weeks, that particular one turned paled and not open until i move the nem away.

 

[KyleC]

Is the whole thing turning white? The ones u got in particular are most likely Palythozoa Grandis Im not really sure to be honest , with lps i would say too much light, anemones leave it alone and keep feeding it, with acros too many possibility need to ask a psychic, but with a zoa, I have not have them bleached before. I got 2 wild guess why its turning white,

1. Maybe too much light too quickly?, I would move it to the bottom of the tank though Im not sure would this be the case, I have them all over my tank before and they did fine, never acclimated them too, they only turn white for me in near complete darkness.
2. They are being stung, i see a couple of aptasia in your picture, the other only time I had one paled on me was when my nem moved too close to one and kept stinging it for a couple of weeks, that particular one turned paled and not open until i move the nem away.

It opens maybe 50% and I can see inside looks to be turning white... can check more closely tomorrow. Yes, there is a @#£% aiptaisia close to it... so must be that then. I'll have to clear the aiptaisia first then. Buying some peppermint shrimp this weekend so hopefully that'll help

 

[Kerbash]

Eh peppermints never worked for me the easiest/cheapest way is to get some Kalk mix it with some water into like a thin yogurt consistency and use a syringe to basically feed the kalk to them, works 100%

 

[KyleC]

My tank is overun atm... if biological control doesn't worm I might consider starting over.. it's that bad... or heard boiling water in syringe work too

 

[Kerbash]

If u really want biological control look into getting berghias nudibranch they work 100% of the time too but they are really expensive.

 

[KyleC]

I plan to. I can get around 5 nudis for £65, but my tank has a lot of bristleworms, brittlestars and amphipods. So first I'm going to trap and remove as many bristleworms as possible.

A local aquarium has ordered some for their tanks and said I can have some once they breed, but that's 1.5 months away.

 

[Tired]

Bristleworms, brittle stars, and amphipods are generally considered to be beneficial. Brittle stars in particular, at least the micros, are absolutely beneficial and have no downsides. They won't eat the berghias, if that's what you're thinking.

 

[Kerbash]

I plan to. I can get around 5 nudis for £65, but my tank has a lot of bristleworms, brittlestars and amphipods. So first I'm going to trap and remove as many bristleworms as possible.

A local aquarium has ordered some for their tanks and said I can have some once they breed, but that's 1.5 months away.

Yep, I think bristleworms and all the other stuff are generally good for your tank, if you really dont like them just get some fish, but keep in mine that wrasses will also eat nudis.

Also 65 Euros for 5 is a really good deal! Its 150 US dollar for 5 where I live

 

[KyleC]

I know they're beneficial, and I don't mind them. However on researching predators of nudis they've all come up as having a negative impact on their survival one way or another. Jury is still out on whether brittlestars eat them, bristleworms will attack them in defence of their nests, and amphipods eat nudi eggs... which really sucks!

Having said that, nudis breed exponentially and so doubt the above would wipe them out. Just trying to maximise their survival and reproduction. I do have a lot of bristleworms and pods... hate killing anything but don't want to be throwing money down the drain either for the sake of a few bristleworms.