What is this thing?

Northwest_Scapes_ · Nov 15, 2020

So today some of the zoas I got yesterday started to open up. This is one I don't know what the name of is, but it has 2 polyps. One is healthy as you can see, but one has really short tentacles and has some white thing coming out of it? I did dip them, so I don't believe it could be parasites unless I did something wrong. Does anyone know it is?

Northwest_Scapes_ · Nov 15, 2020

Another picture

jeffchapok · Nov 15, 2020

If they are new, that one is probably still stressed. Sometimes they'll expel zooxanthellae when they are under stressed. Just leave it alone. It may take a few days or even a week or more, but it'll likely be okay.

Even if it doesn't make it, as long as the other one stays healthy you'll soon have plenty more to replace it.

Your rocks look pretty pristine from what I can see. Is this a new tank? If so, although zoas are commonly listed as good beginner corals, I had zero success keeping them until my tank was about 9 months old. Then all of a sudden they took off and now they grow like weeds. So if the tank is new, don't be disappointed if they don't make it. Wait a month or two and try again with a few heads of something cheap. At some point, they9 take off and then you can start adding more exotic ones.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 15, 2020

Waste excrement.

Northwest_Scapes_ · Nov 15, 2020

jeffchapok said:
If they are new, that one is probably still stressed. Sometimes they'll expel zooxanthellae when they are under stressed. Just leave it alone. It may take a few days or even a week or more, but it'll likely be okay.

Even if it doesn't make it, as long as the other one stays healthy you'll soon have plenty more to replace it.

Your rocks look pretty pristine from what I can see. Is this a new tank? If so, although zoas are commonly listed as good beginner corals, I had zero success keeping them until my tank was about 9 months old. Then all of a sudden they took off and now they grow like weeds. So if the tank is new, don't be disappointed if they don't make it. Wait a month or two and try again with a few heads of something cheap. At some point, they9 take off and then you can start adding more exotic ones.

Oh ok, none of my other zoas have done this in the past so I got kind of worried. The tank is 2 months old, I just got these frags from a LFS which is why they look new. They're still adjusting since I got them yesterday