White polyps, zoa, palythoa? I.D. Please. Have pics

[Bruddah_E]

I bought some "used" live rock from an 3 year old established aquarium two weeks ago. I believe it to be Fiji reef rock. In the last couple days these white polyp looking creatures started growing. There is about a dozen of them, most are closed up. A couple started to open. Would like to find out what they are and what to do about them.

Will they vigorously over take? are they poisonous? how do I remove/kill them if they are not good?

75 gallon tank. 6 weeks old. 60-70lbs rock. Half dry, half 3 year established live rock.

Thank you for your help

 

[ahiggins]

There aren’t many things that I’ve never come across in reefing and this is one of them. Keep and eye on them and see what happens. Could be as simple as they lost color with less light and didn’t die-will get color back or it’s a new one that not a lot of people have seen. Keep us updated! I doubt it’s something that will take over.

 

[Josh_boss]

Paly

 

[TriggerFinger]

I’ve never seen a pure white one. Very interested to see if they gain color in your tank

 

[Josh_boss]

I’ve never seen a pure white one. Very interested to see if they gain color in your tank

They are completely lost of color, this normally what happens to them when they are under the rocks getting No sun or getting bleached because of quick temperature change in the ocean. I’ve seen it before, in a few months it should Gain back its colors if your tank is suitable for it

 

[Bruddah_E]

Thank you for your responses. I searched everywhere and could not find anything that looks like them. Makes sense that they could be bleached out and would normally be a different color. everything that I found with the same structure was brown or green. When I was buying the rock, the previous owner told me they were scrubbing algae off the rock outside of the tank and got really sick and had to go to the hospital a couple years back. I didn't think much of it at the time and didn't see anything on the rock other than coralline and hair algae. The Not a big fan of them and would like to remove them, especially if they could be toxic. Unsure of the best route to do that.

 

[Josh_boss]

Thank you for your responses. I searched everywhere and could not find anything that looks like them. Makes sense that they could be bleached out and would normally be a different color. everything that I found with the same structure was brown or green. When I was buying the rock, the previous owner told me they were scrubbing algae off the rock outside of the tank and got really sick and had to go to the hospital a couple years back. I didn't think much of it at the time and didn't see anything on the rock other than coralline and hair algae. The Not a big fan of them and would like to remove them, especially if they could be toxic. Unsure of the best route to do that.

Gloves and mask and eye protection then either chisel them out or razor the rock if it’s smooth enough then throw them in the rubbish

 

[Bruddah_E]

In the next few days I am going chisel and scrape what I can, outside with some gear on. It is not looking like I will be able to get all of them as they are really tucked in some nooks. Maybe place that side of the rock into the sand to make it unfavorable for them to grow/spread? Hearty little buggahs eh?