It Killed My Zoos (Mystery ID Please)

[sneeb]

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone here can help me with some mystery IDs.

1. These came on some rock that was picked up in Hawaii, I'm not sure what they are. Maybe some zoos? Anyone know what type?

2. This growth started on my live rock about two or three months ago and has spread very rapidly to cover the front part of this rock and parts of other rocks. I have pulled it off repeatedly but it grows back. It smothered some other zooanthids I have.

Any idea what this is? How can I get rid of it?

Many thanks for these IDs!

--Doug.

 

[~Flighty~]

Looks a bit like some sponges on my LR. Is it spongy?

 

[jacko]

regarding the first organism.....seems to be some sort of zoo or button polyp.... I have the same thing. And being rather brown and ugly, of course they grow faster than anything else... i tried to keep them at bay, when they were approaching a nice acro... I killed about 6 with joe's juice and the toxins released by these brown zoos killed every acro and LPS in my tank (~20 total). it has been an expensive mistake. so my advise is to never kill these off!

 

[sneeb]

Regarding number 2, yeah, it is spongy. So that's my going theory. But most of the sponges I've read about are benign, I haven't heard of any that cover over and kill other organisms. and this one grows fast, like a weed. I'm not sure how to go about killing it off. I managed to make a little barricade with some xenia and that seems to have halted the advance on one front, but now to my dismay it seems to be spreading to other rocks...

 

[ScottM]

1. is a common green button polyp
also known as
Palythoa ignota
"Mat anemone" Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Zoanthidea

Morphology Small colonial anemone with very short tentacles on margin of oral disk. They are brownish, with a tinge of green in the mouth area because of tiny algae living there. Mat forming.
Feeding Paralyzes its prey with stinging cells (nematocysts). Expands at night to feed.
Defense Stinging cells are used for defense as well as feeding
Reproduction Sexual spawning to found new colonies and sexual budding to form new members of the colony
Habitat On rocks in the low intertidal and subtidal, permanent tidepools, and drainage channels.
Distribution Northern Gulf of California.
Other Forms a solid carpet on the reefs in the low intertidal

2. is it brittle and break easy or is it soft?
might be a sponge.
heres a good article on sponges.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/invert.htm

 

[3mrhythm]

i've seen that sponge b4 never seen it take over things though .. weird!

 

[Moe_K]

The weird sponge-like stuff reminds me of the base of some Anthelia I kept ripping outta my 55.

 

[sneeb]

Thanks, Scott, for the very complete info on the small button polyp.

Regarding the other, it's not brittle, it's soft and tears away from the rock in clumps. But it's hard to get all of it away from the rock, and little bits of it tend to drift... I'm afraid of spreading it throughout the tank so I've just left it. But I think it's unsightly and would love to find a way to get rid of it.

Thanks!

 

[3mrhythm]

flip the rock over? most times i've only seen that stuff grow in the dark ..

 

[ScottM]

what do you have for lighting?
most often i have seen this growing on the underside of rocks.
try to shade it best you can. sponges can prove to be very benificial to your tank. i'd leave it in rather than pulling it out.

Thanks, Scott, for the very complete info on the small button polyp.

Regarding the other, it's not brittle, it's soft and tears away from the rock in clumps. But it's hard to get all of it away from the rock, and little bits of it tend to drift... I'm afraid of spreading it throughout the tank so I've just left it. But I think it's unsightly and would love to find a way to get rid of it.

Thanks!

 

[sneeb]

I've got two 175W 10K Metal Halides and two 40W Actinics over a 90-gallon tank. But perhaps it's time to change the bulbs.