Brown tube things on my LR

[crmaykish]

I have noticed this strange tube coming out of my liverock. It is getting bigger and it seems to close up and then open once in a while. Here is a picture. Any info would be great.

 

[crt81]

The pic isn't too good but I think it might be a zoo. You know how zoos close and open, well that's what it looks like to me when one is closed!

 

[laddy]

fan worm?

 

[crmaykish]

Thanks for the responses. Sorry about the pic. It is really small (1/8 inch). I'll try to get a good one up tomorrow.

 

[copernicus45]

Looks like a closed up Polyp

 

[crmaykish]

Been a few weeks now and this seems to have gotten bigger. I got a picture of it wide open. Take a look.

 

[reefkprz]

definatly a zoanthid of some kind. cool

try putting a piece of pellet food on it if it closes around it you'll be feeding it and it will grow faster, it looks similar to a lot of my palythoas.

 

[crmaykish]

Thanks. I'll give that a try.
There are actually three polyps. Only the one is actually big enough to feed I think.
Are zoanthids filter feeders or do they require feeding, and how often?

 

[reefkprz]

most zoanthids get the majority of their nutrients from photo synthesizing and absobing nutrients from the water. no need to spot feed, palythoas (a type of zoanthid) pretty much do the same thing except they are capabler of grabbing and digesting meaty foods, you dont have to feed them but they grow and spread faster if you do.
as for feeding the small ones you can crush up some flake food so its powder and mix it into some tank water and squirt it at them with a baster any that toutches them they will eat, you'll know they are eating because they will close up around the food and re-open in a few minutes.

 

[crmaykish]

They seem to be pretty hardy, because they came on my live rock and are still growing. Do they require anything special as far as light goes. I plan on getting corals soon anyway.

 

[fedukeford]

The grow better under better lights, but they should do ok under normal florescents for a little while, they just wont grow very fast

 

[reefkprz]

they are hardy. they can live in low light, but they prefer medium to high light, they do grow faster with better lighting, they are an excellent begginner coral.
try not to handle them with out gloves though, zoanthids contain palytoxin, (if you want more info on palytoxin lookfor a thread by me called "the truth about palytoxins")

 

[reefkprz]

Again feduke similar post close together

I was still typing mine though so your got up there first