galaxy coral?

[1guydude]

hey
I brought home a "galaxy coral" today and was just wondering about them?!?!? its really kool green and white. Will it spread from the frag piece it is sitting on? Do i have to turkeybaster feed it? havent looked through any of my books yet, thought i would ask some pros lol.... i also have one of those snails that eats zoos i believe cuz the darn thing lives in my zoos. Should i pluck him one day when i can get him and toss him in the toilet? seems harsh. post pics of the coral if u want to c!!!!
p.s. i alsmost bought this anenome thing too it was like lime bright green?
they have an amazing frag tank where its 2 for $40 by they i mean one of the LFSs

 

[meowzer]

If you have a zoa eating snail....You need to take them out...pluck the snail FLUSH IT....check for more eggs, pluck them off, and dip the zoas
A galaxy coral is beautiful BUT.....they have very long sweeper tentacles....you have to place it far from everything....Mine reach's out 6" or more sometimes

 

[btldreef]

Meowzer brings up a good point with Galaxea, they have crazy long sweeper tentacles that a lot of people don't realize. I've seen them extend more than 6 inches, so definitely give it room. They'll catch food when you feed your fish, you can squirt a little food in their direction, but they're basically filter feeds and you don't necessarily have to feed them. They do require high lighting for good healthy/growth.
Can you post a picture of this "anemone thing". Your tank is new, so an anemone wasn't really a smart purchase, but post a picture for a proper id.
**Okay, I have to say this, don't buy livestock for your tank (corals, inverts or fish) without knowing what it is and how to care for it and if it's right for your tank**
As for the zoanthid eating snail (I'm assuming a sundial), if you have one, you probably have more than one, or will in the near future (from eggs). Take out ALL your zoanthids and fresh water dip them, or pick up Coral ReVive. Just one sundial can really do a number on a colony of zoas. A good reference for hitchhikers: http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/hitchhiker.shtml
Just one more reason why all corals should be dipped or quarantined.

 

[1guydude]

lol if thats the link u posted in a previous thread than thats how i found out about it! i do believe it is a sundial. No i didnt purchase the lime green anenome thing (LOL) because i figured my tank had to hit at least a 6month point 1st. Any tips on freshwater dips or walkthrough would be appreciated. i do have pics of my galaxy though and the kenya that has now opened up but hasnt "attached" yet me thinks!

 

[1guydude]

p.s. when i put my kenya in it had a nasty lookin milipede thing swim right down into one of my rocks! OMG
nearly scared me have to death and to think i was touching it or near it?!?!?!

 

[btldreef]

Ah, I misread, I thought you said you bought the anemone. Good thing you didn't and know that they need a stable, established tank

The "milipede" thing you saw was probably a bristle worm. They sting. Wear gloves. I use the "nitrile" goves that CVS sells, you couldn't pay me to touch a rock bare handed ever again after getting stung by one. But they're beneficial little monsters, so they need to stay.
As for dipping, if you're going to do the fresh water dip, USE RO WATER or BOTTLED DISTILLED WATER, NOT PLAIN TAP. Apparently I didn't make this clear to someone on a different board

Try to make the freshwater dipping water at least the same temperature. Some people go further and try to match pH, I don't bother when it's zoas or palys. 5-10 minutes in the water, shake the colony vigorously numerous times while it's in there. Freshwater dips help, but they usually don't get rid of eggs, so you may have to dip multiple times. You should dip all your zoas, not just the color you saw the snail in. FYI, you have those yellow colony zoathids, sundials love them, so keep an eye on them, I had ONE sundial tear through a colony on me. Luckily they grow like weeds and come back quickly if you get rid of the snails.
Chemical dip:
I like Coral ReVive for zoanthids. Follow the instructions on the bottle. (I don't have a bottle right now, so I can't tell you what I do).
Melaphix (yes, the medication for fish) also works really well for dipping corals. I use it exclusively with SPS right now, but have been thinking about trying it on zoas.
A lot of people use Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure (TMPCC), I don't think it really works on zoanthids, save your money.

 

[btldreef]

BTW, you're going to be handling zoanthids,

WEAR GLOVES AND PROTECT YOUR EYES!

 

[1guydude]

hmmm
as for the milipede thing NO not a bristle worm that is one half red and the other a purplish. This thing looked pre-historic and swam i swear! It was all grey in color and had some good size pinchers and was short and stubbyer than a bristle. Maybe a diffrent kind of bristle worm idk? LOL one day im sure ill learn my lesson and end up getting a pair of gloves too!
The dip wont really hurt my zoos will it? I dont know wat im looking for as far as the eggs go, i think im gonna pluck the little bast&^$% when i get the chance (hes hiding) and hope for the best. When u say yellow colony zoos u mean my yellow polyps correct? hmm idk wish me luck....and like always THXS

 

[1guydude]

LOL i have yet to do this does it matter if their under the water? I dont want my fingers to fall off or anything

 

[btldreef]

Yes, I meant the yellow polyps.
most zoanthids are completely safe to handle, but why risk it, wear gloves.
Yes, keep the zoanthids under water while you're dipping. This needs to be done in a bucket and you want them to soak, and you need to shake them around in the water, so you need enough to cover them.
it really can't harm your zoas. If you're scared, do 3-5 minutes. You may have to dip them more than once. Some people do daily or every other day at 3-5 minutes for weeks to ensure that everything "bad" is gone. As for the eggs, just google some images. Definitely pluck the snail if you see him, but you really should dip, they usually don't travel alone.

 

[1guydude]

no does it matter if i handle them underwater are they still toxic to us? I think i got the whole dip thing down im gonna put some water in a bucket now so the temp gets a little better, than ill ph buff.....

 

[btldreef]

I never even bother with the pH buffer when it's zoanthids. I'm just too lazy to be completely honest, LOL. IMO, they're not in long enough for it to really matter. There have been many times that I don't even bother heating up the water, I just let it sit out overnight and just about get to room temperature. Freshwater dipping fish, then I worry about temp and pH.
Yes, even if they're underwater they can still be harmful IF they contain the toxin, especially if you have cuts on your hands, or do not properly rinse your hands after handling them.

 

[1guydude]

ok did the freshwater dip method this moring...i just cut the top off a half used jug of distilled water and set the rock in their. It was easier to pull the snail off and flush him! However i hope they pull through it was only for like 2 min. I guess ill have to do it again if i have to. I also shook the rock around in the water and inverted it. No zoos fell off and non are open since i put them back in about 10 min ago......i hope for the best!

 

[btldreef]

They should pop back up once they're not annoyed anymore

 

[1guydude]

sooooooo how do i know if theyre doing better i mean they are starting to come back out not all of them but most. They still unfortunatly are have some white spots here and there and i noticed a couple of the tentacle things look burnt almost. Should i give them a couple days to recoperate? im a terriable speller lol

 

[btldreef]

LOL, this site has spell check. Those little red lines under your words mean it's spelled wrong.... LOL
Anyways, give them a few days. The ones that look burnt might have been the ones that were getting eaten before hand.