Getting set up - need polyp ID

caspervtx

caspervtx

Member
I got some old and new water from a local seller - about 50/50 to get the tank started today
. Also got 30 lbs of live rock. One of the rocks I selected had polyps attached already.
Can anyone give me an idea of what these are? I think half of them are colonies of a brown zoa the other I can not find a reference in my book? Ideas?
For some reason I can't get the pictures to post. Here are links to the pictures. Sorry they are not better. I'm working on the ins/outs of taking pictures in the tank.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casperv...7621922638446/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casperv...7621922638446/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casperv...7621922638446/
Thanks for any input
 
aquaguy24

aquaguy24

Active Member
I've already had a few beers and still can't tell wats in the pics. Can u take pics afterthe yank clears up. If I had to guess it would be flame zoa. IMO IDing all these zoa and palys are just nonsense. Just a way to jack up prices. They all require about the care anyways.
 
caspervtx

caspervtx

Member
Originally Posted by aquaguy24
http:///forum/post/3111407
I've already had a few beers and still can't tell wats in the pics. Can u take pics afterthe yank clears up. If I had to guess it would be flame zoa. IMO IDing all these zoa and palys are just nonsense. Just a way to jack up prices. They all require about the care anyways.
Thanks I'm going to keep trying to get good pics - thankfully its digital so the sucky pictures can just get deleted. You hit as much as I was looking for. I've only ever seen Zoas and small "collapsed" colonies while these (which I saw some that appeared as Zoas) were up on a "high stalk" that was white. Never seen anything like that and couldn't find a reference. I'm not worried about "type of" so much as trying to figure out what coral it is.
Thanks again for taking a look.
 
aquaguy24

aquaguy24

Active Member
do they look anything like this...its a very old pic..over a year ago..the other pic is wat the look like now..

 
caspervtx

caspervtx

Member
Yes. Sorry for the early posting but I was happy to see the polyps were thriving. I suspected some of them were Zoas but I've only seen small frags in the LFS and some of these have "tubes" that were close to 1/4" and fairly thick. While others were out and looked like the typical zoa - wide open. Wide they were all brown.
This morning when I turned the lights on in the tank all the colonies were closed up and "tubish" and then (for me) the miracle of light happened and they opened up. At least one of them is bright green with a yellow spot int he center that I presume is the mouth.
I am positive the entire rockface is covered with colonies of zoas. Now I have to go re-read the posting about cycling for life so I don't lose much of this.
On a side note I have critters - at least two. One appears to be a shrimp - tiny - about 1/4" to a bit over or so. Gray / clear with an obvious black strip down the back and feelers out in front. I have no way to get a decent picture of him yet so not quite sure what he is.
A second critter I saw this AM grazing the rock as the lights came on - again a bit under 1/4". Exterior looked smooth and it was gliding over the rocks not walking. Wasn't sure if this was a snail or something else.
As soon as I get better with the cheap camera I'll see if I can find them and get some pictures.
 
caspervtx

caspervtx

Member
Originally Posted by CasperVTX
http:///forum/post/3111899
As soon as I get better with the cheap camera I'll see if I can find them and get some pictures.
Found the macro

This should be better (posting just to clear up the pictures)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casperv...7621922638446/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casperv...7621922638446/
And this little piece broken off an put into the light
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casperv...7621922638446/
And this morning I woke to find this guy hatched from my live sand (this is a crappy picture but I'm excited). Circular body and 5 arms - baby brittle star
http://www.flickr.com/photos/casperv...7621922638446/
I don't know if everyone gets this excited over a tank but I'm like a kid at Christmas. Been two days and it seems every hour is something new as life takes hold.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
Very nice. Love the zoos. The brown are button or palys. they are kinda the same as zoos, just grow differant and are usually bigger.
What lights do you have. Those first ones look like they will color up nice with the right lights.
The star is a mini brittle and wont get any bigger. Nice hitchhiker and addition to your clean up crew.
T
 
caspervtx

caspervtx

Member
Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3112578
Very nice. Love the zoos. The brown are button or palys. they are kinda the same as zoos, just grow differant and are usually bigger.
What lights do you have. Those first ones look like they will color up nice with the right lights.
The star is a mini brittle and wont get any bigger. Nice hitchhiker and addition to your clean up crew.
T
Cool. Thanks for the clarification. Right now I have the crappy flourescent lights that come with the LFS sold tank sets. I am going out today (soon as I stop typing
) and getting a Coralife 48" with 4x65 PCs. Hopefully that will help a lot.
 
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