beginner zoo - "ologist" question :-)

[bigeyetuna]

I am a new reefer and just got three zoo frags two weeks ago. They appear to be doing really well. One is a smaller green, one is a pink and orange mouth and the last is an orange skirt.

Today I was looking at the orange skirt zoo and noticed a brown string / tentacle looking thing coming out of the center / mouth of several polyps. My questions:

1. What is this?

2. What are they doing with this thing?

3. Do I need to take any actions, ie feed, water chem problem...

Thanks,

 

[Chemguy85]

umm a picture would help and plus you get to show off u're zoos. If i had to guess it is probably losing some of the algea in the zoa that aids in the process of photosysinsis. This can be caused from several different things. What lighting conditions were the zoas under before you got them. I see that you are using t-5's as you lighting good choice. Also what is u're water chem. like? Ben

 

[bigeyetuna]

It is a brown string looking thing, kind of like excrement...

They came from a system with MHs not sure the wattage, and I have 6 T5s each 54Ws, 3 Actinic +, 2 Blue +, 1 6500K and 1 pure actinic. All the water conditions are fine. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and ~10 Nitrates. I haven't check today and I could have an ammonia spike from last night's feeding of the fish. PH is 8.2 and Cal ~400ppm. That is all I have tests for at the moment.

Do they normally excrete their waist in this manner? If it is some of the algae, is this normal, or is something causing die off?

 

[twon8]

it is the expelling of zooanthela sp? which is a normal periodic occurence.