Mushrooms attached.

[Clancaster23]

Separated my big zoanthid today and found two small mushrooms attached the the back of one of the halves. They look attached to a couple of the zoa heads. Should I separate and if so, how? Will the mushrooms eventually leave the zoa? I don't want either to die.

 

[SIR PATRICK]

Not so sure those are mushrooms....

Are the polyps normally open? Have these been there the entire time, or are they a new find?

Do you dip all your polyps before they are introduced to your tank?

I dont know for certain what those are.....

 

[fireball198]

if it is mushroom just cut as low as you can.
looks like some kind of sponge from that pic.

 

[Clancaster23]

Should have explained. I had a large zoa split and the pic shows one hald of it. I noticed whatever they are on there a while back so they have been on there a while, probably as long as I've had it. Probably a month and a half. Yes, the polyps are usually open and they open nice and wide.

I have asked several different people about dipping and most have said they don't dip. These are people from the stores and not a big chain store and I feel they do know what they are talking about unlike the ones from the big stores who are paid to say anything to sell.

 

[SIR PATRICK]

They dont dip???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoX1-dFppYQ

Not saying you need to use coral rx or anything- but am stressing the point to dip.

In the past, I have accidentaly introduced MANY bad hitchikers into my tank. I dip- and many of us reefers, here and in the sps forum, will strongly urge to dip. Polyps make great places to hid, if you are a zoanthid irritator/predator, or any other nasty that would like to sneak into your system.

 

[SIR PATRICK]

Just saying...

Not dipping is just as bad as unprotected.......propogation- for your reef tank.

Trust me- not trying to sell a thing.

 

[organism]

I have asked several different people about dipping and most have said they don't dip. These are people from the stores and not a big chain store and I feel they do know what they are talking about unlike the ones from the big stores who are paid to say anything to sell.

Those are either sponges or tunicates, it's hard to tell which since I'm not much good with id'ing those but they're not mushrooms and are harmless filter feeders that it wouldn't hurt to leave on there

As far as dipping, stores don't have the time to dip for corals and it's not much worth the hassle to them, so the advice they gave you works for retail. For hobbyists, zoanthids are like the rainforests of the pest world, so it's always a good plan to dip any new arrivals and give them a really good once-over with some kind of magnifying device. If you have a qt tank that's even better...

 

[bahadirkargili]

There seems to be polyps about to open on this unidentified thing.I have sthg similar if you can figure on the right up corner of the polyp at the left hand side with white polys opened.

 

[Clancaster23]

I want to add something I saw today. The darker thing in the middle in between the two whitish things, it will open and close as if taking in water or something. It will close up if something approaches or touches it. First time I have seen this. Is it a tunicate?

 

[organism]

It definitely looks like one