RPE Trouble

Kdocimo90

Superior Member
Hey my RPE have looked like this for quite a while now but there hasnt been anything I can really do about them. I believe they are looking like this because of being so close to the light. I have other RPE frags/mini colonies that are towards the bottom of the tank and also completely in shade that look amazing. What can I do and how can I get these off this rock? Some of the "stems" (im not sure of the real term) are like 3" long.

0530091403_580x435.jpg
 
i dont think it is the light causing the problem personally. although it could be depending on what type of light you have.

i have RPE frags on my frag rack that are directly under 2 39w T5's and 150w 14k pheonix MH. those frags look like this even with them being only 5-6" from the lights. this is 1 of the frags.

Picture111.jpg
 
that im not sure on either.... have you attempted to dip this colony? i know it looks rather large but it might help out.

are you sure they are RPE's? i dont see a green mouth and the color is for sure dull. what kind of lighting do you have?? how much flow? what are your parameters?
 
I have 14 39watt T-5 bulbs. I dont remember my parameters, I took them 2 weeks ago after my water change. Everything else seems fine though. I really think it has something to do with the light though.

Some of the mouths are yellow/green (sorry Im colorblind IDK which). I have the same polyps on a small rock that has been completely in the shade for about 6 months and is looks 10 times better, with a solid red body and a bright neon green/yellow mouth. Should I just dismount it from the rock and try to get it in some shade? If so, how would I go about doing that when the polps are extended 2"+ off the rock (they've always been that long)
 
I may be way offbase here....or hallucinating...

It appears there are a bunch of protopalys mixed in between your rpes. Or do you know that and are just talking about the brownish red things? Are you sure they are zoanthus gigantus?? It is hard to tell.......they almost dont look like it.

It also appears to me you may have flatworms, although they dont appear tio be any of the bad guys that i am familiar with. typically the white/lightish colored flatworms are predators of tiny pods, although there are countless species of flatworms so who knows. I havent as of yet heard of any zoanthid eating flatworms but I have no doubt they probably exist

As far as specifically what is wrong?? They look both bleached a touch as well as stretching for light which is of course a contradiction.........if you have others of rthe exact same thing looking better in a different part fo the tank....then the first thing I would do is move them there and see what happens.

If those are indeed flatworms as i think they are...the first thing I would do I see if they are vulnerabkle to slaiferts flatworm exit.....and if so, take appropriate safety precautions and use the stuff to get rid of them, or go buy that good camera with the macro lens you want.......and see if Leslie H can maybe tell you what youve got. ;)

The rpe like things dont look all that awful, but if you are expecting those other polyps mixed in with them to ever look like the rpe's.......dont think it will ever happen. The protos do look like they are getting a little too much light. The rpe liek things just might be a less desirable variation of RPE than you are used to seeing, and may simply be different than the ones you think look good you have lower in the tank....unless of course you know they are for sure the same
 
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Yeah youre right, I should have mentioned that, it is a mixed colony. But the RPE are mainly what I'm worried about, that is unless you see something wrong with the brownish palys.

How can you tell that I have flatwoms? If youre referring to the white spots on the polyps I dont think they're flat worms. They kind of look like that whitish build up that people get on their glass over time (that people use a scraper to get off).

I think I may have a place for them in the shade (they're such a big colony).

How would I go about getting this off the rock? I imagine it would be a major pain (ha major payne, good movie) getting them off the rock because there are 100+ polyps.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15105848#post15105848 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyyyguy
I may be way offbase here....or hallucinating...

It appears there are a bunch of protopalys mixed in between your rpes. Or do you know that and are just talking about the brownish red things? Are you sure they are zoanthus gigantus?? It is hard to tell.......they almost dont look like it.

It also appears to me you may have flatworms, although they dont appear tio be any of the bad guys that i am familiar with. typically the white/lightish colored flatworms are predators of tiny pods, although there are countless species of flatworms so who knows. I havent as of yet heard of any zoanthid eating flatworms but I have no doubt they probably exist

As far as specifically what is wrong?? They look both bleached a touch as well as stretching for light which is of course a contradiction.........if you have others of rthe exact same thing looking better in a different part fo the tank....then the first thing I would do is move them there and see what happens.

If those are indeed flatworms as i think they are...the first thing I would do I see if they are vulnerabkle to slaiferts flatworm exit.....and if so, take appropriate safety precautions and use the stuff to get rid of them, or go buy that good camera with the macro lens you want.......and see if Leslie H can maybe tell you what youve got. ;)

The rpe like things dont look all that awful, but if you are expecting those other polyps mixed in with them to ever look like the rpe's.......dont think it will ever happen. The protos do look like they are getting a little too much light. The rpe liek things just might be a less desirable variation of RPE than you are used to seeing, and may simply be different than the ones you think look good you have lower in the tank....unless of course you know they are for sure the same

i was thinking the same exact thing.

and it is really easy to tell you have flatworms, all those little round things are these http://media.photobucket.com/image/flatworms polyps/mantisfreak/flatworm1.jpg
 
oh well what should I do? And why do you think flattworms got onto those palys? I've had them for about a year and just a few months ago the spots started appearing. All i added as far as coralwise was a small pink/purple frogspawn.
 
and if they are flatworms, i'd imagine they would be a different spot than they are right now tomorrow? I will take a picture for comparison.
 
the polyps honestly dont look all that bad besides the little bit of stretching.

They just might not be all that attractive of polyps in the first place

I will say that if those arent flatworms, or at least a creature of some kind, you have soemthing odd there I have never seen
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15106035#post15106035 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kdocimo90
oh well what should I do? And why do you think flattworms got onto those palys? I've had them for about a year and just a few months ago the spots started appearing. All i added as far as coralwise was a small pink/purple frogspawn.

do what flyyyguy mentioned in the post about 5 up
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15106047#post15106047 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyyyguy
the polyps honestly dont look all that bad besides the little bit of stretching.

They just might not be all that attractive of polyps in the first place

I will say that if those arent flatworms, or at least a creature of some kind, you have soemthing odd there I have never seen

Maybe there some kind of SUPER RARE MORPH ;)


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15106071#post15106071 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by manhorsedog
do what flyyyguy mentioned in the post about 5 up

Putting them in the shade?
 
heck...I wouldnt wai to see if they move.......take a powerhead or turkey baster and give em a push...or just stare at one real hard for about a minute
 
Ehh i'll go turn the lights back on and check em.. They look like color disorientations rather than something ON them.

I'll be right back
 
yes move them closer to where the others are looking good and see if it helps. flatworms can cause polyps to not look as good as they could so using flatworm exit might be something you wanna look into. But be careful and read the directions, a couple times if needed it could save your tank.
 
wow thats a huge surprise... one of them flew right off the polyp and a few moved. I guess they are flatworms. Good call.

Now what :(
 
I'm assuming you talking about putting them in the shade, Im sure that will take care of the bleaching, but is there anything I can/should do about the flat worms?
 
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