See pics Crazy stringy things on zoa frag

[ohioreef71]

I picked up a nice frag with purple polyps and orange tips with about 10 heads. It has been developing some string like growth in middle of zoas. I tried to pull off and it broke off easy and grew back quickly. These pics are not the best any ideas?

 

[ohioreef71]

bump..... I cut the algae like strings off the frag but it is coming back now is there a dip or something I can use to kill it off?

 

[MUCHO REEF]

I'm not seeing it. Take a look at the thread below entitled, "Zoanthid frag releasing dark brown substance". Hope that helps.


Mucho

 

[XSharkboyX]

It's a red wire algae. The scientific name is not coming to mind right now. Very common. Can be difficult to get rid of at times. Your best bet is to remove it with small tweezers. Just keep at it when it comes back. It's actually easier to remove once you let it grow out a bit. Tangs/snails typically wont eat it. If the problem persists you may want to move the polyps onto something else, or try a freshwater dip and scrub it off with a tooth brush.

 

[XSharkboyX]

BTW is that an Anthelia sp. surrounding the zoas?

 

[MUCHO REEF]

It's a red wire algae. The scientific name is not coming to mind right now. Very common. Can be difficult to get rid of at times. Your best bet is to remove it with small tweezers. Just keep at it when it comes back. It's actually easier to remove once you let it grow out a bit. Tangs/snails typically wont eat it. If the problem persists you may want to move the polyps onto something else, or try a freshwater dip and scrub it off with a tooth brush.

Yeah, I too saw that in the background of the polyp but the OP said it was growing in the middle of the polyp, so I assumed he/she meant the oral slit.


+1, I agree it is Wire Algae, aka, Gelidiopsis, a red algae. Herbivorous fish will consume it as well as a Diadema Urchin. I agree with Sharkboy that manual removal will also help.


Mucho Reef

 

[ohioreef71]

Yeah sorry about crappy pic. It does seem like an algae its growing out of the small rock that was fragged for the zoas and a little bit on the plug itself. I pluuged it clean with tweezers and a scalpel but is starting to come back again. Those are blue cloves all around the zoas I love em some people don't but I like the covering on the rocks adds great color to the tank

 

[XSharkboyX]

Yeah sorry about crappy pic. It does seem like an algae its growing out of the small rock that was fragged for the zoas and a little bit on the plug itself. I pluuged it clean with tweezers and a scalpel but is starting to come back again. Those are blue cloves all around the zoas I love em some people don't but I like the covering on the rocks adds great color to the tank

Keep at it. You have some very nice growth on those blue cloves!