speckled palys

[shroutk3]

Hello,
I'm new to palys, I just received some freebies, and noticed that they have what looks like "salt grains" on the outside around the polyp when they're closed up. The dots are very fine, not like big zits. Is this normal or do you think its zoa pox?

 

[eznet2u]

It's usually just sand. This is common for Palys...Got a picture?

 

[shroutk3]

ill work on the pic, haven't actually done that yet. They're waiting in a bucket just in case.

 

[shroutk3]

Ok here's some pics. Its the white stuff, could be sand, but it doesn't come off easy. Hope someone can give me a tip here, don't want them to stay in the bucket all night.

 

[romsoccer12]

i have those on my button polyps, i grabbed one with tweezers and looked at it and it just looked like crap that got stuck on it, no form of any pest

 

[eznet2u]

This is how to tell Zoa's From Paly's...

"Zoanthus have smaller polyps and reproduce by forming buds from the base of the mated
tissue. The species unlike some of the others in the family does not incorporate sediment into
it's base. The oral disk is in the center of tightly packed tentacles and appear in nature in a
variety of colors and endless combinations.

Palythoa have larger polyps but are also embedded in a common tissue. The texture of the
base of both the Palythoa and Protopalythoa is rough from the incorporation of sand and
sediment directly in the tissue. The assimilation of the material is thought to be both for
defense and support. The larger polyps lend themselves to feeding on larger meatier foods.

Protopalythoa much like the Palythoa in size but with the exception that the polyps are not
connected to one mass of tissue. Some seem to have less more pointed tentacles in some
cases they even alternate up and down."
(Sprung 2001)
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[shroutk3]

Thanks a bunch guys, into the tank they go. On a side note, do zoos and palys sting each other?

 

[Takifugu3469]

It looks like Zoapox to me...

 

[speargunhunter]

zoapox

zoapox

it looks like zoapox to me...

+1

 

[shroutk3]

From the pics I saw of zoa pox, its seems like confirmed cases don't have that many "pimples." Does anyone else have any input? It might be too late, as they're already in the tank. I felt them, and they did feel gritty, like sand.