ohioreef71
New member
Just noticed one of my zoanthid frags has a brown black gooey looking something coming from middle of polyp should I be worried?
Zoanthid frag releasing dark brown substance
- Thread starter ohioreef71
- Start date
It's normal, nothing to worry about at all. Something irritated those polyps and triggered this reaction. Don't try to remove it, allow the current or fish to do so, and they'll be fine.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=950525&highlight=zoa+poop
Cheers
Mooch
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=950525&highlight=zoa+poop
Cheers
Mooch
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Wow, I see a full paragraph is missing, my bad.
As stated in the link above, it is most likely waste ( poop ) or zooxanthellae, ( the symbiotic single cell algae encompassed within these cnidarians ( zoanthids). Zoanthids will often produce excess Zooxanthellae. If and when they are stressed via physical stimulation, a parameter that is off, even sometimes light shock will result in the expulsion of this surplus. It will appear as a light to medium brown to dark blackish brown long stringy trail of filament spewing from the oral slit as you have described. I tried unsuccessfully to find a picture on my hard drive.
Again, nothing to worry about.
Mooch
As stated in the link above, it is most likely waste ( poop ) or zooxanthellae, ( the symbiotic single cell algae encompassed within these cnidarians ( zoanthids). Zoanthids will often produce excess Zooxanthellae. If and when they are stressed via physical stimulation, a parameter that is off, even sometimes light shock will result in the expulsion of this surplus. It will appear as a light to medium brown to dark blackish brown long stringy trail of filament spewing from the oral slit as you have described. I tried unsuccessfully to find a picture on my hard drive.
Again, nothing to worry about.
Mooch
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mwladdicted
Post Count D-M-S
Right on.
ohioreef71
New member
Thanks for the help got worried for a minute never knew zoas did that all is well today.
XSharkboyX
Wishin' I Was Fishin'
I have experienced it many times. Most likely you or something in your system cause it, or maybe not. Did you by chance take a pic of it? I'm sure others want to see it. I remember the first time I saw many years ago, I thought there was oil shooting out, LOL.
Mooch
Scffvariable
New member
One of my Eagle eyes just got done going number 2 as well.....
ohioreef71
New member
Sorry no pic went away after a few hours. Only 1 set of zoa frags did it. I have about 7 different small colonies and only my pink zoas did it. Thats why its strange my tank parameters are perfect.I did a google search on zoa poo and a few pics came up exact same stuff mine looked like.
2 pics by mort82
A. Grandis
Active member
Yes, it's nor only the zooxanthellae that gives the zoas' colors. The zooxanthellae is normally a greenish/yellowish brown unicellular dinoflagellate inside of the tissue. The other colors are pigments.
When you see the brown string coming out of the zoas' mouth it is normally excess zooxanthellae. Sometimes they release it as little spherical structures too. Sometimes the spherical structures are feces.
The only way to know for sure is throughout microscopic examination.
Both of the phenomena are perfectly fine and normal part of the zoas' metabolism.
I never saw my zoas releasing eggs, but I strongly believe that they are beige/white in color. I've seen something like that in my tank but didn't have time to grab or even look at those well 'cause the fishes are fast!!!
I don't think the brown structures are eggs, normally.
Grandis.
A. Grandis
Active member
I've noticed that too. And when I place activated carbon for some reason, they some times do that. If temperature goes higher for a day or two that could happen too.
I call the phenomenon partial bleaching. In truth it's a relief from the stress of temporary small excess light or temperature fluctuation, I would say. In those cases, It's just part of the adaptation process to the changes.
Grandis.
