Palys not opening

[Osmium]

Hey guys, looking for some advice. A little over a week ago I got some green palys from my LFS and added them to my 5 gallon reef, but so far they haven't opened. I got some zoas at the same time and they seem to be doing fine, and they're both in similar locations in the tank. My nitrogen levels are all fine, and all my other corals are doing great. I have a birds nest, candy cane, GSP, Kenya Tree, green mushrooms, and Xenia that all look happy. What could be wrong with the palys?

[seabass]

Welcome to Nano-Reef.com.

 

It's hard to say.  Most likely something is irritating them.  That could be anything from too much flow to a pest (like a pest anemone or nudibranch).  Can you post a pic?  Did you dip the corals prior to adding them to your tank?

 

Sometimes a coral dip (or even a freshwater dip) helps.  Being that you're new, I just want to make sure that you are aware of the potential for palythoa to contain dangerous palytoxin.  Do a search for it if you haven't heard of that before.

[HarryPotter]

Lucky they’re not opening.... I’ve tried to kill them with vinegar, aptasiaRX, lemon juice, etc. Freaking zombies.

[Osmium]

I didn't dip them. There were a couple aptasia anemones on the plug, but I removed them before I put it in m tank. And they didn't seem bothered by it at the store. I do have a coral banded shrimp that likes to sit on them and pick at the rocks around them, could that be what's bothering them?

And yes, I'm aware of palytoxin.

[seabass]

Yep, aiptasia can irritate them, removing pest anemones or pest algae can disrupt them, a shrimp or crab can be bugging them, etc.

[RustyRocket]

Palys are hardy as heck, so Im with seabass on this one, irriation is most likely over it just not doing well. CBS might be the culprit? Is it fed enough?

PS. You might want to do something about the Aptasia before they become too big of a deal. 

[ffoott]

Pictures speak a tone! Could we have some? 

[Osmium]

[ffoott]

Some more experienced reefer may also chip in, but they seem to be covered in algae or some kind of fungus. Adjusting the flow may help the polyps deal with that. 

 

There also seem to be some white spots? Not sure though... 

[seabass]

I also noticed the white spots; could be Zoanthid Pox.  There has been some success treating with Furan-2: http://zoaid.org/zoapox-zoa-pox-the-search-for-the-cause-and-cure/

[ffoott]

That brown layer of something may also be won over using an iodine dip. In the zoas and palys case, it helps strengthen their tissue to fight off any fungus or nuisance. 

[RustyRocket]

1 hour ago, seabass said:

I also noticed the white spots; could be Zoanthid Pox.  There has been some success treating with Furan-2: http://zoaid.org/zoapox-zoa-pox-the-search-for-the-cause-and-cure/

It might not necessarily be Zoa Pox. Palys build sand into their tissue. OP run your fingers along the white marks if its solid then it could just be sand. But Furan-2 and Iodine dips is useful none-the-less. 

 

Could it be too much light? 

[Osmium]

6 hours ago, ffoott said:

That brown layer of something may also be won over using an iodine dip. In the zoas and palys case, it helps strengthen their tissue to fight off any fungus or nuisance. 

What brown layer? That's just the color they are

[Osmium]

6 hours ago, seabass said:

I also noticed the white spots; could be Zoanthid Pox.  There has been some success treating with Furan-2: http://zoaid.org/zoapox-zoa-pox-the-search-for-the-cause-and-cure/

I looked up pictures of that, and I don't think that's what it is. I think the camera is making those spots look bigger and whiter than they are. In person it's barely noticeable

[ffoott]

2 hours ago, Osmium said:

What brown layer? That's just the color they are

I obviously can't think I know them better than you, that can see them in person, but imp they do look brownish beyond their natural color. Others might verify that or not... 

[Osmium]

3 hours ago, ffoott said:

I obviously can't think I know them better than you, that can see them in person, but imp they do look brownish beyond their natural color. Others might verify that or not... 

Huh, well it's not a layer. Could that color be a sign it's unhealthy?

[ffoott]

In my experience, yes, it is. They are usually a faded purple color. 

 

What of the suggestions given above have you implemented already? Any change?