What are these white hairy stalks on my zoas?!

[Grantp611]

Hey everyone, so I’ve recently discovered that these creatures have grown in size quite a bit since I got my zoas and I couldn’t find anything on them online. They are on some clove polyps as well on the other side of the tank, does anyone know what these are and if they’re harmful? Thanks

[WV Reefer]

6 minutes ago, Grantp611 said:

Hey everyone, so I’ve recently discovered that these creatures have grown in size quite a bit since I got my zoas and I couldn’t find anything on them online. They are on some clove polyps as well on the other side of the tank, does anyone know what these are and if they’re harmful? Thanks

 

Hydroids. 

 

If they bother the coral just pluck them off. They will go away if you stop feeding them.  

[Grantp611]

3 hours ago, WV Reefer said:

 

Hydroids. 

 

If they bother the coral just pluck them off. They will go away if you stop feeding them.  

Ah ok thank you! In regards to when you say stop feeding them, what could I do in order to cut down on what they eat?

[WV Reefer]

11 minutes ago, Grantp611 said:

Ah ok thank you! In regards to when you say stop feeding them, what could I do in order to cut down on what they eat?

Just cut down on what you are feeding the tank. Do you feed any tiny foods like reef roids?

[Grantp611]

3 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Just cut down on what you are feeding the tank. Do you feed any tiny foods like reef roids?

I feed a combo of lrs reef frenzy and frozen mysis, I’ll put it in some tank water and spot feed my corals with some of it before I turn on the powerhead and let the fish eat the remaining

[WV Reefer]

3 minutes ago, Grantp611 said:

I feed a combo of lrs reef frenzy and frozen mysis, I’ll put it in some tank water and spot feed my corals with some of it before I turn on the powerhead and let the fish eat the remaining

 

Maybe just tone it down a bit. I have had them and they can spread rapidly but will die off quickly without the extra food.  

[Grantp611]

Just now, WV Reefer said:

 

Maybe just tone it down a bit. I have had them and they can spread rapidly but will die off quickly without the extra food.  

Ok will do, I have pellets as well that all my fish eat, would feeding the mysis every other day and pellets on the other days help? I usually feed once a day, is any less feeding than that going to starve my cuc and fish? I have about a dozen blue leg hermits and 6 astrea snails in a 10 gallon rimless

[WV Reefer]

Just now, Grantp611 said:

Ok will do, I have pellets as well that all my fish eat, would feeding the mysis every other day and pellets on the other days help? I usually feed once a day, is any less feeding than that going to starve my cuc and fish? I have about a dozen blue leg hermits and 6 astrea snails in a 10 gallon rimless

I wouldn’t get too crazy,  just be more aware of where the extra food is going...... even the “juice”. 

 

I still have them in the back of the reef sometimes so they’re not that big of a deal but they can become unsightly if you have a lot of them.  

[Daniel91]

Good suggestions above, here’s how I keep mine at bay;

 

Minimize broadcast feeding

Minimize small partical food (like reef roids)

Add additions to out compete; anemone crabs, feather worm(s) etc

[Grantp611]

22 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

I wouldn’t get too crazy,  just be more aware of where the extra food is going...... even the “juice”. 

 

I still have them in the back of the reef sometimes so they’re not that big of a deal but they can become unsightly if you have a lot of them.  

Ok, I may strain the reef frenzy out because I noticed there are a lot of smaller particulate food in it. I’m just worried because my Rasta’s aren’t opening near as much as when I got them, I just don’t want them to spread around my other zoas and cause them to close up to. Thanks for the info!

 

29 minutes ago, Daniel91 said:

Good suggestions above, here’s how I keep mine at bay;

 

Minimize broadcast feeding

Minimize small partical food (like reef roids)

Add additions to out compete; anemone crabs, feather worm(s) etc

I’ll definitely look into those, thanks!

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, Grantp611 said:

Ok, I may strain the reef frenzy out because I noticed there are a lot of smaller particulate food in it. I’m just worried because my Rasta’s aren’t opening near as much as when I got them, I just don’t want them to spread around my other zoas and cause them to close up to. Thanks for the info!

 

I’ll definitely look into those, thanks!

 

You can carefully tweeze them off if necessary. It’s tedious but can be done. 

[mcarroll]

On 3/12/2019 at 4:55 PM, Grantp611 said:

I feed a combo of lrs reef frenzy and frozen mysis, I’ll put it in some tank water and spot feed my corals with some of it before I turn on the powerhead and let the fish eat the remaining

 

On 3/12/2019 at 5:03 PM, Grantp611 said:

I have pellets as well that all my fish eat

 

So you feed your corals nice food but your fish get lousy dry food?  😄

 

Feed your fish nice food and let your corals be the efficient recyclers that they are.

 

Your corals pick up floating particles and soak up "juices" from frozen foods and even use up dissolved nutrients like nitrates and phosphates.

 

On 3/12/2019 at 5:03 PM, Grantp611 said:

I have about a dozen blue leg hermits and 6 astrea snails in a 10 gallon rimless

Hopefully it's working as-is for now.  In the long run I'd flip the ratio to a dozen or so snails with just a few hermits.  Use smaller snails like Ceriths as well as bigger ones like you already have.