Hitchiker with Zoa

[Finnjävel]

Got my first corals a while ago. First one was a Duncan and the other one was Zoa. Now I noticed that there was a hitchiker with Zoa. Definitely not a bad one, I guess, but still no idea is it another Zoa or Paly. I don't want any palys, free or not.

What do you think? That brown one with a tiny one.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Definitely a paly. Hard to tell which one. Only invasive if you let it be.

 

[LAX Noob Reef]

You got a apista, Strongly suggest fresh water dip and use toothbrush to dip it. Very Invasive.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Not an aptasia. This has a large disc and you can see the green center. Possibly a young captain jerk (still very invasive and is one of the dominant corals in my tank for that reason).

 

[GHOSTLY]

I agree with shark. Its a paly with a green mouth. @footgal

 

[GHOSTLY]

You got a apista, Strongly suggest fresh water dip and use toothbrush to dip it. Very Invasive.

also toothbrush will just adgitate aiptasia and make it spread

 

[tjohnson3]

It’s a protopaly

 

[tjohnson3]

Reg palys will all be part of the same mat or “colony”… protos will separate as individuals

 

[Sharkbait19]

Reg palys will all be part of the same mat or “colony”… protos will separate as individuals

Huh, ya learn something new every day

 

[Finnjävel]

Thanks for answers. Aiptasia was the first thing that I googled. Definitely not that because mine has a disk.

Protopaly, if invasive I might kick it out of my tank. Do you recommend to frag it to separate stone and give it some time or is it possible that it will grow somewhere else in my tank away its current location?

 

[tjohnson3]

Thanks for answers. Aiptasia was the first thing that I googled. Definitely not that because mine has a disk.

Protopaly, if invasive I might kick it out of my tank. Do you recommend to frag it to separate stone and give it some time or is it possible that it will grow somewhere else in my tank away its current location?

They’re not as invasive as some zoas can be, but individuals CAN/WILL detach from rock and “float” to another area of the tank… I have nuclear green protos that do this, but they’re gorgeous and super flourescent so I don’t mind… they’re nowhere close to being as bad as say Mohawk or Pandora zoas, Xenia, Kenya trees, etc. that can take over a tank. I say let them be and go with the real reef look of them coexisting together

 

[blasterman]

looks like a young green implosion to me...but it's tough to tell with the lighting

 

[Sharkbait19]

Should be fine left. Won’t spread so fast if left away from the main rockwork. I like how mine look all over.

 

[footgal]

Hi! As others have said, that’s a paly. Probably a nuclear green paly. Very simple to remove with a razor blade

 

[Eagle_Steve]

You can also make it retract and cover with superglue gel, if the razor blade option worries you. It will not hurt the other zoas, as long as you do not cover the actual polyp. Getting it on their stalk is ok.

 

[Finnjävel]

Year later. From one polyp to 30+
Protopaly maybe....

Isolated to one large rock with Sinularia and couple of zoas.