What is happening here?

[TankYouVeryMuch]

I placed this Zoa colony in my new(ish) tank a few days ago and it opened quickly and has looked fine. Today I noticed that one of the Zoas is expelling some slime or mucus out of its mouth (it’s draped over a clove polyp). One of the cloves was also closed up, and another Zoa is puckered. Only thing that’s changed is I’ve been slowly adding some RO water into the pump area to bring down salinity due to evaporation (from 1.026 to 1.025).

A minute later and the slime is gone and everything is opened again. Was it just grouchy about the addition of RO? I’ve been putting it in about 1/2 a cup at time and waiting for a while before doing any more. And for what it’s worth, I just received my Tunze ATO and I’m getting it set up.

Parameters that I’m currently able to test:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
pH: 7.8 (strip test)
Alkalinity: 7 (Salifert)
Salinity: 1.026 (refractometer)

 

[Anna K]

Im not sure what that is, but it looks like a clove doing that and not a Zoa. You've got a little mixed colony :)

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Was it dark colored? Could be expelling waste.

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

Im not sure what that is, but it looks like a clove doing that and not a Zoa. You've got a little mixed colony :)

Yeah, the photos are misleading—it was coming out of the mouth of a zoa and then was caught up in the tentacles of a clove polyp.

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

The slime is back. Maybe it didn’t resolve and I just didn’t see it. Here’s a video—it’s coming out of the mouth of the Zoa just in front and to the right of the stalk of the clove polyp it’s caught on.

I am trying to insert a video, but without success so far. Let me try and figure that out first.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

The slime is back. Maybe it didn’t resolve and I just didn’t see it. Here’s a video—it’s coming out of the mouth of the Zoa just in front and to the right of the stalk of the clove polyp it’s caught on.

I am trying to insert a video, but without success so far. Let me try and figure that out first.

The zoa is expelling waste or zooxanthellae. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Is it under significantly brighter light than where you got it from?

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

The slime is back. Maybe it didn’t resolve and I just didn’t see it. Here’s a video—it’s coming out of the mouth of the Zoa just in front and to the right of the stalk of the clove polyp it’s caught on.

I am trying to insert a video, but without success so far. Let me try and figure that out first.

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

The zoa is expelling waste or zooxanthellae. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Is it under significantly brighter light than where you got it from?

Hard to say without a PAR meter. It’s a Smatfarm G5 located 18” from the aquarium, going through a 1/8” plexiglass lid which is covered with moisture. So I’m gonna go with a hard “maybe.”

Settings:
25, 100, 100, 100, 10, 10

 

[Tahoe61]

Expelling waste and or zooxanthellae. Very common during acclimation.

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

I do note that my pH might be on the low side. I use a lid to reduce evaporation, which I know lowers pH. Up until now I’ve only been using test strips (I’m trying to only buy things as needed to keep costs down and spread them out). I was getting a wave marker to increase surface agitation and oxygenation, but that turned into a fiasco because apparently the only wavemakers I can afford make horrible screeching noises. But I discovered that the pump which came with my tank (a MightyJet 550+ GPH) was strong enough to do the job with better nozzle placement.

Anyway, that’s a long winded way of saying I’m going to buy a pH tester. Sigh.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

I think it will be fine. If you notice the stalks getting long and it looks like it's reaching for light, then increase your lights a bit. If you notice them bleaching or shrinking drastically it could be too much light. Zoas are generally pretty hardy.

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

I witnessed my blue leg hermit decide to take a “tiptoe through the tulips” on my Zoa colony and they did the same thing. Upon further research it seems it may be an acute defense response called “mesenterial filament extrusion,” which is different from zooxanthellae loss due to chronic stress such as changes in lighting or salinity. The strands were pulled back into the Zoa afterwards.