Do zoanthids "color up"?

[Plainswalker]

I have a new zoanthid frag from the LFS (4 days old in tank) and all the polyps have opened up nicely. The majority have green centres except for two large ones on top, which have no colour at all (well, brown). Because of that and the size disparity, I'm thinking that they're hitchhikers and can/should be removed. I'm just a newb though, so I don't know if I should wait for them to colour up or take them out now.

What's the best way to selectively remove polyps? I figure an x-acto knife should work fine.

[Plainswalker]

Ooops, forgot to attach a pic.

197625

[exonn]

thous are not same zoas, so if you want only one kind you should remove thous two.

[A. Grandis]

Scrape them with a sharp fine knife.
I wouldn't do it, but if you really want only the small polyps, that's the way.
Make sure you scrape them without damaging their base, so you can make a plug or transfer them to another part of the tank.

Grandis.

[xabbasx7]

thous are not same zoas, so if you want only one kind you should remove thous two.

lol was thinking the same thing....is that the same zoa??? lol

one looks like a paly. could guess from its size and larger tentacles on the edge than zoas have.

[Plainswalker]

Hm, I guess my first fragging practice will be with these guys then :). Thank you!

[daddy2kids]

Take care if you do scrape them off. Do a web search for "palytoxin." Some people wear gloves and eye protection when fragging palys.

[daddy2kids]

To answer your question, zoanthids can color-up. I have used Koral Kolor for years. Unfortunately, zooxanthellae are brown, so you can have very healthy corals that turn brown over time. Koral Kolor and perhaps other products provide trace compounds that supposedly give corals color. My Jokers and favia colored up great when I started using KK.

[A. Grandis]

I use Koral Kolor from Brightwell's.
I believe that helps with available elements for the formation of biochromes and I use it 3 times a week in small quantities. I really can't say that makes a difference yet. I think the skimmer could remove most of it before the polyps absorb. I'm using the product for more than a year.
I began to use that after I had a bleaching going on (high temp.). The polyps got better and better over the year, but I attribute most of it to the target feeding.
I'm still using Koral Kolor...

Grandis.

[A. Grandis]

Take care if you do scrape them off. Do a web search for "palytoxin." Some people wear gloves and eye protection when fragging palys.

Good point!!
Can't forget about that!!!

Grandis.