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Friend or foe?

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These were on some live rock... Anemones or polyps?
 
not neccessarily disagreeing here, but why is everyone suggesting killing a common polyp? are they on a small or easily removed piece of rock IF they did start to grow out of control?
 
i wouldnt kill them. They look just like green button palys. with a little bit of light and time they will become common green button polys.
Look nothing like glass anemones, and nothing like manjos. To me its a freebie on the live rock.
 

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
Green or brown button polyps can be a problem all their own that is why I recommended getting rid of them. They can grow fast and be invasive. Also the toxic levels in them are some of the highest among zoas and palys (I know all of them are toxic). I know people on this board who moved them between tanks and had them essentially crash the tank as they just started releasing bad stuff. I also know someone who got stung really really bad on their hand from them and still had the scars years after the fact. They just seem like too much trouble for a brown/green polyp.
 

curt

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
When they start to spread they will be all over the tank. Not just on that one rock. They will take over and cover any other zoas that they grow next to. If your good with that then keep them other wise remove soon. Give them away if you don't want to kill them.
 
Interesting thread. I guess I will get rid of mine instead of migrating them to my 15g setup.

By the way, for what it is worth... i've had about 15-20 scattered over this single rock for 1 1/2 to 2 years now and I have not seen any new polyps. It could be that my tank is not great for them as regular zoa's never grow either and GPS, frogspawn, hammer and my BTA's are about the only thing that grows. Kenya, Xenia, mushrooms, zoas, leather's pretty much stay at status quo. oh, and Caulerpa/razor caulerpa/Halimeda/several other types.. grow out of control as well.
 
thanks for that tidbit mnat... i never would have imagined them to have higher toxicity levels. something to be considered in the future for sure.
 

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
thanks for that tidbit mnat... i never would have imagined them to have higher toxicity levels. something to be considered in the future for sure.

I have tons of zoas and palys and I know any one of them can make me sick in a heartbeat, but it is a risk you take in the hobby. I have just heard to many bad tales about green/brown button polyps that they are not welcome in my tank. Unfortunately they are well suited for the aquarium as they grow very fast and some of the green ones can be very pretty. They are just on my list of things I don't want in my tank. Pink and gold zoas are the same way for me, gorgeous polyps that can change color under different lighting but they grow so fast and will invaded and kill off other zoa colonies. They don't develop a mat like most zoas they can start growing where ever they touch the rock.
 
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