zoanthids morphing or dying ?

dano · 07-03-2011, 12:54 PM

I have read three things that people have done, by accident, to cause zoa's to morph. Well I ifigured I'd try all three things at once. After I was done the zoa's were closed. This pic is from week 4. They have not all opened up, but most of them have. The ones that have green centers, didnt before. The pink is slowly leaving on the other ones. One of the green centered ones has all most turned all green. Did they morph or are they dying?

EMUreef · 07-03-2011, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dano

I have read three things that people have done, by accident, to cause zoa's to morph. Well I ifigured I'd try all three things at once. After I was done the zoa's were closed. This pic is from week 4. They have not all opened up, but most of them have. The ones that have green centers, didnt before. The pink is slowly leaving on the other ones. One of the green centered ones has all most turned all green. Did they morph or are they dying?

look fairly healthy to me..

BeakerBob · 07-03-2011, 05:06 PM

I don't see any tissue damage or necrosis, so I am going to assume that they are healthy. What 3 things did you do to attempt morphing them?

dano · 07-03-2011, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeakerBob

I don't see any tissue damage or necrosis, so I am going to assume that they are healthy. What 3 things did you do to attempt morphing them?

peroxide at the base. epson salt and a cold fresh water dip.

BeakerBob · 07-04-2011, 08:37 AM

Ahhh! The stress test! In real life, zoanthids are often exposed to the air, wind & freshwater rain when the tide goes out. The peroxide dip at the base should have no affect and the epson salt dip (magnesium sulfate) should not do much unless the treatment was long enough and didn't kill the zoanthid. When they close up, they get pretty tight and do not allow much of the environmental factors to affect them, aside from physical attack and harsh chemical burns....then they slime and/or die.

Photoconversion and/or chemical oxidation may cause the chromatophore/fluorophore to shift their color appearance. One might argue that if several pigments are present and one pigment is inhibited, a color change may be visible due to the remaining pigments. By far, the easiest way to change colors on corals is to provide different lighting spectrum....actinics, sunlight, LED (usually in 465-485, 670, or 720-750 nanometer wavelengths). The colors of the corals change based on the excitation of the chromatophore from the wavelength of the supplied light.

Other potential ways to chnage their colors include a pH change, metal binding, chemical treatment, etc., however, conversion made through these types of conditions may not be sustainable in the long run as the effect of a pH change may impact other corals or livestock in your tank.

Keep us posted on your efforts as this is an emerging hobby with lot's to learn!