Zoas getting hairy

I bought this zoa frag a month ago. It used to look like this:


Now it looks like this:


So what causes the tentacles to get huge? Does it means it's happy or does it mean it is trying to get more light or plankton etc...?

 

WOW!!!! I have no idea. Cool transformation though......But I have to say I liked the looks of them in the before pics. Your lighting certainly isn't an issue. How often to you feed with phytoplankton or some reasonable facsimile thereof.

 

I started adding phytoplankton about 3 times a week when I bought my clam about 3 weeks ago. I also feed Rod's food about 3 or 4 times/week. When the Rod's is fully melted it has a lot of really fine plankton-like content. I haven't been target feeding it though.

I bought some more zoas about 2 weeks ago. They have remained normal looking.

 

Is it close to another coral?

I believe expansion like that is usually a result of chemical/nettling warfare? I would think it is getting enough food if it can elongate its tentacles like that. I have read where corals/anemones will change their nettling shape to fight of one another. So that would be my first thought. I would also doubt it is a light issue. Longer tentacles would shade the center, where the zooathealgella lives (I think that is where it lives), thus result in less light getting to the part that needs it. I do not believe the zooalthegela is in the tentacles. But, I could be wrong.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

I preface this by saying it's just an opinion as I don't know the cold hard facts.

The color has lightened, and the skirt has lengthened. I would guess that in nature tentacles would elongate if the coral feels it needs to increase the means by which it gathers sustenance. Corals change color when they go from one lighting scheme to another, so it's probably no great concern that the color has faded or bleached somewhat. My guess is that the elongation of the fingers is to get more light or food.

I just got a green star polyp that exhibited the same transformation. The fingers of the polyps got longer, while the color somewhat deadened. However, it looks no less healthy. Dunno. ??

Good luck!!

 

Any new thoughts on this?

 

my Armor of God Zoa's tentacles elongate a little after I dose the tank with zooplankton. Which I wouldn't have expected, but it happens every time. The polyps themselves extend outwards (get longer) too at these times.

 

what kind of flow is it in. I have been told that they grow their tenticles longer if they are in low flow. It was probably in high flow at the LFS before you bought it, which would be why the tenticles were shorter

 

I just bumped the thread for more info as my zoas tentacles are elongated. I bought them this way though with the almost pig-tail tentacles. They're loving being at the top of the tank right in the mid-flow area so I was just curious......

When these corals start to go downhill is it pretty fast? Just curious as I've been reading up as much as I can.

I've also read varying studies with low vs higher lighting and I'm really just trying to see what works best for everyone.