Do long stalks mean polyps want more light?

[MyLittleReef]

What's the consensus on long stalks of palys? Does that definitely mean they want more light or do some just naturally and always have a long trunk? I'm looking to rearrange things in my tank and finally glue some stuff down permanently and couldn't find a definitive answer on this while searching the net. I saw where people argued over whether or not it was due to flow or light. One example going on in my tank: I have two kinds that are glued on the same piece of small rock and one is short and grows polyps close together and the other looks like tall daisies.

Also I'm beginning to doubt more and more the difference of zoas and palys... protopalys I think are definitely different, but I've got palys that behave like zoas and zoas that behave like palys. Sometimes the tentacles change from stubby to elongated or curly and vice versa.

 

[TommyP]

What's the consensus on long stalks of palys? Does that definitely mean they want more light or do some just naturally and always have a long trunk? I'm looking to rearrange things in my tank and finally glue some stuff down permanently and couldn't find a definitive answer on this while searching the net. I saw where people argued over whether or not it was due to flow or light. One example going on in my tank: I have two kinds that are glued on the same piece of small rock and one is short and grows polyps close together and the other looks like tall daisies.

Also I'm beginning to doubt more and more the difference of zoas and palys... protopalys I think are definitely different, but I've got palys that behave like zoas and zoas that behave like palys. Sometimes the tentacles change from stubby to elongated or curly and vice versa.

Following for sure. I would like to know for the same reason. Some of my polyps stand tall and some are close together and low to the plug or tile.

 

[rookie07]

I think some are naturally short, and some are naturally long. With that said, i think that some can grow longer when they need to in order to get closer to a light source or to extended over another coral/etc.

 

[DallasNYC]

I agree that some zoas have naturally longer stocks than others.
But a long stretching stock could be a sign of low light or competing for light.
It's just experimentation for me.

As for the difference between zoas and palys, I always understood they only real way to tell the difference is that palys incorporate sand or other things they find into their stalks. But I've seen post where people even argue that. I could care less which they are as long as I like them.

 

[troywalkerphoto]

Could one of the zoa traders/garden keepers chime in pls. I have zoa that have never spread from the same rock or even moved except to close. Then I have others that stretch and spread like a plague! Following!

 

[BioMan]

Also following, I have a set of zoas who's stalks are a hardy 2-3" long!

 

[BAD FISH]

imo some grow in a mat like form where there attached by flesh and others drop seedlings wich can float pretty far from the original polyp. Sometimes you can even see the little white speckles. With that said I have to agree with rookie about stalk size/extension

 

[Dre]

Over dose of some elements/trace elements can cause them to elongate

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

I've had my corals in different placements and noticed a difference in stalk length. This is not genetics, elements/trace elements in my observations. I place the blame strictly on light. You can notice on my overhanging zoas that the ones in direct light are short stalk vs those under a slight arch stalks are stretching as needed.

I would place the zoas higher and see the results yourself!