Any insight or advise...

[Sn4k33Y3z]

Hello all,

I'm in my first year at reef keeping and while I've learned a lot, there is certainly more knowledge for me to gain. I've got a 93g mixed reef.

Parameters: Cal- 425
ALK- 9.8
MAG- 1600
Nitrate- .5
Nitrite- 0
Amm.- 0
I perform 10% water changes weekly. I dilligent in testing my water conditions. I'm running one MP40 for flow. I've got a maxspect razor for lighting. I used all dry base rock and "live" special grade sand. I'm two moths post cycle. I did have a bit of a hair algae outbreak (new tank), but have gotten through the storm. My light cycle is 10 hours.


Live stock-

mated pair of puzzel clowns
cleaner shrimp
2 emerald crabs
20 blue legs
20 red legs
halloween crab
lawnmower blenny
20 asteria snails
4 narssarious snails
4 turbo snails


On to the issue. Two out of the four Zoa frags have receeded (not opening up). My Rasta polyp was doing great and started to spring a baby, then for no reason closed up one day when it fell on the sand bed. I blew it off and reposistioned it. Thinking it was ****** and would open up again maybe by the next day (it hasn't in a week...). Then my six keds red polyps closed up for no reason gradually (I noticed this because I was dilligently looking after the rasta), until they were all closed. I can see a hint of red on the polyps but no progress (4 days). I've also got a frag of green radioactives that's completly uneffected. The same goes for a frag of fire and ice... Reactively, I've reef dipped both of the rastas and keds red in reef dip but no success. I've observed my tank numerous times at night to see if anything was getting at them and to no avail NOTHING. I've read claims of Vit. C and I'm not sold on this for a solution.

I'm curious if anyone has any additional tips or thoughts as to what I can do. They polyps look to be there in-tack but lack life. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Jake

 

[glb]

You might try squirting them with a turkey baster to clean them. Sand and other junk can get under them and irritate them.

 

[glb]

You could also move them to different parts of the tank to see if they'll be happier somewhere else.

 

[feh]

You might want to cut back on your lighting time or move them further from the light. Are you ramping the LEDs up/down in your 10hr cycle? Also as mentioned you might want to move them to a higher/lower flow area. I have had issues with shrimp picking at my corals when feeding. Usually my LPS. My skunk cleaner was the worst when trying to grab food, but you did mention you have observed at night for predators so I would assume you would have seen that happening. Got pics? Any white spots or algae or anything growing up the stalks? There are spiders that eat zoas see pic below. Not all zoas have the same light/flow needs. Also just because you used all dry rock doesn't mean something can't hitch hike in.

 

[duke4130]

If it is not pests then I would recommend bringing down your mag. Your max Mag should be 1500.... Zoas and LPS seem do fine in the 1350-1400 range in my experience. Another thing is that your Alk is high.... I would keep that around 9dkh

 

[tuna_bullet]

If it is not pests then I would recommend bringing down your mag. Your max Mag should be 1500.... Zoas and LPS seem do fine in the 1350-1400 range in my experience. Another thing is that your Alk is high.... I would keep that around 9dkh

+1......... i run 1350 mag and 8.3 and whats your Phos reading?

 

[Sn4k33Y3z]

thanks for the feedback.

It's interesting, because I never done anything to raise my my Mag from the start... From day one I've used nothing but Salinity Salt. I use all RedSea Pro test kits also. Far as my Alk, I was told 10.0 was the sweet spot... I did raise my Alk (A & B) from 7.7 to 9.8 gradually. Perhaps this is where issue(s) lye... Thoughts?

 

[tuna_bullet]

thanks for the feedback.

It's interesting, because I never done anything to raise my my Mag from the start... From day one I've used nothing but Salinity Salt. I use all RedSea Pro test kits also. Far as my Alk, I was told 10.0 was the sweet spot... I did raise my Alk (A & B) from 7.7 to 9.8 gradually. Perhaps this is where issue(s) lye... Thoughts?

A lot of sps guys will run high alk and mag to keep up with the demand of the coral, but softies dont consume alk and cal/

 

[Dylan J.]

One thing that I've always learned when keeping a mixed reef its hard to have all the corals happy because what makes the SPS and LPS happy doesnt make the leathers and softies happy. When it come to Rasta they are very sensitive to things and the same with People Eater Zoas, one thing u might want to look into is the origin of the zoas. Why i say this some zoas are deep water meaning they like very little light and cold water with low flow and some zoas are shallow water meaning higher water temps, faster currents and even brighter light. Also another tip I've learned keeping mixed reefs is its a pain in the neck haha Zoas love the water to be dirty meaning they dont want that protien skimmer on the tank what so ever and only to do water changes every 2-3weeks, but when this happens LPS is ussually fine with it (depending on the type of LPS, acans, frogspawn, octospawn, hammers, candy canes/trumpets all love it) but the SPS will be hating it, keep in mind there are a few that dont mind it. In my tank I learn more towards zoas then anything else and as far as SPS goes I can only keep birdsnests and cats paw, any other facier sps doesnt do to well.


Now I'm not saying its impossible to keep them all together but if want more sps with some zoas, the clean water and high live is going to win and then that limits you on what zoas are going to do good in your tank. Same if you want more Zoas in the tank then its going to limit SPS because u want to meet the zoas needs more. Its pretty hard to keep a happy medium.

 

[Sn4k33Y3z]

Great feedback!

I'm certainly keeping more LPS then anything (chalice, favia, scoly, lepto). The only SPS I have is an ORA green birdsnest and an awesome red satosa. Other then that, it's LPS and Zoa's. You mentioned looking into the orgin of the particula Zoa. Is there a website that your getting your information from? I would like to keep a couple specific LE Zoa's and if that specific information is available, I'd love to know where I can find it.

Thanks!

 

[Dylan J.]

For my zoas I pretty much just googles the name of the zoa/paly and just do research on their origin, but this isnt always the case. Some zoas/palys are famous to just be a pain in the neck, Bowsers, rastas, darth mauls, utter chaos and etc they known for getting bleached or closing up and melting. Sometimes they super sensitive even to adjusting to lights when switching to a different tank. I had some utter chaos that i had gotten that they were doing good for about a week or 2 in my tank n popped 2 new heads then began to bleach and then closed up, i ended up having to throw them under a ledge of rocks in the sand. then they began to reopen and gain color and after having them for 2 months theyre still in the sand and slowly moving them towards the light. This just shows you how sensitive some zoas are.