Are my zoas dying?

immo · Feb 13, 2023

I added these zoas on 2/7, had an aiptasia (didn't know what it was - great being a noob), tried to super glue him a couple times without avail. Finally, I got him with some boiling RO, and sucked him back up in the syringe. Did a water change on 2/12 of 4 gal (26%), kept with the same salt, salinity perfectly matched, and temp within 1 degree. These zoas have never opened up but just a couple polyps around day 2-3, and have been closed since. I noticed today what appears to be some white film floating off of them, and I'm not sure if it's an issue. Also, not particularly sure why they aren't opening up, or if I damaged them trying to get rid of the aiptasia. Anybody have any advice? Parameters - Ammonia - 0.25 Nitrite - 2 ppm (API test kit, also already led me to believe it's inaccurate) and Nitrate - 20 ppm. My clown seems to be doing fine, as well as my other zoas (nuclear green non - micro).

Mr. Mojo Rising · Feb 13, 2023

how old is the tank? The parameters suggest the tank is still cycling. Should hold off on corals (and fish) until the tank completes the cycle and stabilizes a little.

immo · Feb 13, 2023

The tank is about 5 weeks old. Cycled with Brightwell, and Fritz (more to that story) but I thought I was following recommendation here from the stuck cycle thread, that once nitrate showed up, the tank was cycled, that nitrite was not accurate because of the test I use (API), and even checked with my LFS (I get my stuff at wholesale, so there's no real reason to try to sell me more stuff), and they even agreed, to stock the tank. Slow, but stock it.

ptrick21186 · Feb 13, 2023

Stock with fish first....slowly. I wouldn't add corals till at least 6 months

Cyanohater · Feb 13, 2023

ptrick21186 said:
Stock with fish first....slowly. I wouldn't add corals till at least 6 months

I wouldn't wait 6 months to add corals. but that's me and I have done this several times times now. maybe a beginner should wait, though if they follow careful instructions it's perfectly acceptable to add some softies a month or two after the cycle is done and fish are thriving. this is considering parameters are acceptable and aren't swinging to much. I've had reefs that I've added torches, hammers in that have grown and never showed signs of stress only after a month with fish etc.

Cyanohater · Feb 13, 2023

immo said:
I added these zoas on 2/7, had an aiptasia (didn't know what it was - great being a noob), tried to super glue him a couple times without avail. Finally, I got him with some boiling RO, and sucked him back up in the syringe. Did a water change on 2/12 of 4 gal (26%), kept with the same salt, salinity perfectly matched, and temp within 1 degree. These zoas have never opened up but just a couple polyps around day 2-3, and have been closed since. I noticed today what appears to be some white film floating off of them, and I'm not sure if it's an issue. Also, not particularly sure why they aren't opening up, or if I damaged them trying to get rid of the aiptasia. Anybody have any advice? Parameters - Ammonia - 0.25 Nitrite - 2 ppm (API test kit, also already led me to believe it's inaccurate) and Nitrate - 20 ppm. My clown seems to be doing fine, as well as my other zoas (nuclear green non - micro).

however I would say the tank isn't ready for corals like I said you probably want to have a few fish living in it first. zoanthids would be happier in that case anyway considering they tend to like dirtier water.

Cyanohater · Feb 13, 2023

immo said:
I added these zoas on 2/7, had an aiptasia (didn't know what it was - great being a noob), tried to super glue him a couple times without avail. Finally, I got him with some boiling RO, and sucked him back up in the syringe. Did a water change on 2/12 of 4 gal (26%), kept with the same salt, salinity perfectly matched, and temp within 1 degree. These zoas have never opened up but just a couple polyps around day 2-3, and have been closed since. I noticed today what appears to be some white film floating off of them, and I'm not sure if it's an issue. Also, not particularly sure why they aren't opening up, or if I damaged them trying to get rid of the aiptasia. Anybody have any advice? Parameters - Ammonia - 0.25 Nitrite - 2 ppm (API test kit, also already led me to believe it's inaccurate) and Nitrate - 20 ppm. My clown seems to be doing fine, as well as my other zoas (nuclear green non - micro).

oh wait, I see you have a clownfish in there, what size is the tank? can I see some other pics of the other zoas?

immo · Feb 13, 2023

IM Fusion 15 AIO

Cyanohater · Feb 13, 2023

immo said:
IM Fusion 15 AIO

hmm that's strange that these look as healthy as can be, and the others are closed up. Is there anything you see on the other zoas? maybe try a dip? you said you used boiling water to combat an aiptasia on the zoa frag maybe you accidently hit the zoas and it damaged their tissue. at any rate the zoas in the first pic don't seem discolored/white just closed up.

Kasrift · Feb 13, 2023

Cyanohater said:
hmm that's strange that these look as healthy as can be, and the others are closed up. Is there anything you see on the other zoas? maybe try a dip? you said you used boiling water to combat an aiptasia on the zoa frag maybe you accidently hit the zoas and it damaged their tissue. at any rate the zoas in the first pic don't seem discolored/white just closed up.

It's just the glueing of the aiptasia and boiling RO water injection you did. Just let them settle in. Zoas are resilient and a great call if you are going to throw corals in quickly. I added my first zoas at 4 weeks or so, so very similar.

immo · Feb 13, 2023

I'm sure that I got the zoas with some of the boiling water as they're micros (one single polyp is about the size of the tip of a syringe) but they were also closed when I was hunting the aiptasia. I figured I would most likely damage a polyp or two, but the anemone was getting down in the frag where I couldn't get at it with anything else. I read that aiptasia-x would also kill zoas, so I didn't want to just try to cover it with that, and I had already tried the super glue, and failed. I've also tried multiple locations within the tank to see if it was a light/flow issue, and nothing has changed. I seen the white film, and wasn't sure if it could be another issue. I'm not sure if you can zoom in on the picture to see it, but I went so far as to use my Sony mirrorless to get a better representation of what I'm seeing.

immo · Feb 13, 2023

Speaking at the super glue - I imagine there's no way to remove that super glue now without further damaging the polyps?

Kasrift · Feb 14, 2023

immo said:
Speaking at the super glue - I imagine there's no way to remove that super glue now without further damaging the polyps?

Yeah, just leave it. Like I said, you just ticked them off, but assuming you have your parameters right, even as a new tank zoas can thrive. Heck, I just started my first 10 gallon frag tank to throw extra stuff in within the last month and just threw the zoas in there, no acclimation or anything from my display tank. Granted I'm using the same salt, but didn't temp check or anything. They will be fine.