Different colonies of same zoas melting

[zack801]

so I’ve got 3 separate 20+ polyp bowser colonies that out of no where look like there melting. I’ve got quite a few colonies of other types of zoas doing fine. Anyone else experience this? I had some AOG start melting a few months back that I ended up fragging and now they’re back in numbers greater than before. Any ideas or theories on what the heck is going on? It’s very interesting (stressful as well) that it seems to be affecting the same type of zoas and completely different colonies

 

[wattson]

.

 

[A. grandis]

"Melting" is too vague.
There are many things that could be happening there from water quality, to wrong light and even pathogens.
People will need more info and pictures to help you out with this one...
Grandis.

 

[zack801]

I will get some pics in the morning when the lights are back on.
Parameters:
Alk 8.6
Calcium 460
Mag: 1500
Nitrate .4pm
Phosphate: .05ppm
Temp 77.5-78.5

Only thing that changed was a file fish I added for aptasia. Was in less than a week and saw these guys start to look irritated so I pulled him out in case he was nibbling them. I was thinking maybe the fie fish was going for the bowsers and stressing the out enough that they start melting.

 

[zack801]

Here are some pics of my bowsers and comparison to other colonies in my tank that seem unphased. I do have a scribbled rabbitfish and an emerald as far as other possible culprits. but I don’t know if he’d be going after them or not. I did order some vitamin c from the other thread to see if this helps. Any other thoughts would be awesome

 

[wattson]

I would consider Mag on the high side..
Some cases of what your see melting is from high Po4 or Alk/salinity swings .
Some zoas react differently and dome melt..
Lighting and lack of nutrients a factor too but would lean towards the above bring stated first ..
Some just melt for no reason at all.
Zoas are considered beginners corals but they are the most finicky of them all

 

[zack801]

I think the mag is within acceptable range and likely not the culprit. I’m tempted to frag what I can and let those grow out again it’s just hard to restart like that. It worked out for my AOG. Might try dipping in H2o2 and see if that helps

 

[littlebigreef]

Not that its any consolation but I've experienced the same zoa colony/frags melt in multiple locations in an aquarium while other strains are unfazed. I don't have an explanation for this but I've had it occur twice. Following along to see what others have to say.

 

[zack801]

To me the strange thing is it’s all bowsers and they are all separate colonies

 

[A. grandis]

Dip them for 3 - 5 minutes in 8 -10 oz of tank water with 3 drops of Lugol's solution twice a day.
Make sure they have a nice flow, but not too strong!
I would get some "white" lights going for them. It's too blue...
Grandis.

 

[littlebigreef]

To me the strange thing is it’s all bowsers and they are all separate colonies

I know, it sucks, sorry bud. The second time I thought it may have been lights, perhaps clove polyps choking out a mother colony... idk. Water params were on point. I'm a fanatical believer in luegols dips, didn't make a lick of difference.

 

[zack801]

I’ve got my whites at about 30% during peak I’m not sure spectrum is that big of a deal since I’ve had these zoas under these setting for 6 months at least. It’s more blue I’m the photos because it was early morning and the lights were still ramping. I have a feeling this is sort of an unanswerable question since parameters are on point and not fluctuating, I don’t have pests that harm zoas and everything else is doing fine.

 

[O.C.D.]

I’ve got my whites at about 30% during peak I’m not sure spectrum is that big of a deal since I’ve had these zoas under these setting for 6 months at least. It’s more blue I’m the photos because it was early morning and the lights were still ramping. I have a feeling this is sort of an unanswerable question since parameters are on point and not fluctuating, I don’t have pests that harm zoas and everything else is doing fine.

I've had the same problem with Bowser's as well everything else in the tank will be doing fine but for some reason those seem to turn really easy

 

[A. grandis]

I’ve got my whites at about 30% during peak I’m not sure spectrum is that big of a deal since I’ve had these zoas under these setting for 6 months at least. It’s more blue I’m the photos because it was early morning and the lights were still ramping. I have a feeling this is sort of an unanswerable question since parameters are on point and not fluctuating, I don’t have pests that harm zoas and everything else is doing fine.

Fine is relative to me. I just put this way: in the ocean the majority of the zoas coming to the hobby will get decent shallow water illumination, not "blue LED spectrum". It's too artificial, meaning far from natural blue spectrum found in the ocean. But this is only my personal opinion. I know many stores and hobbyists thick different. They learn what they've been told...
Grandis.