I think there really is a high possibility that these fungi colonies were transferred from mostly the Carribean shipments. Some of you might be aware of the Gorgonian fungi infestation that has been going on in the Carribeans since the 1999. They are infested with Aspergilius which derives from soil fungus in the Sahara desert or the agriculture lands nearby. I'm almost positive that these zoas and palys are being infected with Aspergilius, though I don't know which exactly...I wish I had the tools to figure it out exactly. Anyway, there are plenty of pharmaceutical products that are designed to fight Aspergilius, but the problem is most of them are designed for human dosage, expensive, or need a prescription to purchase. One of easier ones to get would be the cream used for yeast infections...but that would be somewhat awkward for me to get. Also, I'm not sure how one would apply the cream onto the affected zoas. Another option for something you can use as a dip or an antifungal dosing agent would be Sporanox, which comes in powder and liquid form but then again, it's about $150 for a small bottle and you would need a prescription. If you search around, there are many other antifungal agents out there that could be tested against Aspergilius on these zoas and palys. It's just the difficulty of obtaining them and the cost.
Getting so frustrated with zoas/palys
- Thread starter THE BEAUT
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anomie
Active Member
I've ingested Grapefruit seed extract at the recommendation of an herbalist. (years ago during my health-kick) If I'm remembering correctly, it was supposed to be an antifungal treatment of some kind and readily available at health food stores. I diluted it into milk and drank it. I wonder if that would work for our zoas and dilute in SW?
Hmm i lost a pretty big chunk of my tub's blues i moved them to higher flow and have seem to recover and they are opening back up again. What does this fungus everyone is talking about look like??? Usually if i see something on my zoa's skin i just rub it off and some of my palys are tough they aren't even bothered by me touching them they stay wide open like i'm not bothering them???
I really think there is something up with Lunar Eclipse... I've seen a few other talk about them melting for no clear reason while other zoanthids remain fine. I had one frag that absolutely exploded and grew like mad, then one day it started melting away one polyp at a time, everything else in the tank remained perfectly healthy. I bought another small frag to try them again later but I think they were goners from the start, maybe due to some shipping issues.
JeffReef
Got Zoa Pox?
Weird - I too lost 3 large colonies that I've had for about a year. I experienced a sudden zoa pox infestation with no new corals introduced within the last 3 months. What's more weird is that the colonies that got affected were all about a year old in my tank and none of the newer zoas were infected even those within very close proximety to those with zoa pox.
OP
OP
THE BEAUT
Luv Golf
Do you guys think it is "normal" that there are that many dif species together in one inclosed environment. Most of us have 20+ dif zoas/palys in one enclosed system. Do they exist like this in the ocean. Are we putting undue stress on them by having that many dif morphs competing for space, even though they are not touching etc. I dont know just trying to figure out why.
Phishwater
New Member
Over the past several days I have been having a zoa pox outbreak. I have added a few new additions over the past two weeks, but none of them are infected. It has hit several different frags, all of which I have had for a few months and have been healthy up til now.
Zoa pox are not as bad any more now that there is a cure>>>>Furan2.
Have you had any temp fluctuations in your tank? The only time I have seen pox show up for me is when the temps fluctuate....
Check your Nitrate levels. I had a few colonies melt on me and it looked like some sort of fungus from the detoration of the polyps. I dipped all my colonies and lost them. Good thing they werent any of the good ones you guys have lol. So my lost was not that painfull other than the dead spots on my rock. Also one thing i learned always keep a frag tank with a few polyps from the ones you adore. This way you have backups to either trade or replinish from if any die completley off. Friends are good to keeps backups at as well 
. I have had several friends that zoas started to melt and seemed to be fungus like behavior and it was nothing more than nitrates being hight. Good luck. Im willing to keep some backups for you as well LOL
. I have had several friends that zoas started to melt and seemed to be fungus like behavior and it was nothing more than nitrates being hight. Good luck. Im willing to keep some backups for you as well LOL 
impur
GO DUCKS!!!
Did anything come of this? I'm experiencing the same with my Lunar eclipses. I have 2 frags in different spots. My oldest frag of about 15 polyps melted away last week, the 2nd frag is fine and unaffected. But i have similar problems occuring in 90% of my zoas at this point. Oddly the other lunar eclipse, PHEs, RPEs, NGs, PDs are all fine. PPE, rainbows, candy apple red, candy apple green, tubs....the list goes on, are all slowely withering away.
This made me setup a QT tank just for new arrivals. I dip them and leave in the qt tank for a while. I think when i had heavy nitrates my zoos/palys seemed too not mind. when i cleaned up my parameters things started too turn. plus i added a few colonys from the wild about the same time
OP
OP
THE BEAUT
Luv Golf
Well i have a follow up. It seems to have stopped and the polyps are growing back again. I think i know what it might have been, not sure though. I dose B ionic and thought i had the right dosage. Well i tested and my Alk was 15 and my Ca over 500. I fixed the dosage and it seems to have made a dif. Maybe it was the cause, maybe it wasnt. But all my zoas and palys are doing well now. The jokers have almost completely recovered. The x men polyps that are left are looking healthy.
Pufferpunk
Valuable Member
The same thing is happening to my Lunars too. For the past 4 years of zoakeeping, I have lost entire colonies from this--1 after another--some that are years old. Others are still doing great. My problem is most of my zoas are growing right onto my rockwork. There is no way to dip them. What about treating the entire tank witn Maracyn or Maracyn 2? It says it won't hurt the biological bacteria in a tank. What am I to do???
Great I have a few frags that are starting to get the white bumps on them but my QT tank is being used atm. I am fresh out or Furgan 2 but I have the lugols will this help to dip them with that? I will be getting the QT tank soon and setting it up and putting all of my frags to dip them. What do you guys think?
aquarius77
¡ Viva la revolución!
Some of my oldest zoas are starting to look bell shaped and real small and then gone. The rest of the tank for the most part appears healthy and there are no signs of pox or fungus on the affected coral.
Zoos arent beginner corals imo. I have had a fair ammount of issues with them within the past 6 months and now that i think about it i had gotten some carib zoos in right around that time. A few frags melted from that shipment, a few hung on for a while, one recently closed up and came off the rock and floated around for a few days while it deterioated....
I have an easier time keeping sps i think, at least you can see what kills them in most cases.
Zoos arent beginner corals imo. I have had a fair ammount of issues with them within the past 6 months and now that i think about it i had gotten some carib zoos in right around that time. A few frags melted from that shipment, a few hung on for a while, one recently closed up and came off the rock and floated around for a few days while it deterioated....
I have an easier time keeping sps i think, at least you can see what kills them in most cases.
aquarius77
¡ Viva la revolución!
Well i added a bit of iodine and the zoos have come around somewhat, they still look horrible but i dont think ill be loosing them like i thought at one point.
Here is a pic, you can still see a few bad polyps in the middle but for the most part they are open again.
I hear so much about how corals come out of the water at low tide... Im wondering if maybe being submerged constantly is havving and effect on some of these guys. I also wonder about how the moon cycles and such affect our tanks, even though my tank never sees the sun nor moon I belive it could possibly still have an effect.
How often do corals come out of the water and wich corals would they be, SPS or what, everything? Does it only happen in fiji or do carib or aussie corals get exposed as well? Its alot to think about when one colony of zoos is going south while it sits next to one that is fine.
This is what they used to look like:
Here is a pic, you can still see a few bad polyps in the middle but for the most part they are open again.
I hear so much about how corals come out of the water at low tide... Im wondering if maybe being submerged constantly is havving and effect on some of these guys. I also wonder about how the moon cycles and such affect our tanks, even though my tank never sees the sun nor moon I belive it could possibly still have an effect.
How often do corals come out of the water and wich corals would they be, SPS or what, everything? Does it only happen in fiji or do carib or aussie corals get exposed as well? Its alot to think about when one colony of zoos is going south while it sits next to one that is fine.
This is what they used to look like:
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Pufferpunk
Valuable Member
Wow, how disappointing to see them looking that poorly. Still swearing by my vitamin C treatment.
aquarius77
¡ Viva la revolución!
I am following your progress, waiting to see how it goes long term in different tanks. I agree that we need people to try things out, but with as many changes as my system has just been through, i dont think im a great canidate. Keep up the good work and keep us updated.
