Help: Zoanthid Health Issues

[Pete H.]

Hey Guys!

I have some zoas that for some reason are not looking so good. They shrunk up almost over night and are now really small and kind of melting on the surface. Any idea what might be causing it? Parameters Am 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5, pH 8.1, phos 0, alk 7.5-8, calc 460, sal 1.0255, temp 79. I have been dripping Kalk . I run a turf scrubber and skimmer but no carbon or GFO .

Example, one of my colonies looked like this the night before and then the day after:

I have several other colonies that look just fine. Maybe 25+. However, there are 3-4 that are affected:

The really strange thing is the green bay packer zoas in the last picture had this happen to it first. After a week, it started coming back. (When I shot the photo.) but now they are looking like the zoas on the top. Is it a bacterial infection? or? It seems to happen randomly around the tank. Not one area, so not stinging corals? could it be chemical warfare? Do I need to start running carbon? My sps are growing great, so water quality should be good.

I just don't know what is going on. I have checked at night several nights, no nudi's, sundial snails, spiders, copepods, bristleworms, or anything eating/attacking them. I am just baffled. (Periodically, my tang will nibble at the skirt of a few, but nothing serious.) The heads seem to shrink up and slightly jell over. A couple of the bigger zoas it looks like the polyp is actually constricting under the head and pinching it. Then it shrinks down and when some open back up, the zoa seems to be missing the skirt.

Ask any questions you think I may have not answered that may help determine this issue. I need the experts help! So, any R2R help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[Pete H.]

Bump! Looking for help.

Please? ...

 

[gordonj1]

Did you frag recently or add any new corals I. The last 2 weeks? I would guess that you have a nudibranch issue or a bacterial infection. Try dipping the colonies in an iodine soln

 

[joshporksandwich]

How long did you have them before they started doing that? Did you change anything recently?

 

[Pete H.]

Did you frag recently or add any new corals I. The last 2 weeks? I would guess that you have a nudibranch issue or a bacterial infection. Try dipping the colonies in an iodine soln

I did frag some corals recently. Not those however. I have looked for zoa nudibranchs but have yet to see a single one. I am wondering if it is bacterial but am not terribly familiar with them. The colony that I have shown in the first set of pictures I have had for over a year. Then overnight did this. I have tried some dips (Coral RX and Brightwell aquatics) to my frags. Have yet to see much improvement from it.

How long did you have them before they started doing that? Did you change anything recently?

Some of them I had for over a year. (Specifically the first set of pictures.) Others, were 6 month plus. A few were for 2 months. None of these were brand new frags or even recently fragged. No major changes to the tank. I have been adding corals to the tank, but have been dipping everything before it goes in. No changes to lights, or to fish, or to flow, or filtration.

 

[defugium]

I had something like that happen to me my zoas started looking like crap dipped them ect going though what would be the problem. What I figured out was my tank was too clean. I have a lot of sps in my tank. I started target feeding my z an ps 2-3 times a week with in a few weeks they look even better then ever. Now they grow like weeds

 

[Pete H.]

I had something like that happen to me my zoas started looking like crap dipped them ect going though what would be the problem. What I figured out was my tank was too clean. I have a lot of sps in my tank. I started target feeding my z an ps 2-3 times a week with in a few weeks they look even better then ever. Now they grow like weeds

Did they close up and slowly melt away? I feed the tank alot. Daily with a frozen reef based food. Just trying to figure out how to correct it.

 

[defugium]

Yeah they slowly started melting I started target feeding coral frenzy they perk up pretty quick

 

[Pete H.]

Thanks. I will look to start target feeding and see if that helps.

 

[defugium]

Yeah give it a shot just don't do it more then 3 times a week I did that an got some nasty cyano was a pain to get rid of

 

[Pete H.]

Yeah, I am noticing I already have some nasty cyano growing on the back glass in the corners where the flow is a bit lower. That will add a difficult twist to the equation.

 

[defugium]

Skim wet, raise your mag up slowly 1600 and increase water flow the should get rid of it

 

[defugium]

Also use some airline tubing to get it out. I have a nasty fight with that stuff took a little bit to win. After dealing with the cyano I only target feed lol
Let me know if that works out for your zoas

 

[Pete H.]

Also use some airline tubing to get it out. I have a nasty fight with that stuff took a little bit to win. After dealing with the cyano I only target feed lol
Let me know if that works out for your zoas

Thanks for the pointers! I will keep everyone posted in a few weeks/months about how it is going. If anyone else has ideas, let me know. would be interested in hearing those as well.