Melting Zoa, could it be coffee grindings

[Robinski]

Hi there.
I have had a tank for 3mths. It was 2nd hand and I put quie a few zoas in it.

I then
(1) removed the perspex sheet I used as a cover to stop fish jumping and replaced with mesh.
(2) replaced the aquaone minireef default light with an AI Hydra 32 (set at 45% BRS settings with 15 day aclimation
(3) installed an auto topup a few days after the mesh top resulted in more evap.
(4) had a gobby die which I couldn't find the carcass of (have a crab which I expect ate it). It was a new fish didn't eat much, started eating but hid under rocks 90% of the time and I never saw it again since I changed the light. Waited a few days then moved some rocks and it wasn't there any more.

Now I have reduced the light intensity, done more frequent water changes with NSW (which is what I normally use). I can't seem to stop the downward trend on 50% of the zoas. The other 50% are doing ok, not as good as before my tank changes but ok.

I just had a brain wave. I keep the used coffee grinding from my coffee machine (the tub I bash the spent grinding into) on the kitchen ledge between two rooms about a foot (30cm) away from the tank. Could this possibly be the problem? When th perspex lid was on the grinding smell was kept out of the tank.....what do you all think?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I dont think its the coffee smell. I think the tank is still too new, fish shouldnt die and corals shouldnt melt.

I would take it as a sign to be more patient and continue to practice good husbandry, and maybe try again next month.

 

[Robinski]

I dont think its the coffee smell. I think the tank is still too new, fish shouldnt die and corals shouldnt melt.

I would take it as a sign to be more patient and continue to practice good husbandry, and maybe try again next month.

Tank isn't new, it is 2yrs old, I got it second hand 3mths ago but brought everything from last place including water.

The goby wouldn't eat. I went to the fish shop and all their other gobbies were dying too due to not eating. Wild caught straight to pet store, not adjusted to frozen food. The few times I managed to get some cephalopods from the sea when I grabbed NSW he woofed them down, just wouldn't eat frozen.

I am trying to figure out what caused my issues so that I can practice good husbandry.

People have said candles cause issues so I was just wondering if coffee could.
I am having trouble pin pointing the issue that is all.

Parameters are:
Salinity 1.026
Temp 24c
Kh 7
Nitrate 0.25
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0
Don't measure Ca or Mg.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Tank isn't new, it is 2yrs old, I got it second hand 3mths ago but brought everything from last place including water.

The goby wouldn't eat. I went to the fish shop and all their other gobbies were dying too due to not eating. Wild caught straight to pet store, not adjusted to frozen food. The few times I managed to get some cephalopods from the sea when I grabbed NSW he woofed them down, just wouldn't eat frozen.

I am trying to figure out what caused my issues so that I can practice good husbandry.

People have said candles cause issues so I was just wondering if coffee could.
I am having trouble pin pointing the issue that is all.

Parameters are:
Salinity 1.026
Temp 24c
Kh 7
Nitrate 0.25
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0
Don't measure Ca or Mg.

Zoa need nitrates to live. You need to raise that. Also, 24C is way too cold for most stuff. 26C is what I run my tank at and I have tons of zoa.

 

[3429810]

Alk is getting low, nitrate is low and phosphate is low. I would think especially with soft and lps corals they need a bit more nutrients in the water. You should probably be measuring both parameters you aren’t as well. What test kits are you using?

on the topic of the fish death you may have something in your tank that will cause you to have to fallow for a certain time period. I would probably just do that to be safe an qt any new fish. Is there any other fish in the tank currently?

 

[elysics]

0 phosphate is a coral killer, depending on what you measure with and how close to 0 it actually is. Nitrate is low too. 24C is fine though, i know of successful acro tanks intentionally set at that and have a small pico sitting on my table full of zoas at room temperature and they aren't melting

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tank isn't new, it is 2yrs old, I got it second hand 3mths ago but brought everything from last place including water.

The goby wouldn't eat. I went to the fish shop and all their other gobbies were dying too due to not eating. Wild caught straight to pet store, not adjusted to frozen food. The few times I managed to get some cephalopods from the sea when I grabbed NSW he woofed them down, just wouldn't eat frozen.

I am trying to figure out what caused my issues so that I can practice good husbandry.

People have said candles cause issues so I was just wondering if coffee could.
I am having trouble pin pointing the issue that is all.

Parameters are:
Salinity 1.026
Temp 24c
Kh 7
Nitrate 0.25
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0
Don't measure Ca or Mg.

kh low (8-11)
ammonia and Phos at zero - What test kits are you using ?

There are a number of factors why zoas close up. Some are water movement/flow as zoas do not require the consistent high flow conditions that SPS corals do. I would consider a moderate flow environment ideal but Zoanthids, like most corals, can adapt to low or high flow. In high flow, you will typically see polyps grow closer to the rock with shorter stalks. Another is lack of feeding and food as infrequent feeding and ultra low nutrient conditions can lead to entire colony meltdowns. Target feeding is not a requirement as Zoanthids are photosynthetic. I have found that target feeding Zoanthids always provides mixed results, when a food particle falls onto the polyps.

Back to parameters, good water quality is a must.
dKH: 8.0 - 10.0
Calcium: 420 - 440
Magnesium: 1300 - 1350
Iodine: Maintained via regular water changes or manually at small dosages
Temperature: 78-79 degrees
pH: 8.1-8.3
Phosphates: .02 - .03
Nitrates < 5

Asterina stars, little tiny tiny spiders and nudibranchs also will make them miserable to point of death as will aptasia, worms like spinoids or vermetid snails. A few things to look for.
Hope this helps

 

[JGT]

Coffee might be making your fish and zoas jittery but it’s not melting the zoas. Focus on your params.

 

[Robinski]

kh low (8-11)
ammonia and Phos at zero - What test kits are you using ?

There are a number of factors why zoas close up. Some are water movement/flow as zoas do not require the consistent high flow conditions that SPS corals do. I would consider a moderate flow environment ideal but Zoanthids, like most corals, can adapt to low or high flow. In high flow, you will typically see polyps grow closer to the rock with shorter stalks. Another is lack of feeding and food as infrequent feeding and ultra low nutrient conditions can lead to entire colony meltdowns. Target feeding is not a requirement as Zoanthids are photosynthetic. I have found that target feeding Zoanthids always provides mixed results, when a food particle falls onto the polyps.

Back to parameters, good water quality is a must.
dKH: 8.0 - 10.0
Calcium: 420 - 440
Magnesium: 1300 - 1350
Iodine: Maintained via regular water changes or manually at small dosages
Temperature: 78-79 degrees
pH: 8.1-8.3
Phosphates: .02 - .03
Nitrates < 5

Asterina stars, little tiny tiny spiders and nudibranchs also will make them miserable to point of death as will aptasia, worms like spinoids or vermetid snails. A few things to look for.
Hope this helps

Thanks. How do I get the dKH up without making the pH go up too. I have sodium bicarb, but was concerned that adding too much (to increase dKH) would increase pH, which at 8.4 is on upper end already.

Using API tests, but find it hard to read them. Gut feel is nitrates ate higher than reading (what with a dead fish disappearing and some heavier than normal feeding).
Just ordered some Hanna test kits, so that should help.

Was feeding reef roads via pipette target feeding but found they all closed up for a day or so after that. Have not fed in a couple of weeks.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Thanks. How do I get the dKH up without making the pH go up too. I have sodium bicarb, but was concerned that adding too much (to increase dKH) would increase pH, which at 8.4 is on upper end already.

Using API tests, but find it hard to read them. Gut feel is nitrates ate higher than reading (what with a dead fish disappearing and some heavier than normal feeding).
Just ordered some Hanna test kits, so that should help.

Was feeding reef roads via pipette target feeding but found they all closed up for a day or so after that. Have not fed in a couple of weeks.

What do you mean by downward trend too? And pictures would really help.

I have like 32 ( I think) diff types of zoa (not that many but in a 32 gallon it’s a lot) and they’re all over my tank. Different levels and flows, my AOGS are literally 2” from my powerhead and have stalks like trees. zoa aren’t that hard to keep alive for the most part. I’m having a hard time getting a grasp on what all is happening in your tank and what your zoa are doing though.

I doubt flow is your issue. Just by reading what all you’ve said I think you’re doing too many water changes too frequently and robbing them of all your nutrients. I don’t even test mine anymore. If my torches and hammers look ok and keep growing I let it chug on by itself and do a monthly water change. Everything but SPS does better in water that’s not “clean” by our definitions. You don’t want like 200ppm nitrates but you also don’t want 0.

 

[Tbg299]

Hi there.
I have had a tank for 3mths. It was 2nd hand and I put quie a few zoas in it.

I then
(1) removed the perspex sheet I used as a cover to stop fish jumping and replaced with mesh.
(2) replaced the aquaone minireef default light with an AI Hydra 32 (set at 45% BRS settings with 15 day aclimation
(3) installed an auto topup a few days after the mesh top resulted in more evap.
(4) had a gobby die which I couldn't find the carcass of (have a crab which I expect ate it). It was a new fish didn't eat much, started eating but hid under rocks 90% of the time and I never saw it again since I changed the light. Waited a few days then moved some rocks and it wasn't there any more.

Now I have reduced the light intensity, done more frequent water changes with NSW (which is what I normally use). I can't seem to stop the downward trend on 50% of the zoas. The other 50% are doing ok, not as good as before my tank changes but ok.

I just had a brain wave. I keep the used coffee grinding from my coffee machine (the tub I bash the spent grinding into) on the kitchen ledge between two rooms about a foot (30cm) away from the tank. Could this possibly be the problem? When th perspex lid was on the grinding smell was kept out of the tank.....what do you all think?

Need water parameters.