So this is a problem with all of my zoa. They all have a bunch of brown/black specks on the stem. Looks like if u took fine dark brown sand and sprinkle it all over the zoa. Also like stuff from the tank settling on the zoa but this only happens on the zoas and not on the star polyp which has a lot of flat surface to see this or any other surfaces. It looks like mold would look. Not fully developed mold but the start of mold where u see just black balls. Anyone know what this is and how to fix it? On bigger zoa it doesn't look like it bothers it but my smaller zoa doesn't open round. They partially open in a flat oval shape. Also the mat of the small zoa looks opaque white. I tried to scrap it off and the zoa are not looking right probably because of the scraping. I didn't think the picture would show but afterward I guess it kind of does and I will attach those pics of what's left. Please help me identify and possible fix. I can research the condition more and find the root cause but would like to find a fix for this symptom. Please help!!!!!! Emergency.... I think? I don't have any parameters to report since I don't test(bad I know, but I'll figure that part out later) no changes stock wise to the tank other than a coral feeding the day before. But I didn't put anymore than I did before trying to feed crabs.
Need help identifying zoa problem
- Thread starter Fizzman
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It was a lot worse before is scraped most off, if it returns tomorrow I will post pics for clearer image. It still has a lot, but in crevices and hard to get a picture of it. Red bugs is certainly a possibility but from the pictures Google gives me I can't really tell because there aren't any pictures that show an infestation my size. The pictures I posted was after I scraped most of it off already. When I was scrapping it of(and a little bit in the pictures), these things were everywhere including on the plug surface and glue bead surface between the zoa and the plug. And it all seems to have happened overnight. Also, followup question which may or may not be related, do the zoa in the third pic look OK? It's like a flatten oval and the skin around it is washed out and looks opaque. Is it dying? *or partially dead?
Maki~R~G~A
Community Member
better to dip it now.. coral rx / seachem coral dip ^_^
One day later, doesn't look like it came back. At least it doesn't look a lot came back. So I can't tell but the zoa from the third pic isn't opened at all today, and the stem of the other zoa are shrunken down. Polyp is still open but doesn't look too happy. Any other thoughts on what it could be?
Pruett-nc
Well-Known Member
Lionfish Lair
Renee
I'm sorry, but I don't know :-(
Pruett-nc
Well-Known Member
Should I just wait and let it take its course? I don't want to lose the zoa but at the end of the day I only spent about $50 on these frags so I'm not super worried, but would like to know what it is so it's not $50 after $50 after $50.
Additional details: those specks don't seem to move, and they came after a feeding(Hikari coralific delite). I feed the green star polyps the same thing and that has a lot more crevices for food to hangout if it was something that grew from the food or came to eat the food, but none on the start polyps. Is it zoa poop? I mean, do they poop? I don't know, lol
More info, I took a pipe and took some water from the crevice and spread it on white paper, got about a dozen of tiny balls that don't move and one tiny thing that moves, the moving one is the same color, and it is really small. It's jot red and yellow like a red bug. It's like about a quarter the size of those little white bugs that move really fast on the glass(copapods I think?) I'll post a video shortly.
Update: I did Bayer dip. Didn't work. They didn't even come off, only when I scrap it. Now the zoa look even more wasted out and opaque. So I have concluded that whatever is on there isn't actually a critter. I will just have to see what happens. Although now if the zoa die I won't really know if that was the cause or all this scraping and stress of the dip and the rinsing.
Picture is after dip, still no real changes. Eggs maybe? It's so scattered. Aren't eggs usually in clusters?
Picture is after dip, still no real changes. Eggs maybe? It's so scattered. Aren't eggs usually in clusters?
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Uh oh, I think I created another problem, I rinsed the zoa out 3 times but I think I didn't do good enough cuz after I put them in I am seeing a lot of activities from amphipods cuz I'm seeing them running around and swimming around when I have never seen them before. Are they dying? Gosh, this sucks. My tank is a Pico tank only 1.5 gal
I quitSo if worse case scenario all the pods die, are they essential? Do I absolutely have to replace them? I know it would be beneficial but is it necessary? Because if I get more corals and dip this will definitely happen again, and live pods are pretty expensive.
