Need Help!

[gt1968]

I have two Nano tanks with the following specs -

6 gallon - Salinity 1.025, Calcium 400, kH 8, pH 8.45, temp 76, Lights 1 10K 18 Watt and 1 Actinic 18 Watt. Salt water is purchased from my LFS and I use Reef Complete or PurpleUp to keep the calicum up.

12 gallon - Salinity 1.025, Calcium 400, kH 8, pH 8.55, temp 76, Lights 2 50/50 24 Watt and 1 Actinic 24Watt. Salt water is purchased from my LFS and I use Reef Complete or PurpleUp to keep the calicum up.

Now here is the problem - all of my zoanthids are almost gone. I used to have a ton of zoo's, but they have been closing up and disappearing over the past several months. I have mushrooms and candy coral in both tanks, which are doing well and my fish and hermit crabs are great. I have been watching the tanks for snails or something else that would be eating them, but I have found nothing.

Ideas?

 

[J. Montgomery]

How long have the tanks been established, and how long were the zoas in the tank before they melted away?

Do you dip new corals?

Are you familiar with all the different zoa predators listed on ZoaID.com, like nuidbranchs and zoa spiders?

And by the way, seeing that you're using Purple Up makes me cringe . . . you should look into a better commercial product or consider making your own DIY solution (I use Prestone Driveway Heat for calcium).

 

[gt1968]

The tanks have been established for 2 years now. I have had most of the zoo's since the beginning. As for dipping new corals, I have not added any in over a year. I have looked up the different predators, but I assume that I would see something - I have watched the tanks after the lights go off and checked them later at night, but have not seen anything. Where should the parameters be (calcium, kH...)? How about my lighting?

 

[ficklefins]

can you snap a few pictures of your colonies? Perhaps we can see something in the pics that you may not be noticing.

Aquarium Parameters from Reefkeeping
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
Calcium 380-450 ppm
Alkalinity 2.5-4 meq/L or 7-11 dKH
Salinity sg = 1.026
Temperature 76-83° F
pH 7.8-8.5 OK, 8.1-8.3 is better
Magnesium 1250-1350 ppm
Phosphate < 0.03 ppm
Ammonia <0.1 ppm

 

[gt1968]

Requested Pictures

Here are the requested pictures - I tried to get as close as possible. I have also attached a picture of my candy coral to show you that other corals look great. The zoo's also used to have brilliant color.

 

[Hypertek99]

You zoas look like they need more light. That's why they have the long stalks. Move them to higher light. Check for nudis they are hard to see. If you never seen a nudi before you might not have an eye for them yet as they can change color to blend in and they are smaller than you think, Tiny.

 

[Hypertek99]

Oh how are your zoas dissappering??? Do they melt away? Do they have brown stuff all over them when they die???

 

[gt1968]

The just seem to melt away. Have a look at the pictures in a previous reply and you will see that the stalks look a little brown as well.