New zoas not opening.

[SashimiTurtle]

I got some new zoas the other day and once acclimated to the tank they started to open up. Two days later they are almost all completely closed and it looks like algae is growing on them.

Flow is 2 Jebao SW-4 powerheads, there's a gentle sway where the zoas are.

I'm running 2 Kessil A160s over a 20" cube at a peak intensity of 40% for now. I've been working them up based on how my corals react.

There's a single polyp zoa I've had for about two week in the middle of the 3 new mini colonies I bought that stays open, so I know light and flow is good.

Tank parameters are:
SG 1.025
Ca 410ppm
Alk 7.7dkh
Mg 1240ppm
NO3 4ppm
PO4 1.36ppm

I realize PO4 is a bit high, but that shouldn't be effecting zoas. Should it? I have some GFO in a reactor and I dose 2ml NOPOX a day to keep nitrates low.

Here is how everything looks right now. I know it's small, but in the middle of the new zoas, In front of that galaxea is the single polyp of inferno zoas. It's always open.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

A few days ago when I added them.

View attachment 20171222_213715.jpg

 

[Cary]

In my opinion they are irritated by the algae and you need to use a turkey baster on them or somehow get the algae off of them.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I tried using a pipette to blow it off last night but no luck. I don't own a turkey baster. I might pop them off and dip them again.

 

[Cary]

I think that if you can somehow get that algae off of the polyps that will open again. Btw, Merry Christmas

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I might try lightly brushing with my reef tank tooth brush.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you too

 

[Cary]

I have done that too. Be careful with them and wear gloves and eye protection

 

[Cary]

And do it in tank water outside of the tank

 

[will424]

do a peroxide dip

 

[Cary]

Tell me more about a peroxide dip. I have never done that.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

do a peroxide dip

Tell me more about a peroxide dip. I have never done that.

Same, I've got 3% peroxide that I dosed durring a blackout before, but I've never used it as a dip.

 

[BootyPup]

Personally I would agree with trying to remove the algae.
I my self have personally had semi-bad luck with zoas and some just don't work for my tank in general, with those zoas there might just be something they're not liking.

 

[wattson]

way more flow in the tank,,water changes,,your tank looks like it is high in nutrients,,

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I've got 2000gph with the 2 Jebao SW4 pumps and my return is a Sicce 3.0. Nitrates are 4ppm. Everything else in the tank is happy but these 3 new zoas. Yes I have some algae, CUC coming this week.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

way more flow in the tank,,water changes,,your tank looks like it is high in nutrients,,

I have 2500 gallons per hour flow in the tank. That's 70 times my tank capacity of 35 gallons. I do a 5 gallon water change every Saturday, that's 10% of my total estimated water volume of 50 gallons weekly, which I'm fixing to work towards never doing a water change again.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Finally got the chance to do some research... busy day at work.

Looks like it could be a zoa fungus... I'll pull them off the rock tonight and dip them again and try and brush that stuff off.

 

[Finhead]

If this is correct "PO4 1.36ppm" than it's a matter of getting your nurtients under control and keeping proper levels. That number is way to high IMO, you want to keep phosphates bellow 0.1

 

[SashimiTurtle]

If this is correct "PO4 1.36ppm" than it's a matter of getting your nurtients under control and keeping proper levels. That number is way to high IMO, you want to keep phosphates bellow 0.1

Yes I know that's extremely high. It may be .68 or whatever the next level down on the Red Sea test is. I've been working on lowering that with GFO and I only feed 1/4 cube of mysis or equal amount of Reef Frenzy a day. I have macro coming this week to try again. My first go with chaeto ended in no chaeto, with the same nutrients I have now.

 

[Finhead]

Yes I know that's extremely high. It may be .68 or whatever the next level down on the Red Sea test is. I've been working on lowering that with GFO and I only feed 1/4 cube of mysis or equal amount of Reef Frenzy a day. I have macro coming this week to try again. My first go with chaeto ended in no chaeto, with the same nutrients I have now.

I would go with every second day feeding and do some water changes 20-30% every week until your levels come down. Even at 0.68 that's 7X the amount of phosphates you should have. I had Zero luck with chaeto as well, turned white and fell apart. Been using a Algae scrubber For about 2 years now, would never run another tank without one.