Random, Large-scale Zoa Polyp Death

TheEngineer · Dec 17, 2016

I'll do that later today.... gotta run!

twilliard · Dec 17, 2016

I feel drastic measures will have to be taken.
High temp will not work as these are not aiptasia.

danschoenherr · Dec 17, 2016

If what is shown on your prior pics are not nudi eggs, could they be some type of burrowing worm or larva? Do anenomes have a larval stage?? I hope we get to see some microscopic images and get to the bottom of your problem here.........this looks really bad. I'm sure quite a few of us with tanks full of zoas/palys are following along......and worrying along with you.

TheEngineer · Dec 17, 2016

Just redid all of my tests:

Temp 79.3F (lower than the set point, something with my controller)
Salinity 35 ppt (calibrated refractometer right before test)
pH 8.12 (digital probe)
Nitrite 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrate 2 (Red Sea)
Ammonia 0 (Red Sea)
Alk 7 (Red Sea)
Calc 445 (Red Sea)
Mag 1360 (Red Sea) <- from Wednesday

I put Chemiclean in this morning, but switched my thinking and I'm now running carbon instead.

Jonathan Presseau · Dec 17, 2016

Levels look good. Let's have a look at some pics. Only thing I can think of is doing a very large water change

TheEngineer · Dec 18, 2016

Nothing appears to have gotten worse since yesterday. That devil's armor colony still looks about the same. I'll count that as a positive though because I would have pegged it for totally dissolved by this morning. I'll switch out the carbon tomorrow during the day. Is there any way of knowing when the carbon is depleted?

Jonathan Presseau · Dec 18, 2016

I don't have a factual answer to when the carbon needs changed. My rule of thumb is about 2 month turnover. Often I find the bag I use needs cleaned in about the same amount of time too otherwise it gets slimy.

wattson · Dec 18, 2016

Usually when I can smell my tanks (all on one system) its time to change the carbon..My carbon is in a reactor with good flow.
Put your nose to the edge of the tank rim,,if you can smell that "twang of the ocean" smell,,its time to change the carbon..lolol

Tori · Dec 19, 2016

I'm definitely following this! I too am a member of the zoas randomly melting away club

ZoaCollector · Dec 19, 2016

I've seen pods eat zoas and palys too, they start at the base and cause the polyp to get infected.

TheEngineer · Dec 19, 2016

ZoaCollector said:
I've seen pods eat zoas and palys too, they start at the base and cause the polyp to get infected.

Really? Yet another potential culprit! I wonder if I can make a night vision camera out of things I have laying around.

Jonathan Presseau · Dec 19, 2016

I too have watched Amphipods specifically munch on the skirts. Also Sexy Shrimp.

Bunnee911 · Dec 20, 2016

I found nudibranchs on mine and removed every one from my DT. I ran Chemiclean on the QT three times and allowed my DT to be fallow (of zoas) for 90 days. After 90 days, I returned the now nudi free zoas back to the DT.
I found that they do better with a little more flow than I had going. The zoas were plump, but the skirts just disappeared. After about a month with a dedicated powerhead, the skirts are back.
I had a few in the beginning of my tank that got a white webbing and vanished. Still don't know what that was.
You have to dose more Chemiclean than called for. Don't remember how much. Someone?

Tori · Dec 20, 2016

Bunnee911 said:
I found nudibranchs on mine and removed every one from my DT. I ran Chemiclean on the QT three times and allowed my DT to be fallow (of zoas) for 90 days. After 90 days, I returned the now nudi free zoas back to the DT.
I found that they do better with a little more flow than I had going. The zoas were plump, but the skirts just disappeared. After about a month with a dedicated powerhead, the skirts are back.
I had a few in the beginning of my tank that got a white webbing and vanished. Still don't know what that was.
You have to dose more Chemiclean than called for. Don't remember how much. Someone?

How did chemiclean come into play? I thought it was for cyano. I have some on hand ready to go if it helps with zoas disappearing. Just hoping to understand a little better

TheEngineer · Dec 20, 2016

Tori said:
How did chemiclean come into play? I thought it was for cyano. I have some on hand ready to go if it helps with zoas disappearing. Just hoping to understand a little better

Chemiclean is an antibiotic. Erythromycin, i believe.

Tori · Dec 20, 2016

TheEngineer said:
Chemiclean is an antibiotic. Erythromycin, i believe.

Oh okay. Didn't see the relationship to the nudibranchs. That makes sense

TheEngineer · Dec 20, 2016

Tori said:
Oh okay. Didn't see the relationship to the nudibranchs. That makes sense

I don't think there is a relationship to nudibrachs. Although I could be wrong.

Tori · Dec 20, 2016

TheEngineer said:
I don't think there is a relationship to nudibrachs. Although I could be wrong.

That's what confused me at first. It looked like chemiclean was used for the nudibranchs. It makes more sense that it was used for a possible bacterial problem. Now that I think about it I think my zoas did look better after I used chemiclean for a cyano problem a few months ago. Didn't think much about it at the time.

TheEngineer · Dec 22, 2016

I'm happy to report that the mass die off seems to have ended. The devil's armor frag, which I was certain would be a goner, has one polyp open and a few more which look to have survived too. All good things, except it is still unclear why this happened. Running a good bit of carbon and changing it a couple times a week. I'll keep up with that for some time and see how it goes.