Trouble keeping my first zoas

[chemfisher]

So I picked up my first coral I've ever had about one week ago and they're dragon eye zoas that have some green and some reddish/orange heads. Every morning when I turn the lights on they open up very nicely in about ten min all of the 20ish heads are completely open and look great, but about three hours after having my lights on some if them start to close up and almost look like they're shriveling up. Ill try to get pics up tonight but doesn't seem to be working for my phone so ill try my computer to show you what they look like.

 

[chemfisher]

This is how they look when the lights first come on.

And this is how they look in the afternoon.

My tank is a 29g thats 18inches deep and this frag is sitting on the sand bed. I have a T5ho fixture with two bulbs. one bulb is actinic blue and the other is a 10k white these should be sufficient to keep zoas right? Thanks for any help!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Current and light are essential. I have a 5 bulb setup and two flow pumps and mine are tall and colorful and are reproducing.

So I picked up my first coral I've ever had about one week ago and they're dragon eye zoas that have some green and some reddish/orange heads. Every morning when I turn the lights on they open up very nicely in about ten min all of the 20ish heads are completely open and look great, but about three hours after having my lights on some if them start to close up and almost look like they're shriveling up. Ill try to get pics up tonight but doesn't seem to be working for my phone so ill try my computer to show you what they look like.

 

[chemfisher]

Do you think that they're not getting enough light? Maybe I can try moving them higher up towards the lights

 

[Derbird]

What lights do you have and how high are they? Most Zoa's like lower light, I try to start mine off on the sand and slowly move them up with my 8-bulb T-5 lights.

 

[chemfisher]

What lights do you have and how high are they? Most Zoa's like lower light, I try to start mine off on the sand and slowly move them up with my 8-bulb T-5 lights.

I've got T5 lights but only 2 bulbs

 

[Derbird]

I've got T5 lights but only 2 bulbs

Those lights will be fine for radioactive dragon eyes and watermellons I started with the same number of bulbs. Next on the question list is are you testing your water parameters? these guys are pretty hardy but if things are way out of whack they can close. Also what is your salinity? And last but not least, did you dip them. If not this is something you should start doing with any coral you are going to add to your tank. You don't want to add a pest by accident.

 

[chemfisher]

My tank parameters are :
Ammonium and nitrite 0
Nitrate <5
Sg 1.024
Temp 78-79
These are the only tests I have so far. I need to get tests for cal mag and alk soon I know.
And no I did not dip these ones in anything before putting them into the tank and I see now I should do this for any new ones now on.

 

[Derbird]

Your parameters look just fine

ZOA's are funny critters, they can close up for no apparent reason and then open like nothing happened. I would give them a few days, if they still don't open up you may want to give them a dip.

 

[chemfisher]

Ok thanks I appreciate the help!!

 

[chemfisher]

So today I turned on just my blue actinic bulb for about six hours and the entire time it was on the zoas were fully open and looked great. So after six hours I turned on the white 10k bulb also and within 20 min some of the heads began closing. I left the white in for two hours then shut them all down.

What does this mean? Are they not adapted to the brightness of the t5 bulb yet or should they just be moved to a shady area of the tank?

 

[glb]

So today I turned on just my blue actinic bulb for about six hours and the entire time it was on the zoas were fully open and looked great. So after six hours I turned on the white 10k bulb also and within 20 min some of the heads began closing. I left the white in for two hours then shut them all down.

What does this mean? Are they not adapted to the brightness of the t5 bulb yet or should they just be moved to a shady area of the tank?

Maybe too much light? They'll let you know when they're happy.

 

[joshporksandwich]

Have you tried turning the whites on alone?

 

[chemfisher]

Have you tried turning the whites on alone?

No I've not tried this yet... I'll give it a go tomorrow and see how they like that

 

[arthur45]

try them on the sand bed

 

[chemfisher]

They are sitting on the sand bed!

 

[Duffam3434]

We run 4 T5s and our Frag Tank that is a 29, We have our Rastas about 2.5 Inches off the sand and they Love it.. Growing like Crazy!! Had them growing 4 months now never had a problem. So I would get the Mag/Cal/Alk tests asap and check those.. so you can find the problem or rule those out.. Hope You figure it out!

 

[vetteguy53081]

My Zoas are fully erect and multiplying under bright white actinics. Sounds like yours prefers low light so try filtering light or moving them to a shady area of the tank in the path of current. Mine love the current also.