Zoa help needed

[Sphinxj13]

Hey everyone!
I'm hoping someone has some help for my Sunny D Zoas. They're all shrunk up and barely open, they have been this way for a long time. Nothing changes with them at all even if I move them. They arent dying either, they just sit there shrunk and almost completely closed.All other corals in tank are doing fine and growing! Clueless on why they're like this. Any thoughts?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Hey everyone!
I'm hoping someone has some help for my Sunny D Zoas. They're all shrunk up and barely open, they have been this way for a long time. Nothing changes with them at all even if I move them. They arent dying either, they just sit there shrunk and almost completely closed.All other corals in tank are doing fine and growing! Clueless on why they're like this. Any thoughts?

How much light are they getting? And what kind of flow is going over them? What are your full tank parameters?

 

[GoVols]

I'm with @crabs_mcjones

And do your dose anything like Red Sea "Reef Energy" to keep them happy by keeping organics up within your water column?

Zoa's don't like water that has everything stripped away, by to much filtration or carbon dosing.

 

[EZreefin]

Have you noticed any algae growing on them?Redish brown in color. Any pests?

 

[EZreefin]

From what i can see from pic...are they hiding there skirts? It's a possible sign of too much light ..some species can take alot of light..if slowly adjusted to it. Some just don't like or can't handle it.

 

[GoVols]

From what i can see from pic...are they hiding there skirts? It's a possible sign of too much light ..some species can take alot of light..if slowly adjusted to it. Some just don't like or can't handle it.

EZ,
Welcome to our Reef 2 Reef family and thanks for helping out

 

[EZreefin]

No prob! New to all this online stuff! Lol not that tech. Savvy...lol. But learning and liking. It!

 

[Sphinxj13]

How much light are they getting? And what kind of flow is going over them? What are your full tank parameters?

T5 lighting with new bulbs that get changed every 6 months and on 10hrs a day. They get low to medium flow. And tank parameters are all great: OH 8.2, ammonia nitrates nitrates all "0", alk: 8.5, cal 400

 

[Sphinxj13]

I'm with @crabs_mcjones

And do your dose anything like Red Sea "Reef Energy" to keep them happy by keeping organics up within your water column?

Zoa's don't like water that has everything stripped away, by to much filtration or carbon dosing.

I add some coral-vite and phyto plex every 2 weeks

 

[Sphinxj13]

Have you noticed any algae growing on them?Redish brown in color. Any pests?

Have not noticed any algae growing on them at all ever and have not seen any pests either...i tried dipping them in RO today to see if that helps and if any pests were there and nothing at all

 

[GoVols]

T5 lighting with new bulbs that get changed every 6 months and on 10hrs a day. They get low to medium flow. And tank parameters are all great: OH 8.2, ammonia nitrates nitrates all "0", alk: 8.5, cal 400

Nitrates are too low.
Do you know were your phosphates are at?

 

[Sphinxj13]

From what i can see from pic...are they hiding there skirts? It's a possible sign of too much light ..some species can take alot of light..if slowly adjusted to it. Some just don't like or can't handle it.

Honestly that's a new term to me and not sure what you mean by hiding their skirts, but I have tried hiding them underneath a overhang to limit the light and still didn't get any change from that at all

 

[GoVols]

Honestly that's a new term to me and not sure what you mean by hiding their skirts, but I have tried hiding them underneath a overhang to limit the light and still didn't get any change from that at all

Can you turn off some of your T5's and see if they open up?

 

[Sphinxj13]

Nitrates are too low.
Do you know were your phosphates are at?

Well I didn't think having nitrates at 0 was a bad thing, just very clean water...but the 0 nitrates is a recent thing since adding the biopellet reactor about 3 months ago and at the moment I'm not sure of P04

 

[Sphinxj13]

Can you turn off some of your T5's and see if they open up?

I could take out 2 of the bulbs and see if they open fully...should they extend too or just open?

 

[EZreefin]

BE CAREFUL WITH BIO PELLET REACTOR!! Make sure you only use half recommend dose and then add more little by little. But as far as the meaning skirt..I'm refering to the outter most portion of the zoa polyp.They roll em up only showing there center And mouth.

 

[DSC reef]

From the pic they look unhappy. How long have you had them in your tank? I agree with above statements, water is to clean. Try feeding the tank more, our zoas love reef nutrition oyster feast and reef roids. I carbon dose with pellets as well since I like to feed heavy. They could be over saturated with light so moving to an area with less light and medium flow might help too. Leave the coral be for a few days without intervention once moved so it can have time to acclimate.

 

[GoVols]

BE CAREFUL WITH BIO PELLET REACTOR!! Make sure you only use half recommend dose and then add more little by little. But as far as the meaning skirt..I'm refering to the outter most portion of the zoa polyp.They roll em up only showing there center And mouth.

I love my cal reactor but them bio-pellet reactors are a no go in my reef

JMO

 

[EZreefin]

Yes 0 is not always good. Low but not zero. Zoas like nutrient rich water BUT this doesn't mean high nitrates and phosphates. But low nitrates and phos. And use phyto. And other filter feeding foods. Or spot feed so you dont have a lot of waste and just a little phyto. For the water column.

 

[Sphinxj13]

BE CAREFUL WITH BIO PELLET REACTOR!! Make sure you only use half recommend dose and then add more little by little. But as far as the meaning skirt..I'm refering to the outter most portion of the zoa polyp.They roll em up only showing there center And mouth.

That's what I thought and they're definitely hiding them and have been for like a year...should I get rid of the biopellets then?