Zoa Infection?

[Marcus McConnell]

Ok so this is getting a little more urgent i think. It deffinitly is spreading... Does anyone have any ideas in how to help this?

I'm new to reefing, still getting parts from my old brackish setup together for a conversion, don't know if this will interfere with anything in the reef, try making a small batch of coral dip and use a baster and squirt it on the affected area. Don't know if it will solve it, but should slow it down enough to get some better input from an experienced reefer

 

[John3]

I had one other thought as well. I had been dosing vitamins c and my nitrates really dropped rapidly. I went from 15-20 down to 5. Everything in my tank was not looking so hot. I stopped dosing, did some over feeding, and turned my skimmer off. The nitrates are now back up and everything looks good even the few zoas that looked a little brown and were closed. The rastas of course are still closed from all the dips.

Could be unrelated but possibly the corals were stressed which allowed the brown infection to take over. I was even thinking maybe the bacteria that was consuming all the nitrates when dosing vc started attacking corals when it’s nitrate food supply dipped so low. Not sure if that’s even possible but it was a thought.

Are you dosing any type of carbon source?

 

[Jose Mayo]

There are many Asterina starfish in your tank? Sometimes they bother a lot and there are those who say they can eat zoanthus.

Maybe it was good to watch.

Regards

 

[Ben Weaver]

I’m dealing with what seems like the same thing but only on a new frag of some rastas. I dipped in diluted peroxide, coral rx, and iodine. Then I brushed the polyps with a kids paint brush.

The brown film is now gone but the polyps don’t look so hot. I’m thinking they won’t make it but time will tell. Hopefully this doesn’t spread to any other zoas/plays. I have a couple I suspected we’re starting to get the film but now look ok.

Will keep you posted regardless.

Yeah i really want to get this figured out!

I'm new to reefing, still getting parts from my old brackish setup together for a conversion, don't know if this will interfere with anything in the reef, try making a small batch of coral dip and use a baster and squirt it on the affected area. Don't know if it will solve it, but should slow it down enough to get some better input from an experienced reefer

I have already tryed the dips out of the tank. But i really would like to identify this so i can treat it effectively instead of shooting in the Dark

I had one other thought as well. I had been dosing vitamins c and my nitrates really dropped rapidly. I went from 15-20 down to 5. Everything in my tank was not looking so hot. I stopped dosing, did some over feeding, and turned my skimmer off. The nitrates are now back up and everything looks good even the few zoas that looked a little brown and were closed. The rastas of course are still closed from all the dips.

Could be unrelated but possibly the corals were stressed which allowed the brown infection to take over. I was even thinking maybe the bacteria that was consuming all the nitrates when dosing vc started attacking corals when it’s nitrate food supply dipped so low. Not sure if that’s even possible but it was a thought.

Are you dosing any type of carbon source?

No i am not dosing any carbon source.
Although i deffinitly could see a swing being a way for the "infection" to take hold.
Like i said i really want to identify this "infection" so we can treat it right

There are many Asterina starfish in your tank? Sometimes they bother a lot and there are those who say they can eat zoanthus.

Maybe it was good to watch.

Regards

I do but i have been paying close attention and have never seen one on them!

 

[Jose Mayo]

I do but i have been paying close attention and have never seen one on them!

I do not say that they are them, the starfish Asterina may only be there, but I saw some in their photos, near the zoanthus, and this caught my attention.

Regards

 

[Jose Mayo]

In the first and second pictures, in the lower right quadrant, there is one there, with four arms, on top of the lesion. In the fourth photo I see two others, in the middle / upper region, on the background, and ...

... in this picture below, two, one in each frag.

Regards

 

[danschoenherr]

A lot of us have been dealing with this problem. I have tried everything from dipping with Coral RX, hydrogen peroxide, Furan 2, and others with no obvious "cure". I have tried adding Dr. Tims Eco Balance Probiotic Bacteria with no luck. As for the Asterina Satrs, I think they are just targeting zoas that are already in trouble. Maybe they are contributing to the infections by removing the protective coating on the zoas?? I'd say my percentage of recovery is maybe 40% or so and it takes a while.

 

[John3]

Well my Rastas started to open en a tad today and seem to have turned a corner and are looking a little better.

Not sure how to treat a whole tank but the peroxide, coral rx, and iodine dip seems to have done the trick.

 

[Ben Weaver]

In the first and second pictures, in the lower right quadrant, there is one there, with four arms, on top of the lesion. In the fourth photo I see two others, in the middle / upper region, on the background, and ...

... in this picture below, two, one in each frag.

Regards

Yeah they could be a problem. but what does the brown film have to do with it? I don't see anywhere that looks eaten per say. unless they are just eating a protective film or something on the zoas that is opening them up to the brown infection.
So it looks as if my GSP has this same brown film on it, looks identical and the GSP is closed up, which it never does. There are two starfish on as I type. is it possible that they are doing all this? the infected zoas are half way across the tank from the GSP.

 

[Ben Weaver]

A lot of us have been dealing with this problem. I have tried everything from dipping with Coral RX, hydrogen peroxide, Furan 2, and others with no obvious "cure". I have tried adding Dr. Tims Eco Balance Probiotic Bacteria with no luck. As for the Asterina Satrs, I think they are just targeting zoas that are already in trouble. Maybe they are contributing to the infections by removing the protective coating on the zoas?? I'd say my percentage of recovery is maybe 40% or so and it takes a while.

What dip did you use to get the 40% recovery rate?

 

[Ben Weaver]

Does anyone know of ways to get rid of astirina stars? And if you have comments on how to treat these zoas that would be great! Im getting alittle frantic as it destroys my zoas!
@Lionfish Lair #reefsquad

 

[wattson]

whats your water params,,water change schedule,daily feedings,,what is dosed..sump? protien skimmer routine ?
harlequin shrimp eat stars..

 

[Ben Weaver]

whats your water params,,water change schedule,daily feedings,,what is dosed..sump? protien skimmer routine ?
harlequin shrimp eat stars..

Cal 380
Mag 1300
Alk 3 meq/l
Nitrates 2 mg/l
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
P04 I'm not sure
Ph 8.2
The tank is a 90gal with small sump
I have a skimmer
Water changes are 20% once a month
I dose randys 2 part calcium, alk, and magnesium.
I have a bunch of lps and sps and everything else is doing great. The only things effected so far is some of my zoas(not all) and the GSP
Yeah I would be interested in a harlequin shrimp but im not interested in always having to get him starfish to eat. But if it comes down to that I may go that route.

 

[wattson]

Cal 380
Mag 1300
Alk 3 meq/l
Nitrates 2 mg/l
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
P04 I'm not sure
Ph 8.2
The tank is a 90gal with small sump
I have a skimmer
Water changes are 20% once a month
I dose randys 2 part calcium, alk, and magnesium.
I have a bunch of lps and sps and everything else is doing great. The only things effected so far is some of my zoas(not all) and the GSP
Yeah I would be interested in a harlequin shrimp but im not interested in always having to get him starfish to eat. But if it comes down to that I may go that route.

do you think your Mag/Cal is low ? usually Cal 440 and Mag 1350-1380..I like No3 higher and I dose Iodide through my ATO constantly..make sure you test for Iodine before dosing to see your comsumption..I see direct results dosing Iodide..
I keep my water a little dirty but water changes will never keep up with the Iodine comsumption in my system,
Dont have much to say how things would effect your SPS..

 

[Ben Weaver]

do you think your Mag/Cal is low ? usually Cal 440 and Mag 1350-1380..I like No3 higher and I dose Iodide through my ATO constantly..make sure you test for Iodine before dosing to see your comsumption..I see direct results dosing Iodide..
I keep my water a little dirty but water changes will never keep up with the Iodine comsumption in my system,
Dont have much to say how things would effect your SPS..

Its low compaired to some people but its consistent
You think dosing iodine would somehow help this problem?

 

[wattson]

I would raise Cal and mag to higher levels first then move on to dosing iodine ,,but test for it now and then dose lightly til you get a feel for the consumption of it. I dose 75% of natural sea water constantly through the ato..
Test first then see what to do dosing wise ...most comments on here pretty much say their iodine level are non existent or very low ..

 

[Ben Weaver]

I'm still uncertain why this will help the infection?

 

[wattson]

Im only pointing out what your params are low to NSW and walked down your path in the past,,till I started doing things a little different..No major leaps in growth but corals are healthier..
Hence dosing Iodide,being one of them..my system devours Iodide..I would have to change 50% water every week to keep up with maintaining any level of iodine or feed stupid amounts of food to sour my water to gain what I do in just dosing it separately..
I see positive effects everytime I fill my ATO up and have little water left in my bucket that I spill directly in the tank with Iodide mixed in already..those zoas/paly perk right up from that..

 

[wattson]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-parameters-of-some-masters.295215/page-2
a very good read on params and their own way of doing things..

 

[Ben Weaver]

Im only pointing out what your params are low to NSW and walked down your path in the past,,till I started doing things a little different..No major leaps in growth but corals are healthier..
Hence dosing Iodide,being one of them..my system devours Iodide..I would have to change 50% water every week to keep up with maintaining any level of iodine or feed stupid amounts of food to sour my water to gain what I do in just dosing it separately..
I see positive effects everytime I fill my ATO up and have little water left in my bucket that I spill directly in the tank with Iodide mixed in already..those zoas/paly perk right up from that..

Thanks for the help!
I am interested in understanding more about iodine. I have seen people recommend it before but I have seen many successful reefs without it as well. This just doesn't feel like a remody at this point seeing as these zoas where thriving and growing fast for around a year before this started.
As for the parameters, I have seen that keeping higher then NSW alk and cal have given better growth in sps and lps so i might consider that in the future but the tank right now is very close to NSW. Alk and mag are a tad high and cal is a tad low But it seems like staying consistent until i take care of this poblem would be less stressful on the corals.
And I believe i read that thread awhile ago deffinitly some good stuff in there.