Zoa just wither away

acr0p0ra · Feb 10, 2014

What could be causing my z&p just wither away? They have been doing great for 2 years and out of no where they all start disappearing

1.025
Alk 8.5
Cal 400-420
Phos 0 Hanna
Nitrate 0
Temp 76-77

No pests

Adam Baggett · Feb 10, 2014

Ok so usual silly questions. Have you changed anything. Added new livestock, changed your salt, changed carbon, gfo, bulbs etc.

acr0p0ra · Feb 11, 2014

No changes

joshporksandwich · Feb 11, 2014

Maybe lights? what lights you have?

BBoley24 · Feb 11, 2014

My problem are fish...gobies of course but lately it has been my Atlantic Blue. Also, shrimp! At night... shrimp. My electric blue crab has been seen walking off with a paly before.

Sdoutreefer · Feb 11, 2014

If everything is checking out fine, I think you need to look harder for a possible suspect. Something has to be messing with them. My zoas were doing the same thing and I started checking my tank nightly once they started disappearing and I saw a bad hitchhiker crab ripping them apart. Still haven't caught the *******....

Zoecrazy · Feb 14, 2014

I have found that Carbon is the culprit if you add just a little more then you did before I have found it will melt the Zoes , I am not adding carbon to my system again , Have lost to many that way.

acr0p0ra · Feb 14, 2014

fish arent the culprate, the only possible fish could be kole tang and i dont see him touching them. all other fish are wrasses and anthias.

no bad crabs in my tank either, I had one a long time ago and I am 100% sure i dont now. I do have 3 or 4 emerald crabs, could that be the cause? I never see them on the zoa or paly though.

lighting is 6 bulbs t5 and 1 blue reef bright, 12" above a 30x30x18 cube. I have been growing zoa with this light for 2 years, they just started dying.

as far as carbon...i use 1 bag of chemipure elite on my 70g tank and i change it once a month. i have done this for years.

WhoKnew · Feb 14, 2014

What kind of crab did you find as your hitchhiker? I have same problem

joshporksandwich · Feb 14, 2014

acr0p0ra said:
fish arent the culprate, the only possible fish could be kole tang and i dont see him touching them. all other fish are wrasses and anthias.

no bad crabs in my tank either, I had one a long time ago and I am 100% sure i dont now. I do have 3 or 4 emerald crabs, could that be the cause? I never see them on the zoa or paly though.

lighting is 6 bulbs t5 and 1 blue reef bright, 12" above a 30x30x18 cube. I have been growing zoa with this light for 2 years, they just started dying.

as far as carbon...i use 1 bag of chemipure elite on my 70g tank and i change it once a month. i have done this for years.

How old are the lights?

acr0p0ra · Feb 14, 2014

Bulbs are about 6 months max

Sdoutreefer · Feb 15, 2014

WhoKnew said:
What kind of crab did you find as your hitchhiker? I have same problem

I'm not sure what it's called. It's grayish brown and has red eyes. And it's big and fast.

Reef Fever · Feb 15, 2014

mine recently have been melting as well, have been fine for years and all the sudden theyve just been goin. My sps are thriving all the while

KillerKlownFish · May 10, 2014

I have the same issue. It maybe the lights. I'm gonna change them. I did change the carbon but I don't think that's the issue.

Seagars · May 10, 2014

I have found that it just happens indiscriminately.

Tenor · May 11, 2014

Smell the zoa base where the glue and the frag plug. If it smell like sewage smell then it likely the root cause of your issue. I have them for years but one day something went directly into the base of the zoa and damaged it from the base and the zoa will die off from the base. It could star fish, Amphipod and others.

The best way is frag them up and throw the damaged tissue away.

Pete polyp · May 11, 2014

You say your nitrate is 0. From what I understand is that zoa like a little bit of trash in the water. What about phosphate? In my experiences low levels of nitrate and phosphate are both beneficial to all corals. You might try feeding a little more to have a hint of nitrate show. And I do mean hint, like .5 ppm.