Zoa Skirts - Lighting/Perms/Flow

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 5, 2014

I am having issues with some of my zoas. Nothing seems to make them happy. Almost all skirts are shriveled up and I'm unsure why (some chalices are bleaching, but others are doing great)...

Too little light? Too much? Parameters wrong and I'm oblivious at the little amount they are? Any help would be appreciative. What am I doing wrong!?!?

I have pretty close to perfect parameters (tested with Elos):
Mag: 1250
Alk: 8.5
Cal: 450
Phos: 0
Nitrate: 5
Salinity: 1.025 (ato)
Temp: 78

I am running 2x 32" Reef Breeder Photons on a schedule that tops out at 50% blue and 20% white. They sit about 2' above water and almost 3' from zoas. Run about 9 hours a day.

I would say I have medium flow. Running a maxspect 150 at 20% on a 48"x41"x14" tank. Plus has duel returns.

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Triggreef · Dec 6, 2014

I'd look else where from lighting, some look to be reaching. dosing anything out of the norm? How sure are you on the ca test/ trusting? I had a ton of trouble with zoas when ca was above 500 as I was starting out.

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 6, 2014

Triggreef said:
I'd look else where from lighting, some look to be reaching. dosing anything out of the norm? How sure are you on the ca test/ trusting? I had a ton of trouble with zoas when ca was above 500 as I was starting out.

Thanks Triggreef for your reply. I have not dosed anything different. I'm unsure how accurate the cal test was. First time using the kit and it was very confusing. I will test again tomorrow to verify along with test with Red Sea as well.
Some see to reach others aren't. It's hard for me to tell if they are struggling because I have some sps that is doing great under it. Just intensity seems very low. I'm trying to get my hands on a PAR meter.

kschweer · Dec 6, 2014

Good points above. Do you notice anything on the stalks of the zoas such as a film or anything? A dip in something like revive or coral rx may help some. While in the dip I would "blow" them off with a turkey baster or something similar. Sometimes there can be a build up of "film" for lack of a better word on them which irritates them causing them not to fully open. Also inspect the frags when the lights are off in the tank with a flash light to see if there is something bothering them that you're not seeing when the lights are on. Best of luck and keep us updated.

kschweer · Dec 6, 2014

Would also like to add that in my experience many zoas and palys can handle and actually like more flow than many would think. Possibly try moving a few to higher flow areas and see if they improve. If so maybe turn up your flow.

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 6, 2014

kschweer said:
Would also like to add that in my experience many zoas and palys can handle and actually like more flow than many would think. Possibly try moving a few to higher flow areas and see if they improve. If so maybe turn up your flow.

Thanks kschweer, I have not dipped yet and have not noticed a film. I will try with select few tomorrow.

As for flow I use to run wp40s pretty high but switched the the gyre. I will boost the intensity a little tomorrow as well. If I raise it any, frags start to rock in the egg crate. The gyre is pretty powerful. Haha. Thanks for the feedback.

joshporksandwich · Dec 6, 2014

When they do that it's either because you burned them with too much light or a chemical went to high like mag or alk.

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 7, 2014

joshporksandwic said:
When they do that it's either because you burned them with too much light or a chemical went to high like mag or alk.

Thanks Josh, it must be a chemical thing then. It's hard to believe with my lights almost 3ft above the coral and at less than 50% it's burning them... Can zoas recover from either light or chemical burns? Obviously you seem to be the master of zoas, haha. I really envy your collection.

joshporksandwich · Dec 7, 2014

CaliforniaCrisp said:
Thanks Josh, it must be a chemical thing then. It's hard to believe with my lights almost 3ft above the coral and at less than 50% it's burning them... Can zoas recover from either light or chemical burns? Obviously you seem to be the master of zoas, haha. I really envy your collection.

Just give them a few months. First they'll get their color back then the skirts grow back

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 7, 2014

joshporksandwic said:
Just give them a few months. First they'll get their color back then the skirts grow back

Awesome. Thanks for the feed back.

reef_or_reefer · Dec 8, 2014

Zoa eating nudi's? But I guess that would be more than shriveled skirts.

rhino56 · Dec 8, 2014

how often and what amount % wise do you change water? how long have the chalices been under this light? do you run carbon?

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 8, 2014

reef_or_reefer said:
Zoa eating nudi's? But I guess that would be more than shriveled skirts.

No nudis...

rhino56 said:
how often and what amount % wise do you change water? how long have the chalices been under this light? do you run carbon?

This is a fairly new tank (3-4 weeks) but I had been experiencing it in my older tank as well. I did a 15% water change on my 120g every other week.

The chalices have been under these lights for a while. (Between the old setup and new setup).

And I run chemipure elite and gfo.

rhino56 · Dec 9, 2014

CaliforniaCrisp said:
No nudis...

This is a fairly new tank (3-4 weeks) but I had been experiencing it in my older tank as well. I did a 15% water change on my 120g every other week.

The chalices have been under these lights for a while. (Between the old setup and new setup).

And I run chemipure elite and gfo.

tank is too new mainly. stop running the carbon and gfo, let the tank balance itself out, do very minimal water changes, Like 5% every other week until it's balanced. It's okay for the water to be a little dirty it will clean itself. After a good algae bloom it might start getting better.

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 9, 2014

rhino56 said:
tank is too new mainly.

This still wouldn't explain why I had the issue in my prior tank....

I removed my chemipure and the GFO for now. And plan on doing a small water change later this evening. Thanks.

rhino56 · Dec 9, 2014

CaliforniaCrisp said:
This still wouldn't explain why I had the issue in my prior tank....

I removed my chemipure and the GFO for now. And plan on doing a small water change later this evening. Thanks.

I do think it is too much light for the chalices, but by ceasing carbon the water will yellow a bit to filter the light making it less intense. LEDs are a very direct intense light. And it may not even be the strength so much as the wavelength of it depending on where the chalices came from they may be used to a different light. I would hold off on the water change for a while, unless it gets really bad. But it looks like high cal/ alk or something in the water is chemically burning the zoas. So it is probably a combination of things not just one thing like the light causing the issues.

CaliforniaCrisp · Dec 9, 2014

rhino56 said:
I do think it is too much light for the chalices, but by ceasing carbon the water will yellow a bit to filter the light making it less intense. LEDs are a very direct intense light. And it may not even be the strength so much as the wavelength of it depending on where the chalices came from they may be used to a different light. I would hold off on the water change for a while, unless it gets really bad. But it looks like high cal/ alk or something in the water is chemically burning the zoas. So it is probably a combination of things not just one thing like the light causing the issues.

Thanks again. You do make a valid point. I have slowly started to lower cal levels. And keeping an eye on alk. I will move the chalices to a less intense spot as well. Appreciate all the help.