Zoanthid not opening question

[danieljones8623]

Hey all. I’m sure my question is a common one. I tried searching through the forums and I just can’t put my finger on my problem. I have a small zoanthid colony that isn’t as open as it normally is. Usually, it’s very open, all 4 polyps. I’ve had it nearly a couple months now. I couldn’t tell it was growing until I bumped up my alkalinity to around 9. So, since I did that a few weeks ago, it’s sprouted a couple small heads. That exciting. However, the last couple of days, they’ve stayed relatively closed. To my knowledgeable, my water has stayed steady because I tested regularly. The only thing I know that has changed is that the other day one of my polyps captured a whole piece of mysis. I was just wondering if zoanthids can ever be temperamental and not open for no apparent reason some days? I’ll be glad to snap a pic when my lights go out shortly. It’ll just be blue otherwise.

 

[blaxsun]

Yea, they are incredibly temperamental. I've had colonies close up for days, weeks and even months on end (alive, just ticked off at the world for whatever reason). Sometimes it's lighting, flow or something that's crawling all over them constantly annoying it.

I wouldn't worry unless they start dying. You can always take a feeding tube and (lightly) dust them off every now and then.

 

[ZoWhat]

Things that will close up zoas:

Changes in light, or flow

A swing in no3 and/or po4

A completely unseen bacterial infection

Pests

Nipping by some fish or other inhabitants when you don't notice

Magnesium too low

Big swing in salinity.

Heavy metal got in the water volume

There's about 47 other things I'm too tired to put I writing off the top of my head

.....zoas are one of those WARNING CORALS and close-shop when 1 of like 60 potential things are wrong.

Takes a tremendous amt of investigation.

You're just gonna have to look at every aspect of your tank to figure it out

Or take the zoa frag with you on the way to work and whip it out the window at 70mph


.

 

[blaxsun]

Or the one colony is just being difficult...

 

[danieljones8623]

Or the one colony is just being difficult...

Is it easy to tell if they die?

 

[ZoWhat]

Is it easy to tell if they die?

The dying process is closing up, shrinking, shrinking, disappearing...usually takes 1-4 days

 

[vtecintegra]

I've got some red zoas and some green ones. Purchased from the same place and put in the tank next to each other. The red ones are wide open and multiplying. Green ones are closed an I'm not sure if they'll ever open. No idea why. It happens.

 

[danieljones8623]

I've got some red zoas and some green ones. Purchased from the same place and put in the tank next to each other. The red ones are wide open and multiplying. Green ones are closed an I'm not sure if they'll ever open. No idea why. It happens.

Well, I guess it puts me a little at ease to know they can be finicky

 

[GHOSTLY]

Things that will close up zoas:

Changes in light, or flow

A swing in no3 and/or po4

A completely unseen bacterial infection

Pests

Nipping by some fish or other inhabitants when you don't notice

Magnesium too low

Big swing in salinity.

Heavy metal got in the water volume

There's about 47 other things I'm too tired to put I writing off the top of my head

.....zoas are one of those WARNING CORALS and close-shop when 1 of like 60 potential things are wrong.

Takes a tremendous amt of investigation.

You're just gonna have to look at every aspect of your tank to figure it out

Or take the zoa frag with you on the way to work and whip it out the window at 70mph


.

agree with this. NOT WITH THE "Or take the zoa frag with you on the way to work and whip it out the window at 70mph." I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS BIT

 

[blaxsun]

NOT WITH THE "Or take the zoa frag with you on the way to work and whip it out the window at 70mph." I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS BIT

It was obviously intended as humour...

 

[GHOSTLY]

It was obviously intended as humour...

and my thing was also intended with Humour