Zoas dying? Well not sure!!

[moz71]

at the risk of sounding crazy let me try to explain. I bought a zoa frag with about 5 heads on it. I do see it growing out and some polyps actually on my rock work now. However it looks like some of the original polyps disappeared/ thinning. Or Could it be that the heads are sprawling out further creating a space between them. I will say I have no nitrates on salfeit test and .03 phosphates. I should have taken a picture to remember. With my last tank I never had luck with zoas but los grew like crazy. Does this sound ok?

 

[Brad Miller]

Hi Moz,
Zoas are actually very easy to care for.
Can you post all your tank specs, parameters, lighting, any changes made recently....things like that, so we can better answer your question and help you.
I’ve had polyps get damaged and fall off, only to float around and anchor down inside shells already which is pretty cool in my book.

 

[moz71]

See parameters below but a quick question I see 2 bugs crawling around the base of the polyps. NOT the spiders or nudibranches. Looks more centipede ish. Or typical pods. But why are they clinging to zoas in bright light and crawling around them fast . Do you know anything like this that is harmful?
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Pho’s .02
Sal 1.025
Cal 480
Alk 8.2
Mag 1390
I have 3 Kessils. Nothing changes in over several weeks.

 

[Brad Miller]

If the zoas are receding, ie....polyps not extending and closed up, maybe you have too much light for them.
Where are they in the tank ?
Pics would help too.
Also, bugs could be a lot of things, again ...pics would help

 

[moz71]

They are open most of the time but now I am really noticing these bugs are bothering them and they shut for awhile reopen then get irritated again. Here is a picture of them. You can see the big ones open. The smaller ones on top growing off the plug are shut right now due to the bugs. No way I can get pic of bugs.

 

[Brad Miller]

The bugs are probably amphipods.
They will irritate the zoas and make them close up, most zoas will grow accustomed to them.
Amphipods tend to clean up or eat any decaying tissue on them.
That said....
The question is, why is there dead tissue, if any, on the zoa being affected ?
Maybe stress from a multitude of things...are you doing regular small water changes and keeping things stable ?

Is the zoa the only place you see the bugs?

 

[moz71]

Yes this is the only place I see bugs. And I think you are right about decaying tissue because my original concern was thinning. Yes I am doing water changes. Weekly about 15 percent. I can onLy think of lightening. I did make them a little more intense about 2 weeks ago because I thought my bat. Eeded it. Maybe I will turn back down

 

[moz71]

Sorry typed half asleep this morning. Lol. I did turn up lights because I thought my enenome needed it. I will turn back down to see if gets better. Do you think 0 nitrates have anything to do with it. And thank you so much for help