Zoas melting away, insight needed

[Aaron1222]

So over the last month I have seen almost all my zoa colonies close up and begin to melt away, they refuse to open up and seem to be dying off, any insight on what is going on? Parameters below.

salinity: 35
Temp: 78.5
PH: 8.1
Orp:330
Alk: 9.4
Cal: 465
Mag: 1480
Phos: 0.04
Nitrate: 9.8
Tank is about 10 months old, and all parameters are very stable and do not fluctuate.

 

[blaxsun]

I'd look at lighting (PAR) and flow (supplemental). Any nippers in the tank?

 

[Aaron1222]

I'd look at lighting (PAR) and flow (supplemental). Any nippers in the tank?

Lighting and flow were all fine, par is averaging around 150 in that area and they were all happy, same with flow, live stock in the tank are below
Power blue tang
Blue eye kole tang
Clown tang
Blue hippo
File fish
2 clowns
Foxface
Melanurus wrasse
Green mandarin goby
Blue and red leg hermits
2 Peppermint shrimp

 

[blaxsun]

I have a few colonies slowly retreating right now, but it's because a certain fish has developed a taste for some of them (or he's an a**hole and just bored).

 

[Aaron1222]

I have a few colonies slowly retreating right now, but it's because a certain fish has developed a taste for some of them (or he's an a**hole and just bored).

I have a feeling it’s my file fish, thinking about taking him out and putting him in the small 65 gallon

 

[Cyanohater]

I have a feeling it’s my file fish, thinking about taking him out and putting him in the small 65 gallon

I'm thinking file fish.

 

[Cyanohater]

I have a feeling it’s my file fish, thinking about taking him out and putting him in the small 65 gallon

It may be a peppermint shrimp but I doubt it.

 

[Dom]

Very strange. Prior to the last month, everything was okay?

I feel like a contaminant is involved. I'd suggest running carbo to rule out contaminants.

 

[Aaron1222]

Very strange. Prior to the last month, everything was okay?

I feel like a contaminant is involved. I'd suggest running carbo to rule out contaminants.

Yeah everything was fine prior to last month, and I already run carbon through my reefmat, and I send out bi weekly ICP test and everything looked just fine on those tests

 

[Aaron1222]

It may be a peppermint shrimp but I doubt it.

I doubt it as well, I really think it’s the file fish

 

[landlubber]

through 2 tanks over the past 10 years neither were stable until 18 months as stability is more nuanced than having alk, cal and mag that sit in place.
Based on the supplied test results, If growing soft corals was my main objective i'd probably keep PO4 higher as the margin of error on test kits might leave your tank deficient despite reading otherwise.

 

[Aaron1222]

through 2 tanks over the past 10 years neither were stable until 18 months as stability is more nuanced than having alk, cal and mag that sit in place.
Based on the supplied test results, If growing soft corals was my main objective i'd probably keep PO4 higher as the margin of error on test kits might leave your tank deficient despite reading otherwise.

The only softies I have in my tank are multiple zoas, a gsp on the back wall, and a pulsing xenia colony which are both doing very well, but I majorly have sps and lps in the tank, all of which are very happy and I’m seeing significant growth, but all of a sudden the zoas are throwing a fit. When before hand they were just fine with the parameters, especially with the nutrient parameters

 

[Dom]

Yeah everything was fine prior to last month, and I already run carbon through my reefmat, and I send out bi weekly ICP test and everything looked just fine on those tests

Hmmm...

And you say 150 PAR at the deepest level of the tank?

Zoas don't require a huge amount of light or flow and I think you are providing both at adequate levels.

Your water test numbers are good...

I'm thinking you might be dealing with a pest of some kind; something you can't see well with the naked eye.

Put one of your closed Zoas in a shallow dish with tank water and examine it under a magnifying glass. Maybe you will spot something... maybe post a few pics.

 

[Aaron1222]

Hmmm...

And you say 150 PAR at the deepest level of the tank?

Zoas don't require a huge amount of light or flow and I think you are providing both at adequate levels.

Your water test numbers are good...

I'm thinking you might be dealing with a pest of some kind; something you can't see well with the naked eye.

Put one of your closed Zoas in a shallow dish with tank water and examine it under a magnifying glass. Maybe you will spot something... maybe post a few pics.

Yeah 150 par is the average across the middle of the tank, so the zoas are sitting in sub 150, I just moved the file fish out of the tank and into my reefer 250, I’ll see if I can identify any pest on them!

 

[Dom]

Yeah 150 par is the average across the middle of the tank, so the zoas are sitting in sub 150, I just moved the file fish out of the tank and into my reefer 250, I’ll see if I can identify any pest on them!

Sub 150. Even if you have 100 PAR at the deepest point in the tank, that is enough for Zoas.

Yeah... I'm leaning toward some kind of pest.

 

[jx.reef]

if they were fine and growing before, I suspect low to non existent iodine. Your tank has been up for 10 months and unless you supplement, it’s probably all depleted

 

[PlumbTuckered]

if they were fine and growing before, I suspect low to non existent iodine. Your tank has been up for 10 months and unless you supplement, it’s probably all depleted

In the late to mid 1990s, what you say may be true.

Today, reef-keepers use higher quality salts, two-part additives and other methods which all have some form of iodine included for the benefit of all reef life, including corals, fish and invertebrates.

For an average reef aquarium, the amount of iodine added through some basic husbandry (think water changes) routines is generally enough to satisfy the demands of all the inhabitants there.

Adding a little iodine is generally perceived to have some benefit to all reef life across the board, but adding it becomes more critical when dealing with certain groups of high concentration marine life.

Aquariums with a high density of macroalgae, coralline algae, crustaceans or soft corals have a higher demand for iodine and owners of these types should be adding iodine more frequently than usual.

 

[jx.reef]

That may be true if routine water changes are done or iodine is supplemented through trace mixes. But the OP has not indicated any form of iodine testing or dosing. I grow hundreds of zoas in my frag tank and can tell you that without iodine supplementation, your zoas will slowly deteriorate. Take the advice as you will.

 

[blaxsun]

Yeah everything was fine prior to last month, and I already run carbon through my reefmat, and I send out bi weekly ICP test and everything looked just fine on those tests

Probably the fish. Once they exhaust their normal food supply they can quickly turn on corals.

 

[Aaron1222]

Probably the fish. Once they exhaust their normal food supply they can quickly turn on corals.

i did remove the fish, so we will see if that helps!