Zoa's not doing well

bkoppes · Feb 22, 2009

I have been having a number of my Zoa colonies shrink in size recently. Last night I noticed that a number of polyps were releasing brown stringy stuff out of their mouths. This is one of the colonies that I have lost 20 or so out of 30 polyps. I am trying to figure out why my zoa's are slowly shrinking in size and then slowly disappearing. Water parameters are fine. Any suggestions?

Pianoman · Feb 22, 2009

You prob. have a bunch of Zoa eating snails, thats what killed off my dads Zoa collection in just a week. He had a few hundred Zoas, got a coral full of them Zoa eaters and that week we watched his collection go away....

bkoppes · Feb 22, 2009

What do the snails look like?? I have seen a lot of snails in my tank after the lights off but didn't notice them on my zoa's. I still have yet to rule out my Yellow Tang, mithrix crabs, blue and red hermits. The crabs have been in my tank since the beginning though and my zoas have been growing like mad.

Hypertek99 · Feb 22, 2009

Do to www.zoaid.com and you can see pics of all the pests for zoanthids. Check for zoa eating spiders and nudis those are the 2 common ones.

bkoppes · Feb 22, 2009

Hypertek99 said:
Do to www.zoaid.com and you can see pics of all the pests for zoanthids. Check for zoa eating spiders and nudis those are the 2 common ones.

Haven't found any pests on them and have dipped them in FW and Iodine dips. One side of the zoa/paly will curl in then the next day totally closed and down hill from there.

Hypertek99 · Feb 22, 2009

Zoa pox maybe?? Or brown fungus maybe?

flricordia · Feb 22, 2009

Could they be in close proximity to a leather, anemone or sps maybe? Did you change lighting recently?

bkoppes · Feb 22, 2009

Hypertek99 said:
Zoa pox maybe?? Or brown fungus maybe?

Don't look brown, no spots.

flricordia said:
Could they be in close proximity to a leather, anemone or sps maybe? Did you change lighting recently?

Not close to leather, anem or sps.

Also, the mouths seem to be pointing out like shown in the one thread about sexing zoas. Any other thoughts anyone??

Hypertek99 · Feb 22, 2009

I think they are just melting away. Sometimes they just do that for no reason.

bkoppes · Feb 22, 2009

Hypertek99 said:
I think they are just melting away. Sometimes they just do that for no reason.

If that is the case then I won't have to worry about it anymore :bigsmile:

highpower9979 · Feb 23, 2009

whats the brown stuff called on palys and how do get rid of it

dtpollard · Feb 23, 2009

First. I find Mag is a MUST. I know I need to step the doseage up when my colonies start to look bad. I try to shoot for keeping it between 1200 and 1300 ppm?(I think that is how it is measured). A lot of people dose Vitamin C (I do, have not decided on keeping it yet.)
Second. A double dip is what I use now and have had great results with it. First tank water w/ Hydrogine Peroxide. There is a thread that talks about it in the last couple of weeks. Then a rinse dip of tank water w/ Lugol's Iodine mixed 5-6 drops per gallon. I rinse dip for about 45 seconds. then put back in tank. I try to do this right before lights out so they have all night to recoupe.