Zoas randomly stopped opening up

[ChiefReef57]

So for the last 3 weeks my zoas seem unhappy and almost appear to be shrinking. I do regular weekly water changes and did a larger one this week to see if anything changed and they still aren’t happy. Parameters are listed below


Alk-8.7

Nitrate-1.0

Calc- 480

Phos- 0 but there is some algae in the tank so I think it’s just untraceable

Mag- 1430

Salinity- 1.026

Temp -78

PH- 8.2

 

[reeferguy3303]

Looks like they are all stretching for light

 

[vetteguy53081]

Salinity slightly high ( 1.025 best)
Mag very high (1300-1350 safe range)
Zoas must have iodide, not iodine in their water and under moderate light and water flow. They seem to do best in the lower half to third of the tank in an area of low-medium to medium-high flow. Too much flow may make it hard for the polyps to open. You will know your zoanthids are ‘happy’ if they open up and are fully extended without seeming to stretch so far upright.. The majority of zoanthids have symbiotic photosynthetic zooxanthellae and are therefore best kept with at least moderate aquarium lighting as mentioned for production of zooxanthellae.
Zoanthids require the standard water parameters that are good for keeping just about any of your corals healthy. You’re aiming for:
Water temperature about 78 F
Salinity somewhere around 1.025 specific gravity
Alk 8-11 dKH)
pH around 8.1-8.3.
However, if your polyps were previously open and have recently closed up, this should be taken as a serious sign of a water parameters issue. The first things I would check are ph and salinity. In my experience, zoas will close up if there are swings in salinity.

 

[ChiefReef57]

Salinity slightly high ( 1.025 best)
Mag very high (1300-1350 safe range)
Zoas must have iodide, not iodine in their water and under moderate light and water flow. They seem to do best in the lower half to third of the tank in an area of low-medium to medium-high flow. Too much flow may make it hard for the polyps to open. You will know your zoanthids are ‘happy’ if they open up and are fully extended without seeming to stretch so far upright.. The majority of zoanthids have symbiotic photosynthetic zooxanthellae and are therefore best kept with at least moderate aquarium lighting as mentioned for production of zooxanthellae.
Zoanthids require the standard water parameters that are good for keeping just about any of your corals healthy. You’re aiming for:
Water temperature about 78 F
Salinity somewhere around 1.025 specific gravity
Alk 8-11 dKH)
pH around 8.1-8.3.
However, if your polyps were previously open and have recently closed up, this should be taken as a serious sign of a water parameters issue. The first things I would check are ph and salinity. In my experience, zoas will close up if there are swings in salinity.

Thank you for this! I’ve been monitoring ph and salinity a lot. There was a slight swing in salinity. Some have said it’s not enough light as well

 

[ChiefReef57]

Looks like they are all stretching for light

I feel like that as well but I have two ai primes running similar setting to a lot of others

 

[vetteguy53081]

I feel like that as well but I have two ai primes running similar setting to a lot of others

Ai Prime:

White 18%
Blue 95%
red 3%
Green 4%
violet 90%
UV 70%

 

[Grossman90]

Phos being 0 will do it. I run high end zoa tanks. 9 times out of 10 when my zoas are closed its due to low nutrients. Saliny and mag is fine.

 

[shakacuz]

Phos being 0 will do it. I run high end zoa tanks. 9 times out of 10 when my zoas are closed its due to low nutrients. Saliny and mag is fine.

you think his nitrates being 1 is also a factor? i was thinking that as well

 

[Grossman90]

you think his nitrates being 1 is also a factor? i was thinking that as well

Nutrients in general being low. I have had zoas completely close with 0 phos. Dose some that day and next morning they were open. I would keep nitrates in 5 to 10 range. Phos .05 area

 

[Townsaquaria]

I'll make it easy for you. It's the 0 phosphate. Don't run any phosphate removal media. I had a thriving zoa reef until I added phosphate removal media thinking it would get rid of my algae. Instead, I kept my algae and all of my zoas closed up and never opened again. Even a month after I took out the media. I ended up giving everything away and giving up on zoas and didn't try them again until I reset my tank from scratch and set up two others.

 

[ChiefReef57]

T

I'll make it easy for you. It's the 0 phosphate. Don't run any phosphate removal media. I had a thriving zoa reef until I added phosphate removal media thinking it would get rid of my algae. Instead, I kept my algae and all of my zoas closed up and never opened again. Even a month after I took out the media. I ended up giving everything away and giving up on zoas and didn't try them again until I reset my tank from scratch and set up two others.

This makes a lot of sense cause I just added some recently.. I’m gonna take it out and hope

 

[ChiefReef57]

Phos being 0 will do it. I run high end zoa tanks. 9 times out of 10 when my zoas are closed its due to low nutrients. Saliny and mag is fine.

Thank you! I’ll try to dirty it up a little maybe do water changes every other week instead of weekly