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Coral Vue Hydros

Need help with Zoa


patriot

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It seems like my zoanthids are not fully opening. All my parameters and temp are good, I have really good flow as well. When I buy them from the Lfs they look really good, fully open and bright, but when I bring them home for a couple days they aren't fully open and spreading. Below is my equipment and I will post pictures when I get home.

 

10 Gallon tank

Jebao RW-4

Marineland 50w heater

Marineland penguin 100 with chemipure elite

Coralife 20" T5 HO dual bulb fixture

Current USA 12,000 and 460 nm actinic, 12 hours a day

Test all my parameters with Red Sea kits

35% water change twice a week

 

Stock

Clownfish

Skunk shrimp

Astrea snail

Turbo snail

Nassarius snail

Scarlett hermit crab

Hermit crab with black legs, came as hitch hiker

 

I'm thinking maybe my lights aren't the right spectrum. I have placed Zoa frag in a few different places in my tank and none of them seem to be really opening. Somebody help?

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Light too bright?

Too much flow?

....also depends on what type of zoa. Some are pretty stubborn.

How long have you had them?

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natalia_la_loca

How long has your tank been set up? How long do you let the zoas sit before moving them around? Do you have other corals in there, or just zoas?

 

Do your snails, shrimps, hermits crawl around them much? Overzealous CUC can irritate zoas, and hermits are like a bull in a china shop. I've got just one hermit in my 8 gallon tank and am always on the verge of pulling him out because he's constantly trampling on my zoas.

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'All my parameters are good'

 

That usually means someone has not tested in a while. I know my numbers off the top of my head. Ca 420, Mg 1280, Alk 8.4 SG 1.026 (as measured). What are your actual numbers? What are the LFS parameters on the tank they were kept in? Also, what light and intensity does the LFS use?

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Haha you caught me CJJon, I will be posting parameters when I get home as well as pictures. As for the parameters at the LFS I am going there right now so I will ask, I also use their sw as I do not have rodi setup. As for their light intensity they use the ocean revive arctic, I will get the model when I get back.

 

I have three Zoas in my tank, eagle eyes, and I believe two watermelon. I also have mushroom, people eater?, acan, and green star polyp.

 

Yes sometimes my hermit will crawl over the zoas and they will close but open back up. Tank has been fully cycled for a week and a half. Before I add them I do hour and a half acclimation, and 15 minute dip. I haven't moved them around in my tank maybe one time.

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Went to the LFS and I have been getting IO salt and they told me they use red sea coral pro, so I got a 5 gallon bucket of half and half, and I will slowly introduce that into my tack every other day for the next week. Also picked up a timer for my lights so taking that variable out of the situation. Here are pictures

 

IMG_3449_zpsmuujlfg1.jpg

I believe a some kind of zoa? I got it when a LFS was moving stores so he just through a few in a bag.

 

IMG_3448_zpsto4dpetl.jpg

My mushroom (which I need to move, it's not doing so well that close to the light), green star polyp (which I need to glue down), as well as a mix of watermelon and eagle eye zoa I believe.

 

IMG_3447_zpsyawnw8no.jpg

There is the acan, watermelon zoa, and eagle eyes.

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natalia_la_loca

Those brown ones look like pandoras. They have a pretty yellow/orange pattern under actinics but they can be invasive.

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Nice! Although, that is a load of epoxy putty on those frags! You have enough on one frag to easily attach every frag in the tank. The best method is to roll up a pistachio sized chunk, squirt some thick CA glue on one end, smoosh onto bottom of frag, more thick CA on the other end. Now dunk into tank and position with a twisting motion. You really should not see much of the putty at all. Also, it might be a good idea to hold off cementing things permanently as you may want to move them to another spot depending how they do in your tank.

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CJJon yes I pretty much winged it and put as much as I thought I needed lol. What is CA glue? I have that putty stick and I have reef glue by seachem.

 

I tested the water I got from my LFS which is 50% IO and 50% Red Sea coral pro

Ammonia 0.4 (wtf?)

Nitrite 0.0

Nitrate 2

Calcium 300

Alkalinity 7.3

Magnesium 1040

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CJJon yes I pretty much winged it and put as much as I thought I needed lol. What is CA glue? I have that putty stick and I have reef glue by seachem.

 

I tested the water I got from my LFS which is 50% IO and 50% Red Sea coral pro

Ammonia 0.4 (wtf?)

Nitrite 0.0

Nitrate 2

Calcium 300

Alkalinity 7.3

Magnesium 1040

 

CA = Cyanoacrylate, Crazy Glue. The thicker the better. Durhams water putty is great stuff and cheaper too.

 

Your LFS can't be trusted with providing you clean water, obviously. Now you see the value of always testing your water no matter the source. Sounds like they did a water change and you got the dregs. What was the salinity? Go back there and demand your money back for all the water you bought there and don't buy anymore water from them. What are you using for top off water?

 

Here is one piece of advice that you should absolutely follow. Be the master of your own water. Get your own RODI and do not rely on anyone else for THE most important factor in reefkeeping--water.

 

http://spectrapure.com/Refurbished-90-GPD-RODI-System

 

Sucks when a LFS takes advantage or is so inept. I'd be buzzing mad if they sold me water like that and would never trust them again. See supra.

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Yeah forgot to mention SG was 1.17. I actually liked these guys. And I was using their RODI water but I suppose I should test that somehow now? Yes I will be making my own water from now on. Is there an rodi that you recommend that is somewhat portable as in not permanent? I'm only going to be living in this house for maybe 3 more months.

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See the link above for a great RO/DI unit that is portable--connects to a garden hose or sink.

 

You should also get a handheld TDS meter and test all your water--even the water you make yourself.

 

Yeah, there are lots of LFS that really can't be trusted. Too bad really.

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1.017 is a bit low for a reef... Most people run 1.023-1.026.

 

Alk is within parameters, but lower than ideal

calcium & mg are low

 

 

Ammonia may have been a false positive? Not sure how you would get that in fresh mixed water unless as cjjon said they are cutting it with old water - similarly not sure why there would be nitrates in fresh mixed water. Sort of defeats the point of doing a water change!

 

If they sell plain RO water just buy that (TDS meter should give quick results to prove it's good stuff) and mix the salt yourself.

 

In general I think it's best to mix your own water though.

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See the link above for a great RO/DI unit that is portable--connects to a garden hose or sink.

 

You should also get a handheld TDS meter and test all your water--even the water you make yourself.

 

Yeah, there are lots of LFS that really can't be trusted. Too bad really.

 

Can I just use the distilled water that I can get in big jugs until I move to a permanent place? I will be mixing with Red Sea Coral Pro.

 

Also the home depot buckets that I will be mixing in do I need to rinse those out after every use?

 

Water parameters in tank

Ammonia .02

Nitirite .05

Nitrate 20

Calcium 370

Magnesium 370

Alkalinity 9.0

Salinity 1.023

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