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Zoanthids melting away


SiRhk

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Hi guys, I am posting this for a friend here. He has a 150 and some zoanthids melted away, they will close really really hard to the point they feel like just balls and then proceed to melt away. Some Palys seem to be doing fine and some zoanthids in different areas of the tank are doing good too. We have tried putting more zoos next to the ones that are doing good but they are doing the same thing. All the corals look wonderful, except for the zoanthids.

We have tried so far several water changes, vitamin C and reducing the dosing of alk as well as raising it a bit and going back to normal again, since I have read zoas react to alk. Salinity is good, all the params are good. But I exhausted everything I have of knowledge about what could be happening here.


Live stock is not bothering any of the zoanthids, we have look for nudis, any fish picking at them, crabs, pods and nothing is showing signs of being the cause. Literally I took half a colony of one of my zoanthids that were fully opening and in a matter of minutes they closed so hard to the point I mentioned before.

My question is; I am missing something to try? Do we need to check or look for something else ?

Thanks to all in advance.

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Angel<3Nanos

There are a ton of reasons as to why they melt away. One is probably that the water is too clean. I've seen tanks with ultra low nutrients melt away zoas. They need dirtier water. Po4 around 0.02. And no3 below 10.

 

Also, flow could be an issue. Make sure they have the right flow.

 

As well as light. Make sure the par is on check where you are keeping them.

 

And last, make sure there aren't any zoa pox. Little tiny white speckles around the body of the zoas.

 

There could be more reasons why. But I just can't think of them right now. Just got off work and I'm super sleepy lol

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I found Zoas can be very picky in where they reside in the tank and lighting changes, If they were moved or Lights changed that would be my first guess if nothing else were different and parameters were good.

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We really need all the details. All params are good? What are the exact numbers? When were they tested? Temps? Detail the vitamin C, dosing of alk, and what raising it a bit and going back to normal again means. What other livestock is in the tank? (be exact) RODI for top off and water making? What salt brand? What lights is he running?

 

Pics of the zoas would help. Also, when were they acquired? How long has this been happening? Were they dipped at introduction? Anyone clean house around the tank lately? Any unfamiliar teenagers staying over? Anything new or unfamiliar in the house?

 

Is he running carbon currently? What other media?

 

Low nutrients would not have caused your test zoas to close in minutes. Something is off that has immediate effect. Toxin or parameter issue. Need those numbers. Alk especially. Anemones will cause allelopathic toxicity in zoas. Also, zoas themselves can cause allelopathic toxicity. This is often the case when one type of zoas are doing poorly and the others are thriving. Although, there should be enough space in that 150 unless it is packed (a FTS would help).

 

Really need all the tiny details to try and figure it out. Otherwise, just guessing.

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Cencalfishguy56

We really need all the details. All params are good? What are the exact numbers? When were they tested? Temps? Detail the vitamin C, dosing of alk, and what raising it a bit and going back to normal again means. What other livestock is in the tank? (be exact) RODI for top off and water making? What salt brand? What lights is he running?

 

Pics of the zoas would help. Also, when were they acquired? How long has this been happening? Were they dipped at introduction? Anyone clean house around the tank lately? Any unfamiliar teenagers staying over? Anything new or unfamiliar in the house?

 

Is he running carbon currently? What other media?

 

Low nutrients would not have caused your test zoas to close in minutes. Something is off that has immediate effect. Toxin or parameter issue. Need those numbers. Alk especially. Anemones will cause allelopathic toxicity in zoas. Also, zoas themselves can cause allelopathic toxicity. This is often the case when one type of zoas are doing poorly and the others are thriving. Although, there should be enough space in that 150 unless it is packed (a FTS would help).

 

Really need all the tiny details to try and figure it out. Otherwise, just guessing.

Agreed, it's funny how zoas are in a sense like tiny anemones

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Are zoas fun or what? I love to look at them but would not have a tank full of them due to this reason. I have two different paly's one a seafoam green color very neat the other is the Grandis Cinnamon Paly which I just love. Both are doing so very well as they love to be fed, but zoas especially the tiny ones like the Rasta's I use to have would make you pull your hair out.

 

A fellow reefer here spent not hundreds but thousands of dollars on zoas/paly's and has he ever lost so many of them but he keeps on buying more, that just would not be for me, I would try and find something that works with my tank not costing me $$$$ all the time.

 

They can be challenging for some that is for sure.

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opaquelace

Have you considered the possibility of some type of infection? I just had to dip all my zoanthids due to a mini colony looking not too great. 3 days later they look healthy again. Dipped once a day for 3 days, 20 minutes in 2 packets of Furan 2 in 4 cups of water or enough water to cover your rock. Rinse really well in clean tank water without furan 2 and place back in the tank. I'd also dip first in Coral Rx or Revive to make sure there are no pests.

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Have you considered the possibility of some type of infection? I just had to dip all my zoanthids due to a mini colony looking not too great. 3 days later they look healthy again. Dipped once a day for 3 days, 20 minutes in 2 packets of Furan 2 in 4 cups of water or enough water to cover your rock. Rinse really well in clean tank water without furan 2 and place back in the tank. I'd also dip first in Coral Rx or Revive to make sure there are no pests.

 

I was going to recommend the same exact thing. Generally when any of my zoas aren't doing hot, I put them through three days of an antibiotic dip followed by iodine dips directly after the antibiotic dip. If you decide to go this route, place them in a higher flow area once you're done with the dips.

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opaquelace

Once you dip them do you dip them in more tank water to clean them off before placing back in the tank?

Yes so the medicine doesn't go back in the water. Give them a good swim around the clean tank water and then put them back in the tank. Replace the water lost in the tank with new water.

 

The LFS my husband and I drive an hour to does a week long quarantine on all new zoanthid frags. This includes an initial dip in Coral Rx to get rid of any possible pests and then treatment in Furan 2 for 3 days. Wait a week, repeat, then put up for sale.

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Currently, in my tank, I am having this problem with 2 zoa frags. Both of them are near other frags that may be causing some kind of chemical warfare, so that is what I am attributing my issue to. Are the frags/colonies that are effected near anything else? And I mean within an inch or 2, not necessarily touching. For me, it is a goni and a yuma causing my problems.

 

Other than that, there definitely could be many other things that others have already stated that could cause this. I just wanted to add this as no one else had really touched on it yet. Details and pics will go very far in aiding us to help diagnose this issue.

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+1 to a diluted peroxide dip. I've done it several times in the past with great success.

 

Mix it about 4 parts RO/DI to 1 part peroxide

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Marc.The.Shark

I do Coral RX, then with 50/50 peroxide & tank water & blast the hell out of them. Haven't lost one yet. Haven't tried the Furan yet. Is that just for Pox?

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Asking this for a fellow reefer, he has zoa eating nudi in his tank. So far has only found one and removed it. All of his zoas are on large rocks so not easy to remove to dip. He was told to use Flat Worm Exit to kill any of the eggs this nudi might have laid, will this work or not?

 

I will pass on the replies to him.

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Hi guys, I am posting this for a friend here. He has a 150 and some zoanthids melted away, they will close really really hard to the point they feel like just balls and then proceed to melt away. Some Palys seem to be doing fine and some zoanthids in different areas of the tank are doing good too. We have tried putting more zoos next to the ones that are doing good but they are doing the same thing. All the corals look wonderful, except for the zoanthids.

 

We have tried so far several water changes, vitamin C and reducing the dosing of alk as well as raising it a bit and going back to normal again, since I have read zoas react to alk. Salinity is good, all the params are good. But I exhausted everything I have of knowledge about what could be happening here.

 

 

Live stock is not bothering any of the zoanthids, we have look for nudis, any fish picking at them, crabs, pods and nothing is showing signs of being the cause. Literally I took half a colony of one of my zoanthids that were fully opening and in a matter of minutes they closed so hard to the point I mentioned before.

 

My question is; I am missing something to try? Do we need to check or look for something else ?

 

Thanks to all in advance.

feed them a liquid food..

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Marc.The.Shark

3% H2O2?

Yep. Also takes care of any algae on the frag plugs. Not a fan of plugs & try to pop the Zoas off whenever possible, but can't always

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  • 5 years later...
superlightman1@hotmail.com

Hello do you finally found the reason? I have same problem, all zoas was fine when suddently the half died the other half was great ,xenia melting also .Some zoas species close and melts in few minutes when i put them in my tank, all is good 7,5, nitrate 2,5 ,phosphate between 0,06-0,10. Tried many things same you.Put them in my nano they are fine,put them in the big tank they close instantely,but just some kind.so it can be a pest or animal eating them.

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