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Zoas shrinking, separating and becoming skinny?


jpico

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I have a 1.25 gallon pico, and my zoas, which were doing fine for the longest time, are starting to shrink, separate from each other and become skinny. To be honest, because there are no fish in the tank, I do not feed that often, but occassionally put small bits of fish food for the coral .... I don't that is working and now think that perhaps the zoas are not getting enough food. The other corals seem to be doing okay, but I have not had them nearly as long as the zoas. Thoughts? My concern is over feeding in such a small tank.

 

What is the best all-in-one coral food for a nano?

 

Thanks.

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I'll see if I can post a picture in the next day or so (I may be the most technically challenged person).

 

My lighting consists of 2 - 13w 50/50 Perch Lights -- so 26 watts on a 1.25 gallon. My lights are just over 6 months old. I was going to wait until 7 months to change them, but perhaps they are old.

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Can we get a list of parameters like salinity, nitrates ect. In small tanks salinity swings wildly if you don't have a way to top it off regularly. this could be part of the problem. Also what is the temp of the tank? If you don't run a heater at night it could be getting really cold.

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As for water parameters, 8.4 pH, zeros across the board for amonia, nitrite and nitrate. Salinity is at 1.0245. I top off by hand in the morning then when I get home from work. Temperature is a constant 72 (I do run a heater at night).

 

All other corals - shrooms, blastos, palys, colt, leather, gsp - are doing really well. It's just the zoas, which I've had since the beginning of the tank about 6 months ago.

 

I'm definitely going to change out my bulbs, but I don't know how I can get more than 26 watts on a 1 gallon without running into other issues.

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temp seems a little low. Wouldn't 78 be closer to ideal?

 

Yes, but I doubt that is the cause of the legginess.

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Could possibly also be low Magnesium levels.

Only thing is, Mg is hard to dose in a pico.

D-D H2O salt is the only salt I know of that has decent Mg levels out of the bag.

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slippy steve

+1 to weet.

 

I betcha 1 of your params are off. I have 175w and got lazy with testing and they started doing the same thing. pretty much all mg, alk, cal were low. nothing crazy, but it definately attributed.

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+1 to weet.

 

I betcha 1 of your params are off. I have 175w and got lazy with testing and they started doing the same thing. pretty much all mg, alk, cal were low. nothing crazy, but it definately attributed.

 

doesn't weekly water changes replensih all that?

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Could it really be lighting? ...I suppose if the bulbs were old. But 26W over 1.25 gallons?? That seems like sufficient lighting to me for zoas. I'm in for a world of disappointment if you guys are gonna tell my the stock 9W lamp that comes with my JBJ 3-gal. picotope won't even suffice for zoas or 'shrooms... especially contrary to all the reading I've done. <_<

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optimussr20

Look at your tank at night with all the lights out. Take a flashlight at look at your zoas. You might have Zoa spiders. I have a 34 gallon and that is what happened to mine. If any of your zoes looks like they might have a hole in them then you definally have them.

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