Zoas and Nems

[Wizzy]

My zoanthids are slowly getting a film of brown algae on the flesh, so I am becoming worried.

 

I have tried different spots in the tank for the past few days and finally just decided to leave them be.

 

Any dips or anything I can perform to help them recover?

 

----

 

Also, I found what I believe are Red Mini Carpet Anemones Stichodactyla Tatetum for $120 a pop.

 

Thoughts?

[Wizzy]

bump

[rgs2]

Can't help on the zoa's. $120 for a mini carpet sounds really high. I usually pay about $35-50 for nicely colored 2-3 inch ones at my LFS. Unless it's really spectacular, that seems like a lot.

[Wizzy]

Can't help on the zoa's. $120 for a mini carpet sounds really high. I usually pay about $35-50 for nicely colored 2-3 inch ones at my LFS. Unless it's really spectacular, that seems like a lot.

 

Are you talking about the ones that stay 2-3"?

 

I'm pretty sure that the ones I found are the Mini Mini kind- not Maxi Mini.

[Wizzy]

bump

[Wizzy]

So, my zoanthids aren't looking too good.

 

They still haven't opened.

 

I don't understand- nothing else in my tank is unhappy.

 

I made sure to put them in a place where other zoas are happy.

 

Anything I can do to try and make sure they don't melt away?

[Squared]

that seems to happen a lot, it happened to me quite a few times. the zoas just melt away no mater what i dip them in.

[metrokat]

you could try a fresh water dip or a coral RX dip. Sometimes a dip with selcon and an airline helps also.

blow off the brown film with a pipette if possible.

[altolamprologus]

Wizzy, is this the carpet you're talking about? Red with green mouth?

http://www.atlantisaquarium.net/inv10147.html

 

If so, that person is an ass for selling it that cheap.

[doppelganger]

are you sure it's brown algae? I would get the algae off if so. Brush, blow it off whatever. Even a peroxide dip may help get rid of the algae if it is smothering it.

[Wizzy]

that seems to happen a lot, it happened to me quite a few times. the zoas just melt away no mater what i dip them in.

 

Ya, this has happened a couple of times before.

 

Some of my zoanthids multiply like crazy, while other ones are super finicky.

 

you could try a fresh water dip or a coral RX dip. Sometimes a dip with selcon and an airline helps also.

blow off the brown film with a pipette if possible.

 

I've heard about FW and Coral Rx, but my understanding is that selcon is food?

 

Is placing them in a cup with selcon an attempt to stimulate them enough to initiate feeding?

 

Wizzy, is this the carpet you're talking about? Red with green mouth?

http://www.atlantisaquarium.net/inv10147.html

 

If so, that person is an ass for selling it that cheap.

 

Yup, that's the one.

 

So maybe I need to pick one up? lol.

 

If I end up getting one I'll probably be sweating until it multiplies though.

 

Any tips on keeping them?

 

I want to set up some sort of special area for it so I can keep an eye on it if I do get one.

 

are you sure it's brown algae? I would get the algae off if so. Brush, blow it off whatever. Even a peroxide dip may help get rid of the algae if it is smothering it.

 

Ya It's a very fine peppering though.

 

A couple polyps are still nice and clean.

 

So, maybe they will hold on.

 

I just haven't had much luck after a few days (at this point over a week) of the coral not opening.

 

I should've just left them where they were originally lol.

 

----

 

I'm thinking that I should just leave them be and see if they open on their own.

 

If they start looking worse, what does everyone think the best dip to try is?

 

I already own Coral RX and of course I have RODI.

 

If I am trying to stimulate them with food I have some Reef Cleaners stuff I can throw at em'.

 

Thanks- Wizzy

[altolamprologus]

Yup, that's the one.

 

So maybe I need to pick one up? lol.

 

If I end up getting one I'll probably be sweating until it multiplies though.

 

Any tips on keeping them?

 

I want to set up some sort of special area for it so I can keep an eye on it if I do get one.

Yeah that's a really good deal, although I still stand by my statement about the person being an ass. It's not a maxi mini or a mini mini, it's an as of yet completely unidentified species discovered by my old boss several years ago. The only people that have it are the ones who bought it from us. They're actually really easy to take care of and seem to be much hardier than other species of carpet nems. One thing I find really cool is they don't sting coral. There's one sitting on a acro right now and the acro doesn't care. It makes me think the sting isn't powerful enough to take down fish like maxi minis sometimes do. They do like to crawl around though. Every time they split, the clone goes wandering around away from the mother nem.

 

edit: I forgot to add they like really strong lighting. We have them under 400 watt halides. I don't think they need that much light, but they sure do love it

 

As for the zoas, a good long dip in coral rx couldn't hurt anything, along with manual removal of whatever is on it.

[Derbird]

Try dipping the zoa's in iodine. It really helps sick and struggling colonys recover. Be sure to use the iodine made for marine aquarium use. Most of the ones you will find at the grocery or drug store use some additives that can be very harmful to yor corals. I have done this a couple times and have had very good results.

 

If it is algea growing on the polyps then you may need more flow to help keep them clean. When zoa's are unhappy they can produce mucuse but without good flow they can't shed it propperly.

 

Zoa's are funny corals. If after a few weeks they are unhappy move them higher or lower until you find the sweet spot. Different zoa's come from different depths in the reef so you never are sure where they will be happy until they tell you.

 

Also check for parisites. They can get a whole host of them and that would explain why they are unhappy too. Do you dip them when you get them. I fear the parisites so I always dip my new ones in ReVive to kill the little ****** before they crash my colonies.

 

Sorry to write so much but I hope it was helpful.

[Wizzy]

Try dipping the zoa's in iodine. It really helps sick and struggling colonys recover. Be sure to use the iodine made for marine aquarium use. Most of the ones you will find at the grocery or drug store use some additives that can be very harmful to yor corals. I have done this a couple times and have had very good results.

 

If it is algea growing on the polyps then you may need more flow to help keep them clean. When zoa's are unhappy they can produce mucuse but without good flow they can't shed it propperly.

 

Zoa's are funny corals. If after a few weeks they are unhappy move them higher or lower until you find the sweet spot. Different zoa's come from different depths in the reef so you never are sure where they will be happy until they tell you.

 

Also check for parisites. They can get a whole host of them and that would explain why they are unhappy too. Do you dip them when you get them. I fear the parisites so I always dip my new ones in ReVive to kill the little ****** before they crash my colonies.

 

Sorry to write so much but I hope it was helpful.

 

Thank you very much

 

I think that Iodine sounds like the best dip.

 

Would doing what this person did work?

 

http://nanobyadrian.blogspot.com/2010/01/iodine-dip.html

[Wizzy]

So, my zoanthids are now reduced to 3 small polyps.

 

I moved them to an area with less light and a bit more flow.

 

Any last ditch efforts to save them?

[x3thelast]

blast the algae with some H2O2. bubbles up the zoas a bit but they're fine in an hr or so, should open up afterwards.

[Derbird]

Thank you very much

 

I think that Iodine sounds like the best dip.

 

Would doing what this person did work?

 

http://nanobyadrian.blogspot.com/2010/01/iodine-dip.html

 

It sounds like a good write up of the dip prosses.

 

Don't give up on them. If even one or two polyps make it they can quickly multiply and give you a stunning colony in the near future.

 

If you have any polyps that are obviously dying I would frag them off as well. Some times a healthy polyp will see the other one die and decide its time is up to, wierd I know.

 

H2O2 works great on algea, if you do this treatment be very careful not to get it on the zoa's. If they are already stressed this could be a last straw type of thing for them.

[Wizzy]

blast the algae with some H2O2. bubbles up the zoas a bit but they're fine in an hr or so, should open up afterwards.

 

 

It sounds like a good write up of the dip prosses.

 

Don't give up on them. If even one or two polyps make it they can quickly multiply and give you a stunning colony in the near future.

 

If you have any polyps that are obviously dying I would frag them off as well. Some times a healthy polyp will see the other one die and decide its time is up to, wierd I know.

 

H2O2 works great on algea, if you do this treatment be very careful not to get it on the zoa's. If they are already stressed this could be a last straw type of thing for them.

 

I will try to get some iodine at the store.

 

Also, I would like to note the remaining polyps are actually algae free.

 

I have no idea why they aren't opened.

 

Hopefully the iodine will help.

 

Thanks- Wizzy

[altolamprologus]

Don't get iodine from the grocery store. Make sure you get a brand that is specifically made for aquarium use so it doesn't have a bunch of crap in it.

[Lawnman]

Take your zoas out of the tank. Put them in a bowl of tank water and blast the crap out of them with a turkey baster and tank water. This is the number 1 killer of zoas and palys I have said it a million times on here. They get a layer of detrius on the mat which becomes a fungus and wipes them out 1 by 1. If people would take a turkey baster at night when they close up and blast there corals with tank water there corals would look better and open bigger and more often.

 

You need NO dips at all blast the crap off of them and they will open.

 

I am interested in seeing a picture of these zoas as well. Are they the speckled ones the vendors have been selling tons of lately? Some call them nightmares or darth mauls yada yada yada.

[Wizzy]

Don't get iodine from the grocery store. Make sure you get a brand that is specifically made for aquarium use so it doesn't have a bunch of crap in it.

 

Which brand do you recommend?

 

I won't be able to make it to a LFS for a few days probably >.<

 

I was thinking of picking up the brand used in the article I linked to.

 

Take your zoas out of the tank. Put them in a bowl of tank water and blast the crap out of them with a turkey baster and tank water. This is the number 1 killer of zoas and palys I have said it a million times on here. They get a layer of detrius on the mat which becomes a fungus and wipes them out 1 by 1. If people would take a turkey baster at night when they close up and blast there corals with tank water there corals would look better and open bigger and more often.

 

You need NO dips at all blast the crap off of them and they will open.

 

I am interested in seeing a picture of these zoas as well. Are they the speckled ones the vendors have been selling tons of lately? Some call them nightmares or darth mauls yada yada yada.

 

I will do what you suggest tonight after I turn off my tank light

 

Here's a picture taken June 26, 2012.

 

 

 

Edit- I wanted to add that I did receive a polyp of Darth Maul from a vendor here a year or so ago and it melted away after a few days. Seems like melting is pretty common with Darth Mauls.

[Wizzy]

bump

[Wizzy]

I blew off my zoanthids tonight.

 

Still 3 little (clean) polyps.

 

I don't have much hope at this point

 

I will see if I can get my hands on some iodine.

 

If not- I have Coral RX and RODI... Should I try either of those?

 

Put them in higher light, more flow?

 

Right now they are in lower light, less flow.

[Wizzy]

My zoanthids were reduced to two small polyps which still haven't opened.

 

On the bright side, they are noticeably showing orange (showing their color) through the zoa mat so I have high hopes.

 

They are currently in medium light/flow.

 

This post is more so I can keep track of their progress.

 

Also, to thank everyone who helped me.

 

[buddythelion]

My zoanthids were reduced to two small polyps which still haven't opened.

 

On the bright side, they are noticeably showing orange (showing their color) through the zoa mat so I have high hopes.

 

They are currently in medium light/flow.

 

This post is more so I can keep track of their progress.

 

Also, to thank everyone who helped me.

 

 

Uh. If the color is starting to show through the mat it means that the mat is melting, sorry to burst your bubbles.