Ratvan Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Really janky solution but could you not use some eggcrate or similar to diffuse the light over the Zoas? Something thin that you wouldn't notice on your cover? 1 Quote Link to comment
ECLS Reefer Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 I wonder if that’s what happened to my zoas too? They just....disappeared. Like they were eaten over night or the coral rapture or something. I didn’t see the polyps close and stay closed, the whole body was gone. So weird. 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 27 minutes ago, Pjanssen said: Can you move the blue zoas down? I lost all of my blue zoas too Sadly they are too encrusted. I wouldn't be able to move them without reorganizing my entire 'scape, so that's basically not an option. 😔 24 minutes ago, Ratvan said: Really janky solution but could you not use some eggcrate or similar to diffuse the light over the Zoas? Something thin that you wouldn't notice on your cover? That could work, but I recently switched back to the screen lid due to winter being pretty much over here (it only lasts for about two months in Southern California). I'm not sure I'd be able to fashion something that sits comfortably on the screen. Now that you mention it though, I bet the switch from glass to screen lid is part of the reason my zoas are experiencing light stress. A lot more light seems to get through the screen. 7 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said: I wonder if that’s what happened to my zoas too? They just....disappeared. Like they were eaten over night or the coral rapture or something. I didn’t see the polyps close and stay closed, the whole body was gone. So weird. It's certainly possible that lighting stress was involved, but sudden disappearances seem more likely to be the result of predators. My understanding is that light problems cause zoas to shrink and close for awhile before melting. My hope is that the blue zoas will be able to adapt as long as I keep everything else in the tank stable. I'm going to watch and wait for a few days and see if they begin to come around. I considered switching back to my old light but everything else in the tank looks fantastic under the A160, so 🤷♂️. 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Have you got any round opaque CD covers or sleeves? Tracing paper? Rolling papers? Lol. 2 Quote Link to comment
Pjanssen Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Ratvan said: Rolling papers? 🤣🤣🤣who thinks of that? 2 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 4 minutes ago, Pjanssen said: 🤣🤣🤣who thinks of that? They were "to hand" 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 2 hours ago, Ratvan said: Have you got any round opaque CD covers or sleeves? Tracing paper? Rolling papers? Lol. Not a bad idea at all! It might be difficult to get the shape just right, so I hit the zoas but don't shade the gorgonians near them. But it could be worth a try. Tbh the real answer is that I need a bigger tank! What better way to move the zoas lower than to just get a deeper aquarium, right!? 😁 I've had my eyes on the IM Fusion 40 and I really need some serious convincing that I should just be content with the beautiful tank that I've already got. I like the dimensions on the IM 40... it's very deep (almost 19") which I think makes it less popular than some of the other tanks in the same size range (e.g. 30 long, 40 breeder etc.), but the depth makes it perfect for gorgonian lovers. I'd use my current light and powerhead, so all I would need is the tank itself and a bigger heater... and a stand of course... Agh! Temptation! Help! 🤣 5 Quote Link to comment
Variant Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 7 minutes ago, billygoat said: Not a bad idea at all! It might be difficult to get the shape just right, so I hit the zoas but don't shade the gorgonians near them. But it could be worth a try. Tbh the real answer is that I need a bigger tank! What better way to move the zoas lower than to just get a deeper aquarium, right!? 😁 I've had my eyes on the IM Fusion 40 and I really need some serious convincing that I should just be content with the beautiful tank that I've already got. I like the dimensions on the IM 40... it's very deep (almost 19") which I think makes it less popular than some of the other tanks in the same size range (e.g. 30 long, 40 breeder etc.), but the depth makes it perfect for gorgonian lovers. I'd use my current light and powerhead, so all I would need is the tank itself and a bigger heater... and a stand of course... Agh! Temptation! Help! 🤣 The help you need: 4 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 7 hours ago, billygoat said: Not a bad idea at all! It might be difficult to get the shape just right, so I hit the zoas but don't shade the gorgonians near them. But it could be worth a try. Tbh the real answer is that I need a bigger tank! What better way to move the zoas lower than to just get a deeper aquarium, right!? 😁 I've had my eyes on the IM Fusion 40 and I really need some serious convincing that I should just be content with the beautiful tank that I've already got. I like the dimensions on the IM 40... it's very deep (almost 19") which I think makes it less popular than some of the other tanks in the same size range (e.g. 30 long, 40 breeder etc.), but the depth makes it perfect for gorgonian lovers. I'd use my current light and powerhead, so all I would need is the tank itself and a bigger heater... and a stand of course... Agh! Temptation! Help! 🤣 Or move the Zoas to the 4G Pico? LOL 1 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Try another layer of screen just over the zoa's. 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 14 hours ago, Variant said: The help you need: I just have to save enough money to comfortably make the purchase... then I am pretty sure that I am going to do it. 🤣 Everyone loves a tank upgrade! It's still going to be awhile though. I'll have plenty of time to plan... 6 hours ago, Ratvan said: Or move the Zoas to the 4G Pico? LOL If only it was still running! I couldn't handle having more than one tank, even with the second one only being a pico. I guess I am too much of a perfectionist. 😂 1 hour ago, debbeach13 said: Try another layer of screen just over the zoa's. The zoas definitely don't seem to be doing better, so I think I'm going to try reducing the max lighting intensity by 10% 5% (EDIT: Let's make it 5% for now; 10% is kind of a lot) and leaving all the other light settings (color/spectrum) the same. We'll see if this helps/has an adverse impact on the other livestock in the system. That will put the A160 at 40% 45% max power during the noon-time period, which should produce an amount of PAR roughly comparable to my old A80. The zoas thrived under the previous light, so I am hoping this will help them bounce back. I just worry about upsetting everything else in the tank... but it's not too dramatic of a change, and less light is usually better than too much, so hopefully it will be okay. 🤞 2 2 Quote Link to comment
cosmicbread Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Yay, you're finally going to run another tank!! MTS is real. I think my 12g long is neat but I've been eying wider/slightly deeper AIO tanks. Because, the possibilities. Good luck with the little zoas, I hope they stop the cranky sooner rather than later. 2 Quote Link to comment
Tired Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 A macro for shade, maybe? Just put a handful of stuff over them and see if they like it any. I couldn't grow certain plants well in my very sunny garden until a small tree grew that I could put them underneath. Less light is worth a shot, though. It's unlikely to severely upset anything- at worst you'll just see some corals stretch a bit. I'm in the process of trying to ease my own lighting up a bit- I've got a couple of zoanthids that don't seem pleased, too much stretching. 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted February 1, 2020 Author Share Posted February 1, 2020 10 hours ago, cosmicbread said: Yay, you're finally going to run another tank!! MTS is real. I think my 12g long is neat but I've been eying wider/slightly deeper AIO tanks. Because, the possibilities. Good luck with the little zoas, I hope they stop the cranky sooner rather than later. To be honest it will probably be a long time before I get around to upgrading (mostly for financial reasons/uncertainty about how long I will actually be living in my current location), and when I do I will most definitely break down the C-Vue and transfer my livestock over to the new tank. I just can't deal with multiple aquariums! Even a tiny pico was too much for me. 😂 Now if you could figure out a way to light it properly, the IM Nuvo 40 could make a great macro tank as well... all that vertical depth means you could jam in a super deep sand/mud bed and still have plenty of space for macros or even mangroves! Not that I'm saying you should do that or anything. I'm just saying that it would be super cool. 😁😉 7 hours ago, Tired said: A macro for shade, maybe? Just put a handful of stuff over them and see if they like it any. I couldn't grow certain plants well in my very sunny garden until a small tree grew that I could put them underneath. Less light is worth a shot, though. It's unlikely to severely upset anything- at worst you'll just see some corals stretch a bit. I'm in the process of trying to ease my own lighting up a bit- I've got a couple of zoanthids that don't seem pleased, too much stretching. Sadly Eunicid worms have eaten almost all of the fleshy macros in my tank, so I am left with nothing to work with but Halimeda (they hate that stuff). Shade of some other kind may still be an option though. A gorgonian perhaps could work as well! Raising the lighting intensity is definitely a more dicey process than lowering it, that's for sure. Going about it very slowly is definitely the right call. 👍 Quote Link to comment
cosmicbread Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 Totally understandable! I think the only reason I can cope with the three I have now is that the largest (FW) basically runs by itself. Sometime in the future, I want to convert it to a marine tank, and make it my only tank -- but all of the inhabitants have to pass from old age first. Accumulating aquariums right now is not very Marie Kondo of me...but at least they spark joy. A deeper tank will look gorgeous with your gorgs 😊 2 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 Hello! 😁 Once again not much to report with the tank, but everything seems to be going well enough. The zoas continue to struggle a bit, but I have a feeling they are going to end up being okay. I did indulge in a very minor rescape of the left rear corner this morning - basically I just moved the brown paly rock a bit closer to the glass and scooted the big Eunicea over so it could have some more room to sway. I was tempted to fire up the 4g Waterbox again and join the 365 day AIO challenge, but I think I will hold off on that. I've decided to use my aquarium as an exercise in being content with the good things I have already got. It's a lovely tank and it seems pretty healthy, so rather than upgrade it or start new systems I think I will do my best to focus on this one and be grateful for the success I have found so far. 😊 That being said I bet I can squeeze one more gorgonian in here if I try really hard, so... 🤪 5 1 Quote Link to comment
ECLS Reefer Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 1 hour ago, billygoat said: Hello! 😁 Once again not much to report with the tank, but everything seems to be going well enough. The zoas continue to struggle a bit, but I have a feeling they are going to end up being okay. I did indulge in a very minor rescape of the left rear corner this morning - basically I just moved the brown paly rock a bit closer to the glass and scooted the big Eunicea over so it could have some more room to sway. I was tempted to fire up the 4g Waterbox again and join the 365 day AIO challenge, but I think I will hold off on that. I've decided to use my aquarium as an exercise in being content with the good things I have already got. It's a lovely tank and it seems pretty healthy, so rather than upgrade it or start new systems I think I will do my best to focus on this one and be grateful for the success I have found so far. 😊 That being said I bet I can squeeze one more gorgonian in here if I try really hard, so... 🤪 The zoas sure look good in that top down shot! 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 52 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said: The zoas sure look good in that top down shot! Thanks! They've definitely seen better days though. If you look closely you can see that many of the blue ones are closed up and are turning white on their tips. Some of them likely won't make it. 😥 I'm hoping that decreasing my lighting intensity a bit will help them to get back on their feet though. I think it's unlikely that I will lose them all. 1 Quote Link to comment
ECLS Reefer Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 4 minutes ago, billygoat said: Thanks! They've definitely seen better days though. If you look closely you can see that many of the blue ones are closed up and are turning white on their tips. Some of them likely won't make it. 😥 I'm hoping that decreasing my lighting intensity a bit will help them to get back on their feet though. I think it's unlikely that I will lose them all. I've lost the majority of mine too. The ones I have left are seemingly okay and I hope they'll stick around. I'm still acclimating the tank to my big light and I'm not an expert at it so I'm not sure this crop will always be there. Maybe once I'm completely done with acclimation I can find a shadier spot for new ones. Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 I woke up this morning to find the tank chilling (literally!) at 73.4 F. Yikes! I guess it got pretty cold last night. Back to the glass lid we go! I've discovered that I'm not the biggest fan of my glass lid and much prefer the screen when I can get away with it, but this will have to do for now. Ideally I'd like to simply upgrade my 75w Neo Therm heater, but I am not sure that any larger model can actually fit into my rear chambers. 🤔 3 Quote Link to comment
Pjanssen Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Yikes! Was everything ok? 2 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 10 minutes ago, Pjanssen said: Yikes! Was everything ok? Everything seems fine, but I'm a bit worried... even with the glass lid on, the heater seems to be struggling to raise the temperature. It's two hours later now and the temp has only increased to 74.1 F. I remember this being a problem last winter too, so I think I will have to come up with a better solution. 3 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Tank inhabitants seem to do ok with a little chill much better than when a tank gets a little warmer. I hope this holds true in this instance. Also probably best to bring the temperature back up slowly. 3 Quote Link to comment
Pjanssen Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I agree with @debbeach13. Florida waters get cold too. Maybe not typically 73, but I’ve dove through thermal patches where my gauge says 74. 1 Quote Link to comment
Tired Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 My tank has been hovering at around 75 due to my house not being very well insulated. Haven't noticed any differences in the livestock (amount of motion in mobile animals, amount of extension in corals) between this and when it's 78. Gonna try to get it to stay at 78 in future, but a few degrees too low doesn't seem to be a significant issue for them. 1 Quote Link to comment
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