Zoa's Melting

[Ratvan]

Hello Everybody, 

 

So I seem to have another issue with my Zoa's. This time I have gone for cheap and larger colonies rather than frags. However I have an area of the Colony that seems to be melting. I have had these in my tank for a couple of months and so far not had any issues with them. 

 

Tested Water and Nitrates are 20 and Phosphate at 0.03

Not seen any pest's lately but cannot rule it out 

I do leave the algae on this side of the tank alone as Cujo (Tailspot Blenny) likes to graze off the glass on this side of the tank 

[Pjanssen]

Is your phosphate .3 or .03? .03 is good,.3 is really high. Have you tried an iodine dip? might be worth it. Also maybe grab a magnifying glass and look for pests. Also consider dosing your tank with Iodine, but only if you are willing to do regular testing, as too much iodine is detrimental to a reef.

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Pjanssen said:

Is your phosphate .3 or .03? .03 is good,.3 is really high. Have you tried an iodine dip? might be worth it. Also maybe grab a magnifying glass and look for pests. Also consider dosing your tank with Iodine, but only if you are willing to do regular testing, as too much iodine is detrimental to a reef.

0.03 sorry typing on phone

[Ratvan]

When I first got them I dipped them every 4 days for 4 weeks to rid myself of any pests. 

 

Oh dosing, now i'm worried. What do I need to do?

[Pjanssen]

Iodine won't rid them of pests, for that you need something like Revive. If you dipped them in iodine that much, it is possible that you over dosed them and they need time to recover.  As far as dosing the tank with iodine, just get a test kit and figure out how much you need. Test weekly at the beginning to figure out your consumption. I recently started  dosing Fuel in both tanks which has iodine as well as other trace elements and aminos. Zoas in my 29 look great but it is a little more stable than my 14 right now.

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, Pjanssen said:

Iodine won't rid them of pests, for that you need something like Revive. If you dipped them in iodine that much, it is possible that you over dosed them and they need time to recover.  As far as dosing the tank with iodine, just get a test kit and figure out how much you need. Test weekly at the beginning to figure out your consumption. I recently started  dosing Fuel in both tanks which has iodine as well as other trace elements and aminos. Zoas in my 29 look great but it is a little more stable than my 14 right now.

I dip in Dettol (Simple Green) not Iodine. Sorry should have been more specific.

So test on Monday, test on Friday(or following Monday), work out consumption and dose accordingly?

[Pjanssen]

Simple green as in what we use to clean with? Huh!

Pretty much. If you can take your Zoa rocks out, dip them in a container of tank water and iodine solution (lots of thread on more specifics of this, but I just add a couple of capfuls of Iodine (currently have Fluvals that I picked up at Petco, but any high quality will work-I don't recommend drug store brands but some reefers use them) to a liter or so of water and let them sit for a few minutes. You can swirl the container every so often if you want to, then back in the tank they go. I don't rinse them. This will give them a jump start without affecting other habitants in the tank.

[Ratvan]

Just now, Pjanssen said:

Simple green as in what we use to clean with? Huh!

Pretty much. If you can take your Zoa rocks out, dip them in a container of tank water and iodine solution (lots of thread on more specifics of this, but I just add a couple of capfuls of Iodine (currently have Fluvals that I picked up at Petco, but any high quality will work-I don't recommend drug store brands but some reefers use them) to a liter or so of water and let them sit for a few minutes. You can swirl the container every so often if you want to, then back in the tank they go. I don't rinse them. This will give them a jump start without affecting other habitants in the tank.

Yeah that Simple Green. I use it for a variety of tasks. 

My favourite is Corals Dips and Stripping Acrylic Based Miniature paint

[Pjanssen]

Wow, I would never think to dip my corals in the same stuff I would use to clean up paint!

[Ratvan]

 

 

[Ratvan]

Thinking Aiptasia, can see small Anemone looking things as well as the mini dusters littering the rock. Apologies for the state of the photo's couldn't get a good angle

[Ratvan]

Well noticed something about this "rock" today

 

Nope not the Aiptasia, I will sort that before transferring into the larger tank. Am I mad or is this some Bi-Valve? 

[Ratvan]

So once I have the cyano and diatoms under control do I need to do anything with this guy? I pretty much broadcast feed Artemis and pellets for fish and hermits and snails. Will resume reef roids for corals shortly.

[A. grandis]

That rock came from the wild and that's why you have all sort of organisms still alive on it.

That spot is where the zoas were getting rotten and eaten/ attached by bacteria.

Remove the dead zoas from the rock scraping them off side ways with a sharp knife and siphoning out the dead stuff.

Be careful not to touch the healthy zoas.

You can use Lugols solution locally to relief the colony and avoid the infection to spread.

Turn off the pumps and get like 3 drops of the solution in a 1ml pipette to do that, spreading the solution under water in the tank over that area. 3 drops! let rest for like a minute and turn the pumps back on. Better if you have a skimmer in the system.

Use gloves while doing that.

 

[Ratvan]

On 10/13/2019 at 8:40 AM, A. grandis said:

That rock came from the wild and that's why you have all sort of organisms still alive on it.

That spot is where the zoas were getting rotten and eaten/ attached by bacteria.

Remove the dead zoas from the rock scraping them off side ways with a sharp knife and siphoning out the dead stuff.

Be careful not to touch the healthy zoas.

You can use Lugols solution locally to relief the colony and avoid the infection to spread.

Turn off the pumps and get like 3 drops of the solution in a 1ml pipette to do that, spreading the solution under water in the tank over that area. 3 drops! let rest for like a minute and turn the pumps back on. Better if you have a skimmer in the system.

Use gloves while doing that.

 

Lugol's is being banned on 25.10.2019 as a reult I cannot gain any

Whatever was causing the demise has ceased

Nope no skimmer 

 

[Tamberav]

I have a couple hitchikers bivalves and I don't do anything for them. They seem very hardy.

[Tired]

Oh, goodness, that's not a rock at all. It's a very good rock disguise, though! And a really neat multi-species pic. I wouldn't try to move the bivalve, it's likely anchored too firmly to detach it without hurting it. Just consider it a part of the rock, and make sure to set it so that it has a little flow and can open fully. 

 

I lost the hitchhiker bivalve I had, but it was in a newly set up 5gal tank. You'll likely have much better luck. Most people seem to just ignore those, though I think a squirt of phyto in its direction now and then wouldn't go amiss if you happen to have that anyway. 

 

As for Lugol's, it looks like you may still be able to get small bottles. Or, heck- if the stuff isn't banned yet, grab a bunch now!

[Ratvan]

8 minutes ago, Tired said:

Oh, goodness, that's not a rock at all. It's a very good rock disguise, though! And a really neat multi-species pic. I wouldn't try to move the bivalve, it's likely anchored too firmly to detach it without hurting it. Just consider it a part of the rock, and make sure to set it so that it has a little flow and can open fully. 

 

I lost the hitchhiker bivalve I had, but it was in a newly set up 5gal tank. You'll likely have much better luck. Most people seem to just ignore those, though I think a squirt of phyto in its direction now and then wouldn't go amiss if you happen to have that anyway. 

 

As for Lugol's, it looks like you may still be able to get small bottles. Or, heck- if the stuff isn't banned yet, grab a bunch now!

I would load up but it appears people know looking at the prices and shipping costs. 

 

It opens nearly fully at the moment. I plan on scraping back the Zoas at some point. As well as the Aiptasia and couple of random mushrooms that I dont have elsewhere. Think I have a colt coral or kenya tree on it too.

 

Love a bargain frag