what is this keeping the zoas from opening?

[tranquilitytank]

so here is the set up :

40 gallon glass stretch hex tank - refrigum with live rock (recently as I took the bio balls out) phosphate reactor, HOB filter and water changes about 10% weekly- Clown, cleaner shrimp peppermint shrimp, watchman goby and a pistol shrimp. Zoas, mushrooms and alot of live rock -

BUT some of the zoas have this hair like crap on them and they no longer open - other sections have a white crusty crap on them again not opening?

i can not get the images to load nor the URL so sorry if this is breaking the rules but here is the link to the pics (to me I risk breaking rules to save my wife and 7 yr old sons corals):

http://tranquilitytanks.net/tankforumlink.aspx

[100%hydrophylic]

use photobucket to upload images, and i cant really see it very well because its sooo bright, but it looks like either there is alot of sediment settled on it (so try and blow it off with a turkey baster) or it is covered in something bad like zoapocks.you say white crusty crap or fuzzy stuff? is it maybe diatom algae or some type of sponge?

[James404]

Sounds like vermatid snails, they are a pain. Look for the red tube like things.

[tranquilitytank]

Zoa pox looks like it is the problem on the one and the other I am not sure of - I would agree with the snail aspect but it really does not look like a tube with a hair coming out it just looks like a bristle hair sticking out and it sways with the current almost like a wisker. looks like I am going to treat with Furan-2

[Sk8r]

NOT in your tank! Use Furan 2 only as a dip!

[tranquilitytank]

10-4 on the dip - is API the only ones that make this stuff ? LFS gave me the deer in the headlights look when I asked for it? ?

[tranquilitytank]

question - so what about a hitchhiker starfish? Could this cause a (or the) problem ? I also have started to use a little chemicals - brightwell aquatics brand of Koral Color, Iodion and microvore - any problems with the use of these? I have noticed three starfish in three tanks (the one we are discussing, my sons new tank that is cycling and another several month old established tank that is having the brain coral change from green to brown in certain spots where the starfish that just popped up has been residing.
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what is the process of treating or quarantining stock prior to introduction -

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Sorry for the basic question(s) but saltwater is very fascinating and I am trying to research and learn as much as possible as things come up.

[Sk8r]

Pep shrimp are more likely to cause a problem with zoas, based on the behavior in my tank (which doesn't have zoas)---they're very prone to investigate anything odd, and will dance over specimens and sometimes nip them.

What strikes me, among other things, is that the zoas are going dormant, deeper 'asleep', and not coating up with the usual slimishness that would prevent the algae. Getting them out of that state is harder. But can be done. I've found alkalinity to affect that, if that is of any possible help.

[Jstdv8]

I recently had a nice frag plug of red magicians go south on me within the last week.
I bought a few nice frags from a reefer on here and most of them didn't do well in shipping except the red magicians, now after about 4-5 weeks most of the oens that weren't looking so good are starting to open up a bit but the red magicians have shriveld up and are starting to look like they might melt away. all are in the same general area in the tank along with some other zoas I had previously. I don't get it.