Zoas turning brown?

matthewscars · 09/02/2008, 03:08 PM

ive had my tank up for 4 months and i have a few colonies of Zoas that have the once blue close polyps turning brown. they have not opened in a month. I have other corals, and zoa colonies going great. Its just my eagleeye and spidermans slowly losing polyps (turning brown).

I have the full sump/fuge/skimmer setup.

i testest everything yeterday, and it was all within perfect limits.

How are causes of this? They dont get picked at or eaten AFAIK.

ps: posted this in the zoa forum with minimal response

IslandCrow · 09/02/2008, 03:14 PM

OK, first, what did you test, what test kit did you use, and what do you consider within limits? What size is your tank? What type of lighting are you using? A lot of times this is a symptom of either high nitrates, phosphates or lighting, but we'll need to know a little bit more about what's going on in your tank.

matthewscars · 09/02/2008, 03:17 PM

API :

ph 8.0 - 8.2
nit*te: 0
am: 0

Salfiet:
cal 1500
mag 450
sal: 1.026
Phos 0

55g Nova Extreme Pro 48"

Zoas are 6 inches from the bottom. the tank is 22" high. They are not straining to get light, where as they are pretty flat to the plug. They are in a low-medium flow area. The one doing poorly are spidermans and eagle eyes. the Dragon eyes RIGHT next to them are thriving. none of the fish pick at them, nor do they look eaten, just turning brown and they havent opened in a month. im assuming they are dying.

Nothing has been added to the tank in a month and a half

Faisal1976us · 09/02/2008, 03:34 PM

cal 1500 !!!!! or you shore ?

matthewscars · 09/02/2008, 04:26 PM

ya - that's in range. Plus all other lps/soft corals are fine

IslandCrow · 09/02/2008, 07:03 PM

Normal calcium is around 350-450, so you may want to check that. I think you got your calcium and magnesium mixed up. 1500 would be a reasonable value for magnesium (a little on the high side, but reasonable). Zoanthids don't utilize calcium or magnesium(as far as I know), so that shouldn't be the problem regardless. How are your nitrates? It is rather strange that just those zoanthids are browning out. You certainly have plenty of light. The only thing I can think of is they may be getting too much. . .or at least they haven't properly acclimated to the intensity. I've found that T-5s do bring out different colors in corals than metal halide, PCs or even VHOs. Almost every coral I buy from a tank with different lighting changes color at least a little bit. That said, it still shouldn't turn brown. I'm afraid I'm a bit at a loss.

Of course, feel free to send some to me, and I'll see how they look in my tank

Sock Puppet · 09/02/2008, 07:47 PM

Isn't there a thread about zoas and vitamin C somewhere?

matthewscars · 09/02/2008, 08:03 PM

Ya I mixed them up. I'll move them higher tomorrow and see what happens ;(

I'm going to do a water change too for kicks

njdevilsfan · 09/02/2008, 09:06 PM

get a test resuslt on dkh for us
i think it will reveal your problem

paraletho · 09/02/2008, 10:19 PM

If its a water problem then why wouldnt it affect the other zoas. I would go with lighting or an unseen pest at night. I thought I had caught mine but it wasnt a sundial it was a collonista snail. The new suspect but I haven't seen him for the last couple of days is a really pretty 1/2 inch yellow striped nudi with blue tips on his papillae (the finger like extensions on his back). He showed up a couple of days after the intro of the zoas and they have been going downhill since. Moved to the QT and they are getting better. Also I thought I heard somewhere that zoas actually prefer a little phosphate or am I just dreaming that?

matthewscars · 09/03/2008, 08:18 PM

UPDATE:

KH: 7.4
MAG: 1275
CAL: 400
PH 7.9 - 8.3
Temp 78-80

nit*te: 0
am: 0

is the KH normal? now all the Zoas are on a decline. Im going to do a massive water change tomorrow. And check for pests tonight.

Any ideas?

matthewscars · 09/04/2008, 05:24 AM

:up:

matthewscars · 09/04/2008, 08:20 AM

Help me out

Faisal1976us · 09/04/2008, 08:29 AM

Kh is ok don't fraid , just do water cange and try to dose trace elements daily .

SeaWeed89 · 09/04/2008, 11:29 AM

i had this problem with my eagle's. take the frag out and look for spiders. there tiny so go slow and look really hard

IslandCrow · 09/04/2008, 03:06 PM

Your alkalinity is a bit low (I'm assuming that measurement is in dkh), but I doubt that's the problem. A water change is never a bad idea, but I wouldn't start dosing trace elements. Your synthetic salt mix is going to have plenty of those. Some sort of small predator could very well be an issue, so I'd check the frags like SeaWeed89 suggested. If possible, use a magnifying glass.

Also, do you have a nitrate test kit? High nitrates could be a potential problem as zoanthids are sensitive to nitrates like most every other invertebrate. I nearly lost one particular colony of zoanthids while I was deployed, and although the rest of the zoanthids and most of the other corals in the tank were doing just fine, I suspect high nitrates (they got up to at least 50ppm). Now that my nitrates are back down, they're coming back.

matthewscars · 09/04/2008, 03:19 PM

I dont dose anything.

IslandCrow, honestly Ive been using a API Nitrate test kit and ive never had ANY trace of nitrates in 4 months of having my tank. Is this even possible? My Phos is always 0, but that due to chaeto/phosban reactor.

I think ill go to the store and get another kit tonight, because that doesn't sound right to me.

I zoas are epoxy'd to the rock, but ill check for preditors again.

09/02/2008, 03:08 PM	#1
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	Zoas turning brown? ive had my tank up for 4 months and i have a few colonies of Zoas that have the once blue close polyps turning brown. they have not opened in a month. I have other corals, and zoa colonies going great. Its just my eagleeye and spidermans slowly losing polyps (turning brown). I have the full sump/fuge/skimmer setup. i testest everything yeterday, and it was all within perfect limits. How are causes of this? They dont get picked at or eaten AFAIK. ps: posted this in the zoa forum with minimal response __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.

09/02/2008, 03:14 PM	#2
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	OK, first, what did you test, what test kit did you use, and what do you consider within limits? What size is your tank? What type of lighting are you using? A lot of times this is a symptom of either high nitrates, phosphates or lighting, but we'll need to know a little bit more about what's going on in your tank. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

09/02/2008, 03:17 PM	#3
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	API : ph 8.0 - 8.2 nit*te: 0 am: 0 Salfiet: cal 1500 mag 450 sal: 1.026 Phos 0 55g Nova Extreme Pro 48" Zoas are 6 inches from the bottom. the tank is 22" high. They are not straining to get light, where as they are pretty flat to the plug. They are in a low-medium flow area. The one doing poorly are spidermans and eagle eyes. the Dragon eyes RIGHT next to them are thriving. none of the fish pick at them, nor do they look eaten, just turning brown and they havent opened in a month. im assuming they are dying. Nothing has been added to the tank in a month and a half __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.

09/02/2008, 04:26 PM	#5
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	ya - that's in range. Plus all other lps/soft corals are fine __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.

09/02/2008, 07:03 PM	#6
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	Normal calcium is around 350-450, so you may want to check that. I think you got your calcium and magnesium mixed up. 1500 would be a reasonable value for magnesium (a little on the high side, but reasonable). Zoanthids don't utilize calcium or magnesium(as far as I know), so that shouldn't be the problem regardless. How are your nitrates? It is rather strange that just those zoanthids are browning out. You certainly have plenty of light. The only thing I can think of is they may be getting too much. . .or at least they haven't properly acclimated to the intensity. I've found that T-5s do bring out different colors in corals than metal halide, PCs or even VHOs. Almost every coral I buy from a tank with different lighting changes color at least a little bit. That said, it still shouldn't turn brown. I'm afraid I'm a bit at a loss. Of course, feel free to send some to me, and I'll see how they look in my tank __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

09/02/2008, 03:34 PM	#4
Faisal1976us Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,076	cal 1500 !!!!! or you shore ?

09/02/2008, 07:47 PM	#7
Sock Puppet Moved On Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 30	Isn't there a thread about zoas and vitamin C somewhere?

09/02/2008, 08:03 PM	#8
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	Ya I mixed them up. I'll move them higher tomorrow and see what happens ;( I'm going to do a water change too for kicks __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.

09/02/2008, 09:06 PM	#9
njdevilsfan Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: texas Posts: 658	get a test resuslt on dkh for us i think it will reveal your problem __________________ SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS Current Tank Info: 210lps,75anemone,60frag,20

09/02/2008, 10:19 PM	#10
paraletho Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sabine Pass TX Posts: 433	If its a water problem then why wouldnt it affect the other zoas. I would go with lighting or an unseen pest at night. I thought I had caught mine but it wasnt a sundial it was a collonista snail. The new suspect but I haven't seen him for the last couple of days is a really pretty 1/2 inch yellow striped nudi with blue tips on his papillae (the finger like extensions on his back). He showed up a couple of days after the intro of the zoas and they have been going downhill since. Moved to the QT and they are getting better. Also I thought I heard somewhere that zoas actually prefer a little phosphate or am I just dreaming that? __________________ There is no better feeling in the world than waking up in the morning and knowing you're doing what you were born to do. It's your life just do it Current Tank Info: 32month old 58 gallon (GBTA,Mushrooms,Dendros,Ricordea,Red Planet,Lobo, Open Brain,10" Torch,Hammer/Frogspawn Xbreed, Mated Pair Ocellaris, Powder Blue ,CB shrimp, assorted cleanup crew) mag 9, 6x39 T5 ATI; 21 mth old 125 gal SPS 50 gal sump/refugium

09/03/2008, 08:18 PM	#11
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	UPDATE: KH: 7.4 MAG: 1275 CAL: 400 PH 7.9 - 8.3 Temp 78-80 nit*te: 0 am: 0 is the KH normal? now all the Zoas are on a decline. Im going to do a massive water change tomorrow. And check for pests tonight. Any ideas? __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.

09/04/2008, 05:24 AM	#12
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	:up: __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.

09/04/2008, 08:20 AM	#13
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	Help me out __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.

09/04/2008, 08:29 AM	#14
Faisal1976us Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,076	Kh is ok don't fraid , just do water cange and try to dose trace elements daily .

09/04/2008, 11:29 AM	#15
SeaWeed89 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Pa. Posts: 275	i had this problem with my eagle's. take the frag out and look for spiders. there tiny so go slow and look really hard __________________ Chris Current Tank Info: 20g Long, LED Lit

09/04/2008, 03:06 PM	#16
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	Your alkalinity is a bit low (I'm assuming that measurement is in dkh), but I doubt that's the problem. A water change is never a bad idea, but I wouldn't start dosing trace elements. Your synthetic salt mix is going to have plenty of those. Some sort of small predator could very well be an issue, so I'd check the frags like SeaWeed89 suggested. If possible, use a magnifying glass. Also, do you have a nitrate test kit? High nitrates could be a potential problem as zoanthids are sensitive to nitrates like most every other invertebrate. I nearly lost one particular colony of zoanthids while I was deployed, and although the rest of the zoanthids and most of the other corals in the tank were doing just fine, I suspect high nitrates (they got up to at least 50ppm). Now that my nitrates are back down, they're coming back. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

09/04/2008, 03:19 PM	#17
matthewscars Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Astoria, NY Posts: 657	I dont dose anything. IslandCrow, honestly Ive been using a API Nitrate test kit and ive never had ANY trace of nitrates in 4 months of having my tank. Is this even possible? My Phos is always 0, but that due to chaeto/phosban reactor. I think ill go to the store and get another kit tonight, because that doesn't sound right to me. I zoas are epoxy'd to the rock, but ill check for preditors again. __________________ A plane passed silently overhead, the streetlights, and the buds on the trees and the night, were still. Current Tank Info: 90g Reef/35g Sump with Foam Rock Wall. 10g Propagation Reef. 55g Goldfish Tank.