Zoa Pox? Current treatment?

PotatoPig · Mar 11, 2024

So a couple weeks ago my previously healthy and happy zoas all started closing. I briefly thought it was due to low iodine as they perked up a little with increased water changes, but now are flagging again. Today I noticed a bunch of little white dots on them, see photos. Is this zoa pox?

From reading up I keep seeing Furan-2 as the go-to treatment, but it appears to have been discontinued…

Salinity: 35ppt
pH: 8 to 8.1
Temp: 78
Nitrates: 40
Phosphates: 0.1
Calcium: 420
All: 8-9
Mag: 1450

All my stony corals are going gangbusters - hammers are growing fast, Moseleya growing out nicely, Acans are growing and budding, new Hydophora growing fast after 2 weeks in the tank, new Digitata growing out over the attachment to the rock, all nicely colored up, fish are spawning, everything seems happy except my Zoas, that should be the hardiest things in there.

sfin52 · Mar 11, 2024

Looks like sand incorporated in the tissue

Patx · Mar 12, 2024

Dino ? Diatom ?
What is all over them ?

PotatoPig · Mar 12, 2024

Patx said:
Dino ? Diatom ?
What is all over them ?

The white dots? I’m assuming that’s Zoa pox. Nothing else in the tank seems upset at the moment.

Patx · Mar 12, 2024

When i zoom in the first pic, i see brown string all over.

Patx · Mar 12, 2024

littlebigreef · Mar 12, 2024

From the picture those appear to be spirorbid worms. Here's a thread so you can read and compare: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-get-of-spirorbid-worms-infestation.323506/

Less likely but it might be substrate/detritus that was incorporated into the tissue.

Zoa pox are generally larger, well-defined and in the end stages look like giant puss-filled white heads. I don't believe this is that.

Since Furan-2 is no longer available you'd need to buy the active ingredient nitrofurazone and dip using just that. I did a round of treatment on some pox-y zoas I received and can confirm it works the same as furan-2.

I purchased the aquaLife brand from The Fish Room. There's another brand from The Koi Farm via Amazon- I have not tried this brand yet.