Great owls closed up.

[joseph.timbs]

Got some great owls 3 polyp and a baby, couple months ago and were doing good. I tried out carbon dosing bacto balance that didn’t go well. It bottomed out nutrients faster than I thought and could keep up with even 50% less recommended dose. Quit after a week, they were still ok, likely a bit annoyed but then I had the arrival of Dino’s. I’m about out of it but still there a bit. Anyways they became really annoyed with the Dino’s on the polyp. Half closed a couple days, so I moved them to a similar par level spot with a bit more flow to help them making it harder for Dino’s to stick. After a day they closed up. I then moved them back to the original spot recognizing that moving them was a mistake in my case. Another way I annoyed them was by being a bit too harsh with the turkey baster. Since then Dino’s have calmed a bit and once a day I clear it with a gentle soft paint brush but the last 3 days they have opened only for small parts of the day but only 10-20%. I’ve been feeding them Red Sea ab+ with reef roids twice a day. Btw my phosphate is just under .1 and nitrates near undetectable, trying to remedy that with increased feeding and neonitro. Is there anything else someone could recommend to help me out? I’ve always heard zoa’s do well with dips but would a dip help when the problem is annoyances? I feel leaving them alone is best and just work on stabilizing nutrients might be best but I’m new to high end zoa’s. Also the light brushing when needed, continue or leave them to it?Would appreciate any advice.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would leave it alone and focus on stabilizing the tank. Moving corals around every day like that is not good, they can't acclimate properly. Dipping is stressful on corals, and I would not dip an already stressed out coral.

Corals don't need to need to be fed twice a day, twice a week is more than sufficient. The reef roids are elevating your phosphate which is not good if the nitrate is zero.

 

[joseph.timbs]

I would leave it alone and focus on stabilizing the tank. Moving corals around every day like that is not good, they can't acclimate properly. Dipping is stressful on corals, and I would not dip an already stressed out coral.

Corals don't need to need to be fed twice a day, twice a week is more than sufficient. The reef roids are elevating your phosphate which is not good if the nitrate is zero.

I’m not really feeding just trying to coax them out, it’s a very small amount just for them and let them soak some AB+ at the least since they’re closed, phosphate is under control. Nitrates are still low trying to raise them just a bit over the amount nitrates used daily but going to up it because apparently I’m not to that much yet. What do you think about brushing the Dino’s once a day?

 

[bubbgee]

I’m not really feeding just trying to coax them out, it’s a very small amount just for them and let them soak some AB+ at the least since they’re closed, phosphate is under control. Nitrates are still low trying to raise them just a bit over the amount nitrates used daily but going to up it because apparently I’m not to that much yet. What do you think about brushing the Dino’s once a day?

You're not addressing why the dinos are showing up. I suggest to resolve that and the corals health will follow. But yes, clearing the zoa of any dinos should still be good.

 

[joseph.timbs]

You're not addressing why the dinos are showing up. I suggest to resolve that and the corals health will follow. But yes, clearing the zoa of any dinos should still be good.

I feel I’ve addressed the Dino’s, it’s fading. Plenty of nitrates are going in. Any suggestions for anything I haven’t done for that is welcomed. Here’s how I went about it. My skimmer has been running to support my ph, since I don’t kalk top off. I use Co2 scrubber media for air intake. Without it on, it dropped below 7.9 and I’m not cool with that. It’s running without a collection cup now. Also have been allowing all algae to grow for competition with Dino’s. Harvested some refugium chaeto because I don’t, I used to but for over a year it’s just there for pods and throw bristleworms out of display to help with detritus, waste etc.. Nitrates are just going to be a slower climb. I figure with all the algae and chaeto uptake it’s might take a bit longer to build. The stable point for it before this mess was just 3-5, so I’m ok slow playing it since the Dino’s are tailing off. Been running blues only, the last few days, I think that’s helped. Did a couple of calcium carbonate, diy coral snow treatments for 2 nights in a row a couple days ago might have helped, idk. Read it helps so tried it out. Water is crystal clear tho. Sent an ICP mostly for Mag and trace test but maybe I find something in there to help, idk how but I’m also curious about iron with new chaeto growth.

 

[bubbgee]

Is it just a zoa tank? You can just keep nitrates and phosphates elevated if you don’t have SPS. That saying, you can shut down the refugium.

 

[joseph.timbs]

Is it just a zoa tank? You can just keep nitrates and phosphates elevated if you don’t have SPS. That saying, you can shut down the refugium.

Yeah I’ve been thinking of shutting down the fuge for a while now. Naw mixed, acro dominant. Would like to get the nitrates around 10 but idk, don’t want to cause another mess.

 

[joseph.timbs]

Yeah I’ve been thinking of shutting down the fuge for a while now. Naw mixed, acro dominant. Would like to get the nitrates around 10 but idk, don’t want to cause another mess.

40g breeder btw, why it changed so quickly. Think I’m going to add a 55g Rubbermaid in the closet just for higher water volume. Eventually upgrading, tired of the difficulty level.

 

[bubbgee]

With acro dominant, you do need to reduce nutrients but in your case, it’s too efficient that you trigger dinos. I struggle with this when I keep my po4 under 0.10 and end up seeing Dinos starting. My solution has been to keep it around .10 to .20 (sometimes .25). Corals have been happier and tank more stable.

 

[joseph.timbs]

Yeah I’ve been thinking of shutting down the fuge for a while now. Naw mixed, acro dominant. Would like to get the nitrates around 10 but idk, don’t want to cause another mess.

40g breeder btw, why it changed so quickly. Think I’m going to add a 55g Rubbermaid in the closet just for higher water volume. Eventually upgrading, tired of the difficulty level.

With acro dominant, you do need to reduce nutrients but in your case, it’s too efficient that you trigger dinos. I struggle with this when I keep my po4 under 0.10 and end up seeing Dinos starting. My solution has been to keep it around .10 to .20 (sometimes .25). Corals have been happier and tank more stable.

yeah it’s definitely a fine line to walk. I’ve really tuned my system for acros as it has been what I’ve collected and spent money on but now getting into zoa’s. Partly the reason I tried something new but I’m just going to add some more fish and cross my fingers. I have found that if I can just get zoa’s, mushrooms, stuff that like the dirt so to speak, if I can get them through the first month or two they can grow. Just at a slower rate, which isn’t a necessarily bad thing with their growth rates. I’m not a vendor or looking to make a lot of money from my tank. I’m ok with it. Thinking of setting a system for softies. Zoa’s, mushrooms a couple leathers. Try to make life a little easier. I’ve been running the tank for 4+ years, kind of over it being a bit more difficult than it has to be. Mixed, large nano’s are definitely not stress free and this is supposedly a stress reliever hobby. That’s what I’ve heard anyways. lol