Random, Large-scale Zoa Polyp Death

[TheEngineer]

I'll do that later today.... gotta run!

 

[twilliard]

I feel drastic measures will have to be taken.
High temp will not work as these are not aiptasia.

 

[danschoenherr]

If what is shown on your prior pics are not nudi eggs, could they be some type of burrowing worm or larva? Do anenomes have a larval stage?? I hope we get to see some microscopic images and get to the bottom of your problem here.........this looks really bad. I'm sure quite a few of us with tanks full of zoas/palys are following along......and worrying along with you.

 

[TheEngineer]

Just redid all of my tests:

Temp 79.3F (lower than the set point, something with my controller)
Salinity 35 ppt (calibrated refractometer right before test)
pH 8.12 (digital probe)
Nitrite 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrate 2 (Red Sea)
Ammonia 0 (Red Sea)
Alk 7 (Red Sea)
Calc 445 (Red Sea)
Mag 1360 (Red Sea) <- from Wednesday

I put Chemiclean in this morning, but switched my thinking and I'm now running carbon instead.

 

[Jonathan Presseau]

Levels look good. Let's have a look at some pics. Only thing I can think of is doing a very large water change

 

[TheEngineer]

Nothing appears to have gotten worse since yesterday. That devil's armor colony still looks about the same. I'll count that as a positive though because I would have pegged it for totally dissolved by this morning. I'll switch out the carbon tomorrow during the day. Is there any way of knowing when the carbon is depleted?

 

[Jonathan Presseau]

I don't have a factual answer to when the carbon needs changed. My rule of thumb is about 2 month turnover. Often I find the bag I use needs cleaned in about the same amount of time too otherwise it gets slimy.

 

[wattson]

Usually when I can smell my tanks (all on one system) its time to change the carbon..My carbon is in a reactor with good flow.
Put your nose to the edge of the tank rim,,if you can smell that "twang of the ocean" smell,,its time to change the carbon..lolol

 

[Tori]

I'm definitely following this! I too am a member of the zoas randomly melting away club

 

[ZoaCollector]

I've seen pods eat zoas and palys too, they start at the base and cause the polyp to get infected.

 

[TheEngineer]

I've seen pods eat zoas and palys too, they start at the base and cause the polyp to get infected.

Really? Yet another potential culprit! I wonder if I can make a night vision camera out of things I have laying around.

 

[Jonathan Presseau]

I too have watched Amphipods specifically munch on the skirts. Also Sexy Shrimp.

 

[Bunnee911]

I found nudibranchs on mine and removed every one from my DT. I ran Chemiclean on the QT three times and allowed my DT to be fallow (of zoas) for 90 days. After 90 days, I returned the now nudi free zoas back to the DT.
I found that they do better with a little more flow than I had going. The zoas were plump, but the skirts just disappeared. After about a month with a dedicated powerhead, the skirts are back.
I had a few in the beginning of my tank that got a white webbing and vanished. Still don't know what that was.
You have to dose more Chemiclean than called for. Don't remember how much. Someone?

 

[Tori]

I found nudibranchs on mine and removed every one from my DT. I ran Chemiclean on the QT three times and allowed my DT to be fallow (of zoas) for 90 days. After 90 days, I returned the now nudi free zoas back to the DT.
I found that they do better with a little more flow than I had going. The zoas were plump, but the skirts just disappeared. After about a month with a dedicated powerhead, the skirts are back.
I had a few in the beginning of my tank that got a white webbing and vanished. Still don't know what that was.
You have to dose more Chemiclean than called for. Don't remember how much. Someone?

How did chemiclean come into play? I thought it was for cyano. I have some on hand ready to go if it helps with zoas disappearing. Just hoping to understand a little better

 

[TheEngineer]

How did chemiclean come into play? I thought it was for cyano. I have some on hand ready to go if it helps with zoas disappearing. Just hoping to understand a little better

Chemiclean is an antibiotic. Erythromycin, i believe.

 

[Tori]

Chemiclean is an antibiotic. Erythromycin, i believe.

Oh okay. Didn't see the relationship to the nudibranchs. That makes sense

 

[TheEngineer]

Oh okay. Didn't see the relationship to the nudibranchs. That makes sense

I don't think there is a relationship to nudibrachs. Although I could be wrong.

 

[Tori]

I don't think there is a relationship to nudibrachs. Although I could be wrong.

That's what confused me at first. It looked like chemiclean was used for the nudibranchs. It makes more sense that it was used for a possible bacterial problem. Now that I think about it I think my zoas did look better after I used chemiclean for a cyano problem a few months ago. Didn't think much about it at the time.

 

[TheEngineer]

I'm happy to report that the mass die off seems to have ended. The devil's armor frag, which I was certain would be a goner, has one polyp open and a few more which look to have survived too. All good things, except it is still unclear why this happened. Running a good bit of carbon and changing it a couple times a week. I'll keep up with that for some time and see how it goes.

 

[Tori]

So just the carbon seems to have helped?