Shrinking Zoanthid issue - not a n00b - please help

[Terence]

So, for quite a few months I have had an issue in my 135g frag tank in that all polyps in the tank shrink in size. They do not melt, die, wither, or anything else, they just shrink. They even still multiply (albeit more slowly). This is the case with zoanthids, palythoas, and even green star polyps that I put in the tank. Lunar Eclipses have shrunken from 10mm to 5mm, regular zoanthids have shrunken from 6mm to 2-3mm. Color is still good on them for the most part.

Over the last six weeks I have:

- Changed carbon numerous times in the BRS reactors
- Performed two 60 gallon water changes in a two week period (last one two weeks ago)
- All params are in order- over this time period - dKH=8.5-9.5, Ca=390-420, Mg=1280-1350, 0 nitrates, 0 phosphates, Ph=8.1-8.3.
- Fish are living fine in the tank, but nothing nips at them or eats them
- I have removed some, inspected for nudis, dipped, etc. - nothing comes off except pods
- Other corals in the tank are doing fine - not thriving but doing OK
- Lights are 2 - 250 HQI - 15K phoenix
- Flow is MAG 18 on a sea swirl and one Modded MaxJet
- It ran fine for 8 months without this issue...then bam!

I am sure I am missing something here...please help as I am stumped.

I currently also run a very nice 210g with a ton of success so this is killing me.

Here is the live video of my 210g and then the 135g

210g Mixed Reef
http://myreef.thruhere.net:1025/img/video.mjpeg

135 Frag tank:
http://myreef.thruhere.net:1024/img/video.mjpeg

 

[zoous]

Issue with both videos,

 

[Terence]

Issue with both videos,

Sorry, works really only with non IE browsers. Also could be blocked by your router if you are at work because it is on a port other than port 80.

 

[zoous]

Using Firefox.

 

[Terence]

sorry, works in safari on my iphone, works for chrome on a pc.

Try this instead:
http://myreef.thruhere.net:1024
http://myreef.thruhere.net:1025

 

[sf_ramsden]

Video was working for me. Using Safari on a mac.

 

[zoous]

I would move some of your zoas or palys into the 210gal tank and see if you have the same issue. Not the answer your looking for but at least see what happens. If they were doing well before there must have been a change in you routine for this to happen. How often do you change you carbon? Honestly I think zoas and palys do better in dirty water then pristine water conditions.

 

[Terence]

I have moved several of them to the 210 (the expensive ones like Utter Chaos) and they grew back in size. Some are back to normal in my 210 and the utter chaos which had shrunken in size from about 10mm to 4mm are now back to 6mm and doing well - they are now zoanthid size and have longer fringes than before but they are coming back.

I have had the carbon off in this frag tank now for 8 days to see if that helps.

Again, these zoanthid and palys are not closing, they are simply shrunken versions of themselves. As I said, even GSP that had 6mm fringes in my 210 have shrunken to where they have fringes that are 3-4mm.

I suspected some trace element deficiency, but after 120g of new water (Red Sea Coral Pro Salt) in a two week period...still the same.

 

[zoous]

This is out in left field but is there any low electric current in your tank that might be causing your zoas to shrink?

 

[Electrobes]

This is out in left field but is there any low electric current in your tank that might be causing your zoas to shrink?

I was just thinking the same thing... I mean it can't be nipping because the corals would just die... and nothing parasitic as there's no death. Definitely take a looksie into the current issue.

 

[Terence]

Is that a known symptom of stray current? It is possible, but this tank is in the garage and even with my bare feet on the floor I feel nothing when I touch the water. This is a good theory though. What is the best way to test? I read it once before somewhere but I forget.

 

[MoneyPit]

What is your salinity, maybe it is low. Have someone else double check your water too.

 

[zoous]

This is from my experience. I noticed in a customer's tank all the bam bam orange zoa colony was all closed up. And the frogspawn shrunk into its skeleton. There was a maxijet powerhead in the tank where the cord was damaged and sparks coming out from it. I replaced the maxijet with a new one. After like two week, everything was as good as new. It took some time to fully recover.

 

[drainbamage]

Had shrinking zoa's in my 30 gallon frag tank- never withered away totally and died, but they all turned into tiny pinheads that would just not fully open- I cured it by running my light fixture at half power (only running two bulbs instead of the four) and also did some water changes to clean up the water (not applicable in your case) but also increased the flow over/around them (probably not applicable in your case either.)

For a long time, had no issues, but eventually the light just got to be too much for them eventually (IMO) and caused them to close up. After running the reduced lighting, zoa's popped back open and are looking good again, and gradually regrew in size.

Hope that helps some.

 

[Terence]

The salinity is 1.025.

There is no stray current I can feel like I have felt in tanks before. I can stand there on wet concrete in bare feet in the garage, touch the tank, and feel nothing. Obviously not a scientific method but having been zapped before by a maxi jet broken wire in the tank I know what that stray current feels like :squigglemouth:

What is the most reliable, scientific way to test for stray current that would be harmful to tank organisms?

Any other ideas, keep em coming, I appreciate the help as I want this fixed ASAP!

 

[Terence]

Lighting, hmm, maybe that is the issue. I am going to reduce my light cycle by say 30 or 40% and se what happens. Good idea. I already raised them four weeks ago about 7 inches but mayb it is still too much light. The lights are on about 12 hours.

 

[drainbamage]

Lighting, hmm, maybe that is the issue. I am going to reduce my light cycle by say 30 or 40% and se what happens. Good idea. I already raised them four weeks ago about 7 inches but mayb it is still too much light. The lights are on about 12 hours.

%
yea- I'd def say too much light at 12 hours a day- and keep in mind it took me cutting mine back by over 50% (the daylight was one of the ones that got kicked off, so the PAR was reduced by over 50%) for them to start recovering. Maybe try moving all the zoa's/LPS's to one end of the tank (or the area with the least light coverage) and see if you get a perkup faster.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

%
yea- I'd def say too much light at 12 hours a day- and keep in mind it took me cutting mine back by over 50% (the daylight was one of the ones that got kicked off, so the PAR was reduced by over 50%) for them to start recovering. Maybe try moving all the zoa's/LPS's to one end of the tank (or the area with the least light coverage) and see if you get a perkup faster.

1+ 12 hours a day seems like a really long time for them to be on. My lights are only on for 5 hours a day.

 

[Terence]

Just turned the lights down to 7 hours.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Just turned the lights down to 7 hours.

Sounds good...let us know how things go. Also the other suggestions on this thread are good too. Just food for thought - some zoa/palys just melt. Things could be great in your tank but those guys can be stubborn. I personally have a rainbow one that consistently melts, grows back and does it again...the rest in my tank are fine. Are all of your having issues or just some?