Sudden die off of one zoa type?

[WhitePanther93]

Has anyone else had a single type of their zoas just start clamping up and decline in health?

So like many I have a zoa island with several types of zoa. I was looking at it the other day when I noticed that my pandora zoas have been clamping up, while my other zoas are perfectly healthy. The funny thing is, is that these pandoras were pretty aggressive spreaders.

to be honest I’m not worried about saving these particular zoas as they’re kinda a regret purchase( jerks overshadowed my charmander zoas) but was just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them before?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Any nearby corals irritating them? I had a small colony die off because I put a torch right by them.

 

[WhitePanther93]

Not that I can think of. The entire island is all zoas. Minus the rainbow bubble tip anemone that’s taken up residence on the opposite side of the island from the pandora’s. They make no contact. In fact the zoas the anemone does make contact with seem to be perfectly fine.

 

[Reefer Matt]

All the time. Zoas randomly fade and boom for me. They do like "dirtier" water though. So if you have very low nutrients, they may not like that. I keep mine in around 20-40 nitrate.

 

[WhitePanther93]

All the time. Zoas randomly fade and boom for me. They do like "dirtier" water though. So if you have very low nutrients, they may not like that. I keep mine in around 20-40 nitrate.

That reminds me I need to do some testing. It’s been a while.

 

[CMO]

All the time. Zoas randomly fade and boom for me. They do like "dirtier" water though. So if you have very low nutrients, they may not like that. I keep mine in around 20-40 nitrate.

I would strongly disagree. They can thrive in both high and ULNS. My UNLS sps tank was covered in zoas of all types. Never had any melt, fade etc.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I would strongly disagree. They can thrive in both high and ULNS. My UNLS sps tank was covered in zoas of all types. Never had any melt, fade etc.

That's great! I wasn't suggesting all zoas like higher nutrients, rather that mine do in general.

 

[littlebigreef]

I would strongly disagree. They can thrive in both high and ULNS. My UNLS sps tank was covered in zoas of all types. Never had any melt, fade etc.

It’s the difference of nutrition vs nutrients right? One being the indirect measure of the other.

Zoas love to eat and love nutrition which is why they often thrive in higher nutrient systems. However, zoas can also do well in low nutrient systems that are well fed (phyto, roids, etc) because they can get their share of nutrition before it’s exported.

As to the OP’s question. Zoas just group melt sometimes. Not often, but now and again a strain will throw up the white flag and they’ll all fold in unison all throughout the aquarium. Coral aggression - both direct or indirect? Wholly possible for all we know.

 

[NicholasDRR]

It could be a pest or nutrients. I have had Zoa colonies die and come back even stronger with the few survivors. Right now some of my AOIs are fading on one side of the plug and growing like crazy on the other side. It's just life.

 

[CMO]

It’s the difference of nutrition vs nutrients right? One being the indirect measure of the other.

Zoas love to eat and love nutrition which is why they often thrive in higher nutrient systems. However, zoas can also do well in low nutrient systems that are well fed (phyto, roids, etc) because they can get their share of nutrition before it’s exported.

As to the OP’s question. Zoas just group melt sometimes. Not often, but now and again a strain will throw up the white flag and they’ll all fold in unison all throughout the aquarium. Coral aggression - both direct or indirect? Wholly possible for all we know.

Exactly. I fed an unbelievable amount daily to that tank. High input / high export has given me best results.