Think I am going to give up on Zoas

[dolpator]

Think I am giving up on Zoas they are by far my favorite coral, and just can not seem to be able to keep them.

A little about my tank and parameters

tank has been up and running since June of last year.

90 gallon reef with 30 gallon sump/15gallon refugium
125lbs of live rock
vortex in180 Protein skimmer (it may be the 250 didn't have markings on it when I got it)
1 duel 1400gph powerhead running constant
1 single 1400gph powerhead running a 30 minute on/off timer
(going to be upgrading to a wave maker within the month)
2 AI sol blues ( peek times are at 11:00-5:00 at 65 white, 90 blue, 90 blue, ramps up and down from those max peeks)(just order 70 degree optics)
JBL ATO system with 7 1/2 gallon reserve
BRS Dual media reactor running caron and GFO
300 watt heater in sump

Fish:
1 yellow tang
1 coral beauty
5 blue chromis
2 perc clowns
1 kardini cardinal
1 yellow watchman goby/tiger pistol shrimp
1 sailfin blenny
1 skunk cleaner
1 pepperment shrimp
assorted snails and hermit crabs for clean up crew


corals:
duncans
kyptonite candy cane
dragon soul favia
red/purple war coral
pom pom xenia
blue xenia (debating on if it really is)
blue clove polyps
5 headed dendrophyilia
sour apple birds nest
neon green birdsnest
orange digita
green finger leather
rasta leather
maze brain variety
aussie lord Acan
a lesser acan variety
green polyp toadstool leather
colt coral
tri color acropora
green center/red blastomussa
green star polyp
ultra Green Paly's
assorted Zoas
another variety of favia/favite as a hitchhiker


Parameters

Phosphates 0.1
KH 8-9
nitrates 0.0
nitrites 0.0
PH 7.8 - 8.1 (never have been ever to get it higher, stopped fighting it)
ammonia 0
calcium 420
mag 1200-1300 9 tested a couple of weeks ago from my uncle dosed when I came home) (haven't gotten a test kit yet)
temp 78-78.2

Dose Calcium 2x week with calcification
Dose Fuel 2 week
Dose Strotinum
Dose 8.4 as needed

Feed with cyclopese, phytofeast, oyster bits, mysis shrimp brine shrimp. Not all at the same time, but that is what I usually feed them.

I can not seem to keep Zoa's, everything is thriving Nothing is out of the ordinary with the tank, however my zoa garden just will not work. I do not have any high dollar zoas, mostly eagle eyes, dragon eyes two frags (one is melting away), radioactive dragon eyes (second colony),jokers, fruit loops(melting away), have an orange with brown skirt variety that is starting to melt away, Fire and Ice are melting away, I have a green colony with a brownish skirt doing ok, and athelis blue zoas doing ok. Any ideas on how to keep these guys would be greatly appreciated if these all go, will not do zoas anymore. These guys are sitting on a ledge about middle of the tank. Can post pictures if you would like
. Sorry so long, just wanted to give you as much information as I could. Thanks in advance, for any and all help. This forum is by far the best of all the ones I belong to, and there are a lot of great people here. Jon

 

[dolpator]

Sorry there is also a branching hammer coral, purple tip frogspawn, and a green hammer coral. None of these are near the zoas for any warfare issues, the hammer maybe but it is on the other side of the rock 180 degrees of the zoa garden

 

[marvelousone]

Have you tried moving the ones that are not doing good around. Maybe lower in tank. Sometimes you have to find that spot that makes them happy.

 

[KJAG]

With what you describe there's no reason why your Zs shouldn't be thriving. Possible you're blasting them with too much light? How deep is your tank and how low are your LEDs? Also, sure you're PO4 is at 0.1?

 

[dolpator]

24" deep tank

Running skimmer, gfo, and chaeto. LFS tested water no more than three weeks and their words were what ever I am doing for phosphate conte keep doing it. Test kit is always pea yellow literally. I say .1 test between yellow and that liwaterght green color on test card. areWhich is .25 Al it is between them.

Lights are roughly 9 1/2 "above water

 

[dolpator]

My uncle thinks it may be a flow/lighting problem. If I put them any lower they will be on the floor of the tank. Which I can do, going to.Pisa off the tiger shrimp but oh well. My uncle said from pictures looks like there may be Al.e spot lighting over them from the light which will be fixed when the 70° optics come in

 

[Perched Urchin]

Coral beauty and/or peppermint shrimp could be nibbling. You may never see it happen, but I have had both of those work over zoas at one time or another.
I had a CB in my DT for a while and it just seemed like my zoas wouldn't grow. Most didn't die, but very few showed any growth. One day, I happened to see the CB munching on one. Once the CB was removed, I saw growth within a week or two, including new polyps and better polyp extension.
I also run AIs and I could also see that "spotlighting" could be a potential issue, depending on where the zoas are height-wise in the tank.

 

[Swine]

Have you seen any pests? since they are all in the same spot maybe they are contaminating each other? Just a thought


sent from my phone.

 

[JP-Reef]

I had the same issue with all my zoas and paly's, I keep all kinds of SPS and LPS and they have all thrived in my system but all my zoas started to slowly melt away. I think you might have some type of fungus on your zoas, try dipping them and placing them in higher flow, I noticed that the fungus got to my zoas that were in lower flow much quicker than the ones in higher flow. Good luck and happy reefing


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[dolpator]

Well just watched the coral beauty nip at one of the zoas. So disappointed. At least now I know, going to see if I can trade her in or find her a home. A really want my zoa garden. More
Thanks everyone ;(

 

[chappy]

plus 1 coral bueaties are zoa munchers

 

[joshporksandwich]

Coral beauty + 2

 

[ZoaCollector]

Tangs sometimes eat them too


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[ladyreefer1983]

Tangs sometimes eat them too


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AGREE..happened to me before,blue tang i had nips on my z and p's...yellow tang i had eats unhealthy polyps...
thats why now i have a sailfin tang...so far no problems
so if u are going mostly z and p's be cautious on fish u add on your tank...
glad to know u figure out the problem(coral beauty)

 

[Terrie]

Well I dunno about anyone else. But I was having a hard time with zoas. I added a small frag and it just was there... 5 tiny little polyps on it not dying and not disappearing. Then later I added a rock that was covered with them. I did all the studying and placed them right where I thought they should be. Moved them around a few times trying to save them. The rock is now empty no zoas! The frag however, I placed it in an usual and not recommended spot! It is on the very top rock directly under the light in a high flow area. It is now thriving and growing!

 

[dolpator]

Coral beauty is no longer, trade her in for a Mandarin. I have been wanting on do got her. Rearranged zoa garden, and let's see what h as opens. Hopefully th his fica the problem. Thanks for everything. It was a sad day, prob as blue th Ed most beautiful coral beauty I have seen I. As long time. Hopefully SF he finds as good home.

 

[Ole Man]

Like I always tell ya nephew,This is the game we play as reefers!:violin: