What could have wiped out virtually all of my Zoanthids?

[rja]

April 2022:

Today:

Params:
NO3: 10ppm
PO4: 0.03ppn
Alk: 10
Mag: 1300
Ca: 440
Ph: 8
Salinity: 1.025
Lighting: Kessil A160WE on 50% max for 11 hours

Not going to lie, for an extended period of time mag was sub-1200. Could that have done it? Or am I looking at an infestation of some sort of pest/infection? Hammer, frogspawn, and torch have died this past year too.

What should I do? I wish I just dipped my zoas and played it safe.

Also, check out those nuclear palys, they’re literally 1/4 the size and grey.

 

[vetteguy53081]

April 2022:

Today:

Params:
NO3: 10ppm
PO4: 0.03ppn
Alk: 10
Mag: 1300
Ca: 440
Ph: 8
Salinity: 1.025
Lighting: Kessil A160WE on 50% max for 11 hours

Not going to lie, for an extended period of time mag was sub-1200. Could that have done it? Or am I looking at an infestation of some sort of pest/infection? Hammer, frogspawn, and torch have died this past year too.

What should I do? I wish I just dipped my zoas and played it safe.

Also, check out those nuclear palys, they’re literally 1/4 the size and grey.

Oh no !!!
Often will be high flow and too much or too little light.
Also high phosphate and/or nitrate as well as salinity
Pests such as grey buds, nudibranch and even fish that have acquired a taste for them
Low iodine makes them unhappy and recommended is occasional addition of iodide and iron

 

[rja]

Oh no !!!
Often will be high flow and too much or too little light.
Also high phosphate and/or nitrate as well as salinity
Pests such as grey buds, nudibranch and even fish that have acquired a taste for them
Low iodine makes them unhappy and recommended is occasional addition of iodide and iron

Thank you for your help per usual!

I am considering a small wrasse (6 line, pink streaked, or possum) to help with any pests. I know the 6 line is probably a bad idea. I think I will attempt to dose iodine at some point but fearful of overdosing. Perhaps an ICP is in order.

I also was running my kessil at 80% at some point in time around when I began losing the Zoas. So I promptly dropped the lighting back down to 50% so perhaps the damage is already done. I will add more Zoas and see how they fare. Oddly enough the front colony is doing fine, a watermelon, rasta, and utter chaos is also doing fine. Seems like the uglier ones are more unhappy than the others. Perhaps the source of the zoas that died was a little weird. They came shipped to the store on massive rocks, massive colonies all fragged by the store. So I am thinking they’re straight from the bottom of the ocean and have not adapted to reef tanks at all. Assuming I should aim for aquaculture species.

 

[RedFrog211]

I’m seeing what could be pest algae as well on the plug next to the rock flower nem. while that rarely kills them off, it certainly can irritate them, only increasing their stress. I also may recommend looking up Oxidative Stress, in relation to light schedule and UV

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for your help per usual!

I am considering a small wrasse (6 line, pink streaked, or possum) to help with any pests. I know the 6 line is probably a bad idea. I think I will attempt to dose iodine at some point but fearful of overdosing. Perhaps an ICP is in order.

I also was running my kessil at 80% at some point in time around when I began losing the Zoas. So I promptly dropped the lighting back down to 50% so perhaps the damage is already done. I will add more Zoas and see how they fare. Oddly enough the front colony is doing fine, a watermelon, rasta, and utter chaos is also doing fine. Seems like the uglier ones are more unhappy than the others. Perhaps the source of the zoas that died was a little weird. They came shipped to the store on massive rocks, massive colonies all fragged by the store. So I am thinking they’re straight from the bottom of the ocean and have not adapted to reef tanks at all. Assuming I should aim for aquaculture species.

Yeah- those may be maricultured which dont do as well being wild caught as does aquacultured/tank raised species.