What is going on with my zoas?

[bristleworm]

This group was doing great, was attaching itself to rocks and fully expanded.
Over the last week or so it doesnt fully expand, I see amphipods running around in it around daylight and a section looks like this.
Water tested today:
Ammonia 0.04
Nitrate 1.9
Alk 8.0
Phosphate 0.23
Ph 8.2
Calc 390
Sg 1.025

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Looks like bubble algae to me

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bubble-algae-what-is-your-method.960440/

 

[StartingATank]

+1 for bubble algae. Probably causing irritation to them, having them not open

 

[Baldyreef]

This group was doing great, was attaching itself to rocks and fully expanded.
Over the last week or so it doesnt fully expand, I see amphipods running around in it around daylight and a section looks like this.
Water tested today:
Ammonia 0.04
Nitrate 1.9
Alk 8.0
Phosphate 0.23
Ph 8.2
Calc 390
Sg 1.025

while the ammonia can irritate corals I think the culprit here is the bubble algae, it can severely irritate and in cases kill zoanthids

 

[bristleworm]

How do I get out of the middle of the cluster? Will hydrogen peroxide dip work.

 

[Baldyreef]

How do I get out of the middle of the cluster? Will hydrogen peroxide dip work.

it can help but is best combined with manual removal

 

[DmitryB]

I just removed a bunch of bubble algae from a colony of Zoas. The bubble algae you should be able to remove by hand. Just prod it gently and it likely just peel off as a whole piece. It forms like a bubble carpet.

 

[Evil1]

If you can get a dental pick like they use at the dentist that will work great and get right in there without removing the coral

 

[bristleworm]

It was definetly bubble algae. I'm new to reefing but its kind of unmistakable. I pulled it as it was on a small piece of live rock. I pryed it out with the tip of an aquascape scissor and spot treated with peroxide. Hope I didn't nuke the whole colony. Its very unhappy.

 

[bristleworm]

Crap, I'm new tank is 3 months old, ive had planaria and now this. I'm hitting the learning curve hard

 

[OnlyZoas]

I’ve dipped stressed zoas in full strength hydrogen peroxide and they recovered quickly and are still alive/growing today. YMMV if you were dipping a single polyp but mini colonies on frag plugs have been fine for me.

 

[bristleworm]

Its a colony on a frag plug that has grown over and attached to a small piece of live rock.

 

[Privateye]

I do a 50/50 peroxide (the normal 3% from the store) and tank water dip for 4 minutes. They may not open until the next day, but I've never lost a zoanthid from it. I do it whenever I get new zoanthids now. It's definitely worth trying! It's even taken care of nudibranchs for me.

 

[bristleworm]

I did a full strength squirt and left it on for a couple minutes.
They weren't fully open this morning but didn't look any worse for wear.