Why don’t new zoas like my tank?

[jptankkid]

I have no idea what is going on. My 5 gallon is about a year established and everything in my tank is growing super well and my established so colonies are getting about a polyp a week. However any time I add a new zoa they just will not open. I’ve added new Gonis a hammer and mushrooms and they are all open and super happy first day putting them in and have never closed up once. However new zoas just do not like my tank. I’ve dipped them with coral Rx and Lugol. However no idea. Again my established zoa colonies are popping a head a week. Any thoughts? I’m stumped.

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

Are you getting all the new ones from the same source? In my experience, healthy specimens open right away.

 

[jptankkid]

Are you getting all the new ones from the same source? In my experience, healthy specimens open right away.

I’ve gotten them from 3 different sources

 

[Oscar47f]

JP gotta upgrade to that reefer bro lol are they still not opening??

 

[jptankkid]

JP gotta upgrade to that reefer bro lol are they still not opening??

I see color on the AOI but not the others.

 

[Oscar47f]

The iodine dip helped no?

 

[Oscar47f]

Post your parameters and lighting and hopefully my friends @littlebigreef or @305Reefer can help they have extensive knowledge I don’t have...

 

[littlebigreef]

@jpcircus98 I can offer you an anecdotal observation. Years ago my brother had 26 gal clarity plus packed to the brim with sps mini colonies. It got to the point where he'd attempt to add new sps frags and most would fail in a week or so while the established mini colonies would keep chugging right along.

We take for granted that we can add coral to a mature system and reasonably expect good success with well conditioned frags. The real reality of the matter is that corals are releasing want ever biological substances into the water to give themselves a competitive advantage. For this reason people will run carbon or chemi-clean to mitigate some this (you occasionally hear it referred to as 'chemical warfare'). I suspect it's wholly possible your existing zoas are stifling your new zoa's ability to establish a foothold. A 5 gallon is an extremely small volume of water so its possible you're acutely experiencing this where as the effects might be less noticeable in a 15 or 20 gallon. Usually pico aquariums only feature a handful of corals if that. In my brother's case he upgraded to a 65 gal and was able to continue on without issue.

Or maybe you're adding temperamental strains of zoas ;-)

 

[michael inocencio]

From my experience new zoa's need time to get acclimated to flow and lighting and it can take a week or so for it to open up. I usually start in an area of the tank with low flow and low light and move gradually to higher light.