WWC Red Bull Zoa closed and dark

[mikemathis555]

Bought a WWC Zoa called ‘Red Bull’ - got them back ok Aug 12 and they looked great. Opened right up, consistently looked great. Placed them on my rock structure, and they seemed just fine for about 3 weeks. Several other Zoas on the same rock doing well and growing, but this frag is about the same size today as it was on Aug 12th.

Over the past week, they have consistently been closed. I have tried to lightly blow them off with a baster to make sure it’s not debris/detritus. Every day, a few polyps open and then close up again. The ones that do open look much darker than they were originally.

Does this seem to be just normal or should I be concerned?

 

[blaxsun]

It could be something like a crab or snail crawling over them, or a fish nipping. I’ve had a colony closed similar to that for several months now and they’re just starting to finally return to their former glory. In my case it was low lighting which was easily remedied.

 

[MaxTremors]

Zoas can just be finicky sometimes, I’ve had colonies close up for no apparent reason for over two months. And for no apparent reason they just opened up one day and have been open since. Unless you have an obvious water quality or lighting g issue, I’d just give them some time.

 

[mikemathis555]

It could be something like a crab or snail crawling over them, or a fish nipping. I’ve had a colony closed similar to that for several months now and they’re just starting to finally return to their former glory. In my case it was low lighting which was easily remedied.

i certainly have snails and a crab, but other zoas in the same area are just fine. They are on a rock in the sand bed so I do have them in a low flow low-medium light area as they are positioned center of my light just low. Other zoas are just fine.

 

[mikemathis555]

Zoas can just be finicky sometimes, I’ve had colonies close up for no apparent reason for over two months. And for no apparent reason they just opened up one day and have been open since. Unless you have an obvious water quality or lighting g issue, I’d just give them some time.

water quality is good, I do keep my ALK fairly high (9.0 - 9.2).

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

i certainly have snails and a crab, but other zoas in the same area are just fine. They are on a rock in the sand bed so I do have them in a low flow low-medium light area as they are positioned center of my light just low. Other zoas are just fine.

Your flow level is too low for those zoa. At least based on my experience. I bought them under the name “keds reds” and mine wouldn’t open when I had them near the center of the tank out of the flow path of my powerhead. I moved them down to the rock you see them on now where the water pounds them. They’re open and happy. Those other two zoa on your rock are scambled eggs and r.dragonseyes, mine will grow in a mud hole (literally anywhere).

 

[mikemathis555]

Update -

I moved the Zoa up to get higher light and flow, left for a week +, but the same polyps that were not opening before are still not opening.

I removed the Zoa and performed a 50/50 peroxide dip in the hope of removing some (what looked like) algae buildup…the Zoa looks cleaner, and now I can see the polyps better. New picture under whites. The entire portion through the middle of the Zoa is shriveled and not healthy looking. The polys which were opening before are starting to open back up, but I’m concerned still.

many additional thoughts?

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Update -

I moved the Zoa up to get higher light and flow, left for a week +, but the same polyps that were not opening before are still not opening.

I removed the Zoa and performed a 50/50 peroxide dip in the hope of removing some (what looked like) algae buildup…the Zoa looks cleaner, and now I can see the polyps better. New picture under whites. The entire portion through the middle of the Zoa is shriveled and not healthy looking. The polys which were opening before are starting to open back up, but I’m concerned still.

many additional thoughts?

They look ticked because of the H202 dip

 

[mikemathis555]

They look ticked because of the H202 dip

I can understand that, and they didn’t open at all for a few days after. However, all the purple polyps are starting to open. All the greenish polyps are not. The greenish polyps were the same polyps that weren’t opening before.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I can understand that, and they didn’t open at all for a few days after. However, all the purple polyps are starting to open. All the greenish polyps are not. The greenish polyps were the same polyps that weren’t opening before.

The greenish polyps look like they may still be covered in a thin layer of algea. It may take them a while to open as well. I’ve dipped zoa in straight H2O2 and sometimes they’ve stayed closed for days on me. Sometimes mine just close to make me mad lol. If they aren’t melting I wouldn’t worry about them yet. Zoa can regrow from almost no tissue as well. Don’t take old zoa plugs out unless you’re 100% sure there is literally nothing left.