Zoa not happy :(

[Arcanine]

Hello all,

I am still new to the reef world and corals and I am trying to understand whether I might be doing something wrong or not…so I have added to my tank over last 3 months various types of zoas, which seem to be doing well, apart from one. One of its heads half opens and the other two are always closed, see pics (quality not great sorry but it was the best I could master!).

Is there anything I can try to make this zoa happy again? Wanted to take it out and dip it but don’t want to make things worse.

Water parameters:
Salinity 35
Ph 7.8-8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 3.5
Phosphate 0.02
Alkalinity 8.1
Calcium 420

Thank you so much for your inputs!!

 

[ReefBoost]

Some Zoos can get 'annoyed' if there is any algae on them, I know some of mine do. I try to blast them off with a turkey baster from time to time and they seemed to respond well to that.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I find zoanthids need some decent flow to keep algae off them. They get easily ticked off and will close.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The nitrate and phosphate are very low, too low.

What kind of light do you have on what intensity? Is there any water movement in the tank?

 

[Arcanine]

Thanks all! I have a RedSea Max E 170 and using its lights, set at 45% blue and 18% white, 9 hour period with full intensity 4 hours in the middle of the day. I have a Nero 3 top left of the tank, set at random mode with max speed 50%. Corals and zoas seem to move a bit, but to be honest I don’t know how to judge whether flow is too low, to high, correct direction,…? Still a mystery to me!
Added some pics and vid to exemplify!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

How does your CUC look? I would try and remove the algae around the zoas.

 

[Besieged]

The nitrate and phosphate are very low, too low.

What kind of light do you have on what intensity? Is there any water movement in the tank?

Seconding this. Nitrate is usually somewhere between 5 - 10. Phosphate should more or less be 1/10th of nitrate.