Zoa randomly closing

mdmoates11

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 2, 2022
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
Tampa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi all! I have been in the hobby for around 6-8 months now and have a 15g nano reef. I have a small frag of candy apple Zoa’s which have been doing great and had produced two new polyps within the past week but suddenly the whole colony ended up closing. I had noticed yesterday morning the new polyp was closed and then one by one throughout the next hour or two all of them ended up closing. This frag is also placed directly beside my Rasta Zoa frag which also has done the same thing and been closed for about two weeks now. As for the other Zoas in my tank - they mostly seem to be doing fine and opening up but have not shown any signs of growth (in some colonies over 6 months without 1 new polyp forming).
I would very much appreciate any help on the matter as I am becoming slightly frustrated as I tend to my tank daily and do weekly 5 gallon water changes with RO water purchased from LFS, but am seeing little to results (in terms of growth) from all of the hard work.

Side note I also have a colony of Firework Polyps which have an arm that has attached to the rock around it and started producing small polyps! While this is looking good - I’ve noticed that the health of the main colony of those too seems to be not so good as some polyps are losing the orange coloration on the tips of some polyps as well as some which have retracted and are no longer coming out. How is this coral growing but not doing well at the same time?

Last side note to speak on water quality - I also have a hammer and a half fragged head of a dragon soul torch coral in this same tank which are both doing great and opening up largely everyday.

Tank: 15 gallon
Weekly 5 gal water changes (R.O. Water)
Skimmer
Alkalinity: 7.7
Calcium: 330
Mag: 1240
Nitrate: 15-20

image.jpg image.jpg
 

SoCalSauce

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 20, 2020
Messages
106
Reaction score
78
Location
orange county
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi all! I have been in the hobby for around 6-8 months now and have a 15g nano reef. I have a small frag of candy apple Zoa’s which have been doing great and had produced two new polyps within the past week but suddenly the whole colony ended up closing. I had noticed yesterday morning the new polyp was closed and then one by one throughout the next hour or two all of them ended up closing. This frag is also placed directly beside my Rasta Zoa frag which also has done the same thing and been closed for about two weeks now. As for the other Zoas in my tank - they mostly seem to be doing fine and opening up but have not shown any signs of growth (in some colonies over 6 months without 1 new polyp forming).
I would very much appreciate any help on the matter as I am becoming slightly frustrated as I tend to my tank daily and do weekly 5 gallon water changes with RO water purchased from LFS, but am seeing little to results (in terms of growth) from all of the hard work.

Side note I also have a colony of Firework Polyps which have an arm that has attached to the rock around it and started producing small polyps! While this is looking good - I’ve noticed that the health of the main colony of those too seems to be not so good as some polyps are losing the orange coloration on the tips of some polyps as well as some which have retracted and are no longer coming out. How is this coral growing but not doing well at the same time?

Last side note to speak on water quality - I also have a hammer and a half fragged head of a dragon soul torch coral in this same tank which are both doing great and opening up largely everyday.

Tank: 15 gallon
Weekly 5 gal water changes (R.O. Water)
Skimmer
Alkalinity: 7.7
Calcium: 330
Mag: 1240
Nitrate: 15-20

image.jpg image.jpg
When you say weekly changes RO water, are you removing 5g salt water and replacing with 5g of RO water? Have you keeping an eye on salinity?
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
92,159
Reaction score
203,750
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
14   0   0
Hi all! I have been in the hobby for around 6-8 months now and have a 15g nano reef. I have a small frag of candy apple Zoa’s which have been doing great and had produced two new polyps within the past week but suddenly the whole colony ended up closing. I had noticed yesterday morning the new polyp was closed and then one by one throughout the next hour or two all of them ended up closing. This frag is also placed directly beside my Rasta Zoa frag which also has done the same thing and been closed for about two weeks now. As for the other Zoas in my tank - they mostly seem to be doing fine and opening up but have not shown any signs of growth (in some colonies over 6 months without 1 new polyp forming).
I would very much appreciate any help on the matter as I am becoming slightly frustrated as I tend to my tank daily and do weekly 5 gallon water changes with RO water purchased from LFS, but am seeing little to results (in terms of growth) from all of the hard work.

Side note I also have a colony of Firework Polyps which have an arm that has attached to the rock around it and started producing small polyps! While this is looking good - I’ve noticed that the health of the main colony of those too seems to be not so good as some polyps are losing the orange coloration on the tips of some polyps as well as some which have retracted and are no longer coming out. How is this coral growing but not doing well at the same time?

Last side note to speak on water quality - I also have a hammer and a half fragged head of a dragon soul torch coral in this same tank which are both doing great and opening up largely everyday.

Tank: 15 gallon
Weekly 5 gal water changes (R.O. Water)
Skimmer
Alkalinity: 7.7
Calcium: 330
Mag: 1240
Nitrate: 15-20

image.jpg image.jpg
Generally due to flow issue, lack of food and lack of iodide
Other causes, too much light, pests such as asterina stars or bugs
 
OP
OP
M

mdmoates11

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 2, 2022
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
Tampa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
When you say weekly changes RO water, are you removing 5g salt water and replacing with 5g of RO water? Have you keeping an eye on salinity?
Yes, replacing with 5G of RO water and adjust the salinity to 1.025 each time
 

Gadbery

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 9, 2022
Messages
98
Reaction score
62
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes, replacing with 5G of RO water and adjust the salinity to 1.025 each time
i hope your adjusting salinity in a bucket before adding the water and not dumping 5 gallons of RO water in the tank then adding salt into the tank to raise salinity.....
just clarifying as the way your wording it leaves it open to interpretation.
 

Premium

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 23, 2022
Messages
71
Reaction score
88
Location
Tampa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
i hope your adjusting salinity in a bucket before adding the water and not dumping 5 gallons of RO water in the tank then adding salt into the tank to raise salinity.....
just clarifying as the way your wording it leaves it open to interpretation.
That's what I was wondering lol
 

When to mix up fish meal: When was the last time you tried a different brand of food for your reef?

  • I regularly change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 44 21.2%
  • I occasionally change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 72 34.6%
  • I rarely change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 69 33.2%
  • I never change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 19 9.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 4 1.9%
Back
Top