Zoanthids unhappy

[japicka]

Ok I have been dealing with this for about 2 weeks, I can NOT get this zoanthid colony happy.

It's at the bottom of the tank, AP9X sitting at about 10 inches off water line running at 25% during the top part of the program the coral is in a IM 40 long, so roughly 12 inches below water line

Nitrates 2
Phos .03
Cal 440
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Alk 8.6
Mag 1404
Temp 78
Salinity 1.025

Tank is about 2.5 months old, last week I added a couple of fish and had a decent bacteria bloom but that cleared up a couple of days ago.

I am trying to get a picture inserted but that is just NOT wanting to work.

 

[japicka]

And I got the picture to attach now.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I don't know what kind of lights those are, but 25% sounds very low. Also the nutrients are very low. How is the water movement in the tank?

 

[japicka]

I don't know what kind of lights those are, but 25% sounds very low. Also the nutrients are very low. How is the water movement in the tank?

I have a maxspect gyre XF-330 run random program between 10-20% of pump speed, and the light is basically like Kessil X360s if that helps. BRS recommends keeping the light between 10-15 inches above water line and between 20-40% for mixed reef tank.

 

[Tahoe61]

Have you checked at night for

1. Asterina Starfish.
2. Zoanthid Spiders.
3. Sundial Snails.
4. Zoanthid eating Nudibrach.

Are there large Amphipods moving among the polyps at night?

 

[bubbgee]

I have a maxspect gyre XF-330 run random program between 10-20% of pump speed, and the light is basically like Kessil X360s if that helps. BRS recommends keeping the light between 10-15 inches above water line and between 20-40% for mixed reef tank.

Try moving it higher to see if there's any effect. If it does, the light is too low or the flow is obstructed where it was before.

 

[purpfish]

I had this yellow colony of zoas that disappeared one by one with no visible pest and relatively ideal parameters, so strange

 

[japicka]

Have you checked at night for

1. Asterina Starfish.
2. Zoanthid Spiders.
3. Sundial Snails.
4. Zoanthid eating Nudibrach.

Are there large Amphipods moving among the polyps at night?

I have looked at night.
1. No starfish at all
2. I think I just pulled one of those out of the tank last night
3. No snails of that.
4. About three weeks ago I pulled a very small nudibranch out of the tank.

 

[japicka]

Try moving it higher to see if there's any effect. If it does, the light is too low or the flow is obstructed where it was before.

Try moving what higher? the flow on the pump or the intensity of the light...I have had the light as high as 35% with little change if anything they seemed to retreat from too much light, but I may have been reading that wrong.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok I have been dealing with this for about 2 weeks, I can NOT get this zoanthid colony happy.

It's at the bottom of the tank, AP9X sitting at about 10 inches off water line running at 25% during the top part of the program the coral is in a IM 40 long, so roughly 12 inches below water line

Nitrates 2
Phos .03
Cal 440
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Alk 8.6
Mag 1404
Temp 78
Salinity 1.025

Tank is about 2.5 months old, last week I added a couple of fish and had a decent bacteria bloom but that cleared up a couple of days ago.

I am trying to get a picture inserted but that is just NOT wanting to work.

I suspect you are using API kit for testing and may be getting false readings. To confirm yours, take a water sample to an LFS that does not use API and see what readings they come up with.
Disregard nitrates which are freshwater specific.
Subtle flow, enough to keep waste and sediment off of them is often sufficient moderate lighting good.
If adding NoPox to tank, that will make them miserable. Dose occasional iodide to water which they convert to iodine. If they are stretched up, light is insufficient and if closed or flat, may be too much flow. I feed mine mysis but Red Sea A/B is also goood

 

[japicka]

I suspect you are using API kit for testing and may be getting false readings. To confirm yours, take a water sample to an LFS that does not use API and see what readings they come up with.
Disregard nitrates which are freshwater specific.
Subtle flow, enough to keep waste and sediment off of them is often sufficient moderate lighting good.
If adding NoPox to tank, that will make them miserable. Dose occasional iodide to water which they convert to iodine. If they are stretched up, light is insufficient and if closed or flat, may be too much flow. I feed mine mysis but Red Sea A/B is also goood

Using Red Sea test kit, it's sitting almost below the gyre pump where the flow would be the lowest.

What's odd it part of the colony is basically flat, the top part in the picture, the rest are looking like they are stretching up.

 

[vetteguy53081]

And I got the picture to attach now.

Add some white intensity to overall lighting and I have a ton of zoa, most sitting just below mid tank

 

[bubbgee]

Try moving what higher? the flow on the pump or the intensity of the light...I have had the light as high as 35% with little change if anything they seemed to retreat from too much light, but I may have been reading that wrong.

Move the zoa rock if you can higher to the top of the rock where there's more flow and light. Don't change the settings just yet. What this will tell you is what the zoas are looking for. It will open up within a day if it finds a happy setting. Then you can put it back and adjust the flow or light or both.

They don't like direct light, so offset away from the most intense part. I usually acclimate from 100-300 par for zoas and lots of indirect flow.