Zoas and Detritis / Algae

[Snoopdog]

Anyone have colonies that just seem to collect more algae between polyps than others? I can literally have zoas on the exact same rock that are perfectly clean and a colony right next to it will just always have an algae issue, no matter how much I blow them off and take tweezers to the algae.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Anyone have colonies that just seem to collect more algae between polyps than others? I can literally have zoas on the exact same rock that are perfectly clean and a colony right next to it will just always have an algae issue, no matter how much I blow them off and take tweezers to the algae.

Seems like it could be a flow issue

 

[Snoopdog]

Seems like it could be a flow issue

Hard to believe it is flow, I have got some serious flow. In fact I know one spot in particular that has plenty of flow, you can see the algae between the polyps getting blasted. Now I will say we are on the algae decline, just from good husbandry and being persistent on cleaning lately. I have gyre's on both side, setup alternating wave flow and a massive ball shaped pump on one side, also alternating flow. The water in the tank is bobbing so much I have to adjust things so it does not come out the top.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hard to believe it is flow, I have got some serious flow. In fact I know one spot in particular that has plenty of flow, you can see the algae between the polyps getting blasted. Now I will say we are on the algae decline, just from good husbandry and being persistent on cleaning lately.

Strong flow doesn't mean that the coverage is perfect, and can explain how zoas in similar positions and with similar health have or don't have algal growth on them.

theres also a chance of it being something else, but double checking your flow couldn't hurt

 

[kevgib67]

Ya I have the same thing happen on my zoa garden. Seems to happen more to the zoas still on plugs versus the ones spread out on the rock. I agree with slugsnorter, it seems it occurs more on the back half of the rock. I pull the plug and put them in 2/3 water and 1/3 3% hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes. In 24 hours after putting back, algae is gone and zoas are open and happy.