Any ideas for beating this zoa infection? I'm desperate!

[impur]

I've been battling this for 3 weeks now. Its slowely killing a lot of my zoos. The infected ones have been removed from the display and into QT. They are being treated with erythromiacin but it isn't doing a thing. I have been treating in QT since Sunday. Previously i was removing the declining frags/colonies, cutting off the infected polyps as well as a few rows of polyps around them, dipping for 10min in FW/TMPCC dip and back to the display.

What seems to be happening is the polyp closes up, then the flesh turns clear. I can then see the colored skirt thru the flesh of the polyp. Then pods come along and devour the whole thing in a few hours. In my QT there are a limited # of pods so its a slower process it seems. I was able to get pics of the polyps in various stages of decline.

I have thrown away 6 colonies, and the remaining 7 in my QT are just about gone. Here are pics of when it first began, you can see the few closed polyps on the left and bottom of the colony. This is when the problem first surfaced. This colony is over 3 years old in my tank and this was the first colony to go. I have not added anything new for at least 2 months, and i have not changed anything equipment wise.

Here are the frags in my QT.

 

[impur]

Any help here?

 

[msman825]

you tried this.http://www.zoaid.com/articles004.php

 

[impur]

Thanks for the post. Yah its definately not pox. Its not anything anyone has ever encountered i guess. Or that i can find at least. And this is the second time its happened to me! (the first was 3 years ago in my first tank, a 10gal nano. the colony completely died)

I've tried on at least 20 boards.

I'm just at a loss and am open to anything that has even a remote possibility of working.

 

[Reef Junkie]

Still!?!?!?

This is a rough one bro. The only time I've seen healthy established zoas melt away for no apparent reason was when I had my salinity at 40+!:eek1:
Bone headed move on my part.

Do you think there is any parameter fluctuation or stray voltage?

 

[impur]

No, i've been testing daily, as well as keeping track with my AC jr and checking how the tanks params where throughout the day with it.

I do FINALLY have something that i think is positive to report. Check out these 2 pics. One is from tuesday, the second is wednesday. It looks like the polyp which is brown and decaying is trying to open. Also a lot of the closed polyps are opening. It seems the decaying is definately slowing. This is the first time i've seen one at that stage in decline actually open.

 

[dwdenny]

in your fourth picture is that a feather duster or something else between the three on the right?

 

[impur]

100% certain its a feather duster.

 

[dwdenny]

thats good figured you knew it was nice looking Zoas by the way

 

[impur]

Thanks, i just hope some pull thru.

 

[acrylic_300]

Do you have mostly orange zoas...or is it just effecting the orange ones.

 

[sugartooth]

Similar situation happened where one day all of my PE's were closed up, then the outside edge polyps started to swell and one by one they just withered away, leaving a skeleton much like your picture.
I never figured it out either, I also tried dips and did not seem to help.
I hope you are able to save yours!

 

[impur]

Yes mostly orange are affected oddly.

 

[impur]

This must be how it starts. A small brown patch on that closed zoo

 

[MinibowMatt]

how about Asterina starfish? ever see any of those around?

That brown patch doesnt look good. I would cut that/those polyps off and dip the frag in either H202 or lugols... or both in successive days.

 

[Reef Junkie]

It look like a bite of some sort.
What fish do you have? Any Tangs or nocturnal bloodsuckers?

 

[klasiksb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8973709#post8973709 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MinibowMatt
how about Asterina starfish? ever see any of those around?

Are these bad? I've got a ton of these little things and have had some problems with zoo's shrinking and going bye bye. If these asterina stars are a problem, how do you get rid of them?

 

[edwing206]

have you tried fragging them and putting them in a friends tank and see how they do? might get better results

 

[impur]

No asternia stars. Only fish are 2 percs. That brown patch showed up while in QT. It has not progressed or gotten better in 3 days.

Dipping has no effect. As soon as i cut away the infected polyps, it shows up on more. Cutting them seems to quicken the effect.

 

[impur]

Another pic. Notice the brown patch on the closed zoo. This is apparently how it starts.

The erythromiacin just isn't working. Its been 8 days of treatment and the infection isn't spreading as fast, but is spreading nonetheless.

So i need to try some other meds. Any ideas??? Furan-2 maybe?