Blue Zooanthus not opening

[SushiGirl]

We haven't figured out what sets off the one colony, even next to each other the one will close up. They look almost identical to me except the temperamental colony the polyps seem a tad smaller. The good colony was only called "blue zoas" and the temperamental one was called "Tubbs Blues" but I have no idea if one is really different than the other. We won both about a month apart, after wanting them for a long time, at a club raffle.

The temperamental one will do fine for months then close up. We move it to our frag rack where it gets blasted by direct flow & it takes about a month to open back up. After a month or more of being open, we can move it to less flow (still high light only, though) & it will be good to go for a while. We take it off the frag rack because it's made of rock & we don't want them growing on it LOL. We have some small green zoas that virtually stay on the rack because they're worse than the blues, and a trumpet that stays there permantly because it won't grow anywhere else, even though the other trumpet is fine on the bottom with way less light & flow. We just accept it.

Maybe try putting it in some direct flow & see if it opens after a week or so.

 

[inktomi]

That's interesting. I did add two MP10s after receiving these, and now that they're further up they will be getting more flow as well.

For what it's worth, these are wild "caught" Panamanian zoas via the Divers Den.

They should look like this (since this is the actual colony..):

 

[xabbasx7]

Here is what I would advise you to do:

1) check for pests/disease
2) run over fan to get off anything that irritating it
3) dip in revive 1/4 cap per every 1 cup or as direction -- i would dip once everyday until all the polyps are open
4) put it in lower light on edge until the polyps open up

If there are any white dots on it then it could be zoa pox, in which case you would use furan 2.

 

[SushiGirl]

2) run over fan to get off anything that irritating it

Do you mean blow them off with a powerhead?

 

[inktomi]

I did not dip them because I couldn't see any nudibranchs or pox on them at all, and overall I trust the Divers Den to have healthy livestock.

The tank is now at 77.5 F, so temperature has been fixed.

There really doesn't appear to be anything loose on them that might blow off, but I'll try it for sure.

How long can they survive without opening?

 

[Rensmif]

Wow me Too

Wow me Too

For what it's worth, these are wild "caught" Panamanian zoas via the Divers Den.

They should look like this (since this is the actual colony..):

This is so weird, and coincidental :strange:, those were almost mine, I remember them on LA divers den and almost ordered them, I ordered two others instead and I am having the same problem with the ones I recieved. I acclimated, then dipped them when I first recieved them. They opened and were fine and beautiful for a week or so and now one barely opens but they both are melting away, that is what brought me to this part of the forum and this particular thread.

I think I will try dipping them again in Coral Rx again later today, but I am tagging along with this one.

 

[SushiGirl]

You know, one of my thoughts earlier in this thread (and for quite some time now of observation over the years) was if they were wild or had been in a tank somewhere for a long period of time. Zoas in the wild get an almost constant food source, various flow, some are found in warmer or cooler areas, and of course they get perfect water conditions and a specific type of light depending on where they're from. It's really hard, IMO, to provide them with the exact conditions they're used to & it makes me wonder if they just can't handle it. Ever notice that the zoas & other corals that thrive are the ones that have been tank raised for long periods of time, being fragged from one person's tank to another over a period of years? Even from tank to tank conditions can be different enough for corals to either not make it or to struggle for a while before they acclimate over time.

Same thing with wild caught fish, it's hard to get them eating & they're easily stressed in tank conditions until they've been in a tank for some time.

Something to consider, anyway.

 

[Rensmif]

SushiGirl, you make a valid argument and state some very good reasons for your belief because I do have plenty other Zoos that were, and still are doing wonderfully. They were however; raised from frags of tank raised animals.

I will definately bear those thoughts in mind when I make future purchases. These Zoos were not at all cheap.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Those are gorgeous! Best of luck with your acclimation.

 

[inktomi]

I agree re: wild caught corals.

I'm trying them out on the top of the rocks today, it doesn't get any brighter in my tank than there about a foot away from the A350W directly above. Could be coincidental, but the "holes" on the polyps where they should be opening seem larger after doing that. Fingers crossed... I still don't see signs of them withering away yet - SPS and the like all seem fine in the tank otherwise.

-edit-
By the way, what's the technical term for the just-a-bit-open hole on the tops of the polyps when they're ****ed but thinking about opening?

 

[SushiGirl]

I don't believe there is a technical term.

The wild caught thing is definitely a conundrum for us as reef keepers, especially since the most sought-after, "rare", deep water zoas are the ones that are the most expensive and the most risky. It would probably help to know where, and how deep, they were collected from.

 

[Rensmif]

Over 400 views and no differing opinions, I am leaning toward what Sushigirl said pertaining to wild caught animals.

I thought I would be on top of the game by buying larger colonies, but watching $200 worth of corals slowly dissappear before my eyes is a reality check for sure. In the future, I will stick with tank raised frags. pretty disheartening for sure.

We do live and hopefully learn from our mistakes in this hobby of ours.

 

[NewbyReefer]

Have you moved them around tthe tank to see if the flow/light might be part of the problem? Also if they are a "deepwater zoa" try putting it in a partially shaded area.

Jus my thoughts.

 

[inktomi]

Hello -

I just wanted to update this thread one last time. I moved them around every few days, and they actually started opening up when they were at the very top of the rockwork under very strong light.

After that, they're opening every day and they're now back on the sand nestled into my rock work amongst some other zoas.

They're in the background in this photo.

So - if you're here from Google - my advice would be to try both very high and low light areas if you have some zoas that are not opening. They can survive quite some time closed up as long as you're not seeing them melting away.