Can someone look at this picture and tell me what is going on with my zoos?

[dismayed]

I originally posted this in another forum and someone recommended that I post it here as well....


I have a nice colony of zoo's that I purchased a few weeks ago... all was fine until the other day and I noticed several of them right in the middle looked like they had "popped." Picture below. Any thoughts on what is going on?

Parameters:

Nitrate: 5 - 10 ppm
Nittrite, Amonia, Phosphate: 0
PH: 8.2
KH: 12
Calcium: 520
SG: 1.024
Temp: 77.5 average
Magnesium: 1280
Lighting: Moderate intensity, 8 hours daily; rock is at tank midpoint
Flow: Moderate in this part of the tank

There is a power head in the vacinity pointed in this general direction. There is very little movement though through this area and placing my hand in the tank I'm not feeling anything dramatic in this area.

Tank inhabitants are mostly tangs of various kinds.

 

[Str8outakompton]

Never seen somthing like that before Oo but it may be something munching on your polyps at night. check for something when the lights are off. if you have any of http://zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=384 remove them.

good luck!

 

[fishgeek12]

are you reffering the the white looking thing? Isnt that a type of tunicate?

 

[evsalty]

Several of my local area reefers have had their Purple Tangs munch on their corals. Not sure if you have a purple or not though.

 

[650-IS350]

sailfin tang, and a coral beauty., I'd be wary of the coral beauty , known nipper.

 

[dismayed]

I am actually kind of suspecting the sailfin tang now, I've noticed him kind of lingering in the area a bit.

I do have some aptasia in the tank, just a bit that I've been meaning to take care of but it is nowhere near those polyps and couldn't possibly reach it. Actually as I set here with the tank lights off I just saw him go right up to that spot and really look things over. Darn it.

If it is the tang, other than taking the fish back to the store is there anything I can do?

 

[650-IS350]

Once they get a taste and a liking to it... it becomes popcorn to them.