Do I have zoa pox? Pics included?

[fartman36]

Hi,
I think I have zoa pox. I just noticed small white dots on most of the polyps. I've lost several hundred heads and can't figure out whats up. Most are detaching at the base and floating off while others completely disappear (like they were never there). Colonies keep shrinking. I thought the Asterina Starfish were causing problems so I bought a harlequin shrimp a couple weeks ago. I've pulled out about a dozen small snails that look like sundial snails. The problem I have is most of the colonies are attached to the main base rock and can't be taken out for a dip. I hate to add chemicals to my main tank but I will if I have to.

Here are the links to the images.
Thanks,
Ryan

http://midvalleyphotography.smugmug.com/Other/corals/10956412_LUuNG#1262066193_RbNzBpq-X3-LB

http://midvalleyphotography.smugmug.com/Other/corals/10956412_LUuNG#1262066145_b75BG4V-X3-LB

http://midvalleyphotography.smugmug.com/Other/corals/10956412_LUuNG#1262066142_W649r8q-X3-LB

 

[Jarred1]

The third picture is a picture of palythoas and the white spots you are seeing are sand and other debris and they use that yo help build their structure. The other two pictures are zoas that look like they have detritus on them. I say you don't have zoa pox.

 

[fartman36]

That's kind of what i'm thinking. It's dust sand and detritus. But it always helps to have others to take a look to make sure im not loosing my mind

 

[MikeandNicole]

I think you answered your own question, if you are pulling out sundial snails that is why you are losing zoas throughout your tank. Also what you were describing as the zoas just floating away is not a symptom of zoa pox but generally of predation. I believe that some wrasses might take out sundial snails (don't quote me on that) but it may be worth a shot. Also do you dip or QT corals when they come in?

 

[wycombes]

Palys (3rd pic) don't get zoa pox, hence the name zoa pox. Nothing in the pictures looks like zoa pox.

 

[fartman36]

I think you answered your own question, if you are pulling out sundial snails that is why you are losing zoas throughout your tank. Also what you were describing as the zoas just floating away is not a symptom of zoa pox but generally of predation. I believe that some wrasses might take out sundial snails (don't quote me on that) but it may be worth a shot. Also do you dip or QT corals when they come in?

On second thought, I'm not 100% positive the snails are sundials. Here is a quick pick from one I just pulled out the tank.

http://midvalleyphotography.smugmug.com/Other/reef-tank/12861723_q4PHP#1262470913_VdpNNV5-O-LB

 

[wycombes]

The striping is similar but the shell does not appear to be the same:
http://www.coralpedia.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=424

 

[deepbluesea99]

thats not a sundial snail that is a small alge eating snail i have had them in my tank without problems.sundials are black &white and look more like a freshwater rams horn snail.good luck with the zoa garden.

 

[Jarred1]

That snail looks like a zebra snail to me.

 

[fartman36]

Grrrr....stuff is dying

Grrrr....stuff is dying

I noticed several heads floating at the bottom of the tank. Several more heads are hanging on by a little piece of the base. One of the polyp colonies is a couple years old. The other colony is about six months old. Now, I noticed my candy cane coral has three heads that are torn apart and flesh hanging off it? Sounds like something is nibbling on my stuff? I haven't introduced any fish to the tank in the past six months. I have never noticed anything munching on the polyps. I've even got up in the middle of the night several times to catch anyone in the act.

The tank inmates include: flame angle, six line wrasse, mated false percs, cardinal, niger trigger, harlequin shrimp (to eat the ton of small starfish), sally lightfoot (newest add), cleaner shrimp, red/blue hermit crabs, abalone (2nd newest add). All are well fed and behave when I'm around.

 

[bobbychullo]

thats not zoa pox

thats a collonista snail, harmless herbivore

flame angel is possibly picking at your polyps. if i am not mistaken, triggers will nip polyps too, but i am not sure on that...

or the asterinas but you'd find them at night attached to the zoa mat. the ones i found in my tank attacked the mat and showed obvious damage (bleaching of the tissue)

how are your water parameters?

 

[fartman36]

thats not zoa pox

thats a collonista snail, harmless herbivore

flame angel is possibly picking at your polyps. if i am not mistaken, triggers will nip polyps too, but i am not sure on that...

or the asterinas but you'd find them at night attached to the zoa mat. the ones i found in my tank attacked the mat and showed obvious damage (bleaching of the tissue)

how are your water parameters?

I read flame angels can nip polyps but I've never seen mine do it. My hunch is the asterinas are causing problems. I notice them on the polyps day or night. I bought the harlequin shrimp to get rid of them.

My water parameters are on. I have zero nitrates or phosphates. I do 25 gallon water changes at the first of every month on this 65g system. Sps, leathers, mushrooms, and everything else is ok. I haven't tested other parameters since I sold off my acros last year. But the system had stable ph, ca, mag, ect. The only other factor may be temp. The tank swings from 80 to 74 degrees during the day. I read this shouldn't be a factor but who knows?

 

[MikeandNicole]

I would say your sally lightfoot is your problem. They can get big and will eat just about anything.

 

[bobbychullo]

yea, supposedly flame angels are one of the least likely dwarf angels to pick at soft tissue

could be the crab and/or the starfish.

if you can, physically remove a starfish from your zoas when you see one. if the tissue is white underneath then they are definitely eating them. maybe kick the crab to your sump if you can and see if that stops the issues...

 

[fartman36]

I'm going to take out the sally lightfoot tonight. I bought it awhile back to take care of a hair algae issue. The hair algae has been gone for months so maybe he is getting hungry for my polyps. He usually snags a brine shrimp during my nightly feeding. Maybe he's just a pig?