Do you get a annual zoa melt off ?

[NyReefNoob]

ok over the years i have had this issue. i do dip any and all new zoa's in ro and iodine when i first get them, always have kept a wrasse which will hunt preditors, but usually spring and fall i get a little melt off on one or two types of zoa's. my system is pretty automated, temp doesnt change ect. i dont keep emeralds or others of the type, no fish that would be eating them, i've always just kinda put it up to the moon phase of the seasons or barimetric change that has come with the season. so anyone else have this happen every year ? and whats your thoughts and opinions as to why it happens

 

[KafudaFish]

Could it be your water source and how the city treats the drinking water?

 

[zooty]

I have cyclical growth and recession with a few of my zoa colonies. But they don't even coincide with each other so figuring out why has been hard.

One thing I have observed (and discussed with one of my LFS guys who is a zoa nut). Is that fresh frags are usually the result of one of the growth spurts. This usually ends badly with the resulting frag dying back to a few polyps if any. If they make it a few months later they take off with lots of babies.

So I do get melt-off but I can't say that its annual or has anything to do with seasons. It seems to vary between colonies.

Sidenote- I dose 2 part and have seen issues with z&p if my ALK gets out of whack. More of an issue with ALK than Ca IMO.

 

[XSharkboyX]

I have personally never seen this "annual die off" in any of my systems before.
The only time i have really seen melting polyps is freshly imported colonies, or freshly cut frags.

I always attributed the freshly imported colony polyp loss due to shipping stress, poor water chemistry, and possible lack of photoperiod.

The freshly cut frags that i have seen melt, were usually the case of premature fragging, premature shipping, ect. The "I must frag every single new polyp growth i get and sell it before it dies" mentality is a huge culprit in this case.

So zooty this makes perfect sence!
"Is that fresh frags are usually the result of one of the growth spurts. This usually ends badly with the resulting frag dying back to a few polyps if any. If they make it a few months later they take off with lots of babies."

This is why zoanthid/palythoa frags should never be less than about 12 polyps in my opinion, and be well atached to its new base. (NOT JUST GLUE!!)

 

[Scopus Tang]

I have to say that I have noticed an annual melt off in some of my polyps, most notabely my Tubs Blues. They will grow into a massive colony covering an area larger than my hand, then over the course of several months die back to a few scattered clumps here and there covering the same area. Then they resurge with growth again and recover the original area.

That said however, I have to be honest and say that I also notice that those times of die off typically coorespond to periods during which my time to devote to my tank is more limited and my water chemistry tends to slip a bit. IME, I have to agree with zooty, that zoa health seems to be highly dependent up alkalinity levels and having those levels remain stable.

 

[masterqaz]

had a 6x6 of blue zoas just melt on me. was doing fine for 2 month and then one day they stopped opening. i think the entire col is now down to 3-5 polypes that open now.

Blues seem to be the only ones that give me problems. ive heard of ppl having similar issues with deep water zoas as well.

 

[jyxie]

for deep water zoas i thought it was related to the lighting. maybe thats just what i heard.

 

[Borchers]

I have had the same issues in my tank and am a loyal Zoa and Palys guy. This has happened on both new and old frags. Some recover and some never come back. Sucks to..... it really happens to the ones that you love the most. I basicly do take more care of the frag and keep an eye feed regularly and treat with good sources or vitamin and minerals. This is my personal 2 cents.

 

[XSharkboyX]

"ive heard of ppl having similar issues with deep water zoas as well."

"for deep water zoas i thought it was related to the lighting. maybe thats just what i heard."

Just for clarification, there is no such thing as "japanese deepwater zoanthids." It's in the same classification as "LE" and "High End."

Just because a zoa or paly doesnt like direct bright light does not make it a deepwater specimen lol

 

[KafudaFish]

for deep water zoas i thought it was related to the lighting. maybe thats just what i heard.

What is a deep water zoa?

 

[Scopus Tang]

"ive heard of ppl having similar issues with deep water zoas as well."

"for deep water zoas i thought it was related to the lighting. maybe thats just what i heard."

Just for clarification, there is no such thing as "japanese deepwater zoanthids." It's in the same classification as "LE" and "High End."

Just because a zoa or paly doesnt like direct bright light does not make it a deepwater specimen lol

What is a deep water zoa?

Just for clarification, according to Dr. Reimers, there actually are deep water zoanthids (I don't remember the exact depth he referenced, but he did give a depth reference). However, he then went on the clarify that such polyps are very drab in color and most likely would not survive well in the conditions within our aquariums. He further clarified that those currently be called Japanese Deepwater zoas within the hobby are neither from deep water, nor from Japan.

 

[XSharkboyX]

He further clarified that those currently be called Japanese Deepwater zoas within the hobby are neither from deep water, nor from Japan.

This was the point I was trying to prove.

 

[Scopus Tang]

This was the point I was trying to prove.

Indeed, which is what I understood. I simply wanted to make the clarification that deep water zoanthids do in fact exist, they simply are not what we think they are (LOL - does that make sense?).

 

[XSharkboyX]

Of course friend.

 

[A. Grandis]

I didn't have annual melt off yet, but had fishes that eat some polyps and were hard to find out they were the problem because those fishes were in the system for long time without touching any polyp. When I've removed them, the polyps' growth was amazing.
The damage was partial, say, minimum. Just wanted to share that.
It looked like melting when the polyps were closed and desapearing.
Watch your fishes!
Grandis.

 

[rogersb]

I have not had annual melt off but have ahd issues when my alk gets out of whack. I have kalk in my ATO and was slow to change my saturation when winter came. It's so dry in my house that when it snows my ATO goes nuts and my alk went from 8-9 to 11-12 and I thought I was going to lose half my zoas.