h2o2 zoa dip

[dviper150]

Some of my zoas aren't doing so good and wanted to do a h2o2 dip on them. I read different articles online about the dip. Some say do 50/50, others say 75/25. The time also varies so I am not sure how to do this. Any recommendations on how to proceed with this dip and how effective it really is?

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Hello dviper150, sorry your polyps aren't doing so well.

There are many dips in cyberspace, most are affective and some are a simple waste of time and resources. They can be affective if the appropriate dip is used for the appropriate reason. You mentioned that some of your polyps were not expanding. For this reason alone, dipping is never, never the appropriate first course of corrective action to take unless predation of disease is apparent. Many, some may disagree, and that's fine, but without knowing more about your system, I would never advise it prematurely. Not speaking of you, but it seems that dips are being touted all over the web as a panacea for polyp issues and retraction, when they can actually exacerbate the situation if used when not warranted..

There are numerous, numerous reasons why your polyps may be retracting. Often a series of Q & A, and not abrupt dipping can isolate the problem. It can be something as simple as a parameters that has swung way out of your normal tolerance. It could be stray voltage, it could be something as simple as bad frags ( which is often the case lately ) or overpowering currrent, none of which would require a dip to correct. Anything growing in or near your polyps like a Hydroid for example, could be causing your problem. There are numerous reasons. You could very well be experiencing a simple bout of normal periodic retraction which truly is normal and expected, it happens.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154238&highlight=25+reasons+why

There is a sticky at the top of this forum. "When asking for help" If you can, start here and share everything you possibly can about your system to receive the proper direction in solving your issue. Tell us when it started, is it a new addition, when did it arrive, where did it come from, was it shipped or picked up, when was your last WC?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1852463

I would highly advise against doing anything but preparing a well aerated 20%water change. Even that may not be needed depending upon what you share with us. Also, share the appearance of your polyps in detail.

Don't worry my friend, as long as those retracted polyps have an intact crown, no visable signs of degredation, BI or foul order, you've got time to correct this.

Good luck my friend and hope to hear from you soon.

Mucho Reef

 

[dviper150]

I should have provided more info.

Tank parameters are in check.
Nitrates - 0ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm
Cal - 460
Alk - 8
Temperature - 80 now since its getting warmer here
Salinity - 1.025

All my zoa colonies are opened up nicely. There is just a small part of some of my colonies that are closed while the remainder of the same colony is open. The closed area has small white dots/patches on them so it is probably some sort of infection.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

I should have provided more info.

Tank parameters are in check.
Nitrates - 0ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm
Cal - 460
Alk - 8
Temperature - 80 now since its getting warmer here
Salinity - 1.025

All my zoa colonies are opened up nicely. There is just a small part of some of my colonies that are closed while the remainder of the same colony is open. The closed area has small white dots/patches on them so it is probably some sort of infection.

Zero nitrates are not good, negligible nitrates are preferred. I will dig up an article I have saved somewhere and send it to you. Your parameters look good to me.

Need to know...

When did the retraction start?

Did it coincide with any new additions via livestock or even new or replaced hardware?

How are you checking your parameters?

The white dots could be sand or sediment if the stems/cuticles are smooth on your palys as this debri is embedded, (which is normal) or Zoa Pox if they are raised like pimples on your zoas.



Mooch

 

[dviper150]

I figured out that it is the zoanthid eating nudibranches that are causing the zoas to close up. Is there any treatment that I can use on my reef tank that will take care of them all? Any fish that eat these pests?

 

[dviper150]

Didn't replace any new hardware and i have added a few new frags of zoas recently.

I am checking my parameters using api test kits and do take them do my lfs once in awhile to confirm. Retraction started a few days ago.

My last water change was 3 months ago. I just top off and dose chemicals. I dose my tank with iodine once a week following the kent iodine's bottle instructions.

I did see some nudibranches crawling on my rocks and glass a few weeks ago but didn't bother to take them out because I didn't know they were bad.

 

[dviper150]

Here is a picture of it. I don't know if the dots are nudi eggs or not. That particular zoa has these white dots and it still opens up just fine. Others have different kinds of white dots on them.

The green zoas on the left with the many tiny white dots all over it is normal for that. I took this pic at night while everything was closed.

 

[tmz]

I use standard 3% h2O2 as a dip mixed with 50% tank water for 5 minutes for zoanthidae . Some other corals, like echinophylia do not like it. Most pests( predators and irritators) drop off zoanthidae as you rinse the coral before placing it back in a tank,ime . It will kill off nuisance algae too ,that process may take a day or two. Red turf algae for example will look fine after the dip but turn orange then white and dissappear over a couple of days. Zoanthidae polyps do seem to display more expansion after dips. No ill effects observed. Several dips a few days apart may be needed to erradicate certain infestations as eggs may survive.

 

[dviper150]

Would h202 treat zoa pox? I am going to be ordering Furan 2 soon to treat this but if h202 works, I will give that a shot too.

 

[650-IS350]

That's POX, you need FURAN2 treatment.

 

[dviper150]

Can I treat my entire tank with Furan 2 or will it stress out all my sps/clams and other corals?

Can I treat my rocks with furan 2 in separate bucket incase the nudis are hiding in the crevices of the rocks? If I can, I can just take out all the rocks that I have my zoas on and treat just those along with the zoas.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Hello dviper150, sorry your polyps aren't doing so well.

There are many dips in cyberspace, most are affective and some are a simple waste of time and resources. They can be affective if the appropriate dip is used for the appropriate reason. You mentioned that some of your polyps were not expanding. For this reason alone, dipping is never, never the appropriate first course of corrective action to take unless predation of disease is apparent. Many, some may disagree, and that's fine, but without knowing more about your system, I would never advise it prematurely. Not speaking of you, but it seems that dips are being touted all over the web as a panacea for polyp issues and retraction, when they can actually exacerbate the situation if used when not warranted..

There are numerous, numerous reasons why your polyps may be retracting. Often a series of Q & A, and not abrupt dipping can isolate the problem. It can be something as simple as a parameters that has swung way out of your normal tolerance. It could be stray voltage, it could be something as simple as bad frags ( which is often the case lately ) or overpowering currrent, none of which would require a dip to correct. Anything growing in or near your polyps like a Hydroid for example, could be causing your problem. There are numerous reasons. You could very well be experiencing a simple bout of normal periodic retraction which truly is normal and expected, it happens.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154238&highlight=25+reasons+why

There is a sticky at the top of this forum. "When asking for help" If you can, start here and share everything you possibly can about your system to receive the proper direction in solving your issue. Tell us when it started, is it a new addition, when did it arrive, where did it come from, was it shipped or picked up, when was your last WC?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1852463

I would highly advise against doing anything but preparing a well aerated 20%water change. Even that may not be needed depending upon what you share with us. Also, share the appearance of your polyps in detail.

Don't worry my friend, as long as those retracted polyps have an intact crown, no visable signs of degredation, BI or foul order, you've got time to correct this.

Good luck my friend and hope to hear from you soon.

Mucho Reef

Correction -

Was just informed of a typo I made and never noticed I made it.

First paragraph, 4th line, it should have said, predation or disease is apparent, instead of "predation of disease is apparent". Obviously there's no such thing as predation of disease. Sorry.

Mooch

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Some of my zoas aren't doing so good and wanted to do a h2o2 dip on them. I read different articles online about the dip. Some say do 50/50, others say 75/25. The time also varies so I am not sure how to do this. Any recommendations on how to proceed with this dip and how effective it really is?

Any updates to report?

 

[dviper150]

I did the H2O2 dip and it didn't work for me. I ended up treating the individual zoas that were affected with the pox with Furan 2 in separate containers and it worked great! I don't see pox anymore and the zoas that were closed up before are now fully open and growing nicely.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Hey thanks for the update, glad everything worked out for you.


Mooch