HELP!! My Zoos are under attack!

[Captain Squid]

I have several colonies of some beautiful zoos ( they were beautiful!) and lots of frags of them.

Yesterday I noticed several colonies and frags were closed. I chalked it up to some irritating fish or Urchin getting around.

I have Purple Urchins (2) an d a royal and havent had an issue before.

Today my zoos are mostly all closed and some are receding!!!

Water params are fine. Nothing new introduced ( except for some Chaeto on Saturday ) no swings in temp , lighting is excellent and water flow moderate. Everything was FINE!

I see nothing , no little white stars, no sundial snails. I do have bristle worms but they never seemed to bother anything. I see nothing!!!

In a hurry to go to work, I grabbed all zoos and put them in my sump until I can figure out what to do!

Anyone please offer some guidance, Ive got some rare zoos I dont want to lose!

TIA

 

[mallorieGgator]

Can you give us the parameters please? Include all the basic ones and if you can, include Ca, Alk, and Mg as well.
Please answer these Qs:
Did you recently do a water change with a new bucket of salt?
Do you notice white bumps on your zoas?
Have you checked late at night after all lights are off for predators such as eunicid worms or nudis? Check with a flashlight
What is your fish list?
What light do you have and how old are your bulbs?
What is the water flow like?
Where are the zoas placed?
How long have you had all of these zoas?
Do you have any other coral and how are they acting?
Do you have a protein skimmer?
Have you recently painted in the house or used aeresol products around the tank?

 

[Captain Squid]

Can you give us the parameters please?


Include all the basic ones and if you can, include Ca, Alk, and Mg as well.

1.024
Ca 420
Mg 1290
PH 8.1
Alk 8.0
temp 80
nitrates 10
phosphate Not detectable

I run Chemi Pure elite
skimmer runs all the time and is always puling gunk.

Please answer these Qs:

Did you recently do a water change with a new bucket of salt?
Friday yes, the salt mix aerated for several days first.

Do you notice white bumps on your zoas?
no

Have you checked late at night after all lights are off for predators such as eunicid worms or nudis? Check with a flashlight

Was prowling around the other night, didnt see anything odd. bazzilions of mysis. Iv seen a lot of bristle worms cleaning out the holes in rocks. Ive also got a huge purple clam that seems ok

What is your fish list?
6 line wrasse, 18 months now
lawnmower blenny 18 months
clarki clown 18 months
leopard wrasse 14 months
cinammon clown 14 mnths
yellow tang 3 months
vlamingi tang 9 months
2 scooter blennys ( very small ) 2 months
1 mandarin dragonette 6 months
1 dragon gobie 8 months or so
2 firefish 3 months
3 emerald crabs.

In my sump ( one section I got a camel shrimp to eat any aptaisia on th rocks in there., in another section I go two peppermint shrimp )
I got cheato ( that was the newest addition ) and chulepra . NPV biopellets.


What light do you have and how old are your bulbs?

I'm running Apollo Reef LED 's They are about three months old or so. Same lights on my frag tanks, same age and that is doing great too. Lights are strong, PAR is over 250 at the sand bed. The spectrum is perfect. Ive got stuff growing like mad that hasnt done anything in months and months. My Teal trumpets grew so many new heads in the past month, all puffy and billowing in the current......green styuplophora frags ( about 25) all healthy at different depths, purple mushrooms, green mushrooms under the rocks growing like madness in the spring. Thats why I figure its a zoo predator, nothing else seems affected.

What is the water flow like?
moderate in most areas, nothing getting beat up, there are two returns coming off an 1800gph pump and flow accelerators on them, then at one end of tank two power heads 850GPH at the other end another powerhead 1300PGH. Water moves....elegance coral is doing fantastic, must have 15 mouths!

Where are the zoas placed?

Different locations, on bottom, middle, top, ... they were all doing fantastic until yesterday! All other corals are fine, fish are fine. No other signs of contamination.

How long have you had all of these zoas?

Many I had for 18 months or so, I bought some new ones about a month ago


Do you have any other coral and how are they acting?
They all seem fine.

Do you have a protein skimmer?
H&S kicking butt now. Sold my ASM G4XX and what a difference.

Have you recently painted in the house or used aeresol products around the tank?

Painted about 3 months ago. No recent aerosols, my wife doesnt touch that room

Thanks for your help!

 

[mallorieGgator]

hmmmmm, your Mg can stand to be a tad higher and the nitrates are a bit high but nothing zoas should start melting. Test a fresh batch of salt water and see what the parameters are in it. Sometimes a sudden change in alk can melt stuff. I would guess one of the fish is having a snack or there is a predator roaming at night. Check really late- like 1 or 2 AM late after there is no movement in the room for a long time.

 

[MikeandNicole]

Emerald crabs can eat zoas and be careful with them in your sump as camelbacks and peppermints can munch on them as well. Emeralds can not touch a coral for a while and then decide it is time to munch.

 

[Captain Squid]

hmmmmm, your Mg can stand to be a tad higher and the nitrates are a bit high but nothing zoas should start melting. Test a fresh batch of salt water and see what the parameters are in it. Sometimes a sudden change in alk can melt stuff. I would guess one of the fish is having a snack or there is a predator roaming at night. Check really late- like 1 or 2 AM late after there is no movement in the room for a long time.

I did a freshwater and iodine dip. Pulled several bristle worms from the cores of the zoo colonies but nothing else that resembles and scary predators - yet.

Im guessing my Vlaminigi tang is ****ed at me for cutting the food supply down to keep nitrates lower. Shes a ravenous eater, like a bull in a china closet.....beautiful fish but needs to be in a 10FT tank lol.....

Anyway I might set a trap, I saw a worm trap using a 1" pvc, stocking and end caps. Baited with scallop or clams. I might try it to make sure there is no demon of the deep lurking about train wrecking my hard work.

Thanks for all the tips.