I need help!

[reefwick]

Okay, Everytime I get some zoanthids they are fat and happy at the beginning and then over time they get smaller and smaller. Now I am pretty sure that all the zoanthids I have acquired have come from systems with more intense lighting than my own.

I do dose phyto plankton and feed regularly but still they go downhill. Is there anything anyone can recommend to make my zoanthids happier.

Oh and a side note; I did have a case of that little white bumpy stuff that plaqued many reefers zoanthids here on RC. It is no longer but my symptoms have been going on before the onset of that. And I'm sure you will want parameters so here goes.

nitrite-0
nitrate-0
ammonia-0
alk- normal on red sea test kit
calcium- 460 ppm
ph-8.2
temp- 80-81
salinity- 1.026

 

[Creetin]

Could be a predator. Have you tried dipping any of them in FW and iodine dips?

 

[reefwick]

no, kinda scared to do so. So should I just get RO water to temperature and dip them in upside down and shake? For how long?

 

[moriartiholmes]

What's your lighting and what corals are doing well in your system?

 

[Creetin]

I was just asking if you ever dipped, I am not saying to do so now.
Could be allot of things. Do you have alot of soft corals???

 

[reefwick]

Yes I have all soft corals and a couple of LPS. My lighting is 48 watts of 50/50 PC. My tank is the 12 gallon nano-cube DX.

The corals that are doing well are everything except the zoanthids. My sarcophyton elegans, hammer, devils hand, spaghetti leather, mushrooms, candy canes, trumpets, GSp are all fine.

 

[Creetin]

Have you tested your iodine levels? I like to check that for my shrimp to molt, and i seen that when i had all soft corals the iodine got used up at a decent rate.
Might be worth it to see if your lfs would test it for you. or get a kit for it.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Hello, are you saying that every time you aquire new zoos, and zoos only, they begin to decline, shrink, collaspe and die?

Question.

1. How long after you place them in your nano do you begin to see signs of decline?

2. You didn't mention the type of circulation in your nano. Do you have any at all? If so, what are you using? This is very important.

3. Have you checked for a host of possible predators which are listed in the FAQ above?

4. I can't understand why so many reefers of late are afraid to dip. You're playing Russian Roulette if you don't dip new arrivals my friend. It is completely safe. I have dipped thousands of zoathids with no issues at all.

5. Do you have any fish, what kind?

6. Any inverts, what kind?



This is a very important statement.

" The corals that are doing well are everything except the zoanthids. My sarcophyton elegans, hammer, devils hand, spaghetti leather, mushrooms, candy canes, trumpets, GSp are all fine."

Though hardy, they will adapt to most any type of lighting, but I don't think lighting is the issue. If all of your other softies are doing well with the exception of your zoanthids, I'm thinking PREDATOR. If I were you, I'd take everything out piece by piece, rock by rock and inspect. I found something in my system just last week that I will share as soon as I can get around to typing the whole story. Hope to hear from you soon and we will narrow it down very soon.

Hang in there.

Mucho

 

[moriartiholmes]

Do you use carbon? I swear by the stuff in my soft coral tank. The soft corals may be poisoning the zoanthinds, just a thought.

 

[reefwick]

Thanks for the responses, so to answer your questions. Oh and yes zoanthids only decline.

1. I'd say about 1 month to 1 1/2 months they start to show signs of declining

2. I have a MJ 606 which pumps 156 gph and I also have the stock pump pointing in a different direction that pumps out 106 gph.

3. I have looked closely at them during the day and the night but while they were in the tank not pulling them out of it. And I don't see anything.

4. Okay, I'll read up on the dip.

5. I have one fish, a false perc. He never bugs them though

6. Inverts are 1 astrea, 1 cerith and 2 black turbos. I have 1 red legged hermit that was added 2 days ago and I have a cucumber (Holothuria floridana).

Yes I do run carbon 24/7 and change it out every 2-3 weeks.

Thanks for helping, I'm gonna wait to hear back from you guys before I dip.

 

[ReefWifey]

I have your exact same setup and my zoas flourish. I think you should probably dip, and just to be safe try a few frags/colonies at a time first to see if you see any critters falling off. Also, to other suggestions for dipping just to be safe:

1)Make sure you let them soak a minute or two in some tank water (in a seperate container) just to rinse the dip off well if you use iodine in it.

2)Swish the frag around really well and make sure anything dead falls off. Make sure you don't have any sponges on the rocks that will die.

These steps will help insure you don't throw your small 12 gallons of water out of wack with iodine or die off.

Kam

 

[reefwick]

You know what else has declined that I forgot to mention is my xenia. Does this sound like low iodine to you guys?

 

[MinibowMatt]

here is my opinions in order of possiblity:
1. possibly the leathers are chemically bothering the zoos.
2. Your water is too pristine-- doubtful, but i think zoos like dirty water.
3. incorrect lighting.
4. not enough circulation
5. predators.


do you play in your tank alot? if so, you could be irratating them. also remember not to have any lotions/soaps on your skin when in the tank, the zoos could be picking up on them too.

 

[reefwick]

1. okay maybe but I would think the carbon is taking care of that.
2. I doubt it also
3. yeah but why are so many others with the same system having great success.
4. I doubt that I have 262 GPH in a 12 gallon tank. Less if take displacement into account.
5. I just did a freshwater dip and nothing fell off except pods. Maybe though I'll keep checking

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Ah Hah, Xenia dying. Was your Xenia pulsating in your nano?

Xenia that is pulsating is a good indicator of water quality, it's like a canary in a coal mine. This would lead me to believe that therte is a paramter that is seriously out of whack, but that would also affect the other corals.

Are you adding any vitamins or ammino acids to your tank?

Mucho

 

[reefwick]

Yes my Xenia was pulsing for awhile, maybe 2-3 months and then nothing. They are just kinda lumps there now. Stalks still intact but the "hands" are shriveld and almost non-existant.

I only dose phyto-planton 2x a week with feedings. Other than that I add nothing. WC's 1 a week, okay well has been slipping to about once every week and a half to two weeks for about 2 months now. But the decline was long before this WC slide.