I need zoa professional help

[aquamanpc24]

Every zoa I get dies. I have a very successful reef, mainly lps at the moment but some nice sps pieces. I use MH and t5's and have 2 mp40s plus 1800gph return.
tanks volumes and types in signature so I will post results
phosphate 0.67 hanna
nitrate 5-10 salifert
calcium 450 hanna
alk 13.5 hanna
mag 1350 salifert
reactor controls calcium so its pretty stable.
cant figure it out

 

[barry_keith]

Maybe a fish or invert nipping them?

 

[NewbyReefer]

What fish do you have in the reef?

 

[aquamanpc24]

fish I think I can take out of the question, heres why, I have a 55 kelp tank with t5 and lr. and there is an angler in there but she stays away from the frag rack area, and I tried the zoas on there as well. but I have six line 2 tangs 2 clowns mag fox bicolor fox and scribbled rabbit, just recently obtained lawn mower blenny

 

[saltyair]

in my experience flow has always been a factor (other than zoa eating preds) they will gather detritus and smother themselves if not the right amount of flow available. Lighting is always variable also some do better with less light others do better lower light.

Do you have any soft corals? do you run carbon?

 

[barry_keith]

Could be a fox or the rabbit

 

[aquamanpc24]

1800 gph return threw a penducter. 2 mp40's controlled by my apex on sync antisync. flow isnt an issue IMO and its odd since I have had detritus build up problems in the first year or so of SW tank reef and that was over a period of weeks. This is 2-3 days then boom.
Again fish not a possibility, since I have a angler kelp tank. and angler doesnt go near frag rack

my thoughts would be zoa eating preds but so quick and only zoas? no other coral effected?

I have one Sinularia in the system (not close) and I dont run carbon. but system is huge volume wise comparing to the size of Sinularia

 

[jm23]

I would put my money on the fox or rabbit, even tangs have been known to pick at times. Maybe buy some real cheap green/brown polyps and put them in the tank and set up a camera or just watch it for awhile and see if the fish pick on it. Zoa preds only effect zoas, so no other corals would show signs of stress.

 

[NyReefNoob]

how long are they lasting before dissapearing ? are you dipping them before putting into the tank ? have other corals in the tank ?

 

[aquamanpc24]

I would put my money on the fox or rabbit, even tangs have been known to pick at times. Maybe buy some real cheap green/brown polyps and put them in the tank and set up a camera or just watch it for awhile and see if the fish pick on it. Zoa preds only effect zoas, so no other corals would show signs of stress.

that is not a bad idea for the camera aspect. but again rabbits arent in kelp and they no like to open

how long are they lasting before dissapearing ? are you dipping them before putting into the tank ? have other corals in the tank ?

I use coral rx and tank water mix for recommended time. heres a q about pred bugs. If there are no zoa wouldnt they die? I mean honestly I hate feeling like I am doing damage to the ocean or world so I have stopped purchasing since I am not going to keep killing things on purpose. this was a frag of a healthy colony from a lfs. he kinda threw them in for free since I got a huge blue gig from him, and I explained my zoa predicament. as far as corals. chalices hammer torch goniopora monti's and 2 sps acro frags.

 

[wireefman]

fox or rabbit.. I bet my last dollar... had em both in the past and both have eaten zoas

 

[aquamanpc24]

fox or rabbit.. I bet my last dollar... had em both in the past and both have eaten zoas

ARGH no fish in kelp tank

 

[redcable]

Your alk n po4 are very high...

 

[aquamanpc24]

Your alk n po4 are very high...

retested po4 and got .06
first test was literally my first test with the hanna. I borrowed a friends salifert and confirmed the lower numbers.
that was a big weight of my shoulders.
as far as alk, I have been dialing down reactor and monitoring its output so alk should be in the 10 range in next week or so and then I can take it down a little more. I am just looking to do this slowly since corals I have all are happy, with exception of zoas.
I recently upgraded controllers and after inspecting my old one, my co2 was never actually turned off (sigh) and the reactor just stayed at 6.3-6.4 and never let off. Whereas now I have the reactor bouncing between 6.3-6.9 over a period of an hour and a half. essentially 40 minutes longer duration than it was previously set up. ugh another reason apex rules IMO

 

[aquamanpc24]

alk has come down, it is now 13. slow and steady