Mass zooxanthellae dump?

[JJ650]

I have a small 8g pico tank with a zoa farg colony. I just looked over and everyone of them is dumping zooxanthellae....all of them.

Having all of them dump at one time is not good!!
Any ideas?

Doing a water change now.
Ammonia: 0
N03: 0
No2: 10pm
PO4: under .25
DKH: 10.4
temp: 78
SG: 1.026

 

[A. Grandis]

Any changes?
Light?
Temperature?

Grandis.

 

[JJ650]

No, no and no.

I did have a nitrate spike. went from 0 to the levels indicated in a day...? bad test maybe. about to double check parameters.
Even the Xenia isn't looking well

 

[JJ650]

Just did another test

PO4 is high. Doing an immediate water change

The cleaning ladies were here this morning...hoping one did not get over zealous with the cleaning stuff....

 

[A. Grandis]

That would do it!
Zooxanthellae expulsion is related to stress. Could be minor or major!!
Normally they will recuperate fast whiteout problems, but you need to find out what that was!
If the Xenia isn't doing well there must be something you did to the system in the past days.
You need to remember what got the nitrate and phosphates so high at once.
Too much food and/or lack of water changes?

Grandis.

 

[JJ650]

Thanks Grandis.

I did a water change last week. 3 gallons. Just did a five gallon this time (with the rock and sand, that puts me at a 90% change or close to that).

I did switch to a new reef salt. I don't that would have been the issue. I was using instant Ocean Reef and now trying Red Sea Coral Pro.
After using that mix, all of the zoas really perked up and even have several new buds that are in the pic from a week ago. Today is WAY off and I don't know why. My little girl likes to run up here in the morning and look at the tank. I have had to tell her no food around it. The tank is on a desk and well within reach.
I need to ask if she "fed" anything to the tank. You never know.

Would it behoove me to add a purigen bag to the filter? I have AC and ceramic bio-rubble in the canister already.

 

[A. Grandis]

You're very welcome!
I don't think the salts are the problem. They are similar and both good salts!

I don't think there is a reason to panic.
You did the water change and that should be it for now.
Just observe the tank.

There are many reason why the polyps release zooxanthellae. Some bad, some normal. One of them is something the people call "self cleaning", and that would be a natural event when the polyps just expel some of the zooxanthellae to be able to adapt to a new environment or to just renew some of their symbionts.

That also happens in nature, but I've seen only in a small scale, like a little ball being released, not a string.

I would worry only if the event happens more than 3 times in a relative short period of time.
Keep us posted.
You took a nice picture of it!!!

Not to worry...
Good luck!

Grandis.

 

[Dapg8gt]

I personally wouldn't worry about it. I have a paly colony that does that on occasion and been doing it for years.. No particular reason either that I know of but never have any negatives..

 

[JJ650]

Thanks all. I was just surprised with all of them doing it at once and the general state of the Xenia off to the right. Everything was "cool" last night and then this.
I guess I am little high strung about the tanks since I am fighting to keep a frogspawn from completely dying off in my 34G. I have been on high alert with both tanks.