Melting zoas in the tank not in the sump/frag tank

[hounddog01]

I started my 180 with a 65 gallon sump that has a built in frag tank in the 3 rd chamber. It has a reefoptix 3 reflector with a Phoenix 250 w 14 k bulb. I have two of these on the tank also.

I have the zoas in the frag tank and they look good and growing. A little hair algae but no big deal. I have moved 3 different ones into the main tank and after a few days they start closing and melting away. This is so strange since it is the same water and I started with all dry rock so not to have any issues. I have moved them back into the frag tank and they are starting to open and look better with some polip loss.

What would cause such a thing. All pareters are ok
Alk 9.2
Cal 430
Mag 1145
Nitrate 10
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0

 

[Mrdillpickle]

Are the melting or being eatin? I had the same issue years back and finally figured out my regal tang was eating all my zoanthids...

 

[hounddog01]

They are melting I can see the bumps where they were. Not gone just resolving away. Really ticks me off. I put them back in the sump and some are coming back.

Could it be too much flow? I would not think there was that much or maybe too much light bit they are lit the same maybe a slightly newer bulb. I am grasping now.

 

[fihsboy]

Whats your fish list?

 

[hounddog01]

Whats your fish list?

3 yellow tangs
2 blue hipo tangs
1 fox face
2 false perks
1 powder brown tang
1 sunrise Dottie back
1 coral beauty
1 flame hawk fish
1 cleaner wrass
1 Sailfin tang

 

[B-Willz]

I may be off here but I thought Coral Beauties nip/eat soft coral.

 

[fihsboy]

they do. They nip at stonies and soft corals.

 

[fihsboy]

so do fox face if they are hungry

 

[B-Willz]

So could it be they are eating the heads, just leaving a closed up stump, looking like they are melting. Just a thought.

 

[hounddog01]

It looks like they are melting. I feed 3 times a day. I have never seen the coral beauty eat them before. I have not seen any of the fish pick on them at all. I will watch them closer.

It does look like melting but I have never seen ones eaten I thought the whole thing would be gone.

 

[B-Willz]

I was thinking the fish, because a while back I had a small colony melt away and every thing including the mat disapeared.

 

[werdlone]

didn't see any mention of pH. If your pH is low, like below 8.0, IME many zoas and palys will melt. Most seem to like a little higher pH. Just something to check.