My zoas always slowly retreat...

[Eel Freak]

Hi!

I have had a couple big reef tanks over the last 3 years and currently am only running my 200g tank. However, I have never ever been able to keep zoas. They always look good for a few days, but slowly begin to retreat until eventually nothing is left. All other corals thrive, SPS, LPS, clams, even my Palythoas do!! But not the zoas. Any thoughts as to why this could be?? Thanks

 

[LAKEM0NSTER]

Look around at night, something may be munching on them. I read a thread here lately about a eunicid worm that was eating someone's zoas. I hope you don't have one of them!!! It could also be a nudibranch.

Were the zoas you had always placed in low-medium light?

 

[jvo87]

x2 just wait after the lights have turned off for awhile and grab a flash light and go through ur tank to see if anything is munching on ur zoas or something not suppose to b in ur tank munching on it

 

[Eel Freak]

This is what I feared I would hear...

I placed them all over, so my colonies have always received low-very high light. Now, would a Eunicid worm take out hermits or other small inverts as well?

Thanks!

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Also look for little stars they can eat zoes too mine do and I got a harliquin shrimp to take care of them.

 

[caudill187]

Alk above 10? My experience has been that zoas don't do very well at higher alks......

 

[Eel Freak]

Alk is always around 8...

 

[jascymcl]

well zoas need 2 things good flow and most like highlights.They can adapt to lower lighting but they will usually close up and melt away in low flow.Thats my personal experience anyways.

 

[SIR PATRICK]

Do you have enough disolved nutrients in the water?

In my experiance- zoas need higher disolved nutrients/organics in the water column to thrive, especially in a cleaner/lower nutrient tanks.

I have seen palys and large polyp corals thrive, while zoas fade, most of the time because, for the most part, zoas consume the stuff disolved into the water column as the LPS and most play can catch food that is added to the tank.

Alot of times, by the time most added food is broken down to where many zoas are able to take advantage of, the protien skimmer/filtration has gotten rid of it.

Feeding les and more often can help this issue, if you are running a really clean/lower nutrient tank.