Need some advice/guidance

[xdannyxrocksx]

Having a bit of a problem in my girlfriends tank. For some reason zoas will just not open in this tank. They are properly acclimated and once put it they just shrink, shrink , and melt or disappear. They just don't open from day one, no pest that can be noticed, have dipped plenty of frags/ small colonies and have gotten nothing off them. No fungus or zoa pox. No sundial snails. No asterina stars. Parameters are pretty stable will post actual numbers tomorrow. These specific zoas are doing great in one tank and when acclimated to this tank they seem to not survive these are zoas that I personally grow and frag. I don't frag single polyps and after being fragged they sit and grow for months.Also something weird that I am noticing is a group of palys that are not really opening at all but are spreading. Other coral in the tank are mushrooms, green star polyps, yellow polyps, duncans, goniopora, blastos, xenia, frogspawn and kenya trees, all of which are healthy and growing. It is a 40 breeder, with a 20L refugium sump, skimmer, carbon, etc. 20% weekly water changes. If any other question ask away I would really like the help and thank you ahead of time.

-Daniel

 

[Deberber]

What is the lighting like?

 

[A. Grandis]

How small and crowded is the tank?
Light?
Actual numbers for the params?

I would think it could be the attack from Goniopora and frogspawn.
Chemical welfare/ sweeper tentacles at night or other type of predators, like fish, to begin with.

Grandis.

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

Not crowded at all. Frogspawn spawn is way on the other side of the tank. Goni is a small frag. The Zoa issue has been going on before adding te frogspawn or goni. Fish are a Molly miller blenny, 2 pjs, a antenna goby and a ebils angel. While the ebils may be picking at them we have not notices him grazing or picking close to te zoas or palys. There is a 6 bulb TEK light on the tank. It's a 40 breeder and not crowded at all. Will post parameters later today though. They are relatively stable. Only thing was phosphate at one point was detected at .05 ppm

-Daniel

 

[A. Grandis]

Good light fixture, make sure bulbs are good.
Probably the angel is your problem!
Remove it today and you'll be glad.

Grandis.

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

Yea we are working on re-homing the guy to a friends fish only tank. I know bulbs are good have it all recorded bulbs need a change out for a whole they were replaced in march.

 

[A. Grandis]

That should probably solve your problems.

Grandis.

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

New discovery tonight some of the polyps turned white and when touched they fell right off. What is in the water? This is driving me off the wall. These zoas don't have pox or fungus. It's not like I'm buying them of a store they are living fine in my tank but when put in her tank they wither away never even opening. When goni is growing nicely along with the rest of the coral.

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Po4 0
Copper 0
Salinity 1.025

All in ppm

 

[MacWilliams]

I'm no expert but whats the lighting on your tank? Could it be that the lights on your girlfriends tank are bleaching them and killing them off?

 

[reefwars]

Do a alkalinity test , also what is she using for flow

What are you testing with?

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

She also has a six bulb TEK. Tried different test kits used her API and then double checked with my ELOS. I'm seriously stumped.

 

[reefwars]

She also has a six bulb TEK. Tried different test kits used her API and then double checked with my ELOS. I'm seriously stumped.

the parameters that you listed short of phosphate and nitrate are standard parameters, you should do a full water test including kh,cal and mg .

you should check these once a week to see if there are any swings in your alk which could be causing your issues.

whats your flow rate?

even though your tank and her tank may be in acceptable range its the sudden swings even if they are small that causes issues....stability is key.

get rid of the angel, if you value your zoos then you dont want that in your tank , constant nipping can open wounds that will get bacterial infection and then melt(usually white) same with other pests.


how about the basics like temp?

20% water changes a week on a 40g breeder is a fair bit especially with no bioload and not much calcareous corals, not saying this is the cause of your issues but is a bit much.

no skimmer?

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

Yes system has a skimmer. Water changes are done weekly. If its truly important calcium is 420, magnesium I have never tested for in any of my tanks and dkH stays at a steady 10 weekly. Again other coral are growing on this tank so I don't think parameter swings are the case here. Coral like goniopora wouldnt be thriving if parameters where a problem or frogspawn for that matter. Tank is very well talked care of algae free, cyano free

 

[A. Grandis]

Did you take the angel out yet?

Grandis.

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

Coming out the system tommorow. Friend is putting it in his fish only tank.

 

[A. Grandis]

Yep, good for the angel and good for the polyps.

The zoas should be opening soon after that, depending on the damage.

Grandis.

 

[xdannyxrocksx]

Angel is out. Crossing my fingers that was the problem.

 

[A. Grandis]

By tomorrow you should see some of the polyps trying to open already.
Let us know...

Grandis.

 

[IGROZOAS]

Good luck. But I think removing the angel would be the firs thing I would do.