None of my zoas stay open

[Anthony.Luciano]

Ok well I have a mixed collection of SPS, LPS and Zoas in my tank, I haven't added anything in the past like 3 weeks but all of my zoas started not opening on saturday. everything else is fine and healthy but all of my zoa colonies open for 2 hours in the beginning of the day then close. I have not done any changes to the tank and cannot figure out what's wrong if everything else is healthy and thriving. I know there is no zoa spiders or any parasites because I look very closely and never see anything.

 

[organism]

How are you testing your salinity, and when was the last time you calibrated it? What are your parameters?

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

tested salinity with refractometer and hydrometer, I recalibrated it about 2 months ago but both are showing 1.025 salinity.
here are my parameters.
SG - 1.025
ammonia - undetectable
nitrite - undetectable
nitrate - undetectable
phosphate - 0.01-0.02ppm
Calcium 450ppm
Alk - 10 dKh
Mag 1300ppm

the only thing I can think of is that the LEDs are to strong but the highest level they go are 40% raised 8 inches off the top of the 23" tank and the zoas are on a rock on the sand bed. They never had a problem before until saturday and I didn't change anything at all, do you think throwing in some GAC could help incase theres some type of chemical warfare going on or something?

How are you testing your salinity, and when was the last time you calibrated it? What are your parameters?

 

[organism]

Some carbon can't hurt, who knows

Did you calibrate the refractometer with calibration fluid? I had a similar issues with zoanthids before and turns out calibrating a refractometer with ro/di is an extremely bad idea...

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

I will look into getting some celebration fluid but I'm friendly with my LFS staff, if they have properly calibrated refractometers, can I calibrate it off of theirs using the same water and just match them up or is it just better to get some calibration fluid?

Some carbon can't hurt, who knows

Did you calibrate the refractometer with calibration fluid? I had a similar issues with zoanthids before and turns out calibrating a refractometer with ro/di is an extremely bad idea...

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

is this it? http://www.aquacave.com/salinity-ca...2-oz-60ml-brby-aqua-craft-products-2140.html#
and does anyone know the reef central discount code for aquacave?

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Hmmm, sorry to hear this my friend. So they open for 2 hours then close like this everyday?

1. Are they doing this everyday, with the first 2 hours?

2. What is your tank temp?

3. You could have imported a pest or predator.

4. Tomorrow, just run your actinics only and see what happens.

5. When was your last WC?


Click on the link below and see if anything rings a bell.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154238&highlight=mucho+retract

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

yep they are doing this every day
the temp is connected to the apex season table so I think right now it's at about 78.6 and it is very stage, doesn't change more then .1 per day. I don't think I imported anything because like I said I haven't added anything to the tank they just started doing this out of no ware. and I just turned off all my white lights while they are still open so lets see if they stay open. i change the water every sunday.

Hmmm, they open for 2 hours then close.

1. Are they doing this everyday, with the first 2 hours?

2. What is your tank temp?

3. You could have imported a pest or predator.

4. Tomorrow, just run your actinics only and see what happens.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Even though you haven't added anything in 3 weeks, doesn't mean you couldn't have imported a pest or predator. With an incubation period of 6 to 14 days, you could have imported nudibranch eggs which have now hatched.

BTW, I added number 5 above and a link for you to check out.

Don't give up hope, there's an answer, we just have to find it.

Mooch

 

[MikeandNicole]

Is the light ramping up slowly, or does it just turn on? What LEDs do you have, where were the zoas positioned? When did you put the LEDs up?

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

The zoas are on the sanded, I had the LEDS DIY with cree's up since February and they have always been fine, yes. they ramp up and maximum intensity is 40%

Is the light ramping up slowly, or does it just turn on? What LEDs do you have, where were the zoas positioned? When did you put the LEDs up?

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

ok thanks, I will look more carefully and try to see if I have anything crawling around. I will also dip them in an iodine dip later on if they are still closed.

Even though you haven't added anything in 3 weeks, doesn't mean you couldn't have imported a pest or predator. With an incubation period of 6 to 14 days, you could have imported nudibranch eggs which have now hatched.

BTW, I added number 5 above and a link for you to check out.

Don't give up hope, there's an answer, we just have to find it.

Mooch

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Nooooooooooooooo, I wouldn't dip just yet.

Wait till tommorow, run the actinics only and see what happens.

How many polyp/colonies/frags are you speaking of?

Could be stray voltage?

Could also be ALLELOPATHY, # 15 on the list in the link.

Last water change?

Got a volt meter?

I agree with Organism, the GAC can't hurt.

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

Ok I won't dip right away, I don't have stray voltage the last time I checked last month but I will check again now. I have about 4 colonies and they are all doing the same thing. What's Allelopathy? and last water change was on sunday. I change 10% every sunday.I will pick up some GAC saturday when I go to work, theres a reef store across the street.

Nooooooooooooooo, I wouldn't dip just yet.

Wait till tommorow, run the actinics only and see what happens.

How many polyp/colonies/frags are you speaking of?

Could be stray voltage?

Could also be ALLELOPATHY, # 15 on the list in the link.

Last water change?

Got a volt meter?

I agree with Organism, the GAC can't hurt.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

ALLELOPATHY is warfare.

How often do you clean your sock and with what?

Just curious why you perform a 10% WC on 250 gallons 4 x month? I mean no harm at all in asking BTW.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Do you have or can you get ahold of some red clear plastic film or a red incandescent light?

If so, wait several hours after your tank is completely dark. Make sure the room the tank is in is also completely dark. You may have to do this of course late at night. Once the tank has been pitch black for at least 2 or 3 hours, place the red film over a flashlight and check the colonies and the entire tank for spiders, sundials, nudibranchs, pods, zoa worms etc.

If you see nothing at all suspicious, on the following night, while running your actinics only, and wearing a dedicated set of reef safe gloves, remove one of the affected colonies and hold it under your blue lights. The actinic lighting will highlight any nudibranch eggs which will appear as a 1/16" full to half curly white piece of thread. You will most likely find them on the polyps but they can also be found anywhere including on your glass.

Just throwing things out as they come to me. Maybe someone else can chime in as well.


Mucho Reef

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

I clean the sock every time I do a water change i rinse it in ro/di water and scrub it until it's white again. it's a 125 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump. and is that to much or something I was told to do 20 percent biweekly or 10 percent weekly if I keep SPS which I do.

ALLELOPATHY is warfare.

How often do you clean your sock and with what?

Just curious why you perform a 10% WC on 250 gallons 4 x month? I mean no harm at all in asking BTW.

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

ok thanks, I have a red led headlight thing I can put on tonight and go down at like 2 am.

Do you have or can you get ahold of some red clear plastic film or a red incandescent light?

If so, wait several hours after your tank is completely dark. Make sure the room the tank is in is also completely dark. You may have to do this of course late at night. Once the tank has been pitch black for at least 2 or 3 hours, place the red film over a flashlight and check the colonies and the entire tank for spiders, sundials, nudibranchs, pods, zoa worms etc.

If you see nothing at all suspicious, on the following night, while running your actinics only, and wearing a dedicated set of reef safe gloves, remove one of the affected colonies and hold it under your blue lights. The actinic lighting will highlight any nudibranch eggs which will appear as a 1/16" full to half curly white piece of thread. You will most likely find them on the polyps but they can also be found anywhere including on your glass.

Just throwing things out as they come to me. Maybe someone else can chime in as well.


Mucho Reef

 

[MUCHO REEF]

You really don't have to do it at 2 AM. Now you're making me feel bad.

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

lol I'm usually awake until like 2:30 anyway but I'll go down around 1 then. Also I have noticed that the zoas are slightly open today instead of completely closed. so on the sanded with 40% max blue LEDs.

You really don't have to do it at 2 AM. Now you're making me feel bad.