Problems w/ Zoo's

[mallyk]

My tank is about 4 months old, it's an AGA 75g w/ a sump/refugium.

I have 2 150w MH & 2 t-5 actinic's.

I have several zoo colonies in my tank, and most of my one green zoo colonies has been closed up for the past few days. There has been a couple of the zoo's melt off. I haven't noticed any white bugs or bites or anything on them. I've heard of flatworms, but i've never seen one, so I don't know what to look for.

I haven't seen any thing bothering them, just one morning they were all open, the next part of the colony is looking horrible.

My fiance gets up around 4:30am to go to work, and i've been getting up with him to check out my tank in the dark to see if I see anything that is messing with them, so far I haven't seen anything.

Tank parameters are all perfect.

The only fish in the tank are a green mandarin and a flametail blenny. I have seen the blenny occasionally sit on the zoo's, but he's never done any harm to them. I also have 5 sand snails, a few turbo snails, and a few hermits.

I have some Kent Iodine, but no lugio's or whatever it's called.

What should I be looking for that could be killing my zoos??

 

[gobind]

Hi it could be that you have a high iodine content, in your aquarium. Do a large water change, or add some carbon. Add about 4 handfulls in a sock.

 

[mallyk]

I only add a few drops of iodine a month, and if that was the case wouldn't all the zoo colonies be affected? I do have about a cup of carbon in a filter bag in my sump.

 

[ReefJunkieOK]

Has anything changed recently?

 

[Reef Junkie]

Mallyk,
First, welcome.

Second, please list your parameters, equipment and husbandry (wifesbandry)

It could be anything, but what we need to rule out is the facts.

You list a "flametail" Blenny as one of the inhabitants. It's also known as a bi-color blenny. If I could have a nickle for the amount of polyps these little demons of the sea ate of my (and others) corals, I'd be filthy rich!

How's the temperature been by you. Another interesting note is some zoas are more resilient then others. You might have the beginnings of a problem and this coral is your Canary.

Anyway, please list the requested info above and most of all, get some sleep.

 

[mallyk]

Nothing new has changed recently. I try to take things with this tank very slowly, one step at a time

Okay, let me know if I leave anything out.

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - usually 0, no higher than 10ppm if i'm late on a water change
Ph - 8.0 - 8.2
Phosphate - undectable, thanks to a phosban reactor :]
Calcium - 400-450
Alk - usually 8-9

Salifert Test Kit & Red Sea Test kit.

The tank is a 75 gallon, 110lbs of rock, 20g sump/refugium w/ Walt Smith Fiji mud, cheato algea & 3lbs of live rock...

Tank is lit w/ 2 150w MH's & 2 t-5 actinics.

I use a cup of carbon a month. I do a 10-15g water change every month.

I use RO water & reef crystals salt.

The only fish are a green mandarin & a flame tail blenny, and yes I think they are also known as a bicolor blenny. I have never actually seen him pick at my zoos, and i've had him for 4 years in a previous smaller reef tank. But that doesn't actually mean he doesn't bother them. The only thing ive seen him do is sit on them.
I also have a cleaner shrimp, some turbo snails, & hermit crabs.
I have a pair of percula clowns in QT to add in two weeks if all goes well.

I have a phosban reator to keep phosphates down w/ rowa (sp?)media in it. I add a few drops of iodine per month. I also add Kent Trace Elements weekly, and Kent Tech CB calcium buffer part A & B to keep my calcium up until I can afford a calcium reactor.

hmm.. am I missing anything? Im trying to be as detailed as possible w/ out boring anyone.

 

[mallyk]

WHoops, forgot temperature! 78-80'f
200w Ebo Jager heater

 

[Reef Junkie]

It sounds liek you'e got a nice stable setup there.
I am very suspicious of the Bi-color blenny.
They are not reef safe. Even if you have one and it presently doesn't nip at corals, it will. They are little demons!

If the colony start to really melt off, then begin fragging and get the frags into a QT tank with fresh saltwater.

Hopefully it is the fish and not something else. You might have to get this fish a small 2 gallon nano tank.

 

[mallyk]

I noticed this morning that the ones that have been closed up are begining to melt. I will go ahead and frag those when I get home from work I guess... This sucks!, That is my first loss in this tank, and they were my favorite zoo's!

I think i'll try to take the blenny out and see if that solves the problem. How in the world would I go about catching him? The rock is all securly glued, so taking the rock out would be a big negative. The blenny is to quick and he never strays far from the rockwork, so I don't think I would ever be able to 'net him.

 

[Reef Junkie]

Is it an aggressive eater?
If yes, then a trap might be a good idea. Either make, borrow or buy one. Put it in the tank and turn off all the pumps. Then feed the tank, but put the food into the trap. It might take a number of times before it goes in, but just have patience. If another fish goes in the trap, just let it go in and eat. Eventually the blenny will thinks it's safe to go in there and whalah!

I just caught a powder brown tang this way. Took me 4 days.