Sick Mohawk

[Plankt0s]

These mohawks were doing well and then over a couple of days they closed one by one. They have been closed for about 4 days now. Here is some tank info to help with identifying the problem:

System volume: 800+ gallons
Nitrate is 0
phosphate 0
ph 8.2
calcium ~ ranges from 360-420
magnesium ~ ranges 1200-1300
and the ALK swings between 8-10

I have hundreds of other zoa colonies in the system and these are the only ones doing this. There is nothing stinging them and there is nothing eating them. I have 10-15 wrasses keeping the nudis and sundial snails at bay. There is a source for nitrate and phosphate because I feed the 50+ fish in there often, but the skimmer and water changes keep the nitrate from getting up and the rowaphos keeps the phosphate down. I have had some trouble keeping certain types of zoas/palys such as; purple hornet, African blue hornet, anything with black, and some blues. I do feed the palys, I feed them cyclops but the day before the mohawks started closing I fed them some mysis that had been soaking with some garlic infused seaweed and think that one of them may have eaten a piece of seaweed. This usually isnt a problem because all of my other palys eat the same food and know for a fact that my spiderman palys eat seaweed all the time and are doing great. I dipped them in CoralRX on the first day that they were all closed and nothing came off of them and I looked at them under my dissecting microscope looking for eggs or anything really small and found nothing. I sure would like to know what is happening so that when it happens again Ill know what I'm dealing with.

Thanks,

 

[650-IS350]

need info on tank specs, height of tank/lights (wattage etc ) campared to placement of the frag in the tank. FLow used ?

 

[Plankt0s]

I have moved him around a bit. right now they are getting medium flow and medium light. I have them back where they were doing the best. They were moved into more light but were doing well for a few days before closing up. I got them from someone that was keeping the under 400w 20k and when they were under the most light they were off to the side of a 400w 20k now they are off to the side of a 250w 14k. This tank has a closed loop running off a hammerhead.

 

[650-IS350]

Try using a super soft tooth brush to gently try and brush of the brown growth on the polyps. I dip in iodine could probably help out as well. My previous mowhawks grew best under mid level lighting and flow. once you've treated, leave them be.

 

[Plankt0s]

Yea, I just noticed that brown film in the picture. I blew it off with a turkey baster... Waiting game now. My experience tells me that they will not recover. I have had quite a few high end zoas just melt away from here. Any tips on preventing this?

 

[Scopus Tang]

The toothbrush, iodine dips and/or hydrogen peroxide dips are the only advice I've ever seen given. And recovery is always slim. Good luck, keeping my fingers crossed for ya.

 

[90greefman]

That stinks and I can't explain it. I had some eclipses on both sides of my tank and one day they just decided to melt away. Couldn't do a thing about it while all my other zoas looked great. I recently fragged my green bay packers and they didn't like that at all and are struggling right now. Just to try something different I have been adding calcium the past couple days, even though it was already at 400, and one of my frags seems to be coming back while the other one is on his way to zoa heaven.

 

[Plankt0s]

Its too bad that there is not a better resource for this type of info. Usually if someone has a problem with their zoas you can either solve it by asking about water quality, light, or flow. In situations like this where the water quality is perfect and the only difference is light and flow, it is difficult to pin down the cause. How does one quantify the care differences between animals that are captured in the same environment as others corals that are thriving. I have never tried the vitimin C thing or the iodine thing. I am not comfortable dosing something that cant be tested for...

Just a little side question, has anyone actually cultivated purple hornets?

 

[650-IS350]

If it aint broke then don't try to fix it.

I started with 1 PH now have around 9 or so. Red hornets now have a dozen. Blue hornets started with 3, lost 2, now grew to 7 gave a couple to some friends.

Btw- not all polyps grow in the same type of water or environment. So do like high flow, high light while some quite opposite. Some like nutrient rich while some clean..

 

[Plankt0s]

I realize that zoas/palys are cleaved from a range of places. I was referring to the situation where a person gets a rock with different types of zoas and some melt away while others on the same rock do well.

 

[Fishindude88]

I purchased a frag of these this past summer. They did the same thing. I didn't touch them and I thought for sure they were dead (one of the three polyps actually did melt) and then suddenly they decided to open up. This has happened to me a lot. I think I've saved a good 50% of "sure goners" by just not touching them instead of moving them and then having them melt away 100% of the time. I think it is the best treatment IME.

 

[Plankt0s]

Why couldn't it have been something brown.

 

[650-IS350]

it's always the pretty ones that are delicate and make you work harder for it.

 

[Scott-CapeCoral]

why couldn't it have been something brown.

lol