sps, carbon dosing and melting zoos
- Thread starter toothman
- Start date
Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
yes, I had the same problem when I started dosing vodka. a lot if my zoas either closed or melted. I eventually lowered the vodka and got my Ph up to 8.3 and now I can keep zoanthids again.
trueblackpercula
New member
What are you dosing?
MarcWeaver
New member
I have the same thing happening with Red Sea NOPOX. I lost almost all my prized zoanthids. Funny thing is the only patch that survived are 6" under water directly under a 400W halide. Beats me?? I can still grow them in my frag tank which is plumbed into the same sump. My theory is either a predator or maybe elevated nutrients in the frag tank vs the display. I have been searching for a predator for a long time and I just can't see anything, even at night. If I move a zoa frag to my display, within a week it's gone.
trueblackpercula
New member
Check for voltage and maybe just maybe someone or yourself dropped by accident a penny in the tank....I would also check water and change lots of water. Something is in your tank causing that problem. Dosing carbon in very small dose will have a no affect on your animals corals zoanthid a etc. but if dosed to much to fast and your animals show signs of stress you are supposed to stop immediately. Are you using anything with brass?
MarcWeaver
New member
I have lots of SPS that are doing fine, so I'm not sure there is a contaminant in the water. I would think they would be affected first, but who knows? I do have a grounding probe and voltage in the tank checked low last time I checked, but I'll check again when I get home after disconnecting the grounding probe. I do have an old glass heater in the sump along with newer ones. Maybe it failed. I did check for copper a while ago and it was zero, but that test kit may not have the resolution to find trace amounts. The only brass I am using is on the RO/DI side in my solenoid valve and a few fittings.
Thanks for the advice. I'm going to re-evaluate everything. There has to be something I am missing.
Thanks for the advice. I'm going to re-evaluate everything. There has to be something I am missing.
You will always measure voltage in a tank. voltage is merely potential for current to flow and is not, itself, an issue. When we get "shocked" by static electricity, it's because we have built up a charge (voltage). It discharges when we touch something with a different voltage, and THAT is when we notice it. A standing voltage, without current flow, is not harmful.
I'd look into other possibilities before considering electricity as the cause for your problem.
I'd look into other possibilities before considering electricity as the cause for your problem.
If the problem started shortly after beginning to dose with carbon, stop dosing carbon. If your zoa's improve, or at least slow down, it's probably the carbon.
In the meantime, dip the remaining zoas. For the dip, you could try RO water, diluted hydrogen peroxide, lugols, or, commerical "coral dips."
In the meantime, dip the remaining zoas. For the dip, you could try RO water, diluted hydrogen peroxide, lugols, or, commerical "coral dips."
Spartanman22
New member
I had similar results when I was dosing vodka. My SPS colors improved but my zoas struggles. I reduced my dosing quantity and my zoanthids started looking better
