Why wont my Zoas open?

[Detroit_306]

i added them feb 20th..I dont get it... i have three small frags that just wont open...thought i solved it when i found stray voltage a week ago buy they wont fully open...


Ca - 460ppm
pH - 8.1-8.3
PO4 - .05
KH - 8.4
Mg - 1280
NH4 <.25
NO3 2-4ppm
1.026
79*

34 gallon cube...125 watt LED fixture...been up for over a year..switched from T-5's a month ago

Newly added 6 line wrasse
Flamehawk
Cleaner Shrimp

I have an Aqueon model 1 sump with cheato in the center, two little fishies media reactor with NPX bioplastics, Aquatic Life mini 115 skimmer



Small GSP that opens every day
big toadstool (6" + ) opens everyday
Pulsing xenia opens every day
LPS seems to struggle (Lost a small acan, it LOOKED like bjd, killed most of my duncan as well.)

I dont know if its light shock...they came from metal halides..possibly a pest? i dipped them in coral rx last week to no big improvement...ive included a pic

:headwally:

 

[Detroit_306]

I know it's repetitive guys n gals but I'm at a loss!

 

[TjwBlake]

Have you tried moving them to different locations in the tank?

Some like higher/lower flows some like higher/lower light. I have had some that were closed up tight until i changed something about their position and then they opened right up

 

[Detroit_306]

I thought that might at first then I thought I was moving them to much and have been trying to keep my hands out, currently there are 2 in the sand and one near the top on opposite sides of the tank, i may try tmove a plug under a ledge in a shadow

 

[TjwBlake]

You'll want to give them 3-4 days to see if they are happy. sometimes it takes a few days for them to open up.

 

[N-E CICHLIDS]

Have you looked for Zoa eating Nudis. Try dipping the Zoas and see how they do.

 

[Detroit_306]

I looked last night with a flash light.. I dipped them in coralrx last week

 

[A. Grandis]

There are many things, as aways, that could be the reason.

I would say to give it some more time to adjust to your system.
Please don't get desperate about it.

Yes, your calcium is a little high, but not too bad, and if you can drop the SG to 1.024 would be good. You shouldn't have any NH4 showing on the test, if the system is mature...
I don't think it's the chemistry, by what I see...

Again, many people keep it at 1.026, but I see no reason for that when we've got a traditional reef tank at home. Just my personal taste... Some zoas are sensitive to that type of change too. Try to figure out the params of where the zoa came from and maybe you'll figure out what's going on.

They need to adjust to the chemistry and light...

If they are not showing signs of predation and diseases they are normally just closed, unless they have internal injuries.
Relax for a while and they will probably open.
Try to leave them alone, not moving them all over the place.

Good luck!

Grandis.

 

[mydeck07]

I have had shipped corals take 2 plus weeks to open up. You may want to shade them a bit also

 

[Detroit_306]

Thanks guys I moved two into the shadow under the overflow box yesterday in a low flow area and we're almost showing signs of "crowning" I guess you can say.. I'm gonna leave them be and maybe drop the salinity a point or two.

 

[pakirri]

try some vitamin c

 

[goldenservices3]

Have u tried target feeding them with a 2 liter bottle

 

[Detroit_306]

No I haven't.. I am cutting my skimmer and biopellets off for a week as an experiment

 

[LittleFish2012]

Place your zoas in a higher flow area might help

 

[Detroit_306]

How high is high? Getting blasted by a koralia nano or deflecting of the glass?

 

[maxx56dog]

have you tried dipping them in coral dip?

 

[Detroit_306]

Gave a frag to my cousin in her 90 gallon two days ago opened right up... Want to take hammer to tank... Can leathers put a nasty toxin in the water?

 

[N-E CICHLIDS]

What magnesium test are you using? I have found that salifert seems to work the best. If you have dipped them for bugs and still will not open, I would say your magnesium may be low. Had my magnesium drop and the first corals to close were my zoas. Got it back up and they opened right up.

 

[A. Grandis]

Yes, I've heard from many that magnesium, alkalinity/pH and the salinity are important for zoas. I'm not sure how high or the numbers would be best, but people say that.
Yet in nature, depending on the site, there are so many changes of these by the elements (surf, currents, weather). But we do see them closed while conditions aren't right for them!!!
That's why I do know that in our systems we need to keep an ionic balance and look for a stability to keep our zoas happy.

Talking about the flow, no you don't need to blast the koralia on them, please. Would be good to have some smooth movements of their skirts, if you can.

I would do a 10%partial water change every other week and try to drop some nitrates. If the NPX bioplastics were supposed to drop the nitrates, well its not working, is it? That could be because the skimmer you've got is not able to "complete the job" of the bioplastics. I would remove them anyway and see what happens. Water change will help you a bit to export nitrates.

The less you worry sometimes is the best. I do like to see how others are trying to help you. That is a very good sign of what this forum is about (I hope)!!!

Grandis.

 

[Detroit_306]

Yep I do appreciate it! I have removed the bioplastics and skimmer as of last week, I added a small (cupfull) of carbon to the reactor means of filtration now are live rock, filter socks and some cheato, will start doing bi weekly water changes