Zoa/Pally problems

[Rich123]

I've started to have an issue in my tank. What will happen is the skirt will retract for a few days, and then either the poylp will close up or the center will push out (kind of looks like a breast). It first started with one colony, then another and another... Its now into my AOG colonies. This tank has been up and running for about 10 months now. Almost all these colonies came from my other tank I took down when I set up this tank.
The only things I've done (that I can remember) are:
1. About 2 months ago I raised the mag to about 1600 to fight a small patch of bryopsis. I've since removed the small rock it was on and have been letting the mag drop with water changes.
2. About 2 months ago I changed my T5 UVL actinic white for Giesemann powerchrom aquablue +. I wanted to get a litte more blue in the tank.
2. About 1 month ago my alk dropped to about 5 dkh so I dosed with Seachem's reef builder. I raised it back to 7 dkh. (this is where my tank has been since I put it up (same as last tank). Never could seem to get it up higher.
3. About 3 weeks ago I installed a phosban reactor. I used GFO from bulk reef supply. I was getting to have a hair algae issue. It wasn't bad yet but I wanted to get it under control.

Tank size: 55 gal, 10 gal sump, 15 gal refugium
Tank parameters
Temp: 78.5
Alk: 7 dkh
PH: 8.4
Mag: 1520
Cal: 420
Nitrate: 0
Phos: 0.00
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Salinity: 1.024 (little high for my tank, use to keep it 1.022 it came up when i was doseing mag)
Lighting: T5 with Giesemann aquablue +, 2 ATI blue plus, 1 ATI aquablue special
Flow is handled by 2 koralia evo 1050s. One at each end of tank on a wavemaker setting. Sump return is from Quite one 3000 that goes through a SCWD and ports into the tank at the back 2 cornors.
Water changes: 25 gal water change every week

I have not seen any predators in the tank and have not introduced any new corals in some time. All new corals was dipped and QT for couple weeks beforing going into this tank.

Tank critters are : Humpback camel cowfish, bi-color blenny, yellow watchman goby, mandarin, 1 emerald crab, about 6 hermit crabs (blue & red), bristle star fish, skunk shrimp, peperment shrimp, and mix of snails.

I'm a little at a loss here, not sure if I should lower the salinity back to 1.022, try and raise the alk up to around 9 dkh or shut off the phosban.


Pic of one of the AOG colonies

Pic of Green Zoa colony

Pic of Pink Pallys

Thank you for any help or info you can give.

Sorry for the long post...

Rich

 

[GrouperGenius]

I wish I knew exactly why they do that. I have had polyps do the same while all others were perfect. It does seem that you have had a few ups and downs in different conditions in a fairly new setup.

 

[mfinn]

One thing, I noticed you seem to have had alot of chemical swings lately. That might be one thing.
I'd raise your alk up to the 10 to 11 range.

 

[Rich123]

My phos was at .02 before I started the phosban. Its dropped down to .00 in couple of weeks. I seem to remember reading someplace that a rapid drop in phos can stress corals. Anyone else experience this before?

I really didnt think about the chemical swings over the past 2-3 months as individually there should be little to no impact with the slight change. But with all of them moving up or down that could have stressed out the corals.

Im wondering if there was an impurity in the mag that may have caused it. None of the other types of corals seem to be affected, just the zoas, and not all the zoas either.

I will start to raise the alk over the next couple of weeks to see if this improves there status.

As a side question, gauging from the condition of the zoas, do the look like they should fully recover if I get things stable or are they to far gone?

 

[Gamepro_inc]

I would say you definetly have time to revive them without loss, they arnt looking too horrible. I would suggest dont move them, one thing people do when a coral is stressed is start moving and adjusting them...let them rest they are already stressed dont add insult to injury. just work on your parameters

 

[GotSopranos?]

Zoas and Paly's do strange things lol My RPE's are notorious for this. I would definetely raise your Alk to 10-11 your Mag is still to high I personally think. I would raise your salt to .1026 thats what most like keeping there reefs at. In my experience zoas like higher nutrients in there water thats why I rarely do water changes maybe twice a year and I have awesome growth. Do you have a UV? I added one to my system and lost some zoas due to it stripping the water of everything

 

[Rich123]

Zoas and Paly's do strange things lol My RPE's are notorious for this. I would definetely raise your Alk to 10-11 your Mag is still to high I personally think. I would raise your salt to .1026 thats what most like keeping there reefs at. In my experience zoas like higher nutrients in there water thats why I rarely do water changes maybe twice a year and I have awesome growth. Do you have a UV? I added one to my system and lost some zoas due to it stripping the water of everything

Nope, I dont use UV. Side question, how do you keep your algae down with high nutrients?

 

[badger126]

Dude I know exactly what you are going through. I've lost maybe 3 colonies to this same issue. My AOGs were the first to go and they looked exactly like yours. I also felt like I had great water quality(mag wasn't as high). I'll be watchin this thread to see what you guys come up with.

 

[GotSopranos?]

Ive never had Hair Algae the only kind I get is a little brown stuff on the glass I just wipe it off in less than 30 seconds lol.

 

[Rich123]

Well I did a water change last week and some of the zoas looked a little better, not alot but did show signs of improvement. I even had one small group that has been closed for the past 3-4 weeks start to open. Then I did another water change this past sunday. It looks like the zoas took a turn for the worse after this last water change. The small colony that had just started to open back up are closed up and looks like they have shrunk down. I'm letting the mag drop down and SG adjust with the water changes. I'm dosing alk in my top off water. I will get my tank parameters after I get home from work.
Whats the likelyhood that i'm doing to much water change or that I have a bad batch of salt mix causing this issue?