Zoanthid problem.

[SCRID]

Hi everyone, I am having a problem with one of my Zoanthid frags.
It used to be open all the time as the others are but I noticed it closed about a month ago and has not opened since.
All the other corals are just fine.
However I noticed on the base of this frag it has this grey/bluish stuff growing.
I will snap a picture today and attach it to this post.
Almost looks like a greyish / blue corraline.
The coral is about 1" diameter.
I haven't seen this grey stuff anywhere else in the tank.
I wasn't sure if I need to remove it and give it a bath in some kind of recommended bacteria killer or something.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Chris

 

[smtank]

What you describe could be a sponge, sometime that will keep zonathids closed, not always though.

Look for the usual suspects

1. Nudibranchs.
2. Sundial snails.
3. Asterina Stars.

It's easy to get rid of the sponge if that is it.

If all else fails dip it Coral RX or a simple diluted iodine.

 

[SCRID]

 

[terrypercula]

The blue gray stuff is the ZOA base spreading. They're not opening because it's covered with hair algae.

 

[Bkoper]

The blue gray stuff is the ZOA base spreading. They're not opening because it's covered with hair algae.

Yeppers.

 

[SCRID]

Ok Thanks guys how do I get rid of this green hair algae on this frag?
My phosphates are at 1.0. I know thats higher then it's suppose to be.
I want to get a phosphate reactor soon but funds dont allow right now.
Ive been doing regular water changes once a month.
I do have an old Hot Magnum unit,...can I use that with some phos-guard granules? Or something similar?
Thanks again.

 

[terrypercula]

A few questions. How old is your system? Do you use RO/DI and if so do you have a TDS meter to check the purity of your water? And also just general tank specs tank size, livestock, amount of rock and sand and also water parameters?

 

[SCRID]

Sorry I got really busy with work.
Ok, my system has been cycled since October of 2012.
Its a 65 gal, with a 20 gal sump. Total system water is approx 80 gal.
45 lbs live rock.
3 foot T5 lighting by eclipse.
Duel head circulation pump in tank.
I have a built in overflow through a sock filter into the sump.
The sump has a fuge, uv sterilizer, ato, and skimmer.
I have my own rodi unit but do not have a tds meter.
water params are:
Temp 82
Sal. 1.026
ammonia 0 ppm
ph = 7.8
alk = 140 ppm
my water is pretty hard at 280 ppm
nitrite is 0 ppm
nitrate is 20 ppm

Livestock is:
4" Dianas hogfish ( she ate my two 2.5" shrimp a while back the dirty b!otch )
2" Bristletooth Tomini Tang
1.5" Lightning Surge Damsel
6" engineers goby
2.5" Coral Angel Beauty
1.5" Scooter Blenny.
4.5" Clam ( cant remember what kind)
2" dia green star polyps
4" dia. other zoa ( also cant remember what kind)
1" dia zoa I showed a picture of.
A mess of green bubble calupera
and a 5" tall kenya tree coral.

Thank you.

 

[SCRID]

On another note I gave the zoa in question a hydrogen peroxide bath for 5 minutes with 70% tank water and 30% peroxide.
Then put it back in and blew it off with a powerhead.
All the hair algae iss off of it now but it still has not opened.

 

[SCRID]

Heres a crappy blurry picture.