Zoanthids Dying ?

[Reef dog 29]

Hey guys I've got a colony of jade green zoas that are dying. They are separating from their rock . They have been closed for a week now. Would moving them to another tank with different lighting such as LED's and less flow help, all my levels are fine except for nitrate which is 40ppm when Its usually about 5 or 10ppm. I'm working on lowering that back to normal I have the instant ocean natural nitrate remover but I only use that if the nitrate is extremely high.My only tank Inhabitants are a coral banded shrimp a blenny a starfish. Some SPS and a plate coral. I also have some pillow zoas and of corse green zoas, also some orange zoas too.

 

[A. Grandis]

It would be nice to actually post all your params.
There are many types of "fine". Numbers would tell us much more than that.

There are different causes for zoas to detach from the rocks...

About the nitrates...
I would just do some partial water changes and deal with the nitrates that way.
You can do a 10 - 20% first and test.
After that, just keep a good maintenance schedule, including water changes, and problem solved.
Not a big deal...

If zoas are still detaching from the rocks after nitrates are lower you'll need to give us some more info to get helped here.
Please post more about your system and I'm sure people will chime in.
Good luck!!

Grandis.

 

[Reef dog 29]

My parameters a of last week were PH:8.0,Ammonia :0.25, Nitrite: 0 , Nitrate:40 ppm when it is usually 10 ppm.Calcium: 480 ppm ,Salinity: 1.022 I'll try to post a picture tomorrow .

 

[A. Grandis]

Is your tank new?
If so, that could be it. Still unstable. You should wait a bit more...
You could keep your "salinity" a little higher, like 1.023/1.024, perhaps.
Please check alk, phosphate, temp, Mg if you can.

Hopefully other will post here...

Grandis.

 

[Reef dog 29]

My tank has been running for Almost a year my temp is about 78-80 Don't have a phosphate test kit or magnesium test kit and I'll try to test for Alk tomorrow but my kit isn't very good

 

[richardhao]

you have amonia.. try getting rid of it imo..

 

[Wardawg67]

Ammonia... Hyposalinity... Lack of MG and Phosphate kits... Crappy ALK kit.... Those all can be your problem.

 

[Reef dog 29]

I use natural seawater so i can pretty much guess that my phosphate and magnesium levels are fine and my salinity will be raised ASAP.

 

[worm5406]

WOW.. yall are nice compared to when I ask questions in the anemone section... (hahaha)

@reef dog29

You said less flow. What is the flow like now and how are they in relationship to it?
You are in a 29g cube, in hawaii, using fresh saltwater, but the salinity is down. Where are you getting the water from?
What type feeding are you doing?
What type rock is it on?
How old are the bulbs?

Is anything under/near it that it would separate from another inhabitant?

 

[Reef dog 29]

WOW.. yall are nice compared to when I ask questions in the anemone section... (hahaha)

@reef dog29

You said less flow. What is the flow like now and how are they in relationship to it?
You are in a 29g cube, in hawaii, using fresh saltwater, but the salinity is down. Where are you getting the water from?
What type feeding are you doing?
What type rock is it on?
How old are the bulbs?

Is anything under/near it that it would separate from another inhabitant?

In responce: they are in moderate flow and they seemed to like it . I am getting water from a Beach called Otec there is some freshwater vents there.I feed dry and frozen. I believe its on a piece of Dead coral. The The light bulbs are 6 months old. when i pulled it out of the tank to examine itr there was what seemed a small white crawling thing .:hmm1:

 

[Chrisjbarry]

Ocean water is not always best to use unless you go out a few miles from shoreline.

 

[Reef dog 29]

This beach is one of the better beaches for water , there is lots of coraline algae growing there's not alot of boat traffic, constant water exchange and lots of sealife and coral.

 

[worm5406]

Agreed and I understand... but why the hypo (low) salinity?

Have you ever checked it for other items? nitrates and all?

Freshwater vents... so it is already slightly hypo.

Sounds like a slight chemistry problem causing it to receed.

Can you frag it off and put it on a frag plug just to narrow out it is not the rock?

 

[Reef dog 29]

I'll try

 

[Reef dog 29]

Would glueing them to a piece of a terra cotta pot work , I don't have any frag plugs

 

[worm5406]

Basically it will. It is pourus enough to accept it and allow for growth. Or even a shell, if you have any.

Funny I was doing tank maintenance this am and I had three heads stuck to the glass.

 

[Reef dog 29]

Does any one know of any dips I could do that would help . I needs to be something I can make at home as I cannot get coral dips on hawaii. I've also heard about putting vitamin c tablets in the tank helps them open .

 

[650-IS350]

Just wondering are there any LFS around your area that you can take your tank water to be tested for you?

 

[xabbasx7]

Get all your water parameters in check, especially nitrates.
Then get it tested from reliable test kits or at lfs.