Zoanthids

[InsaneClownFish]

So I have a question. Now keep in mind I haven't added anything new to my tank, save for very recently, in over a year.

I had a myriad of Zoanthids in my 8 foot reef. They slowly died off over the course of 8 months.

My reef is approaching 3 years old. I also had a mass die off of Anthelia. What's interesting is that my Anthelia grew like crazy when my Nitrates read zero which is antithetical to its nature.

I did have flatworms and dosed Salifert Flatworm exit. None of the Zoanthids had any flatworms as they preferred my mushrooms and Hammer.

Recently my Nitrates were around 40ppm. I've dropped them to around 20-25ppm.

It was my thinking that Zoanthids like some amount of nutrients. Any ideas why they slowly disappeared?

 

[ChefZilla]

Test for phosphates... My tank has been slowly receding and i tested my phosphates and they were at 1 and only a handfull were opening. Now its at .25 and theres only a few in there that are "struggling". I would test for that and maybe copper. Did you add any new "live" rock to the tank or sump? Or it could be leaching out into your system. Also have you checked all your pumps, heaters, ect to see if they are leaking electrical current into your system??

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Test for phosphates... My tank has been slowly receding and i tested my phosphates and they were at 1 and only a handfull were opening. Now its at .25 and theres only a few in there that are "struggling". I would test for that and maybe copper. Did you add any new "live" rock to the tank or sump? Or it could be leaching out into your system. Also have you checked all your pumps, heaters, ect to see if they are leaking electrical current into your system??

My phosphates are around .25 if I remember right, but will those really effect Zoanthids?

There has been no live rock added to the system in probably 2 years. I did have hydroids that have been absent for at least 8 months. I've had light dino and some light diatoms...pretty much never now, and I have the periodic "cyano light" as I like to call it.

There should be zero copper in my system. I do have old copper pipes in my home, but my sediment filter should eradicate that, but even so, if I did have copper then most of my other corals would be sick. I've have corals that a "years" old.

I did have stray current leaking into my tank for a week or so and tracked down a faulty heater that has long been removed. Most of the Zoanthids were far from the area the current was effecting.

You know I just edited this because as I reread what I wrote I vaguely remember having seen some amazingly colorful nudis in my reef. If I remember correctly, I did see them on my Zoanthids. I might have just answered my own question. I also lost clove polyps, but this may have been a placement issue.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

I also had to Alk paste around many of my Zoanthids to kill off hydroids- this took quite a few. :/

 

[ChefZilla]

Well its always a good idea to test for copper IMO. At .25 thats decent but should try to get it at zero. And Nudis huh?? Well try getting em outta your tank and see what happens. Do you dose anything? And do you feed your zoas like reefsnow or anything like that?

 

[TampaSnooker]

I suspect you just answered yourself. Zoa eating nudis will wipe out a collection if not dealt with. Fortunately, they tend to eat only one species of zoanthid or palythoa - they are fairly specific in their diet. Helicoris wrasses often help with their control (6 line, yellow coris, radiant wrasses) Also have a look for Asterina starfish - bad ones usually grey and up to 3/8".

 

[A. Grandis]

I also had to Alk paste around many of my Zoanthids to kill off hydroids- this took quite a few. :/

Interesting! How did you do that?
Any other ideas to kill hydroids?
kalk?

Grandis.