Zoas browning out

[SLOreefer805]

SO I got some beautiful bright colored zoas and after a few days they started to brown up. What I am looking for is advice from someone who has actually went through this and what they did to get those zoas looking beautiful again. If you have never experienced this or had a close friend who did please decline to comment. I need real world experience. I have already read several things about this and some say its water and some say its light. However there was never any follow up(updates). So rather then assume one way or the other lets just hear what worked for you.

The tank is a 40r.
Full of LPS and all are thriving. (no the zoas are not placed directly next to an lps colony)
Marine Orbit LED light (set for 12 hour day)
Fish are thriving
Nothing is picking on the zoa colony.
Water params look good.

 

[SLOreefer805]

Oh and just starting feeding them on Sunday, which I am hoping will help them bring back color.

 

[billdogg]

For me it was entirely related to improper lighting. If your LPS are doing well then it sorta rules that out. I would guess maybe allelopathy, but I would have thought it would be the zoanthids bothering the LPS, not the other way around.

 

[SLOreefer805]

billdogg, so you experienced this and got higher wattage lighting and all the zoas colors came back? I have some KO nightmare palys and fire and ice zoas that are doing great. Just not my eagle eyes.

 

[Grandlotus]

Might just be that they need more light.

 

[SLOreefer805]

My only concern on lighting needs is I have a green birdsnest, 1 torch, 2 hammers, 1 duncan, and 1 frogspawn that are growing like crazy and have grown several heads in the past months. If you think the lighting isn't strong enough to grow zoas but strong enough for sps and lps then I am lost for words.

 

[NJAB]

Yeah i agree, it is not your lights with lighting issues you would seeing browning but you typically also see some of your zoa's stretching to get light, have you tested for phosphates or nitrates I had a lot of browning happen to my sps's and some zoa's due to phosphates, I upgraded to a larger tank and started with better husbandry and equipment and within about 2 months everything colored back up with my birdnest taking the longest to pinken and softies coloring back up first.

 

[SLOreefer805]

NJAB are you suggesting its a phosphate issue? I will look into that.

 

[killinit123]

you may want to post actual tank parameters rather than saying they "look good" this gives us no actual data to go on in terms of diagnosing your problem efficiently and effectively.

That being said, how long have they been in the tank for? where are they placed in the tank in terms of height and flow? even though zoas can be put pretty much anywhere and acclimated to just about all types of conditions there are limits. I've found that most of my zoa colonies (when new to my tank) take a little while to get acclimated to the water and lighting. especially when coming form different conditions than my tank, which is pretty much every time when getting them form the lfs or even ordering online.

you mentioned feeding them? IME I have never fed my zoas or any coral for that matter directly. zoas in particular get most of their energy from light and the rest comes from them grabbing small food particles out of the water column. so when you say browning that leads me to believe that its a lighting issue. either that or lack of nutrients.. zoas like a little more (dirtier) water, also just because your lps are thriving doesn't mean that its the right conditions for your zoas especially if they are new additions... just my $0.02

 

[Sounds Fishy]

My LFS sold me a couple pieces of coral,that were browned out(green acro&birdsnest) on Boxing Day because I asked him to sell me something in need of rehab & tlc.
and he gave me them practically free.He said they'd go back to their regular green colour once they got put in water with good parameters.Within a month they are both green again and growing.So in my opinion,maybe something isn't quite right,with your water parameters.Someone suggested you test phosphates,and that is a good place to start.

 

[GimpyFin]

I know you mentioned other stuff in the tank is doing good, but these new zoas could just be in a spot where they are not getting adequate light compared to other stuff. One thing you did not mention is where exactly the zoas in question are placed in the tank (High/low/middle/corner, etc.) I actually have one of the Orbit marine LED (Non-pro) fixtures running on a small cube tank with a few mushrooms, etc. I've found that if corals are placed closer to the light and the tank is not very deep, these lights can work, but in general, they are not very powerful.

 

[SLOreefer805]

Yes I was feeling lazy when referring to water params. I will post them when I get home to test the water again. The zoas are new to the tank. Maybe about two weeks. They are sitting on the bottom with the rock they came in on. They are all opening up just not vivid in color. They are getting moderate flow.

 

[GimpyFin]

I'd try moving them a little higher in the tank and see how they do.

 

[killinit123]

Yes I was feeling lazy when referring to water params. I will post them when I get home to test the water again. The zoas are new to the tank. Maybe about two weeks. They are sitting on the bottom with the rock they came in on. They are all opening up just not vivid in color. They are getting moderate flow.

they may still be acclimating as well 2 weeks IMO isn't enough time for them to fully acclimate. seeing as though everything else (other zoas included) are doing great then I would give it a little more time until you move them in order to insure that it is in fact the placement. but definitely do not try multiple things at once then you will never know what exactly the cause was.

In the meantime run your tests and post parameters so that can be ruled out and then go from there. if nothing pops out at you as wrong after the tests. I would give it a few more days and if nothing improves then try moving them up.. you dont want to adjust your lights just yet because then you could cause problems with the other corals. it is easier to move one coral than to change you light setting and hope that doesn't effect anything else.