Zoas not opening - help please

[Neogenocide]

Hello,

I'm have a problem that I'm hoping to find some help with here. I've been trying to trouble shoot through a semi local forum, but I'm hoping with more traffic on this site that maybe I can get to the bottom of it before everything dies. What's happening is that my zoas are only partially opening if at all. All colonies in my DT are being effected, and it hasn't been getting any better. I've since pulled all but one large green zoa and put them all in my frag tank. Within a day or 2 everything is looking a ton better than it did in my DT. The frag tank is completely separate from the DT, so that explains why they look better, but I'm still searching for what's wrong in the DT. The parameters below are what I tested them at, also had the LFS check and they came up with the same. Is there anything else I can test for or look in to? Any help is appreciated.

I also forgot to mention it's doesn't seem to effect anything else in my tank, and nothing has been added in around 3 months. Haven't seen any nudi's, sundials, or not even a sign of zoapox. Can you tell why I'm a little stumped?

Thanks,

Scott




Water Params:

Salinity 1.025
PH - 8.2
Amonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Calcium - 380 and rising
Alk 3.5

 

[logan 12]

I would suggest a water change. If you can not find any pest that are the problem and the zoas are happier in an alternative tank it is most likely water quality. You can not test for every parameter in the tank that is impossible. Salt mixes are setup to mimic what that supplier thinks is closes to natural sea water. I use water changes as a neutral point or a reset button.

I would move all the zoas to the other tank and leave a frag as a test subject in the DT.

 

[Neogenocide]

I think I forgot to mention that. I did a 20g water change 2 nights ago, didn't see any effect on the zoas. I'm estimating a 70 gal total volume for the system. It's a 46g Bow DT and a 55g sump. I'll mix up a even larger change this weekend and see if that helps.

Any other ideas, please lets hear them.

Scott

 

[teebs]

Your Alk of 3.5 seems to be on the very low side. What is the Alk in your frag tank?

 

[Neogenocide]

I don't know why I didn't think to check that, I'll blame it on being late by the time I got the kids in bed and then getting to the tests. According to the Salifert test, it said my alk should be in the 4.0 to 6.0 range. So I didn't think it was that low. I will test the frag tank and see where it's at.

Scott

 

[jlocascio]

[violation]