Zoo doesn't open for the last 4 weeks

[Sharonk]

Hi,

I poseted this message in the Chemistry forum but maybe someone have other ideas ...

I have a 600 liter (150g) reef aquarium. It includes soft corals, LPS, some SPS frags and 10 Zoo's species.

4 weeks ago all the Zoo corals (about 8 different types, located in dif places in the aqua) closed in one day and since then they didn't open. I didn't add any new fish, coral etc.

All the other corals looks great including my SPS frags (although they didn't growth lately

First, I checked the basic parameters such as salantry 1.025, PH 8.1, amonia, nitrit and phospate. Everything looks ok

Then I have seen that my Calcium level is 500 ppm and not going down (I add calcium and buffer manualy)

So I checked ALK --> it was 4 dkh !!! (I don't understand how the LPS and SPS corals looks ok

Since then I added buffer every day (for 2 weeks) to get to 7 ppm level (I'm not sure why it took so much time, I check the ALK level every day)

In addition, the following parameters were changed in the last week --> Temp went down from 27C to 26C, PH went up to 8.4 (due to the buffer)

My SPS started to growth but my Zoo's are still CLOSED !!!
Do you think that the ALK problem is the reason for my Zoo's? other reasons? What should be my next action

Yesterday I did 10 per water change it the Zoo looks better ... their "head" (center) is open but no "hairs" with it.

What can be the reasons for them to close and should I continoue with water change (another 10 per?)

Thanks
Sharon

 

[gflat65]

Have you checked for pests? They could come in and then explode in population. That explanation isn;t the strongest, given that colonies all over the tank started to look bad the same day, though. Alk can create issues with zoas, so that could be your issue. Also, check the fish you have. I got a Scribbled Rabbitfish after talking to a number of people who had them in their mixed reef tanks. It was a model citizen and devoured the razor caulerpa completely down in about two weeks. Then it turned on my zoas. In one day, I lost 8 colonies... I saw it picking at the zoas, but thought it was picking algae until I noticed it ripping zoa flesh. I removed all zoas from the system and it moved on to Acan lords. When i pulled them, too, it ate a neon green Pocillopra. I've not found many others that have had these types of issues with a Scribbled Rabbitfish, but most fish are hit or miss and can turn on coral at any point. Can you post pics?

 

[camaroracer214]

yeah, look at your corals at night and check for parasites...can be very good at hiding.

 

[Sharonk]

Sorry but what do you mean by parasites?

 

[lfduty]

nudie's

 

[gflat65]

Nudi's, spiders, certain worms are irritants. Check out zoaid dot com. They've got galleries of pictures of the different zoa pests. Most of them won't come out until night (or are more visible under the cloak of darkness with the aid of a flashlight since the polyps typically close up).

 

[Sharonk]

Thanks for the ZooID link. After looking at the pictures, I notice that I have 1 Sundial Snail in one of my Zoo's. He had fun in large brown Zoo coral. I took him out of the aquarium and made another 10 per water change. Still no change with my Zoo

BTW - my SPS and Eyuphilia corals looks great after the water changes

Sharon

 

[Sharonk]

I already did 30% water change. The Zoo's looks better (as if they are trying to be open...). I checked my parameters - KH = 7dkh (I'm not able to move it up to 8-9), Calcium = 460. It seams that my Magnesium level is high = 1400 ... Can this be an issue?

 

[swannL11]

If water changes are making them look better then your probably don't have parasites. Do another 30 to 40% water change. Wait 2 to 3 days to see what happens.
.

 

[swannL11]

If water changes are making them look better then your probably don't have parasites/predators. Do another 30 to 40% water change. Wait 2 to 3 days to see what happens.
The snails are easily seen but other predators like nudibranchs and spiders are not. If in the future you think you may have these try the following. Make up a dip of SW mixed with Lugols solution (iodine) per instructions on the bottle. This dip with not kill predators but will make them start to move around making it easier to see them.