Zoe colonies are melting!!

[mikesmith34]

Started with a huge watermelon / Green Bay colony. Used coral rx but basically lost the colony with only some sick little polyps left. Now overnight my orange bam bam cheesed up and my blue hornets are starting. Tonight I did an H2O2 dip. I can not find any pest. They just turn into what looks like white snot. The only thing at this point that is different from when they were thriving is nutrients are a lot lower than they were. Currently dosing BRS 2 part and vodka (week 4 at 1.8ml). My sps are doing very well and coloring up well. I'm at a loss as to what is going on. Water tested weekly and params are good. Very discouraging watching my z's cheese out and melt.......:sad:

 

[lakin58]

Had a similar problem and found my phosphate test kit was bad, got a Hanna green egg and found the issue, plus I forgot to change my zeovit out. Lost some zoes, saved others. Just a thought.

 

[jbadd99]

Zoas love dirty water. If you have very low nutrients after having "dirty" water for a while they may not be happy.

 

[mikesmith34]

I have the egg and it reads zero. Got flamed for the thing peeps say its crap. I don't know

Edit: I turned my gfo reactor off tonight. Let's see if a little po4 increase can help the guys out.

 

[clay4au]

Sounds like it could possibly be zoa pox or zoa fungus. IME, they both seem to pop up when the weather temps are changing. This is just a theory but have experienced it twice in the fall and once in the spring. I have also stopped/cured it with dips in furan2.

 

[franciscosalazar]

Care to share your param numbers?

 

[saltloco]

I'd worry about lighting also. I had the same problem under LEDs but with t5 I haven't. Just my two cents.

 

[clay4au]

If you are melting zoas with leds, the light is too strong/intense.

 

[tbub1221]

Dang thats a drag , I hope it turns around for you . I lost a few plugs when I started running lower nutrient levels , I was never sure why and it happened quickly but things have begun growing once again it just seems slower in soft coral.

 

[mikesmith34]

1.024
Dkh 9
Cal 440
Nitrate 4 ppm Red Sea pro
0 po4 Hanna
My 250 x 2 with actinic supplementation

This happens over night. It's so quick I don't have time to correct before they are gone

 

[heathlindner25]

when's the last time you added any zoas? I would look for a pest.

 

[seth the wine guy]

Clay4AU;926569 wrote: Sounds like it could possibly be zoa pox or zoa fungus. IME, they both seem to pop up when the weather temps are changing. This is just a theory but have experienced it twice in the fall and once in the spring. I have also stopped/cured it with dips in furan2.

I think there may be some link here. I lost 100+ polyp Purple Hornet colony a couple weeks ago.

To the OP
Don't over react and try to swing things back around or you may end up with more losses than just your zoas.

 

[sidvicious]

Are you dosing iodine? I've found zoas love this stuff and benefit ten fold from the use of it.

 

[joseayes]

About turning off a reactor to let the Po4 increase, I always been skeptical to do this, since the water remaining sitting on the reactor could spoil, and then when you turned back on again that could be deteriorate the rest of the water column, this is just my theory.

 

[mikesmith34]

Sidvicious;926644 wrote: Are you dosing iodine? I've found zoas love this stuff and benefit ten fold from the use of it.

No I don't. I cant test for it so I don't add it

Edit:

Seth The Wine Guy;926642 wrote: I think there may be some link here. I lost 100+ polyp Purple Hornet colony a couple weeks ago.

To the OP
Don't over react and try to swing things back around or you may end up with more losses than just your zoas.

Words of wisdom. Do you have any idea as to why you lost them?

Edit:

joseayes;926730 wrote: About turning off a reactor to let the Po4 increase, I always been skeptical to do this, since the water remaining sitting on the reactor could spoil, and then when you turned back on again that could be deteriorate the rest of the water column, this is just my theory.

Didn't think about it. But I could just barely crack the valve enough to have some circulation through the reactor

Edit:

heathlindner25;926636 wrote: when's the last time you added any zoas? I would look for a pest.

Id have to check but the last time was nearly 2 months ago when one of the members was doing a break down. I did do a coral Rx dip when I got them home for what its worth. I cant get over the fact that within 24hrs they were toast.

 

[mikesmith34]

Ok so get home tonight and you guessed it now here's my sunny d's
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[jennm]

Looking at that photo you just posted, the zoa farthest to the left, on top, it's hard to see but it looks to me like white dots on it. Maybe you can take a closer look, as it's not super-clear but I kind of know what I think I'm looking for.

If you see white dot looking stuff on any of the closed/melting ones, check this link: http://www.zoaid.com/articles004.php">http://www.zoaid.com/articles004.php</a>

If it's pox, on that page there is a treatment protocol using Furan-2. It's an off-label use for a commonly available fish medication. I know The Fish Store has it in stock, most local stores should have it or can get it, but time is of the essence since IF that is what is going on, it's running pretty rampant, from the sound of things.

Jenn

 

[clay4au]

tetra's "fungus guard" has the same active and was easier for me to find in the middle of nowhere

 

[franciscosalazar]

Do you know your magnesium number?

 

[kirkwood]

Mikesmith34;926567 wrote: I have the egg and it reads zero. Got flamed for the thing peeps say its crap. I don't know

Edit: I turned my gfo reactor off tonight. Let's see if a little po4 increase can help the guys out.

I turned my GFO offline 2 months ago. Today I tested Phos with the green egg and its at 0.06. My zoas look amazing right now. Fluffy, huge skirts, great coloration and growth rate. If I was just keeping zoas I would be targeting this level. I did put my GFO back online tonight because my SPS isn't happy.

I was losing zoa colonies over the summer from what seemed like unexplained melting. It turned out that a couple of large male emerald crabs were eating zoas at night. They had exhausted all other food supplies and turned to polyps. So check your zoas after lights out to see if anything is poking around.