And yet another zoanthid problem

[FishyReef]

I don't know what it is with me and zoanthids but I consistently have problems with these corals. Fortunately most of the problems have ultimately been overcome with not too much loss, but still, what is it with me and zoas? Anyhow, latest problem is with a 2 polyp frag that has been open and happy in my tank since March. It is the one zoa colony that has escaped the issues I've had with zoa pox and critters. Yesterday it closed up and has stayed closed since. Today I pulled the frag off the place I had clued it to so that I could get a better look at it. Looks like there's some diatoms (possibly) growing on it. I run a super clean tank with minimal algae, so have no idea why this particular frag would have algae, but something fuzzy is on the polyps. I've heard about dipping in a mixture of RO water and hydrogen peroxide but don't know the specifics. Would that help? If so, do I use fresh RO/DI, fresh salt water, or tank water; what ratio of water to H2O2 do I use; and how long do I have to dip it for?

 

[FishyReef]

Okay, so one of the two polyps on this zoa is now turning black and it looks like it is shedding the outer layer of tissue. Anyone have any idea what the heck is going on with it?

 

[RockStacker]

A CoralRX dip might be a safer route if there are in fact parasites or predators bugging the zoas.

Another possibility is that the polyps are preparing to split. I had a small colony that was healthy looking but all of a sudden half the polyps decided to close up and were shedding a lot of gunk from their skin for several days.
Once the polyps opened up they had two mouths and proceeded to split over the next couple of weeks.

 

[appleton]

I've seen what you are talking about in my own tank.i'ts some kind of molting.let it run its course and everything should be ok in a few days.If your polyps are melting away to nothing then you have a problem.

 

[FishyReef]

Well, they were totally gone in a few days. Not sure what happened - they didn't melt away, but one night were there on the rock molting and the next morning were gone. I'm guessing they were sick and someone ate them. So sad. Zoanthids and I just haven't found our groove yet.

 

[Bifferwine]

Sorry to hear that. :( Do you know what kind of zoas they were? Some tend to be more sensitive than others -- I have had some blue ones just melt away like that out of the...blue. :lol:

 

[FishyReef]

No, I hadn't been able to identify them - they were a mint green color, very pretty, and seemed very happy in their spot for months until they just closed one day. I had 4 polyps of darth mauls melt away a few months back and those closed and then got progressively smaller. These didn't shrink like that, so I'm not sure if they melted or something else. Someday I hope I can find another one like it. I did with the darth mauls that I lost and they are now thriving. I have some pink ones that haven't looked too happy in the last week or so either.... I'm thinking that they aren't getting enough light since I added black sand. I've upped my lights to try to compensate but they haven't rebounded yet. So hard to figure out exactly what to do to get them to thrive. At least my LPS like my tank!

 

[LoveJC03]

Sometimes there might be just the tiniest bit of cyano on them or a tiny aiptasia.. like right now we have a tiny aiptasia and the surrounding zoas won't open, still trying to figure out how to get rid of that thing!

 

[mach1ray]

Love JC, aptiasia killer in a syringe. stop all your pumps and water movement. once all is still inject the aptasia in the mouth while it is openand be careful of the surrounding poylps. let it sit for about 10 minutes and use a turkey baster to suck up the aptasia killer. start up your pumps again and give it a couple of days.