Need Zoa advice

Dear All: I am hoping to get some direction from the group. I have a 180g mixed reef tank with live rock, live sand (Aragonite), (softies, shrooms, Ricordea, Frogspawn, Hammer Coral, a huge clam, RBTA's, a ton of polyps and fish (mostly tangs). The tank is lit by 3 Ecotech Radion Pro's and 2 Vortech MP40's. I have a Reef Octopus Protein Skimmer, a Ca Reactor, and a 45 gallon sump with live rock in it (I recently removed bioballs and replaced with LR). I dose carbon, MicroBacter7, AcroPower, NOPOX, and NeoNitro. My levels are pretty consistent: Salinity: 1.026;Temp: 78.3; pH: 8.66; Ca: 430; Mg: 1280; NO3: 8.73; PO4: .64. My ongoing problem that I need help with is that I am dying to have a tank full of Zoas, but they keep dying off. I can't seem to keep them alive for more than a few weeks, and they NEVER grow (everything else grows like weeds). I have changed my lighting schedules various times, as we'll as my Vortech's, tweaked my dosing here and there, and now I am waiting for a GFO Reactor from BRS to get my Phosphates down. I know my Nitrates are elevated, but I understand that this should not have much of an effect on the Zoas. Any suggestions?

 

Hey Jeff,
Its very possible that you could have Zoanthid eating Nudibranchs. These guys are the masters of stealth taking on the coloration of the host zoas, They are able to lay dormant in your aquarium laying eggs that look like micro anemones or frog spawn very hard to get rid of. I had the same issue didnt have much success getting rid of them and in the end had to give up keeping zoes this that tank.