Something wrong with zoa?

[clancaster23]

I got this zoa a few days ago and noticed yesterday that it looks like a coupl aren't opening up all the way and they look like they are torn up but it doesn't look like it to me. It looks like they aren't opening up all the way and one side is just curled up. Is this something to worry about? The one near the middle of the picture is probably the worst one and there are a few others that are doing it. I have two other zoas in the tank and neither is doing the same thing although they are much smaller than this one.

 

[AmberSunrise]

I dont have any colonies that big my biggest one is like 6 heads (lol) but in my little experience I have found that mine just have pissy days when they dont open. Maybe a snail or urchin touched it or perhaps it just doesnt feel like coming out today.

I wouldnt worry about it its a living thing it does what it wants.

 

[KarenJax]

I could be wrong but I think it looks like they are maybe a little crowded

 

[clancaster23]

I thougth also that it may be crowded but it's one big bunch so not sure what to do. I'm not very confortable in splitting them up as I'm still new to this stuff and wouldn't want to kill it.

 

[KarenJax]

Fragging zoas is relatively simple. Whenever I get a colony that's a little crowded, I will cut a few out and superglue gel them to a piece of rubble or a disk. There a lot of threads on here about fragging zoas. Read up on it.
I did frag my first zoas when I was about 3 months into the hobby. Sometimes you just have to take that leap! Zoas are very hardy and really tough to kill. Just research it right here :)

 

[fastrd400]

It is not over crowding that is causing this. Zoas grow in a crowded fashion. Something has irritated them to cause 3 to close up, and anthoer 3 to begin to curl. Are they near any other coral that sends out feeder/sweeper tenticles at night? How long have they looked like this?

 

[KarenJax]

I was also wondering if they were too close to the lights but skeered to ask

 

[clancaster23]

It is on the end of the tank, not anywhere close to any other corals. The only one I have that even has tentacles (althought I haven't seen them yet) is my frogspawn. The frogspawn is higher up and at the middle of the tank so I'd say it's a good two feet away from it. I got them both the same day, this past Friday so they have been in there for just three days. I just noticed them looking this way yesterday.

 

[clancaster23]

That bunch is sitting on a rock that sits on the bottom of the tank so I doubt it's too close to the lights.

 

[fastrd400]

Nope, lighting would effect the entire colony. It may be something like a crab, snail, or something that brushed them and caused them to close up. I wouldn't worry about them unless they begin to melt.
Tonight after your lights go out, inspect your tank in that area to see if there is anything roaming. Not sure if you dipped them before you put them in your tank, but you can do so and then replace them as well.

 

[clancaster23]

Dipped? You mean drip acclimate? If so, yes I did. I will keep a close eye on it in the next few days.

 

[KarenJax]

Zoas are really tough! You have a lovely colony and I think Fast is right. Something touched them which is what amber said too.

 

[fastrd400]

Dipped? You mean drip acclimate? If so, yes I did. I will keep a close eye on it in the next few days.

Dipped in a reef dip solution! Lugols, Seachem Reefdip, etc. They are normally an iodine that you would add to some tank water in a cup, bowl or whatever. Drop the corals in for about 3-5 minutes, pull em out, shake em off in RO water and put them in the tank.

 

[ErinCahir]

+1 to everyone about the touching.
And he means dipped like in RO water or Lugol's or something. There is a possibility that there is a zoa eating something (most likely nudibranch) irritating them, but you would see missing polyps.

EDIT: Ninja'd by fast!

 

[clancaster23]

I was not aware of the dipping process. I will go by that from here on out thought. Thanks. Like I said, I'll definitely keep a close eye on it. Thanks to all that replied.

 

[fastrd400]

Dipping your coral will help to kill off any pests or parasites that hitch hike in on them. It is good practice to avoid infestations of things like flat worms, and red bugs.