Problems keeping zoas

by **gsrsk8er** on Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:10 pm

I am having trouble keeping my zoas alive!!! I have tried many different types/colors over the past year or so and the colonies always seem to diminish over time. I have been keeping other softies, and some SPS and LPS corals with no problem. I have two clownfish, 1 citron goby, 1 shrimp goby/pistol shrimp, and 4 little blue/green chromies. also a variety of snails and hermits.

Tank is a 50 gallon breeder which I upgraded to in june 2012 from a 20 nano reef setup that had been running flawlessly since 2007
lighting : 2x96 watter power compact combo with metal halide
fluval 405 canister cleaned regularly
~50lbs live rock
~30 lbs live sand
water change weekly of about 5 gallons
nitrates, nitrites, ammonia ~ 0
1.024 salinity

any help would be appreciated

C

by **limpit** on Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:41 pm

Do they just slowly shrink over time or is it like whole polyps missing overnight?
Also, you dont have them directly under the halides do you?

by **gsrsk8er** on Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:13 pm

I do not have them directly under the halide. They just seem to be slowly disappearing over time. I dont see anything nipping at them, and dont think I have any nudis or other things that could be eating them. I have done a couple freshwater dips and nothing fallls off the rocks.

C

by **SDonkey** on Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:15 pm

I have had this same thing happening for years. Its certain zoas too. I can have one type growing like mad, and others just melt away over a few weeks. I never found an answer.
Zack

by **johntroxel71** on Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:06 pm

I also have not been able to keep zoas. SPS and LPS growing great, zoas recede and die.

by **starboard** on Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:30 pm

I think we all are fighting this up hill battle with zoanthids. Personally I have found some zoanthids like dirty water and some don't tolerate it. One thing you'll have to remember is certain zoa's are deep water low light and some like shallow more light that is why it is best to start low in the tank and move them around till they smile. Also flow can be a factor , I have found most zoa's like med flow with periods of low flow.
If a zoa looks as if it is reaching for light then it needs to move up and if it seems to stay closed move to the bottom.
I to am in this fight and these have been a few solutions that have helped in some success.
Example: I had some LA Lakers which are a deep water zoanthids which were melting under my led's after doing well
under t5's middle of the tank. At this point I couldn't even tell they were still on the frag plug. "Pissed off" I through the frag in my refugium under a 250 mh 14k on the sand bed and forgot about them. 2 months later found the plug behind a piece of LR low and behold what once was melted came back with a vengence and there were 5 more polyps even. They are now happy under my LEDs very low with med flow and light.
I am not an expert , but this has been my experience in which I hope can maybe help a little.

by **johntroxel71** on Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:59 pm

I tend to have sponges take mine over. That and i lost some to hair algae. Hair is gone so maybe it is worth giving it another try.