Amphipods killing zoas?

[Aparker2005]

Hey guys, we recently got 2 small zoa frags. A pinkish orange, and a green color one. They did well and had a few new heads coming out.

Over the last week, they have completely closed on the green, and the pink are now withering it looks like.

We have an absolute ton of amphipods in this tank that came over on some live rock. I see them everywhere when the lights go out. Could these be the issue? I also see our hermits crawling on them on occasion.

Tank is a 20g with a white striped blenny, pair of clowns, and a few hermit crabs.

Other corals are a Duncan, green mushroom, ricordea mushroom, green finger leather, and gsp, all of which are doing great.

Light is a Nicrew led with whites on 20% for 5 hours, blues at 70% for 10 hrs.

Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ph - 7.8-8
Nitrate: between 5 and 10
Ca: 420
Kh - 161
Phosphate - 0

 

[attiland]

Hey guys, we recently got 2 small zoa frags. A pinkish orange, and a green color one. They did well and had a few new heads coming out.

Over the last week, they have completely closed on the green, and the pink are now withering it looks like.

We have an absolute ton of amphipods in this tank that came over on some live rock. I see them everywhere when the lights go out. Could these be the issue? I also see our hermits crawling on them on occasion.

Tank is a 20g with a white striped blenny, pair of clowns, and a few hermit crabs.

Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ph - 7.8-8
Nitrate: between 5 and 10
Ca: 420
Kh - 161
Phosphate - 0

No your problem is 0 phosphate.

 

[Aparker2005]

No your problem is 0 phosphate.

Need to start dosing anything?

 

[dhnguyen]

Are you sure you have zero phosphate? What test kit are you using to test this?

 

[attiland]

How did you get 0 phosphate?
If phosphate removal media take som out so you can measure some. Algue reactor- take down the number of hours it lit.
if you have done nothing to reduce phosphate you will have to dose some so it is detectable.
my Zoas in high phosphate environment and they love it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A pic or two may be helpful and under white light
The colors sound like with bob Marley or Rasta zoa.
Kh value doesn’t seem right and should be between 8-11
What test kits are you using ?

 

[Aparker2005]

I'm using the api reef tests. It could possibly be 0.25 pm phosphate

 

[Aparker2005]

Pictures

 

[dhnguyen]

A pic or two may be helpful and under white light
The colors sound like with bob Marley or Rasta zoa.
Kh value doesn’t seem right and should be between 8-11
What test kits are you using ?

Assuming Kh being 161 ppm that would be about 9 dKH which is perfect.

 

[dhnguyen]

I'm using the api reef tests. It could possibly be 0.25 pm phosphate

And there's one problem right there. API test kits are very inaccurate.
If you're using API to test everything else also then those other parameters can be way out of wack.

I would get Red Sea and Salifert test kits and retest your water.

 

[Aparker2005]

Assuming Kh being 161 ppm that would be about 9 dKH which is perfect.

Yes 9 according to the test

 

[vetteguy53081]

Assuming Kh being 161 ppm that would be about 9 dKH which is perfect.

Ahhh- ppm

 

[vetteguy53081]

I was at work and now out. Regarding zoa when they close up, if your polyps were previously open and have recently closed up, this should be taken as a serious sign of a water parameters issue. The first things I would check are ph and salinity. In my experience, zoas will close up if there are swings in salinity.
First to say, buying quality test kits are not just a must but should be a priority as it seems things go wrong on a Sunday night when all stores are closed and the first thing we do when issues arise is to test water. If it API kits you are using- there is a high likelihood you ARE GETTING FALSE READINGS. So lets skip the speech on water and talk about zoas. Zoas must have iodide, not iodine in their water and under moderate light and water flow. They seem to do best in the lower half to third of the tank in an area of low-medium to medium-high flow. Too much flow may make it hard for the polyps to open. You will know your zoanthids are ‘happy’ if they open up and are fully extended without seeming to stretch so far upright.. The majority of zoanthids have symbiotic photosynthetic zooxanthellae (I dare you to try and say that three times quickly) and are therefore best kept with at least moderate aquarium lighting as mentioned for production of zooxanthele.
Zoanthids require the standard water parameters that are good for keeping just about any of your corals healthy. You’re aiming for water temperature about 78 F, salinity somewhere around 1.025 specific gravity) and normal hardness 8-11 dKH) and a pH around 8.1-8.3.
Lastly, check for Super tiny spiders or nudibranchs which will take them down in No time. If you see these pests, start looking for eggs which are future pests to cause further problems. Hope this Helps !!!

 

[elysics]

On top of what the other posters said about ensuring good water quality, do you have a rack or fish hatching box or a cup that you can drill holes in and clip to the rim of the glass?

While I am still not entirely sure about the chicken and egg problem with gnawing amphipods and suffering zoas, they do gnaw at suffering zoas that might otherwise survive. Putting them high above the ground, especially in a semi enclosed box that still let's flow through, makes it less likely for the zoas to be eaten away before they can heal

 

[zoaprince]

I have a strong opinion that amphipods have killed some of my zoas. I have a frag rack higher up in my tank and all those zoas do well. I've moved some of them from the rack to the bottom and they will die shortly after. At night I'd inspect the zoas and there would be amphipods all over them.

My theory is as above poster said, the amphipods bother them to the point where they close up and die.