Another zoa question.

[TodaysTrolling]

I’m curious on what’s wrong with some zoas in my tank. I’ve bought a few different zoa frags. One of them has spread out a good bit. The others open up well and look fine for 2-3 days to a week. Then they start closing up for no reason that I can find and eventually end up shrinking and staying closed. I’ve tried looking at night with a red light for nudibranchs but haven’t seen any. Alk and calcium are a bit high, but that’s a newer problem (started using kalk, gonna have to lower how much I add per gallon).

I will attach pictures.
nitrates: 10
Phosphate: 0.53 (high, not sure if that’ll have a negative effect. Trying out phosguard hasn’t made a difference yet)
Calcium: 511
Alk: 13.2

livestock: tangs are tiny, will be relocated to a friends 220 when they get a bit more size

yellow tang
Sailfin tang
Fire fish goby
Engineer goby
Starry blenny
2 oscillaris clownfish
Six line wrasse
Longnose hawk fish

I have asternia starfish over the tank, only saw one on a polyp. And that was today. But it’s one that’s been closed up for a while. Also have vermitid snails. Not sure if they’d be the cause. Though I know it is possible.

lights: 2 viparspectra 165Ws, lenses removed. Running at 50 blue, 10 white . Blue for 8 hours, white for 2.

algae; have also had a strange algae pop up in 2 spots on my rock work. Will attach pictures of it and zoas.

 

[Nem1clownfish2]

Oh my gosh your alkalinity is WAY to high oh my gosh it should be at like 6 or something! And you should really lower the phosphate that is really high it should always be at 0. And you calcium is also high it should be at 425 to 500. I think that why your zoas are closed up. Fix those water prams and you should be good.

 

[Nem1clownfish2]

Sorry I didn't mean it to sound so harsh!

 

[JosephM]

Hey there. I don't have an exact diagnosis but I kind of felt the need to reply after the reply above. No need to freak out. Your alk is a little high, recommended is 7-12, I tend to shoot for 9-9.5 in a mixed reef. What are your magnesium levels. Also I would try to lower your phosphates to between 0.1-0.03. Nitrates are okay, I prefer 2-5. If you aren't seeing any nudribranches munching away, what type of flow are they in and how much light are they getting? And if you plan on lowering your parameters, do so slowly, too fast and it'll just stress everything.

 

[reefer024]

Oh my gosh your alkalinity is WAY to high oh my gosh it should be at like 6 or something! And you should really lower the phosphate that is really high it should always be at 0. And you calcium is also high it should be at 425 to 500. I think that why your zoas are closed up. Fix those water prams and you should be good.

You seem to be having the same issue with your alk nem1clownfish2. Please make sure you have knowledge of what your saying before giving your opinion. I was in your last post about your nem and you don't really have any knowledge of keeping nems or a reef tank. Just don't want you giving false information.

 

[AdamB]

I think I would recheck your readings on alk and calcium to make sure that both are at those levels . Also.Are your existing coral look okay? I just bought several zoa frags and I think my asternia are messing with them .I have been picking them out every day....

 

[TodaysTrolling]

Yeah, I think the issue was kalk in the ATO. Running the heater more in the house so thinking evaperation may have went up. Making more limewater being used in the ATO throwing the levels slightly out of wack. Gonna cut down on how much per gallon. Flow was significantly slowed due to power heads not being cleaned. Correcting that now.

 

[mdb_talon]

Dont panic and do anything drastic but ya your alk is high. Based off what you said (you just started kalk) my bet is a sudden change in parameters more than just the fact alk and calc are a bit high. I would assume your PH is spiking up and down as well unless you are adding that kalk very slowly throughout the day/night.