Exosphere’s vanishing - losing colony need help

[VintageReefer]

No idea here everyone

Bought a colony of 25 heads of exosphere. Looked very healthy. Within a few days I was down to 15. Looked like all the lower and smaller ones melted and turned to mush.

I dipped it in revive and coral rx and gave a light scrubbing with a soft brush and got all the mush off and in the end had 10 good looking survivors.

Now I’m down to 7. I have no issues with zoa or any other coral. What could be going on. I see these tiny starfish in a lot of pics and I’ve seen them on the plug. I’ve had these in every tank they never ate zoanthid. Could they be doing it or are they just cleaning?

These were tank raised by a hobbiest, he grew out the colony over a year. Under radion led around 100 par. I have reefbreeders photon and the spot is 100-110 par

Seller photo


Arrival feb 27 see circled red area


Over next week


Today

 

[VintageReefer]

This is what happens they shrivel up and turn to mush and disintegrate

Circle one is melting. Arrow is pointing to the next one it will happen to. This is the pattern. Shrivel up then melt/turn to mush

 

[fishguy242]

Red back asterina starfish will eat particular types of zoas ,but theres you're problem,
look at night 2 hrs after lights out you will see them eating them...

 

[VintageReefer]

Red back asterina starfish will eat particular types of zoas ,but theres you're problem,
look at night 2 hrs after lights out you will see them eating them...

These guys are bold they are out in full day spectrum. 3 on the tile right now

 

[fishguy242]

leave them and observe tonight,then start removing them...

 

[VintageReefer]

I’ll sump them now then look for more later.

Sheesh I bought this and was going to grow it out on 4 plugs and instead of making some money to recover the cost I’ve been feeding starfish

 

[VintageReefer]

Removed those three then found 2 more under the plug

Ok so 25 down to 7 and 1 that maybe will survive. I’m setback 6+ months now just to catch up to where I started

 

[MoshJosh]

Removed those three then found 2 more under the plug

Ok so 25 down to 7 and 1 that maybe will survive. I’m setback 6+ months now just to catch up to where I started

Sorry this is happening too you. . . that said that zoa grow out rack is AWESOME. You make those?

 

[VintageReefer]

I invented it and asked a 3d printing buddy of mine to bring it to life.

They are excellent for any encrusting or polyp coral

Everybody makes frag racks. Nobody makes what I wanted

I wanted a rack that fits 2x2 ceramic grow out tiles so I could grow out Gonipora. But I didn’t want it on my sandbed because my clumsy conch plows littler things over. And my Goni wanted higher light than sandbed. So I needed it higher. No shelves for 2x2 tiles anywhere

So I asked him to make me one. Then the idea evolved Into adding my own 3d printed tile with a rough surface and a hole so a plug could go right in, without needing to remove the coral just let it encrust over the plug into the tile

V1 tiles were black and single hole and I tested them and found they float and were annoying if something got off the tile

V2 tiles are printed heavier and sink

V2.5 we added 5 holes so 4 empty plugs on outer holes and parent colony in middle hole on top of the others. Things will self propagate onto the other plugs by itself

So the shelf can fit a standard 2x2 ceramic tile, or you can use the 3d printed single plug tiles or 5 hole tiles

And if things encrust on the single hole tile, you can remove the tile and just put a replacement tile on the shelf

 

[MoshJosh]

I invented it and asked a 3d printing buddy of mine to bring it to life.

They are excellent for any encrusting or polyp coral

Everybody makes frag racks. Nobody makes what I wanted

I wanted a rack that fits 2x2 ceramic grow out tiles so I could grow out Gonipora. But I didn’t want it on my sandbed because my clumsy conch plows littler things over. And my Goni wanted higher light than sandbed. So I needed it higher. No shelves for 2x2 tiles anywhere

So I asked him to make me one. Then the idea evolved Into adding my own 3d printed tile with a rough surface and a hole so a plug could go right in, without needing to remove the coral just let it encrust over the plug into the tile

V1 tiles were black and single hole and I tested them and found they float and were annoying if something got off the tile

V2 tiles are printed heavier and sink

V2.5 we added 5 holes so 4 empty plugs on outer holes and parent colony in middle hole on top of the others. Things will self propagate onto the other plugs by itself

So the shelf can fit a standard 2x2 ceramic tile, or you can use the 3d printed single plug tiles or 5 hole tiles

And if things encrust on the single hole tile, you can remove the tile and just put a replacement tile on the shelf

Do they all mount to the glass with magnets? Very cool idea!

 

[VintageReefer]

Yea it’s magnetic

The shelf is standard and will accommodate:
2x2 ceramic
1 center hole 3d tile
5 hole 3d tile

I gave him permission to sell them because I want the reef community to have an easier way to grow out corals. This is great for sps also so you don’t have plugs in the sand and low par.

I think he sells them for 15-20$ for a starter kit with the shelf and a few tiles. And extra tiles are sold separate for a few bucks

 

[VintageReefer]

I use spare tiles to keep sandbed things out of the sand also

 

[VintageReefer]

@MoshJosh @fishguy242

$11.69 Is a great price if you want a starter kit. Magnetic shelf + 2 tiles

Frag Rack for Propagating , Reloadable, Fits 2x2 Tiles See Tile Listing for Extra Tiles - Etsy

This Aquariums & Tank Decor item by SDD3DPT has 4 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from West Lafayette, IN. Listed on Aug 27, 2024

www.etsy.com

 

[MoshJosh]

@MoshJosh @fishguy242

$11.69 Is a great price if you want a starter kit. Magnetic shelf + 2 tiles

Frag Rack for Propagating , Reloadable, Fits 2x2 Tiles See Tile Listing for Extra Tiles - Etsy

This Aquariums & Tank Decor item by SDD3DPT has 4 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from West Lafayette, IN. Listed on Aug 27, 2024

www.etsy.com

I just realize these will fit my Home Depot frag tiles haha

Sorry for hijacking your thread VintageReefer!

 

[VintageReefer]

I just realize these will fit my Home Depot frag tiles haha

Sorry for hijacking your thread VintageReefer!

No worries! I don’t see how he makes any money on these lol

Not to pat myself on the back tooo much. But this is a great idea!

 

[VintageReefer]

My next version is gonna come out soon…working out some mechanics.

3 tile version

 

[VintageReefer]

Red back asterina starfish will eat particular types of zoas ,but theres you're problem,
look at night 2 hrs after lights out you will see them eating them...

I guess this is so much of a thing some guy invented a scoop to catch them

Asterina Magnetic Scooper - Etsy

This Aquariums & Tank Decor item by Printed3dParts has 3 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Houston, TX. Listed on May 18, 2024

www.etsy.com

 

[VintageReefer]

Update : I snatch up any asterina star I see and remove from tank.

I moved the colony into an isolation box.

The zoa losses have stopped, the survivors have gotten larger, and I have new baby zoa growing at the base

Success

 

[Tub Life]

Dang, I gotta monitor my zoas at night. I've lost a colony of candy apples, and starting to lose a candy apple red colony. All others are doing just fine. And I do have asterina starfish all over, always have.
Perhaps they are not as reef friendly as I thought.

Cool frag rack too!

 

[liddojunior]

Time to borrow a Harlequin shrimp ?