Zoa heads shrinking

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Ok so I've got several zoa frags with heads getting super, super small. they aren't melting or dying but the heads are maybe 1/2 to 1/3 the size they were months ago. I have recently had a cyan outbreak but they were shrinking in size before this. Any ideas what the problem could be?


Biocube 32 Led
N03 - 0
No2 - 0
Calcium - 520 ppm
pH - 8.0
Ammonia - 0
Temp - 26. 4 C

Light schedule:

Channel 1 - 9Am - 5Pm
Channel 2 - 8:30 AM - 5:30.PM
Channel 3 (blue) - 4:30 PM - 11:00 PM

They've done fine with this light schedule for months now.

Have a massive torch coral and blasto which are doing fine, but my candy canes and my super small hammer coral are kinda mad right now as well for some reason.

@footgal because you always no what to do. Only fish in the tank are clowns. Have Cerith, astrea, nassarius snails. Crab wise I have a scarlet hermit, zebra hermit, blue leg hermit, and orange/blue leg hermit (one of each). Also a medium sized sand sifting conch. all have been in there months and this is a recent issue.


Edit: pH recently fell to 7.8, everything looked fine at this range then I attempted to increase to 8.0/8.2 range. This is when everything started to close and look mad. Shrinking was occurring before this.

 

[Oscar47f]

What are your phosphates at? And what are you using for testing.... if your nitrates are truly at 0 then you could be starving your zoanthids... typically I keep my nitrates at 15-20 ish, and phosphates at .2 or at least under .3 ideally far below that but softies will appreciate these levels

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

What are your phosphates at? And what are you using for testing.... if your nitrates are truly at 0 then you could be starving your zoanthids... typically I keep my nitrates at 15-20 ish, and phosphates at .2 or at least under .3 ideally far below that but softies will appreciate these levels

I dont have a phosphate test kit. Im using an API kit for nitrate measurement but imo pretty sure theyre 0. I run a skimmer and dont feed very heavily. Would stopping my skimmer and feeding a little heavier help? also how to I raise phosphates?

 

[JohnMzreef]

stop skimming and your phosphates will go up

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

stop skimming and your phosphates will go up

yeah but could that be the issue?

 

[Oscar47f]

I dont have a phosphate test kit. Im using an API kit for nitrate measurement but imo pretty sure theyre 0. I run a skimmer and dont feed very heavily. Would stopping my skimmer and feeding a little heavier help? also how to I raise phosphates?

Yeah I mean you don’t have to stop skimming completely put it on a timer have it skim half the day and shut off at night maybe that’ll help or increase feedings if it’s too much of a hassle to feed get an auto fish feeder for like 20$ that’s what I do I feed pellets

 

[Oscar47f]

I would also highly recommend getting a better test kit....

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I would also highly recommend getting a better test kit....

Yeah I know nobody like the API kits. I take it bi weekly to get tested at my LFS. I can't afford a super expensive kit right now.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hi! Usually when I see zoas shrinking, its a nutrient issue . Feed more and you should see an improvement in a couple weeks. Reefroids will give your tank a quick boost but be careful to not overuse them

 

[blasterman]

What footgal said.

Zoas and palys want some nutrients. Every zoa garden ive had requires nitrate no lower than 5 and a phosphate no lower than .03 or they shrink and receed.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Hi! Usually when I see zoas shrinking, its a nutrient issue . Feed more and you should see an improvement in a couple weeks. Reefroids will give your tank a quick boost but be careful to not overuse them

Thanks footgal, I dont have any reef roads but I usually feed the "excess" dust that comes off my mysis cubes as zoa food. ill also stop skimming for now.

 

[JohnMzreef]

They will appreciate some aminos: acropower or whatever

 

[FrostyFrags]

If you are a coral only tank, I would add nitrate directly. Most dried coral foods I use and if are your primary food will tend to raise Phosphate higher than Nitrate.

I personally had really high Phos and basically 0 nitrate. Overtime this has flipped and Phos now sits at around and Nitrate is between 3-5ppm. Once hitting these levels I still do minor Nitrate dosing to maintain that as my target feeding alone does not keep that level.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Hi! Usually when I see zoas shrinking, its a nutrient issue . Feed more and you should see an improvement in a couple weeks. Reefroids will give your tank a quick boost but be careful to not overuse them

I went today and picked up some amino acids by Kent marine (now coralife). I am using those and a phyto supplement which contains essential elements. I am also feeding the dust off the mysis. Is this enough you think to attempt to bring them back to regular size? Its only certain colonies doing this. Some of them have closed and not been open for a week or two but haven't shrunk or melted or anything as well. Ive done several water changes. Ive probably changed the water completely over since they started acing strange.

 

[Steven Garland]

I have had this issue myself for awhile. I cannot keep nitrates or phosphates in my tank,and most but not all zoa's have dulled out and shrunken considerably.

I'm highly considering ESV Nitrates in a bottle,you should look into it.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I have had this issue myself for awhile. I cannot keep nitrates or phosphates in my tank,and most but not all zoa's have dulled out and shrunken considerably.

I'm highly considering ESV Nitrates in a bottle,you should look into it.

Ill check into that. Maybe increasing nitrates will help them recover.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I went today and picked up some amino acids by Kent marine (now coralife). I am using those and a phyto supplement which contains essential elements. I am also feeding the dust off the mysis. Is this enough you think to attempt to bring them back to regular size? Its only certain colonies doing this. Some of them have closed and not been open for a week or two but haven't shrunk or melted or anything as well. Ive done several water changes. Ive probably changed the water completely over since they started acing strange.

I think that’s good. Please don’t dose a whole bunch super fast to fix the issue, slow and steady is the way to go . If you increase too quickly (like I just did with my tank) then you’ll get tons of nasty algae (hair, bubble, cyano) that you’ll have to deal with

 

[Steven Garland]

I want to say the suggested dose is 1 drop per gallon,if I'm not mistaken.

I would add the recommended dose,test the next day,then wait a few days and test again and dose according to that and whatever gets and keeps you at your wanted ppm of nitrates.

 

[Oscar47f]

Ill check into that. Maybe increasing nitrates will help them recover.

Before you go crazy and buy all these supplements just feed a little more your fish won’t hate you for it and it helps raise nutrients if frequent feedings aren’t helping then go with coral food and dosing etc

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I think that’s good. Please don’t dose a whole bunch super fast to fix the issue, slow and steady is the way to go . If you increase too quickly (like I just did with my tank) then you’ll get tons of nasty algae (hair, bubble, cyano) that you’ll have to deal with

I never do. I’ve used this basically the whole time I’ve been reefing. I actually ran out a few months ago ans just never got anymore. While I had it dosing everything looked great. Usually do tsp every two days.