Zoa heads shrinking

[Zoa_Fanatic]

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

Already am. I’ve always used supplements on my reef I just ran out and couldn’t find any for the last few months thanks to covid and there not being a real convenient lfs near me. Gotta drive an hour at least to find one. Petco has jack here

 

[Oscar47f]

Already am. I’ve always used supplements on my reef I just ran out and couldn’t find any for the last few months thanks to covid and there not being a real convenient lfs near me. Gotta drive an hour at least to find one. Petco has jack here

Awesome just making sure you’re not diving in lol yeah this pandemic has been crazy we ran out of tropic Marin stuff in my area for a few months crazzyyyyy

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Awesome just making sure you’re not diving in lol yeah this pandemic has been crazy we ran out of tropic Marin stuff in my area for a few months crazzyyyyy

I found the problem! I had used two WHOLE sets of nitrate and phosphate reducing pads during a huge ammonia spike months ago. My wife mentioned it earlier tonight. I was like ???? Did I really? Sure enough they were in my sump. Tossed all but a single pad of each. Hopefully that helps.

 

[Davis Hill]

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.

I had the same problem in my tank. I have had good luck with Brightwell's NeoNitro and NeoPhos over the past 3 months or so. Took me a couple weeks to slowly raise it and then it stabilized with small daily dosages.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I had the same problem in my tank. I have had good luck with Brightwell's NeoNitro and NeoPhos over the past 3 months or so. Took me a couple weeks to slowly raise it and then it stabilized with small daily dosages.

Did it help with your zoa health?

 

[Davis Hill]

Did it help with your zoa health?

I think so. My polyps are much larger now. I also switched to a Kessil a360x from an AI Prime HD which some have said helped increase their polyp size, but I still think the nutrients are also a primary contributing factor.

 

[Steven Garland]

I did see both of those,but seeming it kept mentioning ULNS I didn't think about using it. I guess I'll have to reconsider ? @Davis Hill

 

[Davis Hill]

I did see both of those,but seeming it kept mentioning ULNS I didn't think about using it. I guess I'll have to reconsider ? @Davis Hill

I thought the same thing as it mentions ULNS which is not what I was wanting. I first saw mention of these products in the SBB " High End Tenuis Hoarder" thread where he keeps high nutrients for his sps. I am using them in a tank which I only keep zoas and mushrooms in and have been keeping 10-25 Nitrates and .05-.1 phosphates for the past few months. If you want lower levels you can just dose less. It took a week or two for both parameters to start registering on my test kits but then they stabilized. In my system I do have to dose daily to keep them stable.

 

[Steven Garland]

Okay,I saw that and was like ehhh I'll try EVS B-Ionic Nitrates and MECORAL Phosphates but shoot,both bottles of the BWA stuff is $4 more than ESV.

I keep only Zoa's and Acan's,and even with feeding heavy,and 1 WC a month with no carbon,both are at 0ppm since the tank has cycled,like 7 months ago.

I know all my Zoa's should be bigger,because they were when I bought them and over time shrunk.

Zoa's like my Buttkissers,have shrunken and turned a goldish green,and some zoa's have dulled out while some are fine. My Bam Bam's are still perfect besides the small polyps.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I think so. My polyps are much larger now. I also switched to a Kessil a360x from an AI Prime HD which some have said helped increase their polyp size, but I still think the nutrients are also a primary contributing factor.

I can swap lights im in a biocube but I can raise nutrients. I don’t have a phosphate test, is raising it without a test dandgerous or will it just cause an algea outbreak?

 

[Davis Hill]

I can swap lights im in a biocube but I can raise nutrients. I don’t have a phosphate test, is raising it without a test dandgerous or will it just cause an algea outbreak?

I would suggest getting a test kit if possible. Hanna has a few good Low Range Phosphate/Phosphorous checkers.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I would suggest getting a test kit if possible. Hanna has a few good Low Range Phosphate/Phosphorous checkers.

I can’t afford a Hanna. I’ll hve to get a cheap test kit and maybe some additive for pho’s.

 

[Steven Garland]

Don't go API,go with Salifert. I'm sorry but if you can't afford a $20 Salifert test kit,your kinda in the wrong hobby.

API will give you spotty or false readings majority of the time.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Don't go API,go with Salifert. I'm sorry but if you can't afford a $20 Salifert test kit,your kinda in the wrong hobby.

API will give you spotty or false readings majority of the time.

Been doing this for 8 years. Never lost a coral yet. Pretty sure I can handle it. Also, where did you find one that cheap? I can't find a salifert test anywhere under like 50$ even just googling it. Id like to have a complete salifert test kit if I could find one for something reasonable.

Edit: Dont have a close LFS just Petco and petsmart so API is basically all I can find without references from others about where to order online.

 

[Steven Garland]

MarineDepot,BulkReefSupply,Saltwater Aquarium,Aquarium Specialty,Aqua Cave,Amazon all have Salifert kits for cheap. Salifert is half the price of Red Sea.

I use Red Sea for: NO3,NO2,NH3,Alk,PH.

Salifert for:
PO4,Calc,Mag. In the future Iodine and Potassium.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

MarineDepot,BulkReefSupply,Saltwater Aquarium,Aquarium Specialty,Aqua Cave,Amazon all have Salifert kits for cheap. Salifert is half the price of Red Sea.

I use Red Sea for: NO3,NO2,NH3,Alk,PH.

Salifert for:
PO4,Calc,Mag. In the future Iodine and Potassium.

I think I've been looking at red seas not salifert. I found a huge salifert kit that does basically everything for close to 100$ I think may be the best deal since I could trash this API kit for the Nitrate, nitrite, ect.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Any idea who has iodine tests I can trust? People say iodine can help them as well but I've never dosed it because I can't test for it.

 

[Steven Garland]

I have heard they all give off readings,but Salifert and Red Sea are the only ones I know off that would be even close.

I bought the RS Marine Care kit for $50 at Marineandreef which tests trates,trites,ammonia,ph & alk.

I have always just dosed about 4-5 drops of iodine 1-2 times a week and had success. I also only have a pico,sooo you could probably do maybe .5-1ml every couple of days to see what that does. In your tank it may or may not help with that small of a dose.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I have heard they all give off readings,but Salifert and Red Sea are the only ones I know off that would be even close.

I bought the RS Marine Care kit for $50 at Marineandreef which tests trates,trites,ammonia,ph & alk.

I have always just dosed about 4-5 drops of iodine 1-2 times a week and had success. I also only have a pico,sooo you could probably do maybe .5-1ml every couple of days to see what that does. In your tank it may or may not help with that small of a dose.

I think when I get home im going to try a longer, less concentrated H202 dip to try and remove any algae that is irritating them. Ive had a cyano outbreak and a red "dust" kind of algae is moving in over them but it can't be blown off using a sea squirt so im beginning to wonder if its some type of fungus or something.

 

[Steven Garland]

More flow. I have noticed whenever I had lower flow in tanks,I got the same algae.

Also,with the peroxide dip be careful. I have left then in too long and they bubble up and turn rock hard or bubble up then melt way. When I did it,I did about 45 seconds to a minute then rinsed off with tank water then put them back in the tank.