Zoa melting after purchase

[saltwatertabk]

I recently bought a frag of zoas and they looked like one by one each polyp would melt then move to next I noticed I pushed one one and it released brown pus I tried a revive dip and hydrogen peroxide later on and nothing stopped it and they all melted. I got another frag from this store and I notified same thing with just one polyp not sure if it will spread this time I already revive dipped does anyone know what’s going on or a fix. I have not picture but zoas look completely clean just very tightly closed I saw one with a little brown film not much just a little. Thanks

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Sounds like the zoa is expelling its zooxanthellae, which in your case it is dying.

How reputable is the pace you are buying them from?

 

[saltwatertabk]

Sounds like the zoa is expelling its zooxanthellae, which in your case it is dying.

How reputable is the pace you are buying them from?

Thanks for your reply, it is a local fish store have been going to for years never had any issues until now I think these zoas are from wild. It is just weird you’ll see on head close then you can see the polyp in middle from side as it’s melting then it melts and goes to next polyp I dipped it soon as I got it home hoping it won’t spread. Do you know any tips of what I should do to stop it if it does? Thanks again

 

[eliaslikesfish]

parameters? and a picture when you can would help diagnosis

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Thanks for your reply, it is a local fish store have been going to for years never had any issues until now I think these zoas are from wild. It is just weird you’ll see on head close then you can see the polyp in middle from side as it’s melting then it melts and goes to next polyp I dipped it soon as I got it home hoping it won’t spread. Do you know any tips of what I should do to stop it if it does? Thanks again

If it is expelling its zooxanthellae, that means something is not right.

It could be the LFS, but do you have any other corals in your tank? How are they doing?

Also, just wanted to say, I could be completely wrong, pictures of even the zoas would be good, and even better the brown stuff you see coming out of it.

 

[saltwatertabk]

If it is expelling its zooxanthellae, that means something is not right.

It could be the LFS, but do you have any other corals in your tank? How are they doing?

Also, just wanted to say, I could be completely wrong, pictures of even the zoas would be good, and even better the brown stuff you see coming out of it.

This frag doesn’t have it was last colony and would happen when I pushed on it, and my nitrates are 1-2ppm phosphates are .25 ppm alkalinity 9 magnesium 1500 and I have a a lot of coral sps all doing good growing fast hammer is a little smaller today all my other zoa colony’s are all open and healthy and I will post a. Picture in 2 minutes

 

[saltwatertabk]

parameters? and a picture when you can would help diagnosis

Thanks for your reply, my nitrates are 2ppm phosphates are .25 ppm alkalinity 9 magnesium 1500 and I have a a lot of coral sps all doing good growing fast hammer is a little smaller today all my other zoa colony’s are all open and healthy

 

[saltwatertabk]

If it is expelling its zooxanthellae, that means something is not right.

It could be the LFS, but do you have any other corals in your tank? How are they doing?

Also, just wanted to say, I could be completely wrong, pictures of even the zoas would be good, and even better the brown stuff you see coming out of it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I recently bought a frag of zoas and they looked like one by one each polyp would melt then move to next I noticed I pushed one one and it released brown pus I tried a revive dip and hydrogen peroxide later on and nothing stopped it and they all melted. I got another frag from this store and I notified same thing with just one polyp not sure if it will spread this time I already revive dipped does anyone know what’s going on or a fix. I have not picture but zoas look completely clean just very tightly closed I saw one with a little brown film not much just a little. Thanks

Zoas really dont expel any zooxanthellae but rather there are several things that trigger this. It can be as simple as too much light or water flow, sudden change of parameters and even using carbon dosing which reduces nitrates quickly. Assure salinity and Phos has not become elevated.
Often a simple dip in Lugols iodine can perk them up. Other factors why zoas close up are water movement/flow as zoas do not require the consistent high flow like SPS corals do. I would consider running moderate flow which is ideal but Zoa can adapt to low or high flow. In high flow, you will typically see polyps grow closer to the rock with shorter stalks.
Another is lack of feeding and food as lack off feeding and low nutrients can lead to a melt down. You dont need to target feed as zoas are photosynthetic. It is generally found that target feeding zoas always offers reactions when food falls onto their polyps.

For parameters, good water quality is a must.
Alk: 8.0 - 11
Calcium: 400 - 450
Magnesium: 1300 - 1350
Iodide: Maintained via water changes or manually at small dosages
Temperature: 78-79 degrees
pH: 8.1-8.4
Phosphates: .04 - .08
Nitrates < 10-15

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for your reply, my nitrates are 2ppm phosphates are .25 ppm alkalinity 9 magnesium 1500 and I have a a lot of coral sps all doing good growing fast hammer is a little smaller today all my other zoa colony’s are all open and healthy

Elevate them a little. Sand can potentially irritate them

 

[eliaslikesfish]

Thanks for your reply, my nitrates are 2ppm phosphates are .25 ppm alkalinity 9 magnesium 1500 and I have a a lot of coral sps all doing good growing fast hammer is a little smaller today all my other zoa colony’s are all open and healthy

I was going to say phosphates are a bit high and zoas like dirtier water so try to get nitrates up and phosphates down but if every other zoa is open and your sps are doing well that might not be it

 

[eliaslikesfish]

I was going to say phosphates are a bit high and zoas like dirtier water so try to get nitrates up and phosphates down but if every other zoa is open and your sps are doing well that might not be it

how did you acclimate?

 

[saltwatertabk]

how did you acclimate?

I had them in the bag for 30 minutes fish store is only 5 minutes away and put water into bag the bag slowly every 10 minutes also the bag was in the tank so got tempature acclimated then when it was ready I did decided to do a 10 minute revive dip then put into tank.

 

[saltwatertabk]

Elevate them a little. Sand can potentially irritate them

Alright I will have to find a low place as I just bought this frag from same store earlier today not sure if used to light yet.

 

[saltwatertabk]

I was going to say phosphates are a bit high and zoas like dirtier water so try to get nitrates up and phosphates down but if every other zoa is open and your sps are doing well that might not be it

Yeah not sure if it is .25 phosphate I did a master api test I need to upgrade to a salifert as I feel like it’s inaccurate. And I have 2 plating month then a monti setosa bird nest and a rainbow encrusting monti all growing fast.

 

[saltwatertabk]

Zoas really dont expel any zooxanthellae but rather there are several things that trigger this. It can be as simple as too much light or water flow, sudden change of parameters and even using carbon dosing which reduces nitrates quickly. Assure salinity and Phos has not become elevated.
Often a simple dip in Lugols iodine can perk them up. Other factors why zoas close up are water movement/flow as zoas do not require the consistent high flow like SPS corals do. I would consider running moderate flow which is ideal but Zoa can adapt to low or high flow. In high flow, you will typically see polyps grow closer to the rock with shorter stalks.
Another is lack of feeding and food as lack off feeding and low nutrients can lead to a melt down. You dont need to target feed as zoas are photosynthetic. It is generally found that target feeding zoas always offers reactions when food falls onto their polyps.

For parameters, good water quality is a must.
Alk: 8.0 - 11
Calcium: 400 - 450
Magnesium: 1300 - 1350
Iodide: Maintained via water changes or manually at small dosages
Temperature: 78-79 degrees
pH: 8.1-8.4
Phosphates: .04 - .08
Nitrates < 10-15

Thank you I think it would be good to dose some nitrates as my master api doesn’t show they are at 5.0 ppm

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah not sure if it is .25 phosphate I did a master api test I need to upgrade to a salifert as I feel like it’s inaccurate. And I have 2 plating month then a monti setosa bird nest and a rainbow encrusting monti all growing fast.

Have a different store that does not use API test for you as that would be high. Also lower white intensity with coral being new

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you I think it would be good to dose some nitrates as my master api doesn’t show they are at 5.0 ppm

No especially until you confirm results are accurate

 

[saltwatertabk]

Have a different store that does not use API test for you as that would be high. Also lower white intensity with coral being new

Yeah all my local stores used master api I’m located in Stuart Florida everywhere is all master api sadly. But I will get a Salifert phosphate test and get it tested with that.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

Went digging in my camera roll and found a pic of my first ever zoas, you can see where circled one half completely died over the course of the first month and that second half with just a little green visible didn’t open up for two whole months, I came to the conclusion that it was my parameters were whack, phosphates were at .30-.50 and nitrates were almost 0 - phosphates now range from .07-1.2 and nitrates 20. half made it through till I got everything right and stable and half didn’t

note: at one point they were expelling sort of a film that was brownish