Zoanthid Help Please

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Hi Guys

I have a new system running for 3 months. I have both fish and coral.

The tank is 120l I also have a DSB with a protien skimmer.

The temp of the tank is 27dc and the Nitrites and Nitrates are 0. i dont have any other testers. i also do a 10% water change every 2 weeks

All my corals are doing well but the Zoa's.

My first set of Zoas lasted for a week then closed and never opened a month ago, at first i thought it could be due to my tank being new. I then purchased a second set of Zoanthid 10 days ago, they opened perfecty for a week and are now closed for 3 days.

Please tell me there is some hope that they will open up again.
 
welcometomasa

You going to need to check your other parameters or you may have seaslugs that are making them unhappy, you would need to check very closely for these slugs (nudibranch)

Any idea what your pH, Alk and salinity are?
 
Welcome to MASA!:wave2:

No experience with zoas, sorry...
 
A very WARM welcome to MASA! Ren - what lighting do you have? Zoa's are generally hardy - unless something irritates them. Then they close up. Like eg. aptaisia, nudibranches (as Warr said - that might feed off the zoanthids).... oe perhaps something else........ What else would be irritating them? Nuisance algae perhaps? High phosphates perhaps? Take some of your water to a LFS to test....
 
The temp of the tank is 27dc and the Nitrites and Nitrates are 0. i dont have any other testers.

where did you get them? If locally, or if the shop you bought them from collected them locally (illegal), the water might be too hot at 27 degrees.

All my corals are doing well but the Zoa's.

What other corals do you have, and how long have you had them?

Hennie
 
welcome
have you tested for copper yet?
what lights are u using, how far is zoa's from light?
what is phos?
 
Hi there

Thanks for the warm welcomes.

I have one blue (18w) and one white (15w) light, they both are 60cm long. The Zoa's are at the bottom, 55cm from the light.

I will get the other testers this weekend. And put my temperature lower.

I am really concerned as many people said that they are so easy to grow.

I have seen worm like things but they are on a rock far away from the Zoa's, they are connected to the rock and trow out a web.

I dont know all the coral name. I do have two leathers brown and green star polyps and a mushroom. I have a green balloon like coral that has three balloons about 3cm in diameter when open, when closed in the evening it has tiny tenticles. I have also rd Zoa's that are doing well from the time i got the tank.

The Zoa's that are closed are purplish.

I will try to take a picture.

Sorry for giving you guys so little info as i am new in this game.
 
Welcome to MASA!seems as if your lighting isnt sufficient.raise the zoas towards the lights and monitor.also you might want to upgrade those lights to atleast t5s in order to keep your corals happy
 
Yup even 2 x 24W T5's are not sufficient - I tried to keep zoanthids under that lighting and it did not work. You need much better light.
 
Firstly welcome to MASA, secondly post some pics, it will help us to help you.
 
I would tend to agree. Lighting not adequate for an animal normally found in shallow rock pools.
 
Thanks Guys

Would I find a light that is more than 24w and not more than 65cm long, because thats the length of my tank.
 
Would I find a light that is more than 24w and not more than 65cm long, because thats the length of my tank.
I don't think so, your next best bet would be a 70w or 150w Metal Halide.
 
Thanks Guys

Would I find a light that is more than 24w and not more than 65cm long, because thats the length of my tank.

you could get some power compacts - the 36W 6500K PC's are only about 450mm long, and are BRIGHT. Here is a photo of mine, mounted in a DIY lamp holder made from a piece of PVC pipe.

10948370c248821d.jpg


Hennie
 
Welcome to MASA!

Your problem might be lighting, but it might also be allelopathy (chemical warfare with the leathers).
 
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