Help! All my zoanthids are closed

[mjmccusker]

I am about to go crazy. All of the zoanthids in my system are closed, and the have been for over 3 months. I have done a hydrogen peroxide dip and a freshwater dip on all of them (I have about 6 different kinds...) over about the past month or so and there is still no change. The hydrogen peroxide dip did seem to get rid of some fungus on some of them, but the freshwater dip cleaned off nothing but a few small pods and some snails (not sundail though). I have looked at all times of the day and night and have yet to find one zoanthid spider, sundial snail, or nudibranch on any one of my colonies. Also, the zoanthids are not 'melting away', and some of them still look very plump.

I have a small system,10g with a 5g refugium of chaeto. I know there might be a problem with allelopathy among the zoanthids, but wouldn't one of the colonies be thriving while the others are closed off? Also, there is only a crocea clam, and two small xenia and clove polyp frags in there with them, each of which is thriving. There is only one fish in there right now, a yellow watchman, and some turbos and astreas. The only other thing I can think of is that my lights may be old, I am running a 70w MH unit about 8 inches above the water and the bulb is about 8 months old... it is a good bulb though and like I said this has been going on for months so I doubt this is it. My water parameters are good, too:

SG 1.024
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
Ca 1350
dKH 9-10
Mg 1525 (I know a bit high... but I doubt this would do it?)
Temp: 78-81
Lighting: 70W MH for 7hrs, actinic 2x18W 9 hrs
Flow: 2 90gph pumps, 1 koralia nano

See my closed colonies:

:sad::sad::sad:

My tank has been up and running for over two years now and I have been able to keep zoanthids fine until about 3-4 months ago. I am at my wits end and ready to throw my tank out. I know zoanthids can be finicky, but I would think at least one or two colonies should open. Any ideas?

 

[lkjr409]

Is that a typo on calcium? Is it really 1350? Ouch!

 

[adetamor]

Are you using an RO/DI or tap?

 

[KT 325]

Stray electrical current? Doesn't take much to irritate zoas

 

[cj_doede]

pest?

 

[mjmccusker]

Are you using an RO/DI or tap?

I use RO water with rather new filters, so that shouldn't be the problem...

 

[mjmccusker]

Stray electrical current? Doesn't take much to irritate zoas

I have looked for this and have not found it... maybe I should check again. I have never felt a shock from my water.

 

[ReeferBen]

Is the CA really that high? Must be a typo...

When this happened to my zoas it was b/c of zoa eatting nudis.

 

[Ericm1205]

how often do you test your alk? mine did this and i was having alk swings. My LFS friend went to MACNA and was talking to some speakers there and they confirmed what he and i were wondering about alk swings and zoas staying closed up, really tightly cosed up. check your alk 3x a day. morning before lights, afternoon and after lights. if your alk swings it will make them close up. i know mine did and i lost some and about 10 acro's cause of my alk swinging.

 

[650-IS350]

ALK and pH could be off... alk fluctuations or pH below 8.

 

[xrayrider]

Also make sure phosphates are not too high. This can also cause them to close up.

 

[mjmccusker]

how often do you test your alk? mine did this and i was having alk swings. My LFS friend went to MACNA and was talking to some speakers there and they confirmed what he and i were wondering about alk swings and zoas staying closed up, really tightly cosed up. check your alk 3x a day. morning before lights, afternoon and after lights. if your alk swings it will make them close up. i know mine did and i lost some and about 10 acro's cause of my alk swinging.

This could be very helpful and something I haven't checked. I know my PH goes down to about 7.9 before lights are on. Assuming I do have alk swings, what can I do to fix it? add more buffer?

 

[KT 325]

I have looked for this and have not found it... maybe I should check again. I have never felt a shock from my water.

Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it is not there. I discovered it in my tank once from a small scratch on my finger. With the other hand I felt nothing, the hand with the cut I felt a very slight tingle. I would unplug everything and see if they start to open.

 

[adetamor]

Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it is not there. I discovered it in my tank once from a small scratch on my finger. With the other hand I felt nothing, the hand with the cut I felt a very slight tingle. I would unplug everything and see if they start to open.

I've been experiencing some zoanthid and sps problems for about 2 months now. All my SPS died and zoanthids were closed and looked like they were melting almost. I moved the zoanthids to a friends and they started opening back up. Within the past 2 months, any cuts or scratches on my hand have felt almost acidic/burnt. I thought it was poor water conditions, but perhaps it was electrical current that I was feeling? Is that the feeling you were trying to describe? Would the electricity effect the fish? Because they all seem fine.

 

[KT 325]

Yes, it was a burn/stinging feeling. It does effect fish. May not kill them but definately stress them out!

 

[Ericm1205]

grab a volt meter and test your tank. i know from my hood i got the cables that hang the fixture. i know atleast 1 or 2 of them shock me if i touch it. never hurts to hit all bases

dosing to eaven your alk can be tricky. i grew tired of doing it and i broke down and bought a Ca reactor. best thing i ever did. i had some chalices that were totally bleached and now most have some color. i thought they were dead so i threw them under my frag rack and now i moved them up. most are 50% colored back.

as for dosing i would try a 2 part solution. i know some peple wh get great results frm the dual system from bulk reef supply. its fairly cheap too. i was trying to dose using reef code a and b, which is the pre made bottled stuff and i had only headaches. good luck

 

[Makbarracuda]

Were the lights changed within a month prior to this happening? i know my zoos hate me when i put in new bulbs. raise the lights or lower the zoos. they opened up soon after i moved mine low. they were closed for 3 weeks before i thought to do this.

 

[mjmccusker]

grab a volt meter and test your tank. i know from my hood i got the cables that hang the fixture. i know atleast 1 or 2 of them shock me if i touch it. never hurts to hit all bases

dosing to eaven your alk can be tricky. i grew tired of doing it and i broke down and bought a Ca reactor. best thing i ever did. i had some chalices that were totally bleached and now most have some color. i thought they were dead so i threw them under my frag rack and now i moved them up. most are 50% colored back.

as for dosing i would try a 2 part solution. i know some peple wh get great results frm the dual system from bulk reef supply. its fairly cheap too. i was trying to dose using reef code a and b, which is the pre made bottled stuff and i had only headaches. good luck

what is a volt meter and how do i use it? also, I have read that using a surge protector/power strip can mess up the electricity in my tank... any idea there?

 

[mjmccusker]

Were the lights changed within a month prior to this happening? i know my zoos hate me when i put in new bulbs. raise the lights or lower the zoos. they opened up soon after i moved mine low. they were closed for 3 weeks before i thought to do this.

No this started happening about 3 months after changing to a new bulb, and I have raised the light some but they have continued to close. I am about ready to trade the zoas in to the LFS

 

[mjmccusker]

grab a volt meter and test your tank. i know from my hood i got the cables that hang the fixture. i know atleast 1 or 2 of them shock me if i touch it. never hurts to hit all bases

dosing to eaven your alk can be tricky. i grew tired of doing it and i broke down and bought a Ca reactor. best thing i ever did. i had some chalices that were totally bleached and now most have some color. i thought they were dead so i threw them under my frag rack and now i moved them up. most are 50% colored back.

as for dosing i would try a 2 part solution. i know some peple wh get great results frm the dual system from bulk reef supply. its fairly cheap too. i was trying to dose using reef code a and b, which is the pre made bottled stuff and i had only headaches. good luck

as for dosing I use kent Superbuffer for Alk and Seachem calcium powder for calcium... isn't this the same thing as a 2-part doser basically? Really I don't need to dose much because most of it is taken care of with water changes.