Zoas mysteriously withering

[ReeferBean]

Another update: nothing’s improved. It’s only slowed down if that.
Yesterday:

Today:

Man this sucks. Regardless of the dipping, there is a virus or bacteria running in the system that dipping will do nothing for. Still no concrete solution on what I can do for the system....

i have dr Tim’s eco balance coming in the mail today. Im going to dose this in hopes of resetting bacterial diversity in the system for potential bacterial issue. I’m also going to start dosing vitamin C tomorrow to improve immune support for potential viral issue.

Why not try relocating those frags? Or give a friend the more expensive ones before they totally close and melt? Move the ones on the sand higher up and see if anything changes?

 

[mfollen]

I have relocated the affected zoas in the tank after another dip. Higher flow on bare bottom.

otherwise i would think no other local reefers would want to introduce an unknown issue.

 

[Dragonreef202]

I have always had zoas just die off in my tank. I take it as some will live and some will die

 

[mfollen]

For anyone who has this happen to them. Chemiclean is the answer.

I dosed in my display and after the full two day treatment, so far (knock on wood) all the remaining polyps seem to of recovered with the bacteria negatively impacted by the chemiclean.

Please spread the word to those who have zoanthids wither with no known cause.

 

[ScottB]

What led you to try using Chemiclean? You felt it was a bacterial infection or you had input from another thread?

The rumor is Chemi is erythromycin.

Anyway, glad to hear the situation is improving. Keep us posted.

 

[mfollen]

I got some advice from a well known farmer to take the frags out and dose chemiclean in QT as a hopeful solution.

After reading more about chemiclean not negatively impacting acros, I decided to go straight after the strain in the system and dose chemiclean to the display.

so far! It worked.

 

[Roshisatoshi]

I’m experiencing the same problem and have tried revive and three day treatments of furan. No improvements... did fly dose the recommended for chemi clean?

 

[mfollen]

Pursue chemiclean only after you’ve QA’d other more common potential issues. The bacterial issues are real, but are not common. Only use chemiclean after doing your homework. It was a great success for me and I lost no coral. But that was after heavy research and careful application.

 

[ScottB]

Pursue chemiclean only after you’ve QA’d other more common potential issues. The bacterial issues are real, but are not common. Only use chemiclean after doing your homework. It was a great success for me and I lost no coral. But that was after heavy research and careful application.

I'll second this note of caution and raise another hazard warning. Don't dose Chemiclean if your nutrients are on the low side. The bacteria you lose to Chemi are a part of keeping dinoflagellates suppressed. If the film algae doesn't have enough nutrient available to replace the bacterial film, that is the cue for dinos to take over.

The sequence I described here is informed speculation. I could be missing or wrong about some of it. But over in the big dino threads there are hundreds of examples of folks getting dinos after Chemiclean. The risk is very real.

 

[Roshisatoshi]

I’ve done three days of furan, today is the 5th “rest day” and a couple rounds of revive prior. Still no improvement, did your zoas look like mine before the treatment?

 

[mfollen]

Yes. With the slight brown film. Likely bacterial if all your nutrients and ICP tests check out. And of course no other pests.

 

[StacyW]

Hello, i had a similar problem to you.

So i got a small 100ml perfume spray bottle of ebay and filled it with 3% Hyrogen Peroxide, then sprayed the rock with a fine mist but, accidentally caught the Orange Oxide Zoa. There was a slight emanation from the Zoa but it immedatiely brightend up. Need less to say, the spray was very minimal but, i put the coral back in the tank and has stabilised and seems happy again.

In all honesty, have not done the above again. But, this might help.

 

[mfollen]

Hydrogen peroxide dips did not work for the bacteria strain I had. It can be beneficial for a variety of irritants though for sure.

 

[Tahoe61]

Great to hear of your success with chemiclean.
Curious (and I may have missed it) do you run a UV?

 

[mfollen]

Yes, appropriately sized UV. This bacteria or whatever it was seemed to mostly spread locally. But did jump throughout the tank.

someone advised me to treat in a QT tank. but I wanted to eliminate it from my system to prevent it re-emerging which is why I pursued treatment in display. Wipe it clean.

 

[danschoenherr]

I have had success with ChemiClean also, but I believe it also harms some beneficial bacteria also. You could try doing a dip with ChemiClean also......just dont know how much powder would be needed.