sickly zoas

**smaug** · 12-03-2011, 12:39 PM

Or palys. Im not sure cause Im such a newb. I have had this bunch for a few months now and up til about a week and half ago they were all fully opened.They got progressively worse ,I used to have them up high,then moved them mid way down then all the way to the gravel in open light now on the gravel in a cave.I really dont think its a light issue as they were up high for weeks under the new t5ho fixture.
ca 375
mg 1350
ph 8.0
dkh 13
phos 0
trate 0.5
77 deg f
1.025 sal
dose iodide,moly and stront, vit c
Lighting is 36" 6 bulb nova xtreme pro with 4 act and 2 10k bulbs.Last week I did an iodine dip followed by fw dip to several coral groups,this one cause it looked rough and the others prophalactically . Im including a pic of my very healthy zoa group for comparisen that I actually CAN keep these

ailedzoa.JPG

healthyzoa.JPG

**Cliff** · 12-03-2011, 02:00 PM

I would say it's due to your 0.5 nitrate level. UME, zoas do not do well in low nutrient systems. Form what I have read they do best in water with round 5ppm of nitrate (higher nutrient systems) A few weeks ago I started doseing the below coral food in addition to vitamin C.

My zoas are now starting to come around. MY one frag of blue zoas has 3 more heads on it. Still hasne’t opened as wide as he should, but it now starting to grow

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/revi...ct=441&cat=500

Using this stuff still allows me to keep my nitrates less than 1 ppm so I can keep any potential nasty algae growth at bay. So far this has been working great for me

**chrisfraser05** · 12-03-2011, 06:04 PM

I semi agree with Cliff but.......

I have had success with Zoas in 0 nitrate.

I think they are starving, you must be removing too much food from your system.

The reason mine are doing so well imo is I do not skim at all, I rely on an algae scrubber to remove Nitrate and phosphate. there is always plenty food in the tank for the corals :) I've been at 0 nitrate and phosphate for a long time now :)

Try some liquid food or liquidised seafood mix.

**smaug** · 12-03-2011, 08:01 PM

I think its these little monsters. I just picked up some coral rx and dipped the colony. The rock was crawling with these things. I have looked them up and they are a pest to zoas. Hopefully this is it. Thanks fellas.

zoa bug1.JPG

**chrisfraser05** · 12-03-2011, 08:43 PM

looks like a normal amphipod to me?!?!

**Cliff** · 12-03-2011, 08:49 PM

It's hard to tell, but it does look like some type of nudibranch to me.

Either way, a good dip won't hurt

**smaug** · 12-03-2011, 09:04 PM

I have read that an abundance of them is an issue,believe me ,there was an abundance of them.I dipped another zoa colony that seems fairly health and very few of them came off . It could be something different but the dip sure didnt hurt I dont think.

Gammaridean Amphipod