I've listening to the podcast for some time now, but it finally occurred to me that I could post asking for help about one of the most nagging problems in my tank.
For the longest time, I have had the most difficulty raising any Zooanthids, supposed one of the most easiest corals to take of. I've tried several times, and they have all perished. I can attribute the losses in the past to some mistakes (usually too quick acclimation), but this time, I tried to do it right, but am having problems. So I thought someone might be able to help save my zooanthids.
The scenario:
I recently bought a healthy-looking brown zooanthid (Palythoa caribaeorum) from a LFS I trust. I did drip acclimation for a little over 2 hours. I placed the zooanthids at a mid-level area in my tank with my lights still on. About 15% of the polyps opened up. Lights went out an hour later. Next day, when my lights kicked in, no polyps opened. I feared over exposure, so I placed two white papers over the tank cover to help diffuse some of the light and cut down the intensity. Still no progress by day 2, so I moved it down in the tank. Another day went by and no polyps opened. Finally, moved it to a third location on the other side of the tank where a ledge provides a nice shade. It's been there for two days, with no change in progress.
My tank:
55g reef with ETS skimmer and refugium. Using a squid wavemaker on Rio 17HF return.
Salinity: 1.024
Temperature: Varies between 78.9-80.8F
Lights: 3x96W PCs (1 daylight, 1 actinic, and 1 50/50)
Fish: Koran Angel, Flame Hawkfish, Chromis, Percula Clownfish, Green Wrasse
The funny thing is that most other corals do great. My bubble tip anenome is doing great, split a total of three times this year alone. I also have a torch coral, frogspawn, hand-waving xenias, green star polyps, and hairy mushrooms that are doing great. So why can't I seem to get zooanthids going?
I've attached images if it helps you diagnose my problem. I really need help to figure out how to raise these corals, as it's probably the most discouraging thing I have to deal with. Thanks!
I'm sure this isn't related and it was an attempt to save the zoos but you really shouldn't move coral around as frequently as that. You have to give them time to adjust before you move them to a new place... to have to try and adjust again.... and again. It really stresses them out to be handled so much.
They do fine, actually better, under light. Sure they may need a period of acclimation if the light is way brighter than it had been previously, but I bet this isn't the case.
There is a chance of allelopathy going on on your tank that particularily affects zoanthids. I couldn't grow xenia in an old tank of mine... no way... no how. Lots of water changes and the use of premium carbon helps with that. Green Star Polyps are particularily noxoius.
I doubt there is a zooanthid predator in there but I guess it's always a possibility. Check on the zoos at night and see if anything is moving around on there. Put it in QT and see what "develops". But where they aren't really opening from day one it very well may not be an issue of predatation.
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Last edited by Seahorsedreams; 01-03-2007 at 02:37 PM.
my "guess" would also be towards some type chemical fallout, or reaction.
as Renee recommended i woudl look at running some good carbon for a week or so and then maybe trying again (and refrain from moving it everyday.. )
some of these situations can be very difficult to troubleshoot. it looks like you have done a lot already.
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just outta curiousity, what type of light were the "palys" kept under at the LFS? they may be adjusting to the new lighting, even if your lighting is dimmer.
Lighting adjustment even with this type of coral (zoos) can take a fairly long time. I bought a colony from the LFS right before X-mas, it has 60-70 polyps, first day maybe 5 opened. It's steadily been growing since, as of tonight I have 20 or so open and out with the only change in params being light. My light is brighter but everything down to salt brand and RO/DI source water are the same.
I can't really see from your pictures but i will try and gt pictures of mine, but they look just like some zoo' that i have and mine need alot of light. Mine are kinda tall about 1-1 1/2 and have a light green center. When they were in my old tank they were almost always closed and then when i moved them to my new tank with the MH they have taken off like weeds. I got mine from a friend that has low lighting and the reason he gave them to me was because they never opened up. I will try and take a picture of them for you tomorrow when my lights are on and you can compare.
Thanks for your replies. I just added the reef carbon.
At the LFS, they were about 8" away from two 36" VHO's (actnic and daylight)
In terms of what's going in the tank, I don't dose with anything. About a week before the zoos came, I did a 15% water change (I use Reef Crystals to get my trace elements).
From what I hear from you guys, brighter the light, the better, but I guess I should wait some time before I attempt to move the coral again. Do you think 2 weeks is a long enough wait?
I have three zooanthid colonies that were doing very well for six months, and now are doing poorly. However, my water parameters are better than they have ever been... to the point that I have been slowing my water changes from once a week to once a month. Everything else in the tank seems to be doing exceedingly well, just not the button polyps. Sad, because they really have been a showcase item for me.
Even wierder, three of four are doing poorly, the fourth is doing gangbusters well!
I have been seeing a new type of HH snail at night that I have not had the time to ID. Definitey HH, white and brown shell.
So is it my water changes (or lack thereof) or this HH snail?
Love your input. Save my Button polyps!
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Mine are much smaller. Hard to spot. They are white and brown, the brown is more of a tan color, and they have an alternating pattern SIMILAR to this, yet different.
They are mainly nocturnal, I will have to keep looking at night and pull one or two out to photograph and ID...
I assumed that you guys were going to hammer me for not changing my water more religiously.
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I also saw a HH crab I had never seen before. I don't think it was an emerald crab. Seemed lighter in color to me.
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You say you have tried zoas several times. When you purchase the colonies, are you getting the exact same species everytime or different types? Where does your LFS get the zoas from? How much time are you waiting after one dies before you buy the next colony?
I don't agree with zoas being light needy. Every zoa that I had under MH's wasn't very happy (had about 5 species in the nano from time to time.) They were 15" from a 150w bulb sitting at the bottom of my tank. They were always open, but very slow growth. I have no less than 20 types of zoas species in my 72g which has 4-65w PC's (2 actinics, 2 10K) and all thrive and do well.
Acclimation: Unless you are buying some strange 'super picky' zoa species every time you are at the fish store, then I don't think acclimation killed your zoas. I now realize how incredibly hardy zoas are after my zoa eating nudi's experience and FW dipping them for 5-10 minutes at a time in cold RODI water and no adjusting for PH or anything. Before they went into QT, they came from my 72, then FW dipped, and then into a QT tank with completely new sw. No acclimation was done at all. There was one zoa rock that was very small and only had 2 small zoa polyps and I left it in FW for 25 minutes accidentally and it still survived. I think I did 3 dippings total while they sat in QT. ALL my zoas survived- all the varieties, all the species.
From the information you gave, I can't rule out a predator which explains the questions I asked at the beginning of this spill. It only takes one colony with nudi eggs to have a problem. My beautiful
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