Finding a happy medium???

[CHEMCHEF]

I have fairly recently gotten serious about coloring up my sps so I have been doing more water changes and keeping params in check.
I also have added a phos media reactor.
I feed every other day. Mysis, cyclops, oyser feast, selcon, formula two, Ground clams, oysers, garlic extereme, norri (unroasted). This is my personal recipe and I have been using it for a long time.
Now my zoas seem to be melting.
Tank seems to be running ULN.
Could this be why my zoas are melting?
Am I going to have to decide between Zoo's or SPS with great color???

 

[CONSTANTNE]

Have you changed lighting or bulbs out lately? Or adding fresh carbon? (usually clarifies water and allows for better light penetration)

I have an all SPS tank with a few zoas. I stopped buying zoas because I barely have any luck with them but the ones that have survived are doing great.

 

[tosiek]

How do you know your tank is already running ULN? how much phos to gallons? And I agree with constantine, when did you change your lighting and what are you running?

 

[NYreefNoob]

zoa's are known to melt off for no apparent reason, have you added any zoa's in last month ? do you notice any white dots on the stalks of the zoa's. after lights out check for nudi's

 

[MIKE NY]

I have the same problem some zoas do well and others don't for whatever reasons as long as my SPS are doing well I'm good and whatever zoas survive so be it....I don't try expensive zoas...LOL

 

[Deep Dive Coral]

from my research.... zoo's need a little less "clean" water to really thrive. they do need some kind of traces of nutrients. there have been some extensive research done on this. if anyone can comment on this is prattreef..... yes im calling you out big guy. :tongue1:....... also dr mac did a write up, and from my own personal experience diving i saw this first hand.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

It could also be due to the change in parameters. I have had many setups where SPS was the focus and always used zoas to fill in some of the open space with color, so they can be kept together with success. I think once the tank is where you want it you can add zoas again safely.

 

[CHEMCHEF]

A little more about the tank. Solana 34 gal Tunze 9002 modded Skimmer MP10, TLF Phos Reactor.
Setup is 2-5 yrs old.
Params are as follows.
Alk 9.5 Hagen
Cal. 450 Elos
Mag 1350 Red Sea
Amonia 0 API
Nitrate 0 Elos
Ph 8.2 API
Phos. .01 maybe less Sailifert
Changed over to ESV salt last week. 5 Gal. water change.
Bulbs were changed 6 weeks ago, fixture is NEP 20" 2X Daylight 4X Actinic
Carbon is changed once a week via Deep blue carbon pad cut to fit overflow trap.
I'm only really asking because I have had these zoa's for like 3-4 yrs. and never seemed to have a problem with them. Aside from very slow growth.

 

[knutez24]

ime switching salts could have something to do with it, or did this start before?