need help asap

[aquaman515]

ok here it goes i have a couple of zoa frags ive had for like 4 months now they use to open very nice now they been closed for the past 4 days i also have 5 large colonies of zoas which are doing fine these been in my tank for like 2 months now...i already had a frag of zoas that melted away..im worried that this will also happen to my big colonys.. i just read on REEF CENTRAL people dosing VITAMIN C never heard of that..have any of u guys heard of this ? what could be the reason for them not to open up ? also my kenya tree is not fully expanding and turned white what could be going on ? any help would be gladly appreciated...

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

what are your parameters?

 

[aquaman515]

..

right now im at work will check when i get home...last time i checked..salinity was 1024 cal.450 ammonia 0 ran out of nitrate test kit will pick one up on my lunch break...doubt this can help for now..also need to pick up a alk test kit which test are the best...

 

[jadakiss]

Check ur temp and what is ur nitrate level. Try doing a water change that might help

 

[KathyC]

You need to have kits for:
Ca
Alk
Magnesium

Nitrite
Nitrate
Ammonia

The most trusted kits for the top 3 parameters are Salifert, Elso, Lamotte.
For the lower 3 items, I see no issue in using API kits (someone will say that isn't so, but I've been using them for years, have checked their results against the pricier kits and see no difference).

Regarding your issues with the zoas, are they melting away or are they flat out vanishing?
Was anything in the tank chamges immediately prior to the zoas not opening?
What lighting do you use?

A picture would be a huge help as would a list of what types of fish you keep..along with the parameters requested earlier

 

[Master Shake]

are there any new additions to the tank since this started: fish, corals, lights, any equiptment change like flow filter anything? How often do you water change? when did you last test your water?

 

[pdnyc69]

its probably your alk. i am going thru this right now

 

[IFoundNemo]

25 Reasons why your polyps won't expand.​

1. You have a zoanthid eating worm.

2. Sundial snails. ( I've experienced this ) Zoo eating snails.

3. A fish that is nipping at them, there are several well documented cases of this. ( I've experienced this )

4. An invert doing the same. ( I've experienced this )

5. Unstable or fluctuating parameters.

6. Large Emerald Crabs or a Sally Lightfoot. Both can and will
consume, kill and cause polyp retraction. ( I've experienced this )

7. Sea Spiders. ( I've experienced this )

8. If shipped, the water was much too cold and you placed it directly into your tank without slowly drip acclimating them. Or, the inverse, the water was too warm.

9. Nudibranchs ( I've experienced this )

10. Stray Voltage. ( I've experienced this )

11. Excessively high Iodine which would prove fatal.

12. Light shock

13. Polyps that were kept in PC or VHOs and then placed mid to high level under MH's without light acclimating them. Possible burning could also occur.
or
Polyps that were in maybe dual 175 SE Mh and then placed mid to high under 400 watt DE MH, will cause possible burning or a delayed expansion.

14. Other stinging corals.

15. Chemical warfare.

16. Overpowering current. ( I've experienced this )

17. Excessive collection of sediment. See post 1, 6 and 7 in the link below.

18. Nuisance algae around the polyps which will irritate them and prevent them from expanding. ( I've experienced this )

19. Temperamental, yes, they are, there may be nothing at all wrong, that simply don?t want to expand for that day.

20. Fungus

21. Bacterial infection. ( I've experienced this )

22. White lesions also referred to as Zoa Pox. ( I've experienced this )

23. Amphipods, which I have only witnessed eating sick, dead, dying, decaying polyps. Doesn?t mean they won?t eat perfectly healthy ones, I just haven?t witnessed it, some have.

24. Extreme hypo or hyper salinity

25. And the final reason may not be any of the reasons above. Why? Periodically, polyps will retract from days to 10 to 14 days, during which they will clean themselves externally. Then without any advanced notice, they will unfold like a flower or a summer?s morning.

http://homepages.tscnet.com/omard1/aquariumblog_Zoanthid.htm

 

[aquaman515]

woow took me long enough my alkalinty was kind of high and i also found some sundail snails in my tank how can i get rid of them must i do it manually or is there a certain fish that will do the job...THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE HELP...

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

You need to manually remove them. I would set up a quarantine tank for all zoanthids in your system and make sure they are sundial free and make sure your display tank is also sundial free.

 

[nycoralguy]

Keep your phosphate low, check your calcium, make sure your iodine level is right. Sounds like you shocked your corals.