melting zoas
- Thread starter mr_z
- Start date
SaylorsReef
New member
What else do you have in your tank? Do you have a FTS that you could post?
mr_z
New member
Lil BamBam
Premium member
I hate melting zoas.... Some have luck with them and others don't.. Place them in a different location and hope for the best ; )
SkullV
New member
<<<MOD EDIT: If you think it will get you in trouble, why mention it at all?>>>
In any case, try placing your zoas in an area with slightly higher flow then they are getting now. Often simple things like amphipods and other beneficial things can touch them enough to keep them closed all the time and just melt away.
In any case, try placing your zoas in an area with slightly higher flow then they are getting now. Often simple things like amphipods and other beneficial things can touch them enough to keep them closed all the time and just melt away.
Lil BamBam
Premium member
I have MH and placed on bottom.. They are doing ok now. But get a nice flow also : )
Heidi
New member
Hello Mr. Z, first off I am sorry to hear you are having issues. Since you don't seem to know what the exact problem is I will just give you some suggestions and tips that have worked for me. First let me say that no matter who you are if you have kept zs and ps you have melted some. This is just part of the challenge IMO. So here is stuff I have personally tryed I am sure there are lots of other tips, and trial and error are some of the best forms of reasearch in this hobby. Good luck!
1. My zoas do better when placed on a vertical surface rather then a horizontal one. This may be partly because I run leds and that way they can stretch if they need more light and be sheltered if they don't want as much light. All zoas like slightly different lighting.
2. Glue it somewhere and leave it alone. Once you find that place most zoas like in your tank glue down your frags so they can have a consistent environment.
3. Zoas grow in HUGE colonies in the wild, so my theory is they do a lot better in a clump then as single polyps. My rule is if there's five they stay alive
it's not imposable to probigated a colony from a single zoa, but it's not easy and it takes a super long time.
4. If its gonna die, dip it! So we all know what a melting zoa is and if they start to melt if we do nothing, they die. So dip the suckers it's worth a try here are some dips I have used personally and they have worked. Furan2 one packet to one cup of tank water, 30 mins. Iodine and coralRx combo in salt water I use a tablespoon of iodine to a cup of saltwater, and a 1/2 capful of coralRx. I would do both and the furan for a few days in a row. It's worth it IMO cause it was gonna die anyway.
5. Indirect low to medium flow. Clean water, stable tank with stable parameters.
Hope something here helps!!
Heidi
1. My zoas do better when placed on a vertical surface rather then a horizontal one. This may be partly because I run leds and that way they can stretch if they need more light and be sheltered if they don't want as much light. All zoas like slightly different lighting.
2. Glue it somewhere and leave it alone. Once you find that place most zoas like in your tank glue down your frags so they can have a consistent environment.
3. Zoas grow in HUGE colonies in the wild, so my theory is they do a lot better in a clump then as single polyps. My rule is if there's five they stay alive
it's not imposable to probigated a colony from a single zoa, but it's not easy and it takes a super long time.4. If its gonna die, dip it! So we all know what a melting zoa is and if they start to melt if we do nothing, they die. So dip the suckers it's worth a try here are some dips I have used personally and they have worked. Furan2 one packet to one cup of tank water, 30 mins. Iodine and coralRx combo in salt water I use a tablespoon of iodine to a cup of saltwater, and a 1/2 capful of coralRx. I would do both and the furan for a few days in a row. It's worth it IMO cause it was gonna die anyway.
5. Indirect low to medium flow. Clean water, stable tank with stable parameters.
Hope something here helps!!
Heidi
I have about 10 to 12 different types of Zoa's in my BC 29. My water quality is not that pristine, but they seem to do fine. I have blue hornets, purple hornets, cherry charms, bam bam's, devil's armor, magicians, ked reds, jokers, lunar's, eagle eyes, dragon eyes, and some pink paly's.
I started out with single or just a few polyps for a number of them. I lost some in the beginning. I would turn on a flashlight at night and I would see a couple of amphipods on them and they were basically eating them. This happened to me a couple of times and I lost the zoa (especially the magician’s) My conclusion was that the fragging and travel process was enough stress on them that the zoa weakened enough that the tank critters sensed it and ate them. I then went through a better acclimation process after that and elevated some more sensitive types of frags on a piece of PVC pipe for a couple weeks in an area where the amphipods would not likely get them, and I haven’t lost any since then. I’ll put new additions on a frag rack, and if they don’t open up within a day or two I’ll move them to the bottom quickly.
I have noticed that each type of Zoa has it's own preference from lighting to water flow which contributes significantly to their growth rate. Lighting has been the most important factor for me. When I upgraded my BC29 to LED’s, most of my zoa's did well, but some them did not take well, such as my Lunars which almost disappeared. They could not take the led lighting. I moved them to the bottom of the tank and tried different spots but they were shriveled and looked as good as gone. Their mat receded and the new buds just disappeared. I just put the lunar's in a BC14 with stock lighting (placement at the bottom) and they have started to revive. My Devil’s Armour also do not like intense light. I was getting ok growth under stock lighting, but with the LED’s I have had no growth and any new buds that were forming prior to the LED’s just disappeared. I just put them in a BC14 as well with stock lighting and they seem to be growing again. It’s the same thing with my magicians. They also do not like a lot of lighting. I had zero growth with medium placement, but when I moved them to the bottom of the tank with the LED’s they started growing and I went from 5 to 10 polyps over a couple of months but they have since slowed down. I just put them in the BC14 with stock light at the bottom and they seem to prefer that lighting better.
On the other hand, my blue hornets and cherry charms love the more intense lighting. I started out with 1 cherry charm polyp from the September Frag SWAP and I have 6 or 7 polyps now. Similar experience with the blue hornets.
I dose iodine once each week for them. Other than that I just watch them closely and I use the growth rate to determine their happiness. If I am getting decent growth rate, I’ll leave them alone, but if not, I’ll move them around until I can find a spot that they are at least sustained and not receding back.
I don’t know if any of this helps, it’s just my experience with them, my main point is that each zoa or paly type is unique and you have to figure out what conditions it likes and a lot of it is just trial and error until it seems happy.
I started out with single or just a few polyps for a number of them. I lost some in the beginning. I would turn on a flashlight at night and I would see a couple of amphipods on them and they were basically eating them. This happened to me a couple of times and I lost the zoa (especially the magician’s) My conclusion was that the fragging and travel process was enough stress on them that the zoa weakened enough that the tank critters sensed it and ate them. I then went through a better acclimation process after that and elevated some more sensitive types of frags on a piece of PVC pipe for a couple weeks in an area where the amphipods would not likely get them, and I haven’t lost any since then. I’ll put new additions on a frag rack, and if they don’t open up within a day or two I’ll move them to the bottom quickly.
I have noticed that each type of Zoa has it's own preference from lighting to water flow which contributes significantly to their growth rate. Lighting has been the most important factor for me. When I upgraded my BC29 to LED’s, most of my zoa's did well, but some them did not take well, such as my Lunars which almost disappeared. They could not take the led lighting. I moved them to the bottom of the tank and tried different spots but they were shriveled and looked as good as gone. Their mat receded and the new buds just disappeared. I just put the lunar's in a BC14 with stock lighting (placement at the bottom) and they have started to revive. My Devil’s Armour also do not like intense light. I was getting ok growth under stock lighting, but with the LED’s I have had no growth and any new buds that were forming prior to the LED’s just disappeared. I just put them in a BC14 as well with stock lighting and they seem to be growing again. It’s the same thing with my magicians. They also do not like a lot of lighting. I had zero growth with medium placement, but when I moved them to the bottom of the tank with the LED’s they started growing and I went from 5 to 10 polyps over a couple of months but they have since slowed down. I just put them in the BC14 with stock light at the bottom and they seem to prefer that lighting better.
On the other hand, my blue hornets and cherry charms love the more intense lighting. I started out with 1 cherry charm polyp from the September Frag SWAP and I have 6 or 7 polyps now. Similar experience with the blue hornets.
I dose iodine once each week for them. Other than that I just watch them closely and I use the growth rate to determine their happiness. If I am getting decent growth rate, I’ll leave them alone, but if not, I’ll move them around until I can find a spot that they are at least sustained and not receding back.
I don’t know if any of this helps, it’s just my experience with them, my main point is that each zoa or paly type is unique and you have to figure out what conditions it likes and a lot of it is just trial and error until it seems happy.
You may also want to try using Hydrogen peroxide. Put the zoas in a small container with tank water. Drop by drop put in HP until bubbles begin to appear allow it to soak 15-30 minutes. And rinse with tank water. It will clear up any fungal issues. It may control hair algae as well. The zoas will stay closed up for typically 30 -45 minutes after returning them to your tank. And then all is good.
Hydrogen peroxide is available at any drugstore/grocery store a bottle just cost no more than a buck or two and that much should last for years. It's cheap and very effective.
Hydrogen peroxide is available at any drugstore/grocery store a bottle just cost no more than a buck or two and that much should last for years. It's cheap and very effective.
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
Interesting. Are you looking for the bubbles to appear in the surrounding water or actually appear on the zoas?
Yes. Look closely for the bubbles fizzing and rising to the water surface from the zoas. They are extra small. I'm not sure if it will work with sps though. There are some in my local club BNARC( www.bnreef.com ) that are going to experiment further.
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
Thanks, please let us know how their experiment turns out.
FWIW, when you think about what is Hydrogen peroxide? H2O2 it breaks down to water and oxygen. There is some evidence that it will aid in reducing MICRO algae. (hair algae) And possibly eliminate it. HP is being used to control algae in ponds and lagoons fresh and saltwater with no known ill effects on fish and invert life. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not yet advocating putting HP directly into your tank. The jury is still out.
Although I have been hearing of Dinoflagelate control by adding 1ml HP/10 gallons of water. Again, I haven't tried this. If someone has a system that has been seriously neglected and doesn't mind a potentially bad situation. But it may be the simple solution to reinvigorating a neglected system. I'ld like to know more.
Although I have been hearing of Dinoflagelate control by adding 1ml HP/10 gallons of water. Again, I haven't tried this. If someone has a system that has been seriously neglected and doesn't mind a potentially bad situation. But it may be the simple solution to reinvigorating a neglected system. I'ld like to know more.