Reviving zoanthids?

[Sharkbait hoohaha]

I took my daughter to ***** last night to look at the kittens. While we were there, I noticed that they had a fist-sized zoanthid colony for $20. I asked the guy if he had seen them open, and he said they didn't open very often. He said they had been there for 4 weeks and they were about to be moved out. They didn't look terribly happy, but I told him I would try to revive hem if the price was right. He marked them down 50%, and I brought them home to the hospital tank. I figure at the very least, I'll end up with a piece of live rock eventually. At best, I'll have a nice zoa colony. I put them under full spectrum lights and "dosed" the tank with phytoplankton. I haven't seen them open yet, but I don't think they are quite gone. They still glow (a little)under the blue light.

Can anyone suggest ways to revive them?

 

[luvmyreef]

Well, it can be a number of things. My experience is that they may not like the flow they were in, or the light, or something is bothering them. Use a magnifying glass to check for anything around the polyps like pests or algae, etc. also check for zoa pox, etc. A coral dip is good to use as well. Any pics?

 

[Sharkbait hoohaha]

I’ll try to get a pic.

What kind of dip do you recommend?

 

[luvmyreef]

Coral rx is a good dip to use.

 

[Sharkbait hoohaha]

Here is a pic taken a couple of days ago. They look even less happy now. I ordered a bottle of Seachem Reef Dip online, and it should arrive tomorrow, but I may stop by my LFS on my way home today to see if they have the Coral fx in stock so I can dip them tonight. It will be interesting to see what kinds of critters come off of these things. Something has clearly got them upset.

 

[luvmyreef]

That is a nice size colony. It looks like some are opening. I would definitely dip them though, probably a few times over the course of quarantine. Keep your parameters in the norm, and watch your flow as well. Ive had to move zoos to different locations in my tank many times. I usually ended up with them either mid to lower tank or on the bottom.

 

[Sharkbait hoohaha]

Only about half the colony is pictured. I was zooming in to get a close view. I couldn't believe they had this marked at a $20 regular price. If they survive, I got a real bargain!

They were opening up a bit more last night, so I'm hoping that they will pull through after I dip them. How much time do you recommend between dips?

 

[luvmyreef]

well, I would wait and see what they are going to do for now. They could of been in an environment they didn't like. I would dip them at least once before adding into the display once you quarantine them for awhile. You never know what kind of pests that can hide in a colony like this. What you find will determine if you need to dip again or not. Coral Rx is a good dip for algae, pests, etc. Hopefully they do well and you will end up with a nice zoa colony!

 

[Sharkbait hoohaha]

This is the morning after the first dip. Not much came off that I could see. A couple of copepods and some small detritus. There may have been other stuff in there that I didn't see. In any event, they look happier. I'm going to let them go for a week or so and then decide whether I will dip them again.

 

[Sharkbait hoohaha]

They seem to be happier now!

 

[luvmyreef]

Awesome! Glad they are doing well.

 

[spanko]

Well there they are. Peek-a-boo!

 

[Sharkbait hoohaha]

So, after a couple of months, here they are in the main display tank. They seem to be happy! I'm planning on setting up a small reef tank, so I might end up moving the zoas to that.