sea mat question

[secondtry]

I have what is a sea mat or zoanthoid colony, I don't know which or maybe it's the same thing, anyway it seems to be slowly dying. The rock was full of these button type creatures and now there are several bare spots. It has not spread at all. I don't have terriffic lighting, 230w of smartlamp over a 55g, but I understand that these are somewhat low light creatures. I have them in fair current. If anyone has had goo experience with these - I need some help> Thanks!

 

[adrian]

Have you tested your water quality, ammonia, nitirites, nitrates, pH, alk, Ca, PO4? Have you tried to move the polyps closer to the light?

 

[secondtry]

thanks for the response. My water quality is good and I have moved it closer to the light? Don't know what else I can do?

 

[mlm]

Have you troed feeding them? I feed mine a couple of times a week and I have them 2 inches below the waterline. In nature they are in very shallow water and sometimes they are exposed by low tide.

 

[secondtry]

mlm-thanks for the reply. Sounds dumb - but feed them what? I didn't realize they needed so much light. By the way how did you fit all your light on the back of a 55g. At most you only have 12 inches or so on the top?