something very wrong with my Zoas...plese help.

[handbanana]

I dont know whats going on here. My only guess is temp variations in the tank. It starts in the morning at 80 and when I get home at 6 its 82.8
I know these arnt nesacarrially bad temps Im not sure about the variations in such a short time.
Parameters.
Ph. 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
nitrates 10 ppm

[hr]
>
Salt Grav 1.025
The Zoas are about 8 inches from the stock lighting in a 12 gal Biocube.

 

[ajroc31]

It looks as if something was bothering it, perhaps another coral? Two degrees is not that bad, not something you want, but over that long of a period, its ok. My temp for some reason is doing it lately, probably the weather, but the corals did not respond in a negative way. On the other hand I am thinking that your water might be heating up much faster since my tank is so much larger. My tank is loaded with zoos, and they are fine. Maybe its a flow issue?

 

[aquaknight]

What's the concern with the zoas here? How long the stalks are, or how some of them seems to open/closed funny?

 

[jstdv8]

they don't look to bad to me, allthough Ive never seen stalks like that before.

 

[xcali1985]

My dad has the same corals, they are fine, they wont open all the way sometimes sometimes they droop.
Also as a side note with the temp issue. Zoas are often shipped simply wrapped in newspaper albeit its wet. But it has to experience more than a 2 degree temp change in a shorter period than what you experienced. IMHO nothing to worry about.

 

[handbanana]

Ok, thank you all.
Mainly I was concerned with how they seem to turn them selfs inside out. But now that its mentioned I dont know about the stalks either. Seems weird now that I think about them.
I never thought about flow causeing this. I plan on purchasing a small power head now. I upgraded the stock Biocube pump to a Rio 900 but thats still not enough, so thank you Ajroc.
The only coral near them is Xenia, could that be irratating them?
Thank you again, I was very worried.

 

[debbie]

They look fine to me but they are reaching for more light. I truly believe that zoas do better with more intense light. I just bought a T5HO fixture for my nano tank and what a difference it has made, they are where they should be now.
As for the flow, mine are in direct flow just off to the side a bit. I use a HOB filter and don't have a powerhead due to the size of my tank. So you could try and direct your flow towards them more and see what happens.
Zoas can be funny, its finding out what they like in your tank.
You also mention xenia near them, it could also be shading them from the light they need so that is why they could be reaching for light. Can you move them or the xenia?

 

[handbanana]

Thanks Debbie, Lighting was one of my Guesses as well.
I can move them to the top of the rock near the light but I think thats where the Xenia is going to end up eventually. Its climbing in that direction anyways now. I plan on getting a few more #'s of LR tonight so perhaps I can make a new spot for them.
Thank you.

 

[debbie]

Light with zoas is a huge factor as I have found out, so if you can move them they should shrink back down to the normal size if they are getting enough.
What size is your tank?
What kind of lighting?

 

[gilbert]

Are the stalks normally that long? Because my dad has a zoanthid rock and a few of the polyps have the long stalks. Also, I found in a book some button polyps that look a lot like what the pictures showed. Might it just be normal?

 

[handbanana]

Debbie, The tank is either a 12 gallon or a 14 ( I was told 12 gals dont exist) Biocube with stock Lighting- 24k day and 14k actanic (spelling ?)
Gilbert, The stalks have actully been that long since I got the rock. I actully bought the rock for Xenias that were on it and got a few small Zoas with it. The Xenia has since readomly relocated it self all over my 55 and Bio cube leaving the Zoas to grow. This is what they look like now. They were pretty tall and skinny when I got them.
Are the stalks supposed to be translucent? I can see small squigglys and bubbles inside the stalks sometimes.
I will post a pic when I get off work showing how long they really are in comparison to the tank.
Thank you again for the help.

 

[handbanana]

Here are pics of the Zoas I moved the up higher in the tank. They used to be to the right of the Xenia. I got some nice new LR.

 

[gilbert]

Those look quite a bit like my dad's. I think it's normal. As for the translucency, my anthelia polyps and some of my torch tentacles are transluscent, and my dad's mushrooms all have translucent stalks.

 

[posiden]

Sounds like you bought the tank used? If so, when was the last bulb change? PC's need to be changed pretty often when trying to grow coral. I would not let them go more then about 9 months.
As mentioned, the stalks are long due to them starving for light. Their reaching up for it. The same thing is happening with your xenia. Its climbing your rock work to a higher location to get more light.

 

[handbanana]

Thank you for the responses,
The tank was Indeed used. the origonal owner said that she replaced the bulbs every few months but who knows.

I have upgraded the actitinic lighting to LED's and it looks wicked, Ill have to go home and get the specs on what they were cuz I dont remember right now. I wanted to upgrade the daylight as well but the LED strip was twice the amount of the blues and I would need at least two.
I moved the Zoas up to the top of the tank but the looked as if they were getting stung by something so now their down low again.

 

[debbie]

Sometimes when you move them suddenly to brighter light they can bleach out and respond like they are, so maybe move them up slowly. glad you are happy with your new lights.

 

[handbanana]

Thanks Debbie
I moved the lil zoas lower and the seem better, Im going to put them at the level of my zoas that are thriving. see what happens.
I cant wait to get the daylight LEDs, eliminate some of my heat issues
Thanks again!

 

[jstdv8]

Hopefully you've done your homework on the LED's, Most of the products out there are supplemental lighting at best and not suited for growing coral on thier own.
And the ones that are powerfull enough to grow are crazy expensive.
LED's are the wave of the future, but right now the future is really expensive.

 

[handbanana]

I got cha JSTDV8
The LEDs I bought were $75 for a small strip of actanic( I still cant spell that damn word). I can honestly say it makes the tank much brighter, however, I am still a skeptic that LED lighting is equil to T5's or even PC's, and definatly not MH's.....I love my MH's
The white LED's are $210 for a strip of 12 so maybe they are good, I wanted them at first, but I would rather buy new bulbs for all my lighting than one of those LED array deals. And I would need two, so thats kinda hefty.
I like the way the blues make my tank look and MAY go and get the UV lighting LED strip they had( it made the yellows pop more in the tank and was cheap.) I dont ssee the point other that it looks sic.
I'm with ya tho. I know people will swear LED is the best but I would rather know for a fact that my lighting is working, not be told by LFS people. I wanted them at first due to good marketing by the guy who sold me the first set and how great their DT looked with them. Then again they had 4 sets of white, 3 of blue and 3 of the UV. So no wonder it looked good.Im over it now.

 

[pepito113]

Originally Posted by Handbanana
http:///forum/post/3279725
Here are pics of the Zoas I moved the up higher in the tank. They used to be to the right of the Xenia. I got some nice new LR.
Sorry for bringing this up but do the clown fish have Ich??? They appear to have white spots on them?