Zoas receding or melting?

[MizTanks]

I would continue the water changes and just feed more.

See now there's my problem. I'm fighting with some Digitate Hydroids and am trying to limit the amount of feedings. Trying to feed the fish only. Cut back on my coral food Those lil buggers would have a feast on the Coral Extacy

[bigbill]

2x Orange FF and that be it

---------- Post added at 11:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 PM ----------

Hate to say it but they were all doing wonderful before I started up my skimmer. So I think I'll just ease up on the 6g bi-weekly WC. Try every 3-4 weeks maybe??

@Chris: I use a baster just about every day on my rock and do so gently around the zoos too.

ok would agree 100 % with SP

[jstan]

I had those hydroid things, I literally scraped then off the rock with an exacto knife( out side of the tank, then rinsed in a separate bucket of tank water, then back to the tank), till I was scraping the top layers of rock off as well. That was a couple of years ago, and they never came back.

---------- Post added at 08:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 PM ----------

Then you can start feeding again. Just keep up with water changes. And skimming.

[11purewater]

I find any of my zoo's that won't grow or recede gets put into my frag tank under only actinic lighting for 1 month with a 12 hr light cycle.they tend to come back better than ever in my DT once i move them back.I'm not sure why , but it works and I never have to do it again.

[binford4000]

I think the fish list request was a good question honestly. One thing about zoa's and palley's there's lots of pest that can effect them like flatworms,spiders and mites. Serious ,really ,this is true. I would suggest you dip the effected colony in revive. Give it a good bath in a glass bowl and look for small spider looking bugs then rinse it in another bowl with freshly mixed water and use your Baster also then look again.Then see if they come back. Zoa's will receed to protect the colony then magically reappear when the threat leaves or starves off. If you see something that looks odd goto zoa.com and look it up and follow the advice given. I would not blame the skimmer. Your skimmer is more for the benefit of removing the waste from fish and adding oxygen to your water column. Zoa's and palley's do like slightly higher No3's (10-30 ppm) also as suggested by my nemesis . Adding lipids and rotifers would be good and zooplankton also but a bath would be my first reaction. Good luck !

[MizTanks]

There's no way I can dip anything as they are all attached to the main rock. So I'll just have to pray that whatever it is will work itself out.

[estanoche]

well.... ive had the zoa-melties plague for years - and IMO, assuming its not a predator or zoa pox.... dipping doesnt help... so dont feel bad :D haha

[binford4000]

There's no way I can dip anything as they are all attached to the main rock. So I'll just have to pray that whatever it is will work itself out.

Well hope it works itself out. ,!! I have mixed revive up in very low mixture and used a Baster and applied it to colonies that I couldn't remove. I did a water change right after doing it tho . Good luck

[jstan]

They may melt then, I've had so many melt for "no reason". I've given trying to figure it out. Some are great for years, then over night they take a crap.

Though I've recently starting peroxide dipping my zoas in a 4:1(1cup peroxide, 1/4 cup tank water) peroxide to salt water ratio(let sit 5min), and have had great luck bringing any on the verge of melting back to full glory. Also works great for hair algae growing on the zoas.

[jimsflies]

Well hope it works itself out. ,!! I have mixed revive up in very low mixture and used a Baster and applied it to colonies that I couldn't remove. I did a water change right after doing it tho . Good luck

Revive in the tank? Interesting...but it seems risky though.

I've lost plenty of zoas to random melting. I recently saved one of my larger colonies although not before half completely melted away. I didn't do any thing this time other than direct flow right at it for a few weeks. I would say this is one of my better success stories having tried every concoction from peroxide to vitamin C. The newer half of the colony is already growing back in over the half that melted.

I noticed this time it started on the older part of the colony. I wonder if zoas are "programmed" to eventually die back at some point? I think one of the best defenses against melting is having larger colonies and multiple frags.

I have also had good luck moving smaller frags when I notice problems. I think they are either unhappy about their flow or light or both and changing it often helps get them to come back around.