why do I suck at growing zoos?

[kypatriot]

My zoas all just waste away over time. At first, I thought I had a predator (did in fact, have a couple nudibranchs and spiders - both of which were eliminated by freshwater dips and a green coris wrasse).

The predator issues were obvious, as healthy looking zoas vanished quickly. But now it's been a year since all that, and my zoos all seem to just kinda shrink and wither (I'm talking over months' time).

What am I most likely neglecting? Do they need some kind of element or something that I'm not providing?

I have plenty of other kinds of coral that do well - SPS, LPS, leathers, etc - all do very well, except my zoas. I feel like I should be adding some kind of supplement and am not...

Any ideas come to mind?

[Rendos]

I am sure everyone would like to know more about your system before venturing a guess. What type of lighting, filtration, circulation, etc.

[kypatriot]

2 different ones with exact same results. 135g with 576W PC, 2 canister filters, a dual Bak-Pak skimmer (modified), and a hang-on refugium. Circulation is from 2 Koralia 3's, a MJ 1200, and the filter returns.

Other tank is a 40g with 500W MH, a 29g sump/refugium. Return is through a SCWD and it has 2 Koralia 2's.

Both tanks have pretty strong flow with a few spots of lower flow into which I've placed a few corals that prefer low flow.

The 135g has been running and healthy for 4 years; the 40 for 3 years.

[650-IS350]

Tank parameters please.. Like Nitrates, Nitrites, phos, mag. etc......

[NapoliNewJersey]

Zoos like dirtier water.

Maybe you don't have enough nutrients in the water.

Maybe you still have predators. Fresh water dipping isn't going to kill whats already in your tank.

[kypatriot]

Predators make sense - I did a series of freshwater dips (like every 2 or 3 days for over a week), and then put the frags in a 20g that had only them and the green coris.

He patrolled them constantly, and I saw him eat a nudibranch off them. I kept them together for about 2 months, and saw no more signs of predators before moving both the frags and the fish to my display.

Nonetheless, I understand that a predator in my display could be causing it.

One of the tanks isn't real clean - I harvest hair algae (and bryopsis @#$%$#) with each water change, while the other one is pretty clean with all my nutrient export being in the form of multiple macroalgae & a mangrove.

I think I'll leave my current zoos to live or die, and if they don't make it, I just won't replace them for at least a year, hoping the predator starves.

[flyyyguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12620667#post12620667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NapoliNewJersey
Zoos like dirtier water.



this is a myth written by people who discovered that zoas can tolerate cesspools more than other corals such as sps can.

They certainly dont like dirty or dirtier water. feed the tank...get it out before it rots is the name of the game.

Granted......they will do better in tank with higher hutrients and a little "dirty" they will a low nutrient tank that doesnt get fed....but they will do best in a clean tank that gets fed well with pristine water.

the same thing can be said for sps

[kypatriot]

I have SPS and LPS in both tanks that are doing very well. The SPS in the 40g grows like weeds.

[jeweldamsel]

Zoa's need iodide and other vitamins to survive. I am keeping a lot of zoa's, so I supplement them with Lugul's Sol and Reef Sol.

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12628274#post12628274 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeweldamsel
Zoa's need iodide and other vitamins to survive. I am keeping a lot of zoa's, so I supplement them with Lugul's Sol and Reef Sol.

Do you have anything to back up this statement (I'm assuming you're refering to zoanthids needing iodine supplements)? Also, if you know what vitamins zoanthids need to survive you're doing far better than most scientists. Lastly, we add iodine regularly in the form of food to the point that people that use things like nori are probably adding several times the natural concentrations of iodine per week.