Zoas acting funny

[GRFMotorsports]

OK, I have noticed the last few days some of my zoas aren't opening up like they use to. Random ones seem to be closed one day and open the next. After further investigation I noticed a bug on them I dont remember seeing before, maybe it has always been there, maybe not. It looks something like a pod, maybe 1 to 1.5 mm long, skinny and maybe a little fuzzy on the sides. I'll try to catch one and take a pic but look what I came home to tonight. All of the polyps are half open and it looks like something out of the movie Alien around the mouth. protruding up and out a mm or so. Also they dont react to touch, no shrinking of the polyp.

Any ideas??

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/GRFMotorsports/Fish%20Tank/DSC00457.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/GRFMotorsports/Fish%20Tank/DSC00457a.jpg

[SIR PATRICK]

Did the bug look anything like this? Possibly w/ color?-

http://www.coralrx.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=23

[GRFMotorsports]

Nope, not like that. I dipped a couple corals and looked to see what fell off...

I found a couple of these but I dont remember them looking this dark when I saw them on the zoa so I am not sure if this is actually them or not. They looked more white to me.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/GRFMotorsports/Fish%20Tank/DSC00463.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/GRFMotorsports/Fish%20Tank/DSC00460.jpg

[scadsobees]

I have some that after I got them a few at a time would look like that, shrivel up and then dissappear. Don't know why, scared the heebiies out of me at first, but it is only the one strain of zoa and didn't see any bugs or nuthin. Looked quite similar to yours, a little inside out.

Coral dip seemed to help, but I've since gave up and I'm letting them do what they want to. And it is only the one type. All the others types/varieties/colors are fine and flourishing.

[MUCHO REEF]

Those are baby shrimp. I doubt they are pictol shrimp unless you heard clicking coming from your tank.



Lets start with the link below.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1852463




Then check out this link and see if anything rings a bell.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154238

[GRFMotorsports]

Well I checked my params... hadnt done that in a while and they are a little off which might explain random closings...

Nitrates @ .25ppm
Phos @ 5 ppm
KH @ 7
Cal @ 350
Sal @ 1.022
Temp 78-81

The cal is low do I need to add some but I guess my main concern is the second pic, it looks like it ate something that tried to escape from the inside out.

I agree the bug kinda looks a little like a shrimp but not anything like my cleaners babies I have running rampant in the tank. The only other shrimp in the tank is a lone Fire shrimp.

Those orange zoas in the pic have been in my tank for a month or so and done well until yesterday. None of my other zoas looked like the "Alien" reference, just randomly closing.

As for the second link....

1. You have a zoanthid eating worm.

2. Sundial snails. Nope

3. A fish that is nipping at them, there are several well documented cases of this. None in the tank

4. An invert doing the same. Ive been watching.. I havent seen any

5. Unstable or fluctuating parameters. Maybe

6. Large Emerald Crabs or a Sally Lightfoot. Both can and will
consume, kill and cause polyp retraction. On rack, no crabs can reach

7. Sea Spiders. nope

8. If shipped, the water was much too cold and you placed it directly into your tank without slowly drip acclimating them. Or, the inverse, the water was too warm. nope

9. Nudibranchs didnt see any

10. Stray Voltage. dont thin so

11. Excessively high Iodine which would prove fatal. nope

12. Light shock nope

13. Polyps that were kept in PC or VHOs and then placed mid to high level under MH's without light acclimating them. Possible burning could also occur.

or

Polyps that were in maybe dual 175 SE Mh and then placed mid to high under 400 watt DE MH, will cause possible burning or a delayed expansion. Nope

14. Other stinging corals. Nope

15. Chemical warfare. ??

16. Overpowering current. nope
17. Excessive collection of sediment. See post 1, 6 and 7 in the link below.

http://www.michiganreefers.com/forum...ighlight=Mucho nope

18. Nuisance algae around the polyps which will irritate them and prevent them from expanding. nope

19. Temperamental, yes, they are, there may be nothing at all wrong, that simply don’t want to expand for that day.

20. Fungus Didnt see any

21. Bacterial infection. Didnt see anything

22. White lesions also referred to as Zoa Pox. nope

23. Amphipods, which I have only witnessed eating sick, dead, dying, decaying polyps. Doesn’t mean they won’t eat perfectly healthy ones, I just haven’t witnessed it, some have. Maybe

24. Extreme hypo or hyper salinity nope


25. And the final reason may not be any of the reasons above. Why? Periodically, polyps will retract from days to 10 to 14 days, during which they will clean themselves externally. Then without any advanced notice, they will unfold like a flower or a summer’s morning.

[MUCHO REEF]

I would bring those parameters in line.

Also, how long have you had them?

This is gonna sound stupid, but what if anything have you fed your tank recently and is it something new you haven't fed before?

Mooch

[GRFMotorsports]

I have had those frags for a month or so, nothing new in the tank diet other than frozen rotifers

[XSharkboyX]

It looks like the frags were placed up high onto a frag rack... How did you light aclimate them to your tank?

Also, how often, and how much at a time, are you feeding these frozen rotifers? Whats the exp date on them?

[GRFMotorsports]

They are up pretty high, maybe 3-4 inches below the water surface. PC lighting 8 hrs a day, did a float to equalize temp for a couple hours them dropped them in. They were on a rack about 8-10 from the top under T5 lighting. They have been doing quite well in my tank until this.

I feed one cube a day to the tank to help support my baby cleaners in the tank, 50g I think it what it says, no date on the package.