anyone have a clue whats wrong, have pics

[hancockrich]

I am losing a really big colony and I don't know why. About a month ago, I lost a tiny colony and I didn't think much of it because I know it happens sometimes. My tank is mostly SPS with a few zoo colonies here and there. I will put in a few pics but they aren't great. I've spent a bunch of time looking at it and I don't see anything foreign on it. The way it is dying is weird. It started with just the center of the colony not opening and after about two and a half weeks it has spread through the whole colony. It wasn't an expensive colony but now my favorite neon green zoos look like they are next. Any help would be great. Water params are great and my SPS grow well and all other zoo colonies are fine.

P.S.: I have had red bugs one time and I was able to see those but I don't see anything on the zoos.

Thanks in advance...rich

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/hancockrich/Picture1.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/hancockrich/100_0424.jpg

[mfinn]

Do you add zoanthids to this tank without dipping or using a q-tank?
It's got to be a zoanthid preditor of some sort.

[kahunakatz]

I agree, it must be a predator. I would check for Asterina Stars, Sundial snails, or any other invert that is hanging around the polyps a lot. Check at night time, when the lights are off, because many of these predators are nocturnal.

Best Wishes,
Barry

[hancockrich]

I've only added a couple of SPS frags to this tank in the last year. I haven't added any zoos, live rock, or anything that could have had a hitchhiker in more than a year. I will take a look tonight. Do I just quickly shine a flashlight and take a look? Thanks for the suggestions...rich

[Pazazz]

Wow that SUCKS!!! I hope you get to the bottom of that issue. I
would also start running fresh active charcoal... that may help...

[hancockrich]

I've been running charcoal for a couple days now and I haven't seen any improve. Waiting until tonight to shine a red light in there to see if I can see anything.

[EvilInSin]

We added a couple sps to our tank a few weeks ago and I was checking them over and found a tiny asterina star on one frag. I didnt realize that it would eat zoos at the time. They could have come in with your sps, and they are not the easiest to see with the dull sand color.

[hancockrich]

im starting to lose hope. i have looked 3 nights in a row...with no luck...most of my rocks are locked together with sps so i cant even take them out to dip. i dont know what it is...cant find anything, i can t treat for anything. and this is the 2nd colony it has happened to...but on the bright side. looks like ill have room for more sps....but the wife is not happy about that...she likes zoos more...rich

[jasper24]

Hancockrich. I am fighting the same battle. Figured I had nudis so I dipped all of my colonies. Nothing but pods fell off. I have watched them and nothing is bothering them that I can see. However I am losing colony after colony. Everything else (Fish, Clams, SPS, LPS) are fine.

[Shultz]

I lost 6 nice Zoa rocks to an "unknown" dipped various ones & got nothing but pods etc, the only thing I've found as above is those astrene (sp) starfish....

Lots of people say they eat corals & its the only thing I can think of, my losses slowed right down, got a couple that don't look brillant still... pulled out about 20ish of those starfish in a week so far!

I find the best time to find them is around 7am well before any lights come on in my tank, I just search around using a flashlight

Cheers Shelton.

[CoralNutz]

IMO looks more like some disease rather than preditor. I have had it happen to several colonies over the years and I have never found a preditor in my tank. Never did find the cause, luckily it hasn't happened in a while. FWIW it did seem to strike at PE types more than regular zoas though.

[hancockrich]

well i think ill look early in the morning. and see if i can find something...i have always looked late at night...maybe first thing in the morning will show something....ill let yall know....rich