dying zoanthid

[Matt]

Recently over the past month or so my zoanthid rock has been slowly dying. I am not sure why because everything else in the tank is fine. I have a few fish and an open brain and green grape coral. Over the past 2 weeks my nitrates have skyrocketed to around 80-100, ammonia and nitrite levels are 0. I have done a 30% water change each week for the past 2 weeks and it hasn't changed. I even thouroughly cleaned all equipment. Everyday I have to clean the glass again because of the builup of brown algae. Do you guys think I should just take out the zoanthid rock and let it die out of the tank or is there a way to save it in the tank and still reduce nitrates. The rock still has a few healthy spots on it. I do not have a quarantine tank so that is not an option right now.

[jzdziarski]

Not sure what you can do about the zooanthid, but seachem makes a product called 'prime' that detoxifies nitrates; they say you can use up to 5x the recommended dosage per day in an emergency; i've tested its claims on my aquarium and in my nitrate tests and it does in fact bring them down quickly. Haven't had any problems with my corals disliking it either.

[Mrs Smith]

Hi Matt, and Welcome to The Reef Tank!

Zooanthids are generally pretty hardy little things - I'm surprised that yours are disappearing without another reason, especially if your other corals are doing ok. Tell us more about your setup (size of tank, age of setup, lighting, live rock and sand, and inhabitants.) Without knowing more details, I'd also blame the nitrites. Knowing more details will help pinpoint what's wrong with the system that's giving you such high readings.

If it were me, I'd be doing more water changes - those nitrites are quite possibly the reason, and water changes are the best way to dilute them, IMHO. I really avoid using fix-it chemicals (although in a massive emergency, you just do what you can... and here, I'm talking about a massive tank crash, not one coral acting weird.)

Good luck,
Danielle

[Big Dave]

Hey Matt-

Yes, Matt, what Danielle said... if you have any peppermint shrimp they will sometimes go after zoanthid polyps. Ley us know when you get a chance.

-Big Dave

[Matt]

Actually I do have one peppermint shrimp and I wasn't aware that they go after zoanthids. I have a 55 gallon that is currently 11 months old with 60 lbs of LR and approximately a 4 inch sand bed. I have a yellow tang, two perc clowns, sixline, neon goby, firefish, mandarin, royal gramma and two black and white clowns that look exatly like my others except for coloring. I also have 2 cleaner shrimp and 1 peppermint and about 10 turbo snails. The only corals I have right now are green opn brain and green grape. I am kind of waiting to buy more until my water levels are straight again. Looks like I am going to have to take the rock out based on the response. I appreciate the feedback and if you have any more then thank you in advance.

[Mrs Smith]

If you tank is almost a year old, it should be able to absorb the death of zooanthids - assuming it isn't a huge rock.

And I've never had pepps much on polyps. Camels, yes, but pepperments, no.

Do some more water changes... your zoos really shouldn't be the culprit. What are they doing? Disintigrating? Disappearing? You could always try transferring a couple to a new rock to restart the colony. I would blame the high fish load before I'd pull the zoos. With that many fish, you're generating the high nitrites easily, and that's my guess for what's behind it. (Or is the nitrite spike new?) I notice that you aren't running a protein skimmer (or you didn't mention it) - are you by chance using a wer-dry, or bio-balls? Those will kick your nitrites up, which is why you can get away with them in a fish-only setup, but run into problems with corals.

FWIW, I have had zooanthids survive wicked cycles - I'd leave 'em in there, personally.

Good luck,
Danielle

[Matt]

Sorry I didn't mention it before but I do have a protein skimmer. I have the red sea prism and an emperor 400 just for circulation as I removed the bio wheels when I bought it. I also have two powerheads circulating about 200 gph each. I have not purchased any fish for about 3 months only the 2 corals. The zoanthid has been in there for about 7-8 months. Now many of them have disappeared some just have the roots there only but never open anymore and a few others are still healthy. IN all about 10% is still healthy. I will just try more water changes and ride it out if I can without getting rid of the rock. I may also have a camel shrimp in the tank still but I haven't seen it now in over 2 months and assumed it dead. It may have just found a new place to hide.
Also do you think the fish load is too much for this size tank. Most of the fish I have are small except the tang and even that is not fully grown yet, I think I got it last december. None of the other fish are over 2-3 inches tops. Thanks for the help.

-Matt

[Sylock]

If you are feeding the tank brine shrimp, don't add the water they hatch in to your tank. That water is filled with Nitrates, huge amounts. Most of the time it takes the 'trates right off the chart. Just stating this because of your Nitrate problem.