help my zoos

Booboo33062 · 08-01-2006, 11:24 AM

I have had my zoos for a little over 4 months. They were just one small group the guy at the LFS gave me for my birthday the end of March. They haven't grown much since I got them. Then about two or three weeks ago they just seem to have lost a lot of there color. Then I noticed that they seem to be disapearing slowly. I did a W/C and then checked the water and got
pH--8.0 amonia--0 nitrite---0 nitrate--0 temp--80
phosphate--0 calcium--460 and alkalinity--214.8
Please give me some idea of what to do. The LFS told me to check for Sundial snails, but I have the rubble they are on glued down so I can't pull it up to look at it unless I pull it loose.

partobe · 08-01-2006, 11:37 AM

I have a 150 with zoos that are doing the same thing but mine I think are dying due to my blenny picking at them all day.

theplatypus · 08-01-2006, 12:52 PM

Check your other thread.

Booboo33062 · 08-02-2006, 09:53 AM

This morning I pulled the zoos up and looked at them while it was still dark, but I didn't see a thing on them. I caught one of my bigger hermit crabs up there eating on them about a month ago. I'm wondering if another one is eating on them. All my little hermit crabs may be on a trip to the sump then to the LFS if he'll take them back.

Do I have to check them late or night or would I have found something on them still in the morning?

hng · 08-02-2006, 10:07 AM

I'm not sure if the sundial snails would cause a change in color. From what you've written, it seems that the problem is a change or loss in color and THEN a loss of polyps. I think that sundials would be more likely if you had disappearing polyps with normal looking polyps. A change in color makes me think about the lighting first. How old are your bulbs? Have you moved the polyp colony lately? Have you changed the flow in the tank? Are you using carbon and how old is it? Are the zoas located near any aggressive corals? Zoas are usually some of the easiest corals to take care of but I've heard of people who's colonies just die suddenly for no good reason. Are you having any changes or problems with other corals?

Booboo33062 · 08-02-2006, 01:20 PM

I have had it on the other side of the tank before. Then my husband and I were retro fitting the lights up into the canopy and I broke one on the side the zoos were on. I moved them to the other side of the tank when I saw some changes in color. Then I haven't seen any sign of things getting better, so I moved them a little higher in the tank. The lights are about 6 months old. I have some new ones ordered, and will pick them up next Wed. I thought maybe it could have been the loss of lights on that side of the tank, but then when I moved them to the side with the light I saw no change and even more loss.
HELP!!!!!!!!!

hng · 08-02-2006, 01:32 PM

Hmmm...in general, you shouldn't move corals too often since it stresses them out. I do it myself too, it's tough to resist moving stuff around. Zoas don't really require too much light, I would guess that you shouldn't have moved them up closer to the lights. I don't know what kinda lights you use but you could definitely fry them under halides. You may just want to give them time to adjust to their new home and see what happens.

Booboo33062 · 08-02-2006, 04:02 PM

Sounds like a plan. I don't have metal halides, instead I have PCs. My tank is 150 gallon, 72" long, 28" top to bottom, and 18" wide. I am only going to keep softies, and fish. I'll leave them alone. I moved them because where I had them only had blue lights over them.