Zoas problems?

[cjs3055]

I have three different kinds of zoas in my tank and in the last week they hardly open and when they do open its only a couple of polyps at a time. Everything else in my tank is fine. Any ideas?

[Fragtastic Reef]

Have you tested your tank? I doubt anything would be wrong considering everything else is doing ok... Sometimes my zoanthids will close up for a day or 2 dont know why they just do that from time to time.

[ArstenA]

Could look close to see if you have little webs on them from the spider snails...

[MNSALT]

i got the same thing going on think its nudibranches... check it out...


http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/marine-tank-problems/2551-zoanthid-eating-nudibranchs.html

[Becky]

Try a fw iodine dip and don't forget to shake them in the water

[Ulver]

I had an issue like this in the past. All my corals looked great, including my SPS, yet my zoas wouldn't open up for the life of me. I tried everything such as try different salts, dose alk, ca, and mg as well as dips. I finally upgraded to a bigger tank, didn't do anything different yet all the zoas I got were open and happy. It was weird.

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[David Grigor]

Like Becky says. I suspect it's nudis pests until you proove otherwise.

[Goberson79]

Sounds similar to a situation I had. Found out it was nudis. Sometimes wait till lights out and shine flashlight on them(zoos) you can see them crawling on zoos.

[Steve Whited]

how about emerald crabs do they eat them? my palys are fine but when i get zoas the disappear one head at a time and ive never seen any nudis

[Becky]

It is extremely hard to see nudis. But try the dip n dont forget to shake :)

[Becky]

An one could only wish something would eat these nudis. :)

[Nanofins]

Not sure, but I think Steve might have been asking if Emerald Crabs will eat zoas, since he said he never saw any nudis. Could be wrong. I've never experienced ECs eating zoas/palys; they're pretty strict herbivores.

Personally if I see zoas closing up and getting scrunchy but not showing outward signs of being eaten, I check alk first. For some reason, my zoas have always been the first to react negatively to dropping alkalinity. If my routine slips and the alk gets below 7dKH the zoas will almost instantly start closing up and looking stressed. Certainly try the dip and see if anything shakes off, but I would also check your alk and try to eliminate that possibility as well. High nitrates can also irritate zoas, in my experience.

[David Grigor]

Not sure, but I think Steve might have been asking if Emerald Crabs will eat zoas, since he said he never saw any nudis.

For me, emerald have indirectly. Getting/scraping at the algae have dislodged or scraped off zoas which go missing but not necessarily eating them. Usually a non-issue with colonies but when it's just a couple of zoas attached can be a problem.

[RaysReef]

emerald crabs will pluck/bull doze/pinch/rip away zoas to get to its food source, just like peppermints.