Losing Zoanthids\Haze forming over them?

[BriGuy]

Just noticed that a once healthy frag of zoanthids looks like it is having some issues. All water lvls look good, minus my calcium lvl a little high (havent added anything to it and regardless of water changes cant get it below 600).
SG Nitrates Alk PH Calcium Amonia Nitrites
1.02 5.00 2.50 8.00 620.00 0.00 0.00

Here is a pic from around 2 weeks ago...
http://www.maast.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=56&pictureid=329


Here is a pic of the frag now....
http://www.maast.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=56&pictureid=357


Anyone have any ideas?

[coraline79]

I can't really tell, but it looks like something might be picking on them. crab, angel, wrasse, aptasia, bristleworm. something like that. I have never seen zoas hurting for any other reason. Make sure your temp isn't too high, buthemmost things in your tank would be hurting. 600 is way high, try adding alk to your tank, and make sure you are adjitating the surface water.

set a trap(cut top part of waer bottle off, and put in in the remainder of bottle backward. Fill it with tank water, put some food in it, and lay it on the bottom) 1 hour after lights out, check it and there should be a number of tank occupants in there or trying to get in there.

[na1paj]

Assuming you haven't added anything new (especially zoas) that could carry pests, it's probably developing some sort of fungus. If it has a film over the closed polyps, if the polyps are turning dark or whitish in color, it's fungus.
it's not uncommon to have zoas develop fungus in the tank.
it's important to keep them in good water flow.

to treat it, what I do is take 2 containers about gallon size (3 if you think you may have nudis)

1st container - RO freshwater in tank temperature, add 1 package or 1 capful of Furan2/Bifuran, stir it up pretty well

2nd container - tank water and add iodine (read the directions for how much to add per gallon for a dip/bath, somewhere around 40 i believe)

for pests (nudis) - 3rd container - tank water with flatworm exit (read directions again)

place the zoa frag in the first container for 15 mins
then move it to the 2nd container for 15 mins (iodine helps recovery and tissue building)

if using 3rd container, another 15 mins.

return it to your tank under good flow

I've rescued many zoas this way. I also follow this routine when I get new zoas. good luck

[na1paj]

this is an interesting excerpt from
The Reef Aqarium - Sprung & Delbeek - Volume II Page 313 - 316

It might answer the question why zoanthids develop diseases in tanks.

Here are the important highlights.

Lighting:

Strong illumination, particularly if it has a high quantity of UV wavelength, stimulates the production (via photosynthesis by zooxanthellae) of toxic high levels of oxygen in the tissue of the host anemone, corallimorpharian, or coral. We should clarify that the molecular oxygen produced is not so problematic. When the anemone is illuminated by high intensity light, the energetic UV wavelengths in the presense of photosynthesitizing agents such as chlorophyll and flavins act synergistically to produce singlet oxyen and the superoxide radical (02), which is very reactive and readily forms hydrogen peroxide H202 (Shick, 1991). If you've ever poured hydrogen peroxide on a cut or put it in your hair you know it is also very reactive, and not something you want accumulating in your tissues! Dyken and Shick (1982) describe the enzymatic defenses utilized to counter the effects of the superoxide. In one strategy the enzyme superoxide dismutase keeps cellular levels of superoxide low while other enzymes, catalase and peroxidase, convert the hydrogen peroxide produced into water and oxygen. Other biochemical antioxidants may also be used instead of enzymes (Tapley, Shick and Smith, 1988). Dykens (1984) showed that zooxanthellae have high levels of superoxide dismutase activity, and enzyme used is a form with copper and zinc ions, a form not known from other unicellular eukaryotic algae.

What is mysterious is the effect of trace elements on this condition. Iodine (aspotassium iodide) seems to help prevent this problem, and it is possible that other trace elements help also.
Perhaps the trace quantities of copper and zinc from added weekly suppliments assist in the formation of the zooxanthellae's special enzymes. Prehaps there is an antioxidant effect achieved by the iodide being converted to iodate, as suggested by Buddemeier in Delbeek and Sprung (1994). With all the talk about antioxidants and health lately, it's no wonder this has application to the subject of reef corals, anemones, ect.

---------------------------------------------------------

For most photosynthetic cnidarians adaptation to the artificial light is just a matter of time, and it involves changes in pigment density and quantity of zooxanthellae. for some the adaptation is difficult, and ifthey are daily stressed by light intensity that produces toxic oxygen radicals beyond their physiological cpacity to detoxify them, they may never adapt. the light in nature is pulsed because of the passage of clouds. the periods of rest provided do actually assist in preventing the accumulation of superoxide by limiting it's production. It is not essential to duplicate this pulsing of the light, but it is possible to do it (Gutierrez, 1991).


here's the link i found it:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=691978&perpage=25&pagenumber=2

[BriGuy]

Thanks for the information. I have had these zoa's for a few months now and had no problem when they where in the 29g BioCube before moving them into the 46g bow. None of my other corals are having any issues is what gets me, I do have bristtle worms and have been thinking about getting a coral banded shrimp to take care of those guys (not sure if it will work or not). Besides that the only change really has been the addition of the yellow tang, and these zoas are in an area he doesnt really go to and the changing out of the light bulbs on my T5's about a week ago.

Lights:
Nova Extreme T5's (4 bulb) running all ATI bulbs.
Flow:
CPR BakPak powered by a Rio 800, Maxi Jet 900 & 400