Purple People Eater Problem

[Rychek]

Over the last few months my frag of Purple People Eaters has been a source of frustration and worry. My tank parameters have been nearly perfect (and still are), all of my other zoas, palys amd protopalys are doing great and spreading, but the PPEs persist in acting strange. I started off with 3 polyps in October. By mid November I had two due to the smallest ceasing to open and starting to shrink. Now I have three new polyps buds, but the two large polyps have contorted themselves into bell shapes and their mouths are gaping. Their skirts have shrunken to the point where you can hardly tell they have "fingers." I've been spot feeding them a few times a week, but the last several days has proven less than successful. I've had the frag in the bottom third of my tank, but tonight I moved them up to the top quarter. Any thoughts, suggestions? I really don't want to lose this frag. TIA!

Tank stats are as follows:

90 gal
Lighting IceCap 660 with 4 bulbs/reflectors (soon to be 6 bulbs).
SG 1.025
Ammonioa: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
PH: 8.2
Calcium: ~400
dkH: ~10
Phosphate <.25

~130 lbs live sand
~100 lbs live rock
30L gal sump/fuge

[Rychek]

Here is a before and after pic (frag orientation is the same in each pic)

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc246/Rychek426/PPEs.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc246/Rychek426/PPEsick.jpg

[BioCube14]

wow never seen anything like it try to place it in lower light and low flow it will come back to life

[Marlin]

Your phosphate looks borderline. Are you using RO/DI water?

[Rychek]

I had them in the bottom third of my 90 gal in a medium low flow until tonight. I moved them up to a more open area in the top quarter of my tank. I've been looking for specific info on PPEs, but most places would rather talk about how much they cost and how hard they are to find as opposed to how to care for them. :bareteeth:

I use RO/DI and Instant Ocean salt mix. I've tested my water before adding the salt and it comes up with .25 Phosphate. However, my tank doesn't always register phosphates when I test. It normally doesn't, but occasionally it does.

[ErikH]

Mine do that from time to time. I almost lost them all, and they rebounded like crazy.

[Rychek]

Where do you keep yours in regard to light and flow?

[apedroza]

I noticed mine did that when they really started to bud. I lost the main polyp, but ended up with 3 new ones. It may be from the stress of budding. I always kept mine at the bottom with moderate flow. Are you spot feeding??

[Rychek]

I started spot feeding about two weeks ago. This frag is definitely budding, so maybe that's it. I'll move them to a low spot, away from everything else and see how they do.

[Mr Cob]

Ryan, I agree....from the latest pic it appears as though they are budding, I see a total of 3 new buds emerging in the pic plus the two adult polyps. I would agree with the previous post that they are probably stressed from the budding. Hang in there...I think you will be fine.

I've seen the same with my GPE...I thought I was going to lose them (2 of them) and two months later I had 6 adult polyps. Mine now have an occasional single bud maybe once a month.

[ErikH]

I noticed mine did that when they really started to bud. I lost the main polyp, but ended up with 3 new ones. It may be from the stress of budding. I always kept mine at the bottom with moderate flow. Are you spot feeding??


I was thinking the exact same thing.

[Rychek]

Well, I moved the frag to the sand last night so it was away from the vast majority of possible irritators and it appears to be doing better. hopefully the polyps will fill out and look normal again over the next few days. Time will tell.

[ErikH]

I have mine on a rock just above my sand. No asterinia stars bothering it?

[Rychek]

I checked it over last night when I moved it. Didn't see anything on it.

[Rychek]

These PPEs still look pitiful. One of the new polyps has opened though. The other two are looking about ready to open as well. Hopefully the big polyps will recover.

[stoneroller]

Not sure why you should be spot feeding them. My understanding is that Zoanthus do not actively feed and I don't see mine respond to food like a Palythoa does. I think your polyps are irritated by something. Have a held them in front of a powerhead (or the turkey baster blasting method) to make sure there are no pests or detritus?

I keep mine about half way up in moderate current.

[Rychek]

PPEs are actually Protopalythoas and do respond well to occasional feedings. I've shaken them off a few times, but haven't held them in front of a power head or used the baster on them. I've inspected them multiple times for pests and haven't seen any.

[stoneroller]

PPE and other people eaters are Zoanthus gigantus.
http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=2459

Protopalys accumulate sand particles in the stalks like these blue protos: http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r10/stoneroller/zoas/bluepaly.jpg (http://www.maast.org/forums/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r10/stoneroller/zoas/bluepaly.jpg%5B/IMG%5D)

Regardless, there are times that polyps just don't make it and melt away. I have found that finding a good spot and leaving them alone is the best thing to do, unless of course you see a pest bothering them or detritus building up. You may want to watch them at night and see if any night-time visitors show up.

[Rychek]

I stand corrected, thanks. :) I've moved them back onto a rock so there's not chance my blenny can hit them with sand. I inspected them for pests again and I saw a brown hair looking thing lying across the skirt of one (it wasn't coming from the mouth though). I'll see if anything shows up tonight after the lights go out.