Cali Kid Corals

Why Are My Zoas Doing This?

Euphyllia

Euphyllia

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Every month and a half or so my big colony of Ring of Fire zoas will close up. After a week, they will open up bigger than ever and act like nothing ever happened. None of my other zoas do this. This colony, along with a few other colonies of zoas, are about 8" from the 110w 50/50 PC. I keep the light on from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM (it's on a timer). I'm curious as to what is going on. :~

EDIT: Picture of the colony when fully opened...
1opysh.jpg
 
I would pull the rock and dip it. You might have a nasty critter in them or just something living in that piece of LR irritating the zoos. Worm/crab/etc.

What has changed in the tank since you noticed this?
 
Qwiv said:
I would pull the rock and dip it. You might have a nasty critter in them or just something living in that piece of LR irritating the zoos. Worm/crab/etc.

What has changed in the tank since you noticed this?
Click to expand...

I can't remember when I started noticing, but it's been more than a few months. I've noticed massive amounts of 1" brittle stars in the tank, but none on the rock the zoas are on. I can't take the rock out and dip it because it's holding up other rocks in the tank. There is a colony of Green Bay Packers to the left of the Ring of Fires and they've never had an issue. They're on the same rock.
 
That happens to my Zoas every now and then, I just let it go and everything gos back to normal. Sometimes I do catch a snail climbing on them, that makes them close for a while. Just keep your eyes peeled for something messing with them.
 
It's been a while since i posted but do you have Asternia stars?. I think that's how its spelled. They can be Zoa munching fools and if they move in it might irritate them to close but not effect the whole colony. Just a thought. I had Pink Elephants do the same and after a few weeks I found the stars. Little ones with small red dots.

Also could be your cleaning crew around to much on them causing to stay closed for so long. Worth a shot to look into
 
Borchers said:
It's been a while since i posted but do you have Asternia stars?. I think that's how its spelled. They can be Zoa munching fools and if they move in it might irritate them to close but not effect the whole colony. Just a thought. I had Pink Elephants do the same and after a few weeks I found the stars. Little ones with small red dots.

Also could be your cleaning crew around to much on them causing to stay closed for so long. Worth a shot to look into
Click to expand...

I have loads of them, however only the small ones bother my corals, and the only corals that they bother are my hornets. I have never seen any asternia on the colony of Ring of Fires. Is it possible that they are staying closed to put their energy into new growth? :~
 
Sorry I badly worded the sentence. I mean the only zoas I've seen the asternia stars on were the hornets, no other zoas, or even corals for the matter of fact.
 
Funny the stars only eat anything that may have cost more then 25.00 a polyp. They won't go near regular polyps that I might enjoy missing a polyp or 20 of but no. They eat my pinks and now my Armagedons. I pulled out 100 alone in my 29 gallon bio cube. They split like rabbits.
 
Some of my Zoas are doing the same thing. I've had some colonies close up and/or even shrivel over time while others right next to them are fine. I've heard so many causes for this kind of behavior... everything from Nudis and Asterina stars to Zoapox/water chemistry, and even several people who claim it's a seasonal thing. Like Seasonal Affective Disorder for Zoas. FWIW I haven't seen any pests, disease, or anything of the sort and my water parameters are spot on, 15% changes weekly... no idea.
 
Are they they about the size of the small white/brownish Montipora-eating nudis? I caught one of those before, about a year ago on a fresh frag, and haven't seen anything similar on the Zoas. They'd have to be microscopic, or very sneaky to go unnoticed so far.
 
Still have not discovered anything and my Eye of Ra seem to be suffering and Tub's Blues are closed... have been for some time. Really odd.... params are all pretty much in-range.
 
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