Zoa Issues

[brittant]

I've had these two frags for about two weeks. About a week ago, my leather finger coral rotted away, with something like a red bruise spreading across it. My water parameters were fine. Now, my set of grey zoanthids has closed up, and have a similar red rash (1) spreading across them. In the last few days, green algae (3) and odd things like bare trees with bulbs on the end (2) have formed on the frag. My green zoas also may be impacted by the red rot. Any idea of what it is and how I can treat it?

My fish, feather duster, and snails are fine, so I think it's a coral pathogen.

 

[Dana42078]

No idea...but its happened to some of mine before. Somethings just happen sometimes.

Other than that it looks like you got some algae on there that could be pissing them off. What kind of lights? You say your params are fine but what are they and what test kits are you using? 45 ppl read this but no response could be why...we need a lil more info...whats you CUC like? Have you tried dipping the frag?

 

[little_fish]

+1 on more info

but it looks like you have some little hydroids on that rock, and that can serious piss off corals

 

[Bifferwine]

I was thinking it looked like hydroids in the first picture too. Those are very venomous and will sting to death anything they touch.

 

[brittant]

@Dana - Standard BioCube lights, acintics (12 hrs) and 10k daylights (4 hrs). As of two days ago, nitrates and ammonia were 0, according to the API dropper kit (I'll take another tomorrow). My CUC consists of roughly 30 snails (florida ceriths, dwarf ceriths, nassarius and the big variety, and a few ceriths) as well as two small hermits, who I have not observed bothering any corals. I dipped the frag when I first bought it, but will dip it again tomorrow, if you would advise it.

@Biff and Hannah - I was thinking that they looked like hydroids, but they kinda sprung up while I was away. Would it be okay if I wore gloves and removed them with tweezers?

Thanks guys!

 

[little_fish]

I personally would toss the whole rock after fragging off any corals you can, they are some of the worst pests you can get

 

[Bifferwine]

You won't be able to remove them with tweezers. If they are isolated to that rock, remove the entire thing. They are probably the most difficult pest to get rid of. So you are better off throwing the whole rock out. And hope that they haven't spread to your other rocks!

 

[brittant]

Unfortunately, by the time I got home last night they had infiltrated the entire frag, so I tossed it. There go my grey Zoas and lavender Palys. :(
Is there any safe way I can treat the tank to ensure that they did not spread?
Thanks though guys!

 

[bjohanson1234]

Unfortunately there is no easy way to kill these guys. But if that rock was by its own, there is a good chance that they didn't spread. I had to toss a whole rock of green and red zoas since I couldn't get rid of them. I was able to break off a few so hopefully the zoas will make a comeback.

 

[brittant]

Now my feather duster's tube is coated with small ones, as I discovered while trying to move him (ow). Any ideas?

(I also posted in the general reef section about this, as I am looking for the quickest solution possible because I am leaving the country the 20th, and have to work late the next three nights. So if the double post [this and the other] are excessive, my apologies.)

 

[yote]

You mentioned a red rash in your post. Are you sure your not getting cyano-bacteria? Which is sure what your problem sounds like to me.

Never mind what I just posted.

In that one pic of your zoas,that looks a nudi that sticking out of it. If it is,then you've not only got the hydroids to worry about,but those nudi's too as they will feast on all your zoas.

And as a side note.
If a LFS sold you those frags with the hydroids,then find you another store or buy online.

 

[brittant]

Would cyano cause the Leather to rot? So far, my sand bed and rocks are clean, so I hadn't suspected that... Although I've noticed a small outbreak of GHA as well - which is odd, considering water changes of 20% per week, chaeto, and a pad filter rinsed daily. Unless it's the stupid BioBall chamber that I haven't been able to wrench out yet... :frustrat:

Are tweezers the usual solution to Nudis as well? Going to pull out the frags and take another look tonight...

Unfortunately, I think the hydroids may have been hitchhikers - they appeared roughly a week and half or two weeks after I first put the frag in. They seem to be spreading laterally as well.
It's pretty sad, considering I've bought a few frags from there before.

 

[Bifferwine]

To get rid of the nudis you will have to do a coral dip. Then pick off any eggs you see with tweezers. You will have to continue dipping it to get them all.

I'd get rid of those bioballs.

 

[brittant]

Thanks Biff... Would completely removing the bioballs and replacing them with dry rock adversely affect the tank?
I've been trying to remove the lid of the compartment for months, but so far I've only managed to cut myself. Feeding the tank, I guess.

 

[Bifferwine]

No, lots of people replace the bioballs with live rock. If you haven't been cleaning the bioballs regularly, that could be a source of the problems.