Atl tripple reds shrinking/melting

[s_kelley]

I know this has happened to quite a few of us and no one seems to know why. Why do zoa/polys just all of a sudden melt away? Anyone have any insite into this? All my parameters are great and stable. Even my temp has been steady. All of my other items still look great and up until yesterday my tripple reds did too. Im baffled and looking for some solutions..
Peter where are ya??

 

[Bobbofin]

I know how you feel. 3 of 4 of my acans died, all the cool ones I got from B. The one I have left I got from Plymouth Pet and it's growing like crazy. The three that died were right beside the one that's triving, go figure. All my parameter were fine also. This is the stuff that makes you go postal!

 

[pvh]

I know this has happened to quite a few of us and no one seems to know why. Why do zoa/polys just all of a sudden melt away? Anyone have any insite into this? All my parameters are great and stable. Even my temp has been steady. All of my other items still look great and up until yesterday my tripple reds did too. Im baffled and looking for some solutions..
Peter where are ya??

Shane, I might have an answer for you in a couple of months. I'm trying something at the moment and need time to confirm it.

 

[snowmaker]

Been through this as well... It never affected larger palys. I ended up fragging most of the zoas out of the tank and moved to another just to save them, which worked fine, but answers no questions. No sps in this tank, but everything else (softys) seems fine.

 

[s_kelley]

Thanks guys, at least I know that im not alone in this. Peter, as always keep me posted. Ill talk to ya in the morning if your around.

 

[fanaglethebagle]

From what I hear, triple reds have a habit of looking fine one day and disappearing the next, but that goes for pretty much all designer zoas.

 

[Shabutii]

hey.. i have no idea why and cant offer you any information.. but all i can do is relate.. i bought 2 acans from B on sunday at the meeting and they both melted right away.. i had an acan previous to those do the same thing.. AND i had some eagle eyes do the same.. parameters are totally fine... it makes me so upset .. so i feel your pain!

 

[Shenlung]

I've had problems with a few zoa frags, and the only explanation I've found so far is flow. I moved the troublesome zoas from one section of flow to another and they usually pop right back, if they don't in a few days, I move them again. Not much help, but it's the only thing I've found that has had any effect so far.

 

[stingythingy45]

I just recently lost about a half dozen Atl. reds.
For some reason I noticed lots of asternia stars on the plug just before they started to disappear.I have tons of those stars.

 

[s_kelley]

Mine werent even a frag though, I had a nice sized colony growing on some rubble, then boom all shrunk and still shrinking! Theyve been in my tank for 4 or 5 months, its weird.

 

[wrassefan]

it's usually water quality especially nutrients...

 

[wrassefan]

how quickly did you acclimate? Sensitive to ph and alk swing so could be the water was alot diff in B's tank than in yours...did you dip? What dosage? Did you aerate while treating?

hey.. i have no idea why and cant offer you any information.. but all i can do is relate.. i bought 2 acans from B on sunday at the meeting and they both melted right away.. i had an acan previous to those do the same thing.. AND i had some eagle eyes do the same.. parameters are totally fine... it makes me so upset .. so i feel your pain!

 

[fishindude]

Personally, I have never had my zoas melt unless I stressed them in some way. Is it possible a fish or crab or something nipped at them?

 

[ReeferMedic]

I just recently lost about a half dozen Atl. reds.
For some reason I noticed lots of asternia stars on the plug just before they started to disappear.I have tons of those stars.

I think there is something to this. I always thought they didn't eat corals because I never actually saw them do it with my own eyes. A couple of days ago, I was looking through one of my frag tanks for a single RPE polyp I have. I saw what I knew was the plug it was on, but there was no RPE. I took it out of the water and there was a single very small starfish engulfing the whole polyp. The starfish blended in perfectly with the plug. I'm not sure if it was an asterina or not. This starfish has 5 legs all the same length. Asterinas usually don't look like that because they are always dropping legs to reproduce. Now that I know that to look for, I found another on an orange zoa this am chowing down. I'll be removing as many as I can with the next water change.

FWIW, I have 4 distinctly different types of mini starfish in my system;

-The first are the mini brittles that are great detrivores, not coral eaters.
-Second is a 4 legged starfish larger that asterinas, with all 4 legs equal in length and distance apart.
-Third is the pest I described above, 5 legs equal in length and distance apart.
-Last is the true asterina with varying # of legs at various different lengths.


The only one I've ever witnessed eating coral/zoas was #3. If you have these in your system, that could be your problem.

Another thing you could check for is zoa eating nudibranchs.

 

[stingythingy45]

"Now that I know that to look for, I found another on an orange zoa this am chowing down."

It odd you mentioned this.I have some orange speckled zoas that I noticed one polyp was closed.On closer inspection I noticed there were the stars your' describing all over the frag plug,on right on the closed polyp.

 

[s_kelley]

Ill have to keep an eye out for different types of stars. I have seen asternias and small sifters before but never really noticed any others.
I have well over a dozen different small colonies of zoa but the tripple reds were the only ones to melt.
As for water quality, I do ten gallons a week religiously. I test weekly too.
My parameters are all perfect, not to brag or anything, just trying to figure out what is going on here.
Thanks for the input guys!

 

[stingythingy45]

Ill have to keep an eye out for different types of stars. I have seen asternias and small sifters before but never really noticed any others.
I have well over a dozen different small colonies of zoa but the tripple reds were the only ones to melt.
As for water quality, I do ten gallons a week religiously. I test weekly too.
My parameters are all perfect, not to brag or anything, just trying to figure out what is going on here.
Thanks for the input guys!

Just a thought,but I've noticed my orange palys seem to be disappearing.
I'm beginning to think it's because of the direct sunlight that I get through my picture window in the morning.

 

[s_kelley]

Making a comeback?

Ok at 2pm I noticed very small polyps opening up, maybe they are trying to make a comback? I'll keep my fingers crossed!

excuse my crappy photo skills, the circle is the colony and the small red things are the polyps theyre only about 1/8 of an inch, used to be about a 1/2 inch in diameter.

 

[stingythingy45]

Hope you're right.
Mine did that for while also,but then dropped about a polyp a week.

 

[sciknen]

Shane, I might have an answer for you in a couple of months. I'm trying something at the moment and need time to confirm it.

are you dosing Vit c or dosing iodine?