Zoanthid HELP!

[Mikeaveli21]

I noticed this week that a small corner of a zoanthid colony started closing off and now is sealing up (dead I presume). From the picture (see below) it has some white speckles on it, but I don't know if it's debris or something else. Then 2 out of a dozen polyps on a frag disc started everting (see pic). EVERYTHING else in the tank is fine including a dozen or more different groups of zoas, ricordea, candy cane, kenya tree.

I'm about to frag off the "sealed" polyps as a precaution and inspect the colony. Any ideas?? No changes to anything in the tank (i.e. lights/salinity/temp/water changes). Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

First pic is of the sealed zoas
Second pic is how they look prior to sealing up.
Third pic is of the everted polyp
Fourth pic is of the everted polyps entire disc.

Mike

 

[Mikeaveli21]

before sealing up

 

[Mikeaveli21]

everted

 

[Mikeaveli21]

everted disc

 

[Mikeaveli21]

The first two pics are only a small piece of a >150 polyp colony. Every other part of it is open except that immediate area.

 

[MAReefer1]

that happened to my zoanthid colony, I couldnt find any bugs, my water was in check, and I also had polyps inverted just like yours are, I wonder whats rong, I couldnt find out what was rong with mine, there all gone...

 

[naturebatslast]

Looks like a light growth of something. Color is different. Could you try to brush the growth off, outside of the tank, maybe followed with a rinse of some tank water?

 

[Mikeaveli21]

Looks like a light growth of something. Color is different. Could you try to brush the growth off, outside of the tank, maybe followed with a rinse of some tank water?

you're speaking of the speckles in pic 1 right? Yeah I'm heating up some water (to tank temp) for a water change. In the process will pull out the entire rock and just razor the sealed up ones and rinse the rest. I'm leaning towards something parasitic just because it's so focal and possibly spreading?

 

[Moe_K]

For diagnostic purposes, what are your temp, pH, alkalinity, and calcium levels?

 

[dz6t]

1) remove the colony and put it in a bow.
2) use soft paper wipe off the slime coat at the base of the colony
3) discard the water, get a new bow of tank water and rinse the colony
4) freshwater dip for 1 minute
5) rinse with clean tank water again
6) put it back into tank and leave it alone for two weeks.

 

[naturebatslast]

you're speaking of the speckles in pic 1 right? Yeah I'm heating up some water (to tank temp) for a water change. In the process will pull out the entire rock and just razor the sealed up ones and rinse the rest. I'm leaning towards something parasitic just because it's so focal and possibly spreading?

I'm with dz6t.
I'm refering to the slime coat that Dong mentioned. Not so much the white specks, but the difference in color of the base of the polyps that are closed, compared to the color of those that are open.

 

[skyedolphan]

personally seeing it is ina secluded area of the rock I would remove the rock use chisel and break that end of the rock off set di water to the same temp as tank use a toothbrish ( soft bristle ) to remove what you can around each polyp and on the stalk o f the polyps take a smell asyou are removing Zoas have a very distinctive death smell when goin bad/ gone bad or if a fungus is under the mat if only a slight smell or no smell do a 2 minute fresh water dip and a reswish in bowled tank water If possible replace in another tank away from your other colonies . if alot of smell add peroxide to the swishing water..HTH

 

[jovreef]

I second a Peroxide dip .... looks like a fungus of some sort spreading over the stems of the polyps.

 

[fanaglethebagle]

Maybe zoa pox?
http://zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=761

 

[Mikeaveli21]

Thanks for all the suggestions. When I tried to log on last night the server was down.

So I removed the rock and removed the polyps that appeared ill and rinsed it a number of times in a separate container. I did catch the rotting smell when I removed that group. So far they're back in the tank recovering. If I notice more of them sealing up, then I will go with the peroxide and dong's method (since I didn't have them last night when I did this).

On a side not, I got dis-oriented when I took the rock out, so I hacked a good number of healthy ones thinking they were the diseased ones. <~~~worst zoa fragger ever, and they're supposed to be the easiest.

 

[jovreef]

ITs probably a good thing you hacked a few rows of healthy ones with the bad ones, they could have already been infected too & just not showing signs yet. This way you are certian to get all the infected ones off with no more problems! Good luck with them!

 

[cobraz]

Peroxide dip ? How much to a gallon of fresh water ?
Is it over the counter Peroxide?

 

[xp964]

I had some pink palys there were doing the exact same thing - they were everted then closed up. I didn't notice any speckling on them, but they did get a hard white cap over their opening after the closed up...I did a fw dip and cut off the bad ones, they seem to be recovering now, but still don't seem 100%...I didn't notice any smell tho.
Good luck with yours!

 

[jovreef]

Yes its over the counter peroxide. a 10 to 1 ratio is used for about 10 min to rid of fungus's. 10 tank water 1 peroxide. it also helps boost polyps that have just closed up for no reason.

I personally just Eyeball it.... a capfull of peroxide to my tuperware dipping container... Its alittle dangerous to eyeball it like that ... you could easly overdose and kill the whole colony, but I've done it enough in the same size container I'm comfortable with my eyeball's

 

[rjdudek]

I am seeing the same thing on a colony of pinks. fewer and fewer are opening. Will the peroxide hurt an otherwise healthy colony? If not I will try it on the pinks that are starting to close up.