Zoa question, hlth. 1/4/11
Hello all,
I noticed on my orange Zoa frag, that one of the polyps has what looks like a black lining around it's base/stem (if that's what it's called). I can't get a good picture of it, but it almost looked like a bit of skin (albeit black) that was on it. I prodded it with an empty syringe, and it seems well attached. This is a really healthy frag, it's put out a few new polyps, and one that fell off (due to cleaner shrimp I think), has latched on to a piece of LR where it landed and it is happily growing there.
Tank is 65g with 110 lbs LR and about that much crushed coral/gravel and live sand.
Red Sea Berlin triple pass skimmer
Ammonia/Nitrites 0ppm
SG 1.024
pH 8.2
Nitrates 5-20ppm
Phosphates 0ppm
Ca 420ppm
KH 11*
weekly 20% water changes with RO/DI and Instant Oceans Reef crystals
Temp 82-83*F
Shares tank with 2 clowns, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 sand sifting star, 2 blue-leg hermits.
Fed Kent zooplankton 2 times weekly (5ml per feeding)
So, should I be worried? Cut it off? Leave it and see?
<I would not worry... Have seen this sort of thing before... either from the animal itself or something innocuous growing on it. I'd leave be>
Thanks,
Chris
<Welcome! Bob Fenner>

Treating the tank for Nudibranchs 4/28/10
Hi crew.
<Hi Chris>
I have read tons of stuff related to my problem. I have Zoanthid eating Nudis in my tank.
<Bad news>
My problem is that I can't remove all of them to dip without completely dismantling the tank knowing that the whole process will need to be repeated to eradicate the next generation of Nudis.
<Dipping usually does not work anyway>
I have removed a couple from dipping small rocks and frags and very rarely see them.
<They have to be removed manually. The life-cycle is typically two --three weeks, so daily removal over this period is required. An hours work or more a day typically until they disappear after three weeks. Frustrating. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corldisart.html >
I was hoping that treating the entire tank with Flat Worm Exit
<A Planarian killer http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fltwmchemcont.htm Nudibranchs are not Planarians. This is a shotgun approach, a 'hopeful punt' that probably won't work>
followed by a healthy water change
<Requires at least two, 50% changes, the same day, the first an hour or so after treatment. This is NOT something I would do, it will kill life in your system>.
and carbon would be a viable solution.
If so, do you have any specific methodology including dosage amount to pass on to me?
<No chemicals that I know of. Quarantine of invertebrates & live rock before adding to the main system to prevent introduction of these in the first place. Hours of manual labour to remove once they are in>.
Thanks for you attention to my problem.
<No problem Chris>
Chris
<Simon>

Zoa Pox Treatment -- 05/09/09
Have you any information on treating a reef tank directly with FURAN-2 to treat Zoa pox? any information on the affects on live rock?
<Mmm, yes it can... the route to go here is to place the Zoanthid colonies in a separate container (outside the system) with some system water of slightly reduced spg (just add a bit of freshwater), to aid in absorption... and the Furan-2 made stronger in concentration (250 mg., a capsule, to a gallon or so) for an immersion bath... then the Zoas should be rinsed in another separate container of just some more of their system water before being returned to the main system or better, moved to another established tank. Bob Fenner>
Thanks Gregory

Seltzer dip... on Zoanthids?   12/8/08 Dear WWM crew, <Dave> Thank you for your valuable advice and web site. <Welcome> I have a 65 gal w/ 20 gal sump, 4PCs (2 actinic, 2 10000) that has hermits, snails, 2 Zoanthid colonies, a small mushroom, a 5" toadstool leather and a hand full of Chaeto. It's about 10 weeks old. The water chemistry seems pretty stable 76F, 1.045 salinity, <Mmmm... do check... am pretty sure you mean/t 1.025> nitrates 10, nitrites 0, Alkalinity 180, pH about 8.0. I'm doing about a 3 gal water changer per week. <Mmm... I'd change out a larger percentage> In my reading (here and elsewhere), I read about the necessity of giving the Zoas a dip. <?> I posted a few places asking for advice on the seltzer dip (which sounded the least stressful) but didn't get answers until after I went ahead and dipped them (I waited a week, but it was the holidays). The Zoas did not like the seltzer at all. <Not surprising... stings, burns... even the routine, exposure to air is harmful> They closed and started producing a layer of mucus. <Dangerous> I put them at the top of the tank in the high flow area to wash the mucus off and left only the actinic lights on. I left them there for 3 days. Now I've moved them to the bottom of the tank and restarted the 10000 lighting. They haven't opened for a week and still have mucus on them. What should I do? Are they OK? Thanks for the help. Dave <I would not "do" anything further... and I do hope they, your Zoanthids are okay... hopefully they will recover. As a point to browsers/others, I would NOT routinely dip or actually handle Zoanthids much at all... they are amongst the most deadly toxic of marine animals aquarists come in contact with... to their livestock and themselves. Dave, please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/zoanthidcompfaqs.htm  and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: Seltzer dip Thanks for the response. <Welcome David> I'm sorry about the salinity. Yes, it was a typo. It's 1.0245 <Ahh!> As for the dip, I never did a QT dip on the way in, so I was rectifying that. <Mmm... really... can't be done... i.e. no way to rectify once animals are placed, mingled with others in display systems...> I did seltzer but should have done the dip in Lugol's. <I see... such Iodine related baths/dips are best done "enroute" twixt moving Cnidarians about... not really advisable as a routine once they are permanently placed. Cheers, BobF> But, anyway, thanks for the advice, Bob.

Button Polyps suddenly retracted for a week - 06/02/08 Hello WWM crew! <Chris> I've had a 75g FOWLR tank set up for almost 2 years. About a year ago I turned it into a reef tank. Everything has been going extremely well. I had been dosing with Coralife Calcium Supplement, Kent Strontium & Molybdenum, and Kent Iodine Supplement. <Mmm, how... am asking if you're adding directly or dissolved through water changes> Recently my Iodine ran out, and while at the store I saw Kent Tech I which I purchased instead of the Kent Iodine supplement that I had been using. The instructions say to double-dose for the first 3 weeks. Since I had already been using an Iodine supplement, I didn't double-dose as instructed. I've been using it 2 weeks, with just a single dose per week. <Mmm, I would not "dose" anything that you can't/don't test for> About a week ago one of my button polyps - which had been one of my most gorgeous corals, very large, very lush and hearty - started to retract. What once was hundreds of polyps on a rock, is now only about a dozen open polyps, the rest have been retracted for about a week. Even the ones that are open when the lights are on, don't look too healthy. <Mmmm> Could the change to Kent Tech I have something to do with it? <Possibly> Nothing else has changed in the last 2 weeks. I do have another type of button polyp and it actually looks unchanged, and everything else in the tank still looks good. <I DO want to make the fact that Zoanthids are extremely toxic (to other livestock, and you!) emphatically clear... and the bit of data that they can/do often modify their own environment to their own means and detriment at times> I tested for Iodine thinking maybe I should be double-dosing to start...and then remembered the label says that test kits will not read the "timed release iodine", and that testing is neither required nor recommended. <... I don't agree> Well that's kind of unnerving. How do I know if my Iodine levels are within range if I can't test for it? <Got me... nor do I understand, accept some sort of "timed release" claim here... try testing this material in static ocean water. I smell a rat> Thanks for your insight. Your Pal, Chris Mal <I'd hold off on using any Kent product period, do a series of pre-made water changes, spiff up your skimmer... and be patient. Bob Fenner>

Yellow Polyps... on the Move  8/6/07 Hi you guys are lifesavers and your site is amazing. <Hi Joe, Mich here, thanking you for your kind words.> About a month ago I bought yellow polyps on a rock to put in my tank. They have been doing well for that time. I have two different 15 watt fixtures one with a coral light the other with a 50/50 light only a 10 gallon tank. Today I noticed a couple of polyps came off, not torn or bitten and still alive on the bottom of my tank. Is this polyp formation dying? <Hopefully not. But it could be stressed. How are your water parameters?> Should I take the polyps out that have come off the rock? or just move them to a different rock? <I would move them to a different rock. Hopefully they will attach. Or place on some rubble rock and cover with a piece of tulle.> Will they hurt my water chemicals like ammonia or nitrate? <Mmm perhaps if the whole colony died but I doubt you would see a change in your water parameters from a few polyps.> Thanks for all your help JOE <Welcome! Mich>

Help With Button Polyps!   12/4/06 Hi!  <Hello! Mich here.>  I need help with my button polyps.  I got a small colony of them on a rock about 2 months ago.  They seemed fairly healthy, but eventually they were not all opening as much during the day.  I went to my LFS and they told me to raise the pH, so I did and it seemed to help.  <Do you check you tank chemistry regularly?  If not, you should start.>  About a week after that, my Mandarin Goby got what I thought to be Ich (according to various disease identification sources I have found online).  Well I went again to my LFS but my favourite customer service rep was not working.  I talked to another one of the guys there and he gave me some meds for the fish.  <Best to do your own research before making purchases.>  I read the instructions but apparently not well enough.  After adding it in correctly, I read the instruction booklet over again and there was a precautions section that said to remove any invertebrates.  <Yes.  There are no reef safe treatments for Ich.>  Now, 2 days later, my Mandarin has died, (and had been removed, obviously) and my Button Polyps are all closed, excreting some sort of mucus and some of them are turning white on the tips.  <I'm sorry for you loss.>  Along with that, I have a small piece of LR with 3 VERY small frags of Leather Coral.  They have been thriving beautifully thus far, until a few days ago.  Their tentacles have all retracted and the frags all have that smooth look, although there is no discolouration.  Well, I prepared a small , makeshift quarantine tank and placed the two rocks in there (with the Button Polyps and the Leathers) and I am now waiting to see what happens.  <And mixed a new batch of salt water to use in this tank, right?.>  I just really am getting frustrated here, because my Mandarin started off as this beautiful fish, and then I had to give him meds to make him better but he ended up dying, and I think that the meds for him have harmed my polyps and my leather.  <Yes, the med has harmed, and may kill the leather and the polyps, and most likely hastened the death of the Mandarin.>  What can I do from here? <The most important thing you can do is educate yourself! Please start reading!  There is much to learn.  Seems like you are missing many basic concepts and relying primarily on advise from you LFS.  This is not the recipe for long term success.  Much of the information can be found on this website.  But I think you would be most wise to invest in a basic book.  You will save yourself money, time and frustration.  I think "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner is the best place to begin. Hope that helps.       Miss Kris

Green Polyp Crash, Zoanthid Toxicity   8/2/06 Howdy Gang. Thanks for running a great site. I find myself burning WAY too many hours through your FAQs. Keep up the good work. <Am trying!> On to my problem: I've got a 35g reef with a 10g photosynthetic refugium, DSB, plenty of live rock, 223w MH and 24wCF actinic on timer cycle, a couple of colt frags, some other Zoanthid mats, frogspawn frag, mushrooms (all well spaced out - I doubt any chemical warfare is happening), <Is... all a matter of degree and type... tolerance and acquired resistance> Longnose Hawk, Maroon Clown, 6 line Wrasse, Peach Blenny and a cryptic Rainford Goby). I am usually chemically stable, but recently experienced a little crash in Alkalinity (dropped from it's usual 8-9 to somewhere around 6 - not sure why). All the livestock survived and I'm supplementing my way back higher levels and my normal stability. The lingering problem is that my colony of green polyps/Zoanthids (look like the yellow polyps you see often, except these are emerald green) experienced some damage. About half of the polyps seem to have died and are now flopped over at the base. The larger polyps are still healthy, but I'm concerned about the dead ones, <Me too> and I seem to be seeing contradictory info in your FAQs as to whether or not to remove them. <I would> I know that many polyps contain problematic toxins and I'm worried about harming the rest of the system. Should I remove the dead polyps, and if so, HOW do I do it without harming the survivors and/or releasing toxins into the tank? Thanks in advance. <Best to wear gloves, safety glasses, remove the rock they're attached to, scrape off underwater in a tub... rinse repeatedly, let soak in system water (that is NOT returned to the main tank) for an hour or so... Stay aware of possible overt negative effects on other livestock. Bob Fenner>

Sick Zoanthid 7/7/03 Thanks Anthony... I'm down to 1 healthy polyp left. <sadly common.... quick necrosis with cnidarians that have little skeletal/"muscle" mass> He (she, it) is hanging on for dear life in a very stubborn fashion. Curiously, it's at the outer rim of the colony, farthest from the 'ground zero' of the atom bomb analogy I used (and you metaphorically elaborated on with your Mexican food anecdotes.) <VBG> I dipped this colony into a commercial reef dip composed of iodine and other mysterious things, and the disease seemed to have stopped, albeit there was only this one healthy polyp - and a few stragglers - left by then. The stragglers seem to be permanently closed up, not necessarily dead, but they don't look good. <Hmmm... may survive after all> Thanks for the 'not for free' advice on those products. Curious what out there on my LFS's overpriced supplement shelves are really helpful in any context? <phytoplankton used correctly is good... Dick Boyd's Vita Chem is excellent... and Selcon is simply outstanding (source of lipids/HUFAs)> I'll keep the daily iodine dipping up on this last polyp, and I'll probably get the Dremel drill out and attach a polishing scrub-brush-wheel and dermabrade all of the polyp corpses completely off (instead of chiseling the rock in 2.)> I sure have a funny taste left over in my mouth now after brushing with my Sonic Care. <Don't even joke about it mate... some Zoanthids are fatally venomous. Always handle inverts with gloves... and no licking fingers afterwards <G>> Thanks again, SLC <kind regards, Anthony>

Sick Zoanthids 6/29/03 Thanks Anthony/WWM. <cheers, mate> I believe these corals are "Zoanthids" in the (of course) Zoanthus spp. The common names appear to be Sea Mats, Button Polyps. I think the term 'colored' means they are naturally of different colors. My LFS would be very unlikely to sell colored corals, given their reputation. <ahh... good to hear> The closest picture I've found is in the book "Reef Secrets" by Nilsen & Fossa, on page 115. I can't send you a photo because my camera auto focuses on the tank glass instead of the critters, <to help photograph in the future... turn the room lights off and leave on the tank lights only... taken at night if you must to avoid indirect room light> and I don't want to stress the remaining guys out anymore than I have to (by pulling them out of the water for a photo shoot.) Yes, I goofed big-time by not quarantining this small colony, for the first and last time. <alas... many of us have learned this lesson the hard way> These are the only corals in my tank, so a complete meltdown of this colony won't affect other corals (for the now, but later on ....) Does it makes sense to have a tank lie "coral-fallow" for a month or more? <may be helpful... but do help/heal this animal with good strong water flow on the colony... even taking it out of the aquarium and scrubbing softly with a toothbrush (not your daily hygiene one). Indeed... do liberate the loose and necrotic tissue> I keep these guys about 8 inches below the surface, under blue actinics/10,000K CF lights, according to the Reef Secrets suggestions. They apparently need no supplemental feeding, <quite the contrary for some species... you will need to research the given genus. Zoanthus tends not to need much food, but Palythoa tends to be quite hungry and will starve in months without feeding> although some species may 'benefit', from what I've read, by occasional filter-food injections into the water near the colony. <really much more than that... too many corals are underfed> So much to learn...thanks for any meltdown-advice, SLC Born Again Invert Quarantiner <best regards, Anthony>