Zoas

[Ferny27]

I want to know how can I keep my zoas alive . My water parameters are perfect , they are great for 2 weeks and then they start closing and end up bleaching and dying. I don't know what I have to do

 

[bill302]

what type of lighting do you have and what is your lighting schedule? is your temp stable and what is you temp setting?

 

[Ferny27]

I have leds and I have them at 50% only .

Temp is 78 and all water parameters are perfect.

 

[jeffaquarius]

How do you feed them and what fish do you have in tank?

 

[Ferny27]

Dr gee's

Naso, blue, yellow, and tomini tang.
3 clown
2 cromies
Fox face
Pyramid butterfly
Mandarin goby

 

[Hesselrode]

Maybe the LEDs aren't strong enough? I had the same problem with my t5 so I upgraded to t5 and metal halides. Heats up tank to 82 but all my corals are now open. Just waiting for them to reproduce.

 

[Ferny27]

I have them to only 50% because they told me to it could burn my corals. Should I raise the lights.

 

[Hesselrode]

You can go either too much or too little. The color in polyps is caused from a symbiotic relationship between algae and the coral. Algae can't live without light. Too much light on the other hand will kill the algae or bleach the corals also. I have too much light, but before the corals wouldn't even open before I upgraded. Now I have two metal halide bulbs and its too much.

 

[Ferny27]

So what shoul I do,? I don't know if it's too little or too much

 

[Hesselrode]

If they are closing I would turn them up. I don't recall ever seeing corals close from too much light. I have a 55g with 500 watts of metal halides and 108watts of t5s. That's too much light for that shallow of a tank. They enjoy it though. My orange zoos are brown from bleaching from too much light, but they are open and aren't dying. Had this light setup for 4 months now. Had to upgrade cause mine were closing and dying.

 

[Hesselrode]

I would turn them up 10-15% a day until fully on.

 

[Ferny27]

Ah ok thank you soo much, I had them on on 48-50% for two months .

 

[Hesselrode]

I'm no pro just telling you from experience. I know unless you spend a good chunk on LEDs they aren't very powerful. You would want Cree LEDs they are the best. You can build a great led for about $300. www.rapidled.com

 

[Hesselrode]

If you turn them up too fast you can burn them. But only until they acclimate. But I didn't acclimate mine and it was fine. Supposed to start the fixture mounted high and lower it more and more until you have it where you want it, but you can dim yours so it would work the same. A little pointer that you may use later in life.

 

[Ferny27]

Thanks buddy.

 

[Ferny27]

Do you think I should feed them

 

[Hesselrode]

I dunno. Never fed corals. You could get some reef fuel, but I have never used it just heard good things, or maybe something called snowflake? It is micro something lol. Again never used anything. I only have ever added purple up. I don't even feed my fish, at least the past four months.

 

[Ferny27]

What do you mean never feed your fish...... So how do they stay alive

 

[Hesselrode]

Beats me. Algae?

 

[Jmkb02]

Flow would be my guess. Also placement of your zoas. They can close and "melt" from too much light. If there is not enough they would be stretching like crazy looking for light. In most cases for coral, flow is as important if not more. If everything else is perfect that would be my guess.