Are my LEDs bleaching my Zoanthids? (with photos)

Hello!

New to the hobby and BRAND NEW to corals...so I started with a nice colony of zoanthids from Manhattan Aquariums. I have had them 2 days and noticed this morning that some of the polyps are very reluctant to open and appear to be whitening on the outside. Several questions come to mind:

Is this what bleaching looks like?
Is it the lights causing the bleaching? My other params are fairly in line: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10, Calcium 400, dKH 9, pH 8.1

I took 2 photos - one with my blue lights on and one without, as I think the issue is a bit easier to photograph without blue light on.

My light is the TaoTronics TT-AL12 full spectrum programmable. I am realizing I bought way more light than I needed. I am running blues at 20% and whites at 1%, about 10 in off the water's surface.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated....thanks!

 

I can not address the lighting.

I would however make sure you do not have an issue with Zonthids eating nudibranchs, Sundial snails or any other predators.

Google images of "zoanthid pox" and make sure that is not what is going on.

If all that proves invalid, dip them and move em down.

 

As above but I would also address the algae issue you are experiencing before adding any more corals

Also you do have to give these animals time to acclimatise to new environments, often people experience corals opening when first introduced only then to close for a period of time.

It is also good practice to start newly introduced corals on the sandbed and after a couple of weeks then begin to move them gradually further up the tank to where you want to finally position them, this obviously prevents light shock.

Good luck

 

As far as bleaching goes, they would be very pale. Doesn't look like that from the pics. Solid advice above.

 

I don't think what you are experiencing is bleaching. In fact, albeit not the reason for your issue, I would increase your lighting intensity. It is very low. I would target 40s and 30s initially and slowly raise the intensity over weeks time.

 

Haha yes I was waiting for a call-out on the hair algae. My vortech mp10 arrived today and I have a stronger refugium light coming....hoping to win that battle sooner rather than later.

Thanks all for the great advice!

 

I'd advise dipping that zoa colony as a first line of action. Coralline has solid advice about the predators that often come in a chunk of zoas from an LFS. They rarely dip them before sale.

Here is how I like to do it. Take a gallon of water and 40 drops of lugols iodine ( they sell it at the LFS) Mix it up well and add your zoas for about 8 minutes, swishing them very well. You'll probably see stuff in the bottom of the bucket. Inspect the colony well, and then swish them in warm RODI to rinse of the iodine. This might dislodge more bugs too. If you do find what you think are nudibranches, follow this regimen twice more, 4 days apart. This will ensure none of the nudi eggs on them hatch.
Your zoas might all close for a day, but in my experienced they open up bigger and brighter than ever after an iodine dip.