zoos are slowly closing

about 6 inches off the sand bed and no new additions to the tank in the past 6 months

 

Try moving them if you can. Might also tyr the quarenteen tank with daily water changes to keep ammo and nitrates down. Maybe they might come back or at least stop dieing off. Then you can put them back. Sure you don't have a coral next to them that might be touching them with sweepers when lights out?

 

nope nothing near them as far as i can tell they have been there for almost a year now

 

The affected areas are probably lighter in color than normal.....if this is the case even slightly it is a fungal/bacterial infection, what typ of zoa's are they? Uncommonly light colored zoas are prone to infection.

 

I should add these Q's......
How long has it taken for the progession from one to current?
WE NEED PICTURES!!!!!!!! borrow a friends camera, think of how much you are paid and then compare that to how long it would take to borrow a camer in lue of your zoanthids.......!
If you cannot get a pic then follow these directions for a Zoa dip...
"1. Using a 5 gallon white bucket, add 3 gallons of RO water.
2. Now add 1 or 2 drops of Lugol's Iodine per gallon of RO water.
3. Set your PH to 8.2
4. Set your water temp. at 78 degrees
5. If you have some Flatworm exit made my Saliferts, add
2 drops per gallon to the RO water to kill any Flatworms"
I have quoated this from a RC member, it is a simple lugols dip for zoa's that many use.
If this does not work excise afew unafected Zoa's and QT them while 86ing the rest of the colony. If you keep us informed your Zoas chances will be a bit higher.....

 

Zoa-nudi's will take on the color of the colonies they are eating. They are not visible at a glance ever. You really have to look for them hard as they purposely camoflauge themselves. Your post is a perfect indication of them...some corals remain closed and then die while others live but the death-zone is increasing. Yet, you haven't told of any "fungus" netting over the colony.

I've done Nick's dip many times without ill effect. Something to consider.

 

Nudis are a far fetch from infection as it is far more common...the infection that is. I would dip asap, working in a commercial environment and doing this has saved countless colonies.....well maybe not countless: If its nudis then you need to take out the colony and scrape a small portion of the base from a healthy zoa...and this can be the sole survivor. There is no known way to saftley kill nudi eggs with out a field scope and 5+++ hours of tweezing. I would try the dip first and worry about nudis later as they are less common. Inwall is certainly spot on though....nudis are VERY VERY hard to see most of the time, and occasionally will start from the inside out. A very illusive pest.