Zoa-pox! HELP!!!

[ghurlag]

I have a colony of zoas where some polyps are closing up and have white bumps on them (only affecting one colony right now). What's the quickest, least expensive method of treatment, and can anyone help me out? Money's really tight right now.

[ghurlag]

Found this article talking about using Furan-2. Anybody have any I could bum?

[Aquatic Specialists]

Found this article talking about using Furan-2. Anybody have any I could bum?

I have some you can get me back later.

[kennv431]

I have a colony of zoas where some polyps are closing up and have white bumps on them (only affecting one colony right now). What's the quickest, least expensive method of treatment, and can anyone help me out? Money's really tight right now.
Furan-2 is awesome ! Lazylivin turned me on to it and it works wonders

[ghurlag]

Justin, if I can make it up your way in the next day or two, that would be awesome. Have you had success with it yourself?

[Aquatic Specialists]

Yeah, it works, sometimes with only one treatment.

[jeremyreef]

here is a link http://www.saltgeeks.com/forums/showthread.php?547-zoa-pox-treatment

[ghurlag]

http://www.zoaid.com/articles004.php

That was the article I was talking about. I was able to get some today, locally (had to hunt it down, though - f-ing Middletown!). I'm going to start treatment right now. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress

And Justin - major thanks for offering to help me out!

[ghurlag]

Oh, and thanks, jeremyreef! I remembered a recent discussion on this, but was in a "hurry up and fix it" mode, and didn't look. It appears you and I found the same great info. Zoas are in the Furan 2 right now :D

[jeremyreef]

let us know how they do.

[TechGuy40]

Where does this crap come from anyways? Anyone figure that out? I have been lucky and never had it. Kicked some zoa eating nudis $@# once though hehe.

[ghurlag]

I just finished day 3 of treatment. Now I have to wait at least 4 days before I can start treatment again. The pox got worse than I realized. A few polyps were covered. Others are fine. Still only one colony affected.

No one has been able to present a valid cause for zoapox. Speculation has to do with the zooxanthellae going into overdrive due to sudden increases in light, and possibly producing more oxygen than the zoanthids can expel. Further speculation suggests that while LPS and SPS can "bleach" by expelling their zooxanthellae, zoanthids cannot. ...somewhere in there is the truth, but I haven't found it yet.

[TechGuy40]

I just finished day 3 of treatment. Now I have to wait at least 4 days before I can start treatment again. The pox got worse than I realized. A few polyps were covered. Others are fine. Still only one colony affected.

No one has been able to present a valid cause for zoapox. Speculation has to do with the zooxanthellae going into overdrive due to sudden increases in light, and possibly producing more oxygen than the zoanthids can expel. Further speculation suggests that while LPS and SPS can "bleach" by expelling their zooxanthellae, zoanthids cannot. ...somewhere in there is the truth, but I haven't found it yet.

Food for thought I guess. The zooxanthellae thing makes sense. Zoas can under go some pretty cool color morphs, and quick.

[Aquatic Specialists]

Where does this crap come from anyways? Anyone figure that out? I have been lucky and never had it. Kicked some zoa eating nudis $@# once though hehe.

I am gearing it towards water flow...personal hypothesis

[ghurlag]

I am gearing it towards water flow...personal hypothesis

How so? Too much or too little? In my case, just a single colony is affected...

[jeremyreef]

more flow seems help prevent pox.

[ghurlag]

I have a small colony of green bay packers that are open one day, and then completely gone the next... as in no longer there... not sure on that one. On the bright side, the green hair algae looks all silky smooth in the current :p

[coral ranch]

I am leaning toward a bacterial or protozoa infection maybe a fungas.Wich may be why furan2 is effective.When new zoas arrive from the shipper alot of the baggs smell awfull and the water is foul despite the zoas looking pretty good so my guess is the mucus from the zoas in the small amount of shipping water leeds to higher counts of the above mentioned.I added fungus because when furan2 fails to clear it up a combanation of furan2 and formalin usually works(formalin is great on fungas)
Flow deffinately plays a major role. When new zoas arrive they automatically go under heavy flow for a few days. This has drastically cut down on zoapox.This may rinse the zoanthid of the bacteria filled mucus and keep it off untill the zoanthids are less stressed.

[ghurlag]

The colony that was first stricken appears to be in good shape now. I had two other colonies that looked questionable earlier this week, so I gave them a single treatment, and they appear to be doing well now, too.

With my tank only being about 4.5 months old, I think I am entering a "down" phase. I just did a nice water change tonight, cleaned up 90% of the hair algae, and I plan on doing some smaller water changes daily for the next 3 or 4 days, to see if I can get the environment cleaned up a bit. New skimmer and sump coming up soon, so hopefully that will improve things, too.

I'll keep everyone posted.

[chromiumlux]

I have never had pox problems with my zoas. I have always used a baster to blow debris off the colonies during regular tank maintenance, usually once a week. This helps alleviate detritus buildup between the polyps.

[ghurlag]

I have a baster, but got out of the practice of using it. I think I need to revisit that.