Let's Talk About ZoaPox (Part 1)

Hiya Folks! Thought I'd start posting up some articles about various Zoanthid/Palythoa afflictions, diseases, and just general facts. I know when I first started out with zoanthids and palys, I had a lot of questions and it took me a while to find the answers. Hopefully, with the information I will provide, it won't take you long at all to find your answers Let's get started!

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I have had to deal with a lot in my tank. I’ve had zoa-eating nudibranches, sundial snails, aiptaisia, and other various pests. I’ve dealt with them all with finesse, saving my zoas from their evil! Then came along the Big Bad I’d heard about, but never faced: ZoaPox. This nasty reared its head on a piece of liverock from my LFS I bought (because it had hitchhiker zoas that I thought were purty). So, I loaded my utility belt with fragging tools and booted the Google up on my internet. This Zoapox was going down!

I must admit I was dorkily excited to deal with Zoapox. I guess I like to make sure I know how to fix a problem before it is a problem for me. In this case, I was happy to have zoapox on no-biggie zoas. This way, I can try to cure it trying several different methods, and if I nuke them, at least it’s not a huge financial loss. Sounds a bit cruel, but in the world of Zoanthids, that’s just the way it goes.

Before I go into detail about ways to cure this Big Bad, I feel I should explain what exactly ZoaPox is to those of you who are scratching your head thinking, “I thought it was called Chicken Pox?”

ZoaPox are white lesions on zoanthids and palythoas. They start small on the stalks, generally towards the base, and gradually work their way towards the head of the zoa or paly. The zoa or paly will then close up due to irritation, and will eventually recede and die as the ZoaPox covers the entire head. The picture below illustrates a colony of zoanthids affected by ZoaPox:



I know, it sounds dreadful. And it sounds grave, like getting the Plague or something. But it’s not! Remember what happened the first time you learned about aiptaisia? I’m sure you felt it would be the end of your tank world if you got any. But I bet the first time you got it, and took care of it, you were thinking, “Wow. That…was nuthin’. I’m so silly for freaking.” We always read about worst-case scenarios and assume it will be that way every time. I promise you, it won’t. Not EVERY time, that is

So what are some of the causes of this disease? That’s a loaded question, because there really isn’t one specifically known cause for it. There are several speculations, but not one good, solid, proofed reason. Here is a list of some of the causes I found from zoaid.com (a fantastic site I highly recommend you browse through sometime).

Natural Trigger: think “survival mode.” Perhaps it was triggered from some sort of change in temperature, levels, etc.

Carbon & Aggressive Skimming: Both of these strip yellowing compounds in the water, causing it to become clearer. This sudden clarity can cause the zoanthid or palythoa to bleach due to the increase in light penetration. Sometimes, the zoas and palys may not be able to expel their xooxanthellae (the tiny plant involved in a symbiotic relationship with the coral that provides the colors) fast enough, causing a toxic build-up of oxygen in their tissues.

So how do you heal your precious zoas from this nasty? You can’t simply put Calamine lotion on each spot and tell it to rest on the couch with a bowl of chicken noodle soup and not scratch. But you can do SOMETHING. There are a few methods you can try, two of which I will go into detail here.

Method 1: Hydrogen Peroxide Dip

I know a lot of people who freak out at the mere thought of doing anything chemical to their corals, whether it be a dip or dosing a tank. If you are one of those people, I will tell you that you need to overcome this fear in regards to healing your corals from diseases like ZoaPox. It’s one of those, “Do what’s best for your child” things, but instead of your child it’s your poor little disease-ridden zoanthid, open and looking at you thinking, “Please don’t let me bleach, reef keeper! I want to be pretty for you!”

So, that being said, I have read many great results from doing an HP dip. You buy typical drug-store HP and add it to fresh RODI water, NOT used tank water. The recommended dosage is 10% HP to 90% water. Dip your zoas or palys in this solution and leave it in for a minimum of 20 minutes. Afterwards, rinse it thoroughly in RODI water in a separate container (again, NOT used tank water) and hold it in front of a powerhead to make sure all of the hydrogen peroxide is off your zoas or palys.

Now, I have read that after this treatment, sometimes the zoas or palys will “blister up” and stay closed for a couple of weeks. However, they DO come back. So don’t freak out! They are just healing. Give them time and don’t mess with them (moving them around the tank, etc. ). Let them do their thing. Obviously, if the pox is still there after about 2 weeks, and they don’t seem to be improving whatsoever, you can try another dip at a higher concentration of HP, or you can try another method.

Method 2: Furan 2 Tablets

This method can not only be more expensive, but is also more time-consuming and requires more maintenance. However there have been many successful cases of ridding zoas and palys of ZoaPox this way. So, here’s the breakdown:

1. Make up a fresh bucket of salt water in two separate buckets. Make sure the first one can hold enough Saltwater and Furan 2 to cover what you’re dipping.
2. The dosage is 1 capsule per 2 cups fresh saltwater.
3. The second bucket will hold as much fresh saltwater as you will need to rinse the infected pieces before you return them to your main tank.
4. After you have mixed up the desired amount of Furan 2 with the fresh Saltwater, dip your coral in the solution for 30 minutes.
5. Rinse your piece(s) off and return it to your main tank
6. Repeat this method for 3 days in a row.
7. Afterwards, let your zoas or palys rest for one week.
8. If they are not fully cured 10 days after the first dip, repeat the process, but this time dip your zoas or palys for 20 minutes, and for 2 days in a row, NOT 3.
All being well, by this time, your zoanthids or palythoas will be cured!

In conclusion, I would recommend that if any of your zoanthids or palythoas comes down with this Big Bad you first do one thing: Don’t Panic! Grab your towel and follow the steps I have outlined in this article. Hopefully you will find it helpful, and will successfully rid your tank of this nasty disease.

Thanks for reading, folks!

Sweet!!! Sounds easy enough, and much better then the frag and toss method.

Originally Posted by Pat B

Sweet!!! Sounds easy enough, and much better then the frag and toss method.

No kidding! Easier and more cost-effective, too. Saves me buying frag plugs and glue :P

Great write up! Thanks so much for this.

Originally Posted by chris&barb

Great write up! Thanks so much for this.

You're very welcome!! I nerdily enjoy writing articles like this ^_^ Thanks for making a forum specifically for the fabulous and wonderful Zoanthids and Palythoas!

great post Lady!!! I took photos of that hydrogen peroxide dip I did last night on those mean greens you recommended I dip in last nights' chat - I'll be starting a thread shortly to track their progress Promise!!!

Originally Posted by estanoche

great post Lady!!! I took photos of that hydrogen peroxide dip I did last night on those mean greens you recommended I dip in last nights' chat - I'll be starting a thread shortly to track their progress Promise!!!

Yay!! I really hope it helps your colony! If it doesn't, I have an extra frag of means lying around that I'd be more than happy to give you at Seamax I look forward to seeing the pics!

Originally Posted by LadyOfIreland

Yay!! I really hope it helps your colony! If it doesn't, I have an extra frag of means lying around that I'd be more than happy to give you at Seamax I look forward to seeing the pics!

well if this doesnt work im gonna bag up all my "melty" zoas and hand them to ya at Seamax hahahahaha

Never heard of this disease before, thanks for the tutorial!!


So just to be sure, since drugstore hydrogen peroxide is only around 5% out of the bottle, you further dilute with RODI to yield a 0.5% solution to dip the coral? (assuming my math is right)...

Originally Posted by spinycheek

Never heard of this disease before, thanks for the tutorial!!


So just to be sure, since drugstore hydrogen peroxide is only around 5% out of the bottle, you further dilute with RODI to yield a 0.5% solution to dip the coral? (assuming my math is right)...

Yes, that is correct. You're diluting the HP so it doesn't chemically burn and kill your coral, but that there is a large enough trace of it to kill whatever is affecting your corals.

hey Dr.! this is an awesome thread! and I just LOVE the story-teller in you too! thank you so much for sharing this info with us....I never heard of Zoapox either but now that I've read this I know that I've lost a few of my favorites to this BIG BAD but I won't (hopefully) be losing anymore to it again!!!

Originally Posted by Pat B

Sweet!!! Sounds easy enough, and much better then the frag and toss method.

Originally Posted by LadyOfIreland

Yes, that is correct. You're diluting the HP so it doesn't chemically burn and kill your coral, but that there is a large enough trace of it to kill whatever is affecting your corals.

GREAT question spiny! and thanks for the clarification Dr.!

Thanks, Barbara!! I'm happy to post any info I can on ways to save this little guys. I've had to loose too many due to lack of information - I don't want the same to happen to anyone else!

Bump Just re-read this thread as I'm putting together another hydrogen peroxide dip for some ticked off zoas Soooo glad you've got these reference threads here lady!!

Originally Posted by LadyOfIreland

Method 1: Hydrogen Peroxide Dip

I know a lot of people who freak out at the mere thought of doing anything chemical to their corals, whether it be a dip or dosing a tank. If you are one of those people, I will tell you that you need to overcome this fear in regards to healing your corals from diseases like ZoaPox. It’s one of those, “Do what’s best for your child” things, but instead of your child it’s your poor little disease-ridden zoanthid, open and looking at you thinking, “Please don’t let me bleach, reef keeper! I want to be pretty for you!”

So, that being said, I have read many great results from doing an HP dip. You buy typical drug-store HP and add it to fresh RODI water, NOT used tank water. The recommended dosage is 10% HP to 90% water. Dip your zoas or palys in this solution and leave it in for a minimum of 20 minutes. Afterwards, rinse it thoroughly in RODI water in a separate container (again, NOT used tank water) and hold it in front of a powerhead to make sure all of the hydrogen peroxide is off your zoas or palys.

Now, I have read that after this treatment, sometimes the zoas or palys will “blister up” and stay closed for a couple of weeks. However, they DO come back. So don’t freak out! They are just healing. Give them time and don’t mess with them (moving them around the tank, etc. ). Let them do their thing. Obviously, if the pox is still there after about 2 weeks, and they don’t seem to be improving whatsoever, you can try another dip at a higher concentration of HP, or you can try another method.

More angry zoos??? I hope it's not the watermelons I gave you Definitely keep us posted!

haha nope, not the watermelons... ive been ignoring my AOGs loosing 1 polyp at a time over the last few months... down to 2 or 3.. guess its time to take action hehehe

Oh good, glad it's not the watermelons!

My AOG's started acting funny, too, and I also lost them one polyp at a time. Did an HP dip on them about a week ago, and the survivors (about 4-5 polyps) have yet to really open up. I'm afraid I've lost them

Awesome thread, I admit I usually skip the long threads due to boredom but as Barb points out, your a great narrator/ teacher!!
I have done the furan method in the past, but I will definitely try the peroxide since it appears much cheaper!
And its cool to learn that it starts on the stalk and mat, now I know better where to look for early signs when checking my corals!

Originally Posted by Tizzo

Awesome thread, I admit I usually skip the long threads due to boredom but as Barb points out, your a great narrator/ teacher!!
I have done the furan method in the past, but I will definitely try the peroxide since it appears much cheaper!
And its cool to learn that it starts on the stalk and mat, now I know better where to look for early signs when checking my corals!

Well thanks! I do the same thing with longer threads which is why I tried to make this more "interesting"

Glad you got some useful info from this! Hopefully you won't have to use the HP method in the future because all your corals will be perfect

bump