Amphipod eating Zoas!

[drillbitfocker]

Just saw large amphipods munching on my healthy zoas. These zoas are closed for 3 days. Other heads are declining.

I think amphipods iritate them then eats them when they're stressed.

How to eliminate amphipods?

I'm currently on fallow period since my fishes died due to ich.

Thanks!

 

[TX_REEF]

do you have pictures? I haven't heard of amphipods eating zoas but I could be wrong?

 

[drillbitfocker]

do you have pictures? I haven't heard of amphipods eating zoas but I could be wrong?

Later in the evening I'll try. But I saw it literally, munching on the neck of the zoa. After 2 hours, that zoa is almost gone. Every bit of the amphipod, zoa moves a little. Like cockroach eating a cracker.

 

[TX_REEF]

Later in the evening I'll try. But I saw it literally, munching on the neck of the zoa. After 2 hours, that zoa is almost gone. Every bit of the amphipod, zoa moves a little. Like cockroach eating a cracker.

I see, my point is that it may be something other than an amphipod if it is eating healthy zoas.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Although its certainly possible, its very hard to believe that an amphipod ate a zoa in 2 hours. Pictures and more details on your tank will help.

 

[Yodaman]

I also ran into these, and they ended up almost completely cleaning out my 2 biggest colonies (maybe close to 4” diameter on each colony) before I found out what was actually causing it.

My LFS talked me into spotted mandarin, but he doesn’t work after lights out. My advice would be a nocturnal fish, a possum wrasse or cryptic 6 line. I think that may have worked out better for me.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, every now and then I see posts about amphipods eating corals - interestingly, I haven't been able to find any scholarly articles describing corallivory in amphipods, but it seems there's a good chance it's a legitimate thing.

Nocturnal invert eaters like some wrasses are a good choice - you could also try things like some species of cardinalfish if you wanted, but they probably wouldn't be as aggressive as some of the "pest control" wrasses about eating them.

 

[pierrelowey]

So I was just about to write my own post about this exact issue, had 7 healthy Zoa polyps, then they all started to close up and it’s definitely the amphipods as I’ve watched one chow down on a polyp for 15 mins tonight, while my 6 line and mandarin are fast asleep… I have taken a picture.

 

[pierrelowey]

So I was just about to write my own post about this exact issue, had 7 healthy Zoa polyps, then they all started to close up and it’s definitely the amphipods as I’ve watched one chow down on a polyp for 15 mins tonight, while my 6 line and mandarin are fast asleep… I have taken a picture.

you can see at least 3 of the pods on 3 different heads

 

[Lavey29]

A couple things, it's quite rare for amphipods to eat healthy zoas. They will however consume dead or dying zoas as part of the cleaner crew. Have you checked thoroughly for zoa eating nudibranch? If your zoas closed up and went into decline for other reasons then the amphipods may get on them.

 

[Alexraptor]

Also have a strain of zoa eating amphipods. However my impression is that they mainly go after injured or stressed zoas (even mildly stressed). Healthy colonies tend to go unmolested and i can move them around tanks freely, but if i tear off a cluster and move them to an infested tank, they will invariably be gone within a couple of days.

On the up side, said strain of amphipods happily consume aiptasia too, so the tanks they inhabit are always 100% aiptasia free!